Trouble with Night Shoot


eric8526

New Member
Jan 16, 2012
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SINGAPORE
Last Saturday I when to central square @ C Q for the night shoot, but the result is very dark. What should I do to shoot for the night? Should I use flash or else? Thank
 

Last Saturday I when to central square @ C Q for the night shoot, but the result is very dark. What should I do to shoot for the night? Should I use flash or else? Thank

Perhaps a pic will help here? Without seeing the pic + exif info, it is really difficult to advise you on anything.

and yes... a flash will probably help, but that would also depend on your application and environment. If you cannot use a flash, then most probably you might have to step up your ISO, lower your shutter speed, open your aperture wider (if possible) etc, but all that had still be falling back on what you want to shoot, what is the environment like and the such.
 

What type of flash setting should I use and how lowest ISO should I use. Thank for guide me along.
 

What type of flash setting should I use and how lowest ISO should I use. Thank for guide me along.

1) What is the thing you try to shoot?
2) What type of lighting is there? Just saying that it is night time is not really enough, I mean, you would need to be more specific - like was it indoor or outdoor, was it brightly lit or very very dim.
3) ISO setting is the same as how you would like to set your ISO at whatever lighting condition. For flash, I normally set my ISO at 400 (but that is not the golden rule - if there is a golden rule).
4) I would like to bounce my flash, but this is not applicable if there is nothing for you to bounce.

As to what flash setting to use, there really is very difficult to tell you unless we actually know the exact environment, and even then, most of us would need to do some fine tuning here and there to get the shots we want. Plus there are differences as to - how my flash you have, was it on-shoe or off-shoe, was there reflector, softbox, or whatever.

Flash photography is a big thing, you might need to read up more (fortunately there are heaps of online helps and youtube video that show you pretty much every aspect of flash photography). Finally...

practice make perfect :)
 

What are you shooting and what lens, camera you using so we can advise you better. There's no such thing as too dark, only shortcoming or strength in this testing situation would be your camera type, lens and noise. No one can correctly guide you to use flash or not lest you furnish us with details, else you'll ended up using flash to shoot landscape
 

What are you shooting and what lens, camera you using so we can advise you better. There's no such thing as too dark, only shortcoming or strength in this testing situation would be your camera type, lens and noise. No one can correctly guide you to use flash or not lest you furnish us with details, else you'll ended up using flash to shoot landscape

Er... nothing wrong with using flash to shoot landscape. Just how you use your flash, you might want to luminate something right infront, but still keep the exposure at the background. So flash can be useful because flash is only less than 1 micro second to light up the front only, while the rest of your sensor is open to natural light for (example 20sec) so your forth and rear will be correctly exposed.
 

I shooting at Singapore river. Opposite shopping mails that area
 

I shooting at Singapore river. Opposite shopping mails that area

Haiz... You don't seemed to understand what we are asking... I mean...

What are you shooting? The whole of Singapore river, the buildings, the architecture, the people or what? Are you shooting streets photography? All these require different setting, and not just telling us where you shoot. Also what is the condition for that day?

Next... what is the camera you are using? Do you shoot in external or in-built flash?
 

The whole of Singapore river, the buildings, the architecture.

I'm using Sony A and in-built flash?
 

if you want people to help you, at least provide enough information for them to diagnose the issue you encounter,

best is just show images with exif intact.

one word "results is very dark" what can tell people about this?
 

The whole of Singapore river, the buildings, the architecture.

I'm using Sony A and in-built flash?

Your issue is that you do not understand exposure. Your camera has a light meter, read up about it in your manual.

In your case, based on the little details we have managed to get out of you so far, you should be:

1. Using a tripod.
2. Learning about using manual mode to set the aperture at f/11 or f/16 and then setting the shutter speed to achieve the right exposure
3. Use a low ISO like 200.

FYI, this is generic to all camera brands. Also, your Sony Alpha should have a "night scenery" mode built in - but you still need a tripod because it's a long exposure.
 

Please go borrow some books about basic photography from our National Library, there are some books cover lowlight, night photography as well.

this book is highlight recommended,

51h5YSPBIIL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg



you can start reading this thread as well, Photography Notes For Newbies



thread move to appropriate section.
 

Thank for guiding me along

You can use flash if you have a few lorries of flash.

The easier way is to set the camera on the tripod and shoot long exposures at base ISO, f/8 to f/16.

Bryan Peterson book is good.
 

eric8526 said:
Last Saturday I when to central square @ C Q for the night shoot, but the result is very dark. What should I do to shoot for the night? Should I use flash or else? Thank

Post one or two pics first, before we comment anything
 

Er... nothing wrong with using flash to shoot landscape. Just how you use your flash, you might want to luminate something right infront, but still keep the exposure at the background. So flash can be useful because flash is only less than 1 micro second to light up the front only, while the rest of your sensor is open to natural light for (example 20sec) so your forth and rear will be correctly exposed.

U think too much... :bsmilie:
 

U think too much... :bsmilie:

Am I missing up on some jokes? U know, I have a history of not getting jokes (uncle already lah, you youngsters had to have mercy when cracking out jokes :))