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Photography after dark... Why do I beat my head against a wall

Sherlock77

Well-Known Member
V.I.P Member
Probably the most challenging of all photography is doing it after dark, and I'm not talking about long exposure photos (technically difficult but easy to control in a sense)

I was at a local Christmas tree lighting celebration, complete darkness except for street lights, and Christmas lights of course

But if photography is capturing the light, there isn't much of it in such circumstances, very hard to do street photography style which is what I like doing... I did get at least a couple decent images...

Okotoks 02.jpg

Okotoks 01.jpg
 
When I see such photos, the first thing that comes to mind isn't the composition, but your technical ability at night photography.

It's a compliment. :cool:
 
When I see such photos, the first thing that comes to mind isn't the composition, but your technical ability at night photography.

It's a compliment. :cool:

Meh... It's not that challenging, rather simple really, but there are many failed photos along the way...

I am aware that very few photographers do what I do with night photography, I was just about the only photographer I saw there last night...
 
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Meh... It's not that challenging, rather simple really, but there are many failed photos along the way...
Exactly. If you aren't prepared to bracket a great many shots, they can be quite challenging and anything but simple. ;)
 
@Judge

I don't bracket :cool: One photo, use the available light (what little there is), highest ISO possible, very low shutter speed, and anything from F/2 to F/5, F/5.0 if I'm lucky
 
@Judge

I don't bracket :cool: One photo, use the available light (what little there is), highest ISO possible, very low shutter speed, and anything from F/2 to F/5, F/5.0 if I'm lucky
LOL...so it's likely more difficult for the average photographer after all.

Shooting at 1/60 a second is a hit-and-miss proposition to start with. Getting even more precarious if you lean on image stabilization employing even slower shutter speeds. Or ISO beyond 400. I'll use 800 at times, but hoping they aren't so grainy. Yet another hit-and-miss consideration IMO. I like that option, but it's just another crapshoot to me.

Your results dealing with the same considerations seem excellent in comparison.

Been there, done that with less than sterling results short of bracketing them. So take the compliment. :D
 
@Judge

I don't bracket :cool: One photo, use the available light (what little there is), highest ISO possible, very low shutter speed, and anything from F/2 to F/5, F/5.0 if I'm lucky

You must have steady hands to get these crisp shots with such low lighting. My photos would probably be blurry.
 
You must have steady hands to get these crisp shots with such low lighting. My photos would probably be blurry.
That's when on rare occasion I'll chance such a shot, leaning on lens stabilization if you have it. It is weird when you can accomplish a handheld shot with a shutter speed of say 1/45 a second. Maybe even less...but dang...back to those steady hands...lol. I don't think any of my lenses have apertures less than 3.5. And I sure can't push a shot to 6400 ISO. 1600 is as good as it gets with my modest little Canon DSLR.

Oh well, the curse of being an amateur photographer. My bad! But I do love the hobby. :p
 
I love photography, too. I wonder what will happen to the zillions of photos I've taken over the decades, especially the digital ones. They'll all go the big "delete" cloud when I'm dead!
 
At night I use a 23mm F/2 lens, otherwise I couldn't get this at all, but a basic lens like that is fairly affordable for most cameras

I also use single point spot metering in low light, I didn't specify but I can hold hold at 1/30, but that is far easier with a mirrorless compared to dSLR, less moving parts in a mirrorless (digital version of rangefinder)... The mirror movement in a dSLR makes a low shutter speed harder...

@Mary Terry

Photos like this are quite soft, with some "digital noise", but I can live with it... There is a difference between soft and blurry... Certainly the tack sharp daytime photos just aren't possible in low light, but for me that is part of the feel...
 
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I love photography, too. I wonder what will happen to the zillions of photos I've taken over the decades, especially the digital ones. They'll all go the big "delete" cloud when I'm dead!
Me too. Though I'm leaving a little legacy behind, in the form of an album of printed photos going from the present all the way back to when all my photography was film. Some of which (B&W) I developed myself. With a few images that should raise a few eyebrows...lol.
 
At night I use a 23mm F/2 lens, otherwise I couldn't get this at all, but a basic lens like that is fairly affordable for most cameras

I also use single point spot metering in low light, I didn't specify but I can hold hold at 1/30, but that is far easier with a mirrorless compared to dSLR, less moving parts in a mirrorless (digital version of rangefinder)... The mirror movement in a dSLR makes a low shutter speed harder...
Good point about the mirrorless. I hadn't even thought of that. But yeah, that physical action of the mirror rising and falling- excess movement where any movement counts relative to handheld shots with slow shutter speeds.

And single-point spot metering. Wow...been ages since I attempted to use it. I should give that all a try. Thanks!

Maybe I should consider one of those...even though I love my DSLR. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
 
Me too. Though I'm leaving a little legacy behind, in the form of an album of printed photos going from the present all the way back to when all my photography was film. Some of which (B&W) I developed myself. With a few images that should raise a few eyebrows...lol.

That's a good idea, Judge. I've been giving the kids copies of good family photos. They can do what they want with them, and it is no longer a matter of guilt for me!
 
Good point about the mirrorless. I hadn't even thought of that. But yeah, that physical action of the mirror rising and falling- excess movement where any movement counts relative to handheld shots with slow shutter speeds.

And single-point spot metering. Wow...been ages since I attempted to use it. I should give that all a try. Thanks!

Maybe I should consider one of those...even though I love my DSLR. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Why I like mirrorless, Fuji X-T1 for myself... I wouldn't go back to dSLR after eight years with Fuji
 
Back in the day of silver-based photography, images like this would be close to impossible without high-speed film, a very wide aperture, and rock-steady hands.

Ah, the joy of pushing High-speed Ektachrome to ASA 400 and shooting at f/1.4 for 1/30 second handheld! And it would be super grainy, have a very shallow range of focus, the colors would be off, and there would be a tiny bit of motion blur. I liked to call it "available darkness photography."
 

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