www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Hi guys, I've been trying something a little different over the Christmas break, night photography. Its certainly a lot harder than I thought, obviously because of the long exposures needed, a tripod is a must, but what did surprise me, was that getting the exposure right was the key.

These were my best two efforts, for the Cathedral I had to go to -2 on the exposure yet for the bridge I was at +0.7. For both shots I was at ISO 200 and F11, the Cathedral only took 8 seconds because of the -2 exposure, but the bridge took a massive 25 seconds.

Has anyone else done any after dark photography, Regards Gruditch

Hya Gary, nice pics. I did a bit of this some years ago with film. Did you set up the camera and tripod, then run around the cathedral firing a flashgun,,, sorry just a joke. That long exposure on the bridge flattened out the water a treat. 25 seconds is nothing, i've had 60 second exposures on mushrooms in dark woods, using open flash, and firing two or three times. Have you ever done fireworks, or writing with sparklers, it's mirror writing of course.

Hi Zonda, thanks for the reply, I keep intending to do fireworks, but like a lot of things I never get round to it.

The Salisbury Cathedral night shot was inspired by a similar postcard image, I bought from the gift shop when I was a kid. It was a surprise to me, that it was the lights on the cathedral that were problematic. If you had too longer exposure, the stonework would be blown out by the lights. With the bridge I was trying to mist the water, so I needed the longer exposure, I had a bit of a problem with flare, but that was easily removed.

Its good fun to try some stuff you don't usually do, getting out of your comfort zone once in a while, can be very beneficial.

I'm going to get a star filter and try some urban night shots soon, Fawley oil refinery could give some great results at night, I also fancy a trip up to the Severn Bridge.

Kind regards Gruditch

Go for it mate, i'm staying in. Isn't it cold at night?

Gruditch wrote: Has anyone else done any after dark photography, Regards Gruditch

Strangely, not really done any night photography, as such. Plenty of pre-sunrise stuff (including the Severn Bridge! )

This thread prompted me to recall a very strange visit from a Southern White Admiral in Var, France, last year. Strange, because it was at 23.13 pm! It was fascinated by the outside light and its behaviour was very moth-like, fluttering around the light. I tried taking a photo using flash (as below) and was surprised that the photo wasn't too bad considering I didn't have a clue what I was doing. I have no idea what the blue plastic thing is that it's sitting on.

A few years ago in Budapest took some night shots of the Danube and Castle and Chain Bridge with my FZ50...
Manual settings were OK - however the "idiot-mode" Night setting produced some great shots... ;will post when I get back home.
Taken a few here in Finland with the D300 and tripod as I get bored with Finnish TV and Erja and sister insist on watching Disney DVD's in the evening... (pass the sick-bag!)
N f8 30 secs ISO 200

Lol Nick,,,,,sounds like fun,,, Disney eh? Hurry home, the weather's lovely.

Not quite Disneyland over here...that's a REAL church, not a Mickey Mouse one...
Anyone for Angel Dust....? ..ask Jack for an explanation with his WeatherJack hat on...

Wow! That's a nice shot Nick. I like the church also. You may come back with a load of Christmas cards to sell on the black market.

...Jack informs me the correct name that created the light-columns is Diamond Dust...
Angel Dust is someting one might take to see them all the time!

N Edit: See below for fully processed image....

Scary forest.... ... Light Columns...Orion in the background...

with a simple "point & shoot" camera fireworks are a doddle:
there is actually a "fireworks" setting on one of my cameras... here i was using the "night scene" setting.

More here : http://www.flickr.com/groups/1256585@N20/


Charles

hi captain,

its amazing what you can do with sparklers!

nice selection of pics on flicker charles, but were did you pick your alter ego name from? captain catkin.

i thought mine was bad enough

gary.

geniculata wrote:hi captain,

, but were did you pick your alter ego name from? captain catkin.

gary.

i just have this thing about catkins... i made a seminal series of movies about them... check out http://catkins.blip.tv/

CC

well captain,

i watched with anticipation and empathized with your obvious frustration in your efforts to get a butterfly in the frame in " butterfly meadow",
watched with wonderment at your two tailed pasha clip,
but after watching the series off catkin movies ive come to the conclusion that you're finally off your trolly and have probably been for quite some time!

keep up the good work captain!

gary

glad you liked the pasha movie gary

the Butterfly Meadow was a hive of activity... Swallowtails, Graylings, Blues ( including Large ), Skippers, Fritillaries, Cleopatras and more moths than you could shake a baguette at !!


CC

I must stand up for Charles - he was as sane as the next man in UK Butterflies when I met him...
errrmmm....??

Anyway - some idiot mode shots from Budapest 2007 on my old FZ50....

The bridge is a very attractive scene Nick, I would love to take that same shot, but with a long exposure, the reflections from the misted water would be stunning.

Regards Gruditch

Shows what a simple camera on a small tripod on night mode can do.
The Chain Bridge is part of the World Heritage site which comprises that stretch of the Danube with it's bridges, old buildings, castles and illuminations...you WOULD have a ball there for night photography...and Budapest is safe, friendly and cheap!
N