Night of Merlion


monkeyphotographer

New Member
Oct 9, 2010
16
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Singapore, Singapore
Merlion_Night.jpg


1. In which area is critique or feedback to be given?
Composure, technique and others

2. What were you hoping to achieve with this image?
Hoping to get the correct lighting and sharpness.

3. Under what circumstance was the picture taken? (physical conditions/emotions)
The picture was taken in the night around 10pm. Was trying to capture the merlion spitting into the sea with some part of shanton way.

Shuttle: 20sec
Aperture: f/22
length: 18mm
ISO: 200
Exposure: Manual Mode

4. Thread-starter's personal thoughts about the image.
I find that the merlion was over expose, have used the black trying to tone down the exposure still i get a little over. any idea, please comment.
 

Why you decided to use F22 at 20 sec ?? is ISO 200 the lowest you can go?
 

I was trying to capture everything using f22 and if i go lower the merlion will be too over expose and higher it will cause the background to darken. i choose 200 because i didnt read the instruction book L0.3, L0.7 mean in the first place. now i know after reading it.
 

You need to understand how your camera exposure programs work in the first place. If you are shooting in A mode, if you decrease the f number, the camera will compensate by decreasing the shutter speed. For some reason, you decided to shoot in M mode- you can still use a lower f number but you have to reduce the shutter speed yourself.

That said, your exposure is uneven. Nighttime is not the best time to shoot the merlion- the harsh white lighting causes the dynamic range of the photo to be too big, and details on the merlion are often lost. From what I know, the best time would be during the sunrise period. If you insist on shooting at night, you probably need to exposure blend.

Composition-wise (NOTE: Composure refers so something absolutely different), your water is prematurely cut off, the merlion seems shunted to the side, and the skyline in the background is also sliced in half. This is definitely not a good angle.
 

Shuttle: 20sec
Aperture: f/22
length: 18mm
ISO: 200
Exposure: Manual Mode

You should be fine with between f/12 to f/16. And aperture of f/22 is a little too small and image quality will degrade due to the effects of diffraction. If you really need a slow shutter, you can either lower your ISO or use a ND filter. Also learn to use your camera's metering system, it will assist you in determining a proper exposure setting for your subjects. However, properly exposing for the Merlion can cause the buildings behind to be underexposed, its a compromise. However you can go to the extent of using HDR techniques to expand your dynamic range or simply just go back earlier in the evening when the sky is not totally dark. :)
 

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However you can go to the extent of using HDR techniques to expand your dynamic range or simply just go back earlier in the evening when the sky is not totally dark. :)


The best time to shoot is probably early in the morning, if you want some colour in the sky- just before sunrise. In the evening, they turn on the lights at the merlion which will cause exposure disaster. Not sure the exact time the lights come on though.
 

...In the evening, they turn on the lights at the merlion which will cause exposure disaster....

This really depends on how late you intend to shoot. The idea is not to go when the sky is completely dark. During this time, the sky is bluish but still holds some light. The buildings behind would have already got their lights turned on, as well as the flood lights which illuminates the Merlion. If its the lighting and atmosphere you want to capture, then this is the time. During sunrise, the lights might have already been turned off. Just a point for consideration :)

A sample of what i was talking about that I found on google (this photo is NOT taken by me)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/25802865@N08/2906915110/ Credits to the owner of this image on flickr, Mr Choo
 

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Best to shoot at dusk .
A critical time when there is still some after glo in the sky to give outline to the otherwise darkened buildings .
Also just when they switch the building lights on and before they are at their fullest .
Lens should be good , clean and dust free .
Preferbly without filters to prevent glare , flare .
Optimum lens aperture for 35mm slr is normally at f5.6-f8 .
Try not to deviate further.
Next time , when there are fireworks , good to shoot , as they help light up the buildings.
Or full moon and white clouds - they help to light the walls of the buildings as well .
 

I think go early in the morning is better. Less people and with luck, you can get a nice skyline for the picture. Should try shoot the picture from different angle.

If you are not sure how to get a proper setting, use aperture priority (A mode) or shutter priority (S mode) would be better. Let the camera to handle the optimal settings. If still unsure, use the scene mode in your camera (I think is call landscape scene).

No need to rush for all kind of camera settings. Focus on picture composition. If not sure how to get a nice composition with Merlion, search for Merlion pictures from the Internet and get some inspiration.
 

Woa so many good info given, will bear in minds and keep shooting and get more critique and shot will be improve (hopefully). Thanks guys