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Photographers...Long Exposures...Night Photography...Help?
 
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OffLiCute



Joined: 25 Nov 2007
Posts: 11

PostPosted: Thu Jan 10, 2008 10:17 am    Post subject: Photographers...Long Exposures...Night Photography...Help? Reply with quote
I have a Nikon D80 digital SLR, an 18-55G & 12-24mm Tokina Wide Angle, both with C.Polarizer filters, and an SB-600 Speedlight. First off, is my camera capable of performing long exposure shots, and second, how do i set up my camera? Do i need a tripod? Do i need a different lens? Whats involved? I want to be able to take pictures of the stars at night, of roads with moving traffic and get that rear curtain trails effect, and the foamy blurred water effect of moving currents. Any help is greatly appreciated.Perhaps you can refer me to a forum which discusses this in more detail.Thanks!
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oldarata



Joined: 16 Jan 2008
Posts: 11
Location: DE

PostPosted: Thu Jan 10, 2008 1:05 pm    Post subject: Photographers...Long Exposures...Night Photography...Help? Reply with quote
You definately need a tripod and either a remote or cable release to trigger the shutter, so you don't jiggle the camera.Yes, your camera can do long exposures, with any lens you have (read the manual). A good book for you to get to understand this is, "Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson.Here is a link to some tutorials http://photography.about.com/od/nightphotography/ss/NightPhotog.htmAnother site is:: http://webphotoschool.comhttp://www.schoolofphotography.com/night/night.htmlhttp://digitalphotoschool.comhttp://kentrockwell.comRead your manuals and learn what each lens is capable of.
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ohohohohoh



Joined: 24 Nov 2007
Posts: 10

PostPosted: Thu Jan 10, 2008 3:53 pm    Post subject: Photographers...Long Exposures...Night Photography...Help? Reply with quote
Love those traffic photos, you will have to play with them a little I haven't tried many of them.Full moon shots: Must be on a tripod. I set my camera up this way, one second exposure, varied between F4.0 and F11, all with mirror lock. I don't have a remote trigger so I would set the shutter to fire after two seconds. Got some good photos, but need a steadier tripod, and have to keep it out of the wind.Blurred water: I didn't have my tripod with me so I was propped up against a rock, and got some blur in the background. The shutter was set at 1/8, and the best shot came at f14. I was shooting a waterfall situation so I wanted some depth of field. They were ok, but better sun and a steady tripod would have helped.
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oksazyoys



Joined: 01 Oct 2007
Posts: 26
Location: USA

PostPosted: Thu Jan 10, 2008 6:41 pm    Post subject: Photographers...Long Exposures...Night Photography...Help? Reply with quote
Please see my answer in the Camera section of YA.
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oklatom



Joined: 22 Nov 2007
Posts: 12

PostPosted: Thu Jan 10, 2008 9:29 pm    Post subject: Photographers...Long Exposures...Night Photography...Help? Reply with quote
1) You need a tripod since you will be using long exposures. Any movement (however slight of the camera) will result in a blurred picture. I usually use the self-timer to trigger the shutter so the tripod has time to settle down. If it's windy, your tripod needs to be quite sturdy.2) Set your camera to Manual mode. Use the exposure assistance to suggest a shutter speed and aperture and use these as your starting point. Take a picture. Review on the LCD and try different shutter speeds (faster and slower) and see which effects you like best.3) By the way, I don't think you want the Polarizing filter on your lens for a night shot.4) You can also play with the aperture. A small aperture can accentuate the star effect of any light source. You may or may not like this effect, but since you are learning, give it a try. Of course, if you use a smaller aperture, you need to compensate by using a slower shutter speed. Experiment.5) Stars: v-e-r-y long exposures. Be prepared for a long haul: warm jacket, flashlight (to set things up before the shot since everything needs to be pretty dark), warm drink, etc.6) Car trails: If you want the car to be visible, read your manual on the rear curtain flash sync that will allow you to do that. Basically you want to flash the car and record the image of the car, and leave the shutter open for a while longer to record the trails.7) Water: experiment with a slow shutter speed (1/30 sec., 1/15 sec. etc.) for the effct that you like. If it's too bright, you may not be able to get a correct exposure (i.e. you'll get over-exposure), you may want to purchase a Neutral Density filter that will cut out the amount of light entering your camera.Above all, experiment... lots.
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