Night Photography

[skyymanz]

Hi..

I am newbie.. have a canon 550d.

Yesterday went to esplanade. Went to the roof where i can take the merlion and fullerton hotel. The photo looks ok with just the scenery. If i want to take a photo of a person with the background, the person on the foreground will be dark. Using high iso such as 3200 make it slightly better and 6400 the photo looks grainy.

using the built in flash makes the person too bright and background darker. Any way to make the foreground and background bright?

I am using the kit lens of 18-55mm. I tried using a large aperture of 3.5 but the foreground still too dark.

 

[nixontkl]

not a canon user here, but go learn how to adjust your pop up flash power.

since u said that u use the flash and the person is too bright, then simply lower the flash power.

 

[wmayeo]

how long is the exposure/shutter speed?

 

[allenleonhart]

show the photo first. npnt

 

[Francis247]

Based on your description, I can roughly understand what is your problem.

(1) When you tried taking the Merlion and Fullerton hotel, the exposure which you have suit that situation because there are street lighting and lights that are shining onto the Merlion and Fullerton hotel. When you tried taking person in the foreground, if there is no lights around to light up the subject, of course the foreground is dark. You need at least a flash or a secondary light to light up the subject at the foreground.

(2) You use pop-up flash, your shutter speed will be at the flash sync speed of 1/250, even with f3.5 and ISO3200, you should be around 2 to 3 stops underexposed.

Try this formula on a tripod.
ISO 200
F5.6
Shutter speed 1-2 secs
Rear-curtain Sync Flash (preferably a hot-shoe mounted flash)

 

[stunna88]

If there is no tripod can try this:

ISO 800-1600
Shutter speed of 1/10 -1/15 (since u got IS)
Aperture f/5.6 (for group photo), f/3.5 (largest for ur kit lens, for individual photo)
Flash with output reduced by 1stop

Treat it as starting point, then adjust accordingly

 

[sengz86]

Try using manual
Use a higher aperture
Lower the shutter speed
plus use a stand
and ask the people being photograph to stand as long as until the shutter closes
^^

 

[aspenx]

...

Try this formula on a tripod.
ISO 200
F5.6
Shutter speed 1-2 secs
Rear-curtain Sync Flash (preferably a hot-shoe mounted flash)

Best solution. :thumbsup:

No worries with the person moving much also as the rear-curtain flash will go off only near the end of the exposure and this flash is mainly what lights up the person, not the rest of the time that the shutter is open.

 

[skyymanz]

Hi all,

Thanks for the reply. Will try out the longer shutter to see if it helps to brighten the people at foreground. Current got no external flash so cant use that.

 

[ahbian]

Try using manual
Use a higher aperture
Lower the shutter speed
plus use a stand
and ask the people being photograph to stand as long as until the shutter closes
^^

Hi all,

Thanks for the reply. Will try out the longer shutter to see if it helps to brighten the people at foreground. Current got no external flash so cant use that.

Can't imagine how that would make it work. Cause it doesn't address the difference in brightness between the subject and the background.

 

[Stoppable]

Isn't there a night portrait mode on your 550D? Have you tried that yet?

 

[Stoppable]

Another method is to turn off the flash (push it down or close it).
Using Av mode, say f/4.0, aim at the merlion. Spot metering if possible. Half-click the shutter button. Remember the shutter speed.
Swithch to Manual, do the same setting, switch to evaluative mode. Set on tripod, turn on flash and shoot.

 

[ZerocoolAstra]

Can't imagine how that would make it work. Cause it doesn't address the difference in brightness between the subject and the background.

TS is referring to Esplanade roof terrace, which is quite dark.
I suppose if you use very long exposure, both background and subject should be sufficiently bright. However, I don't think people can stand still for so long.
I guess 'sengz86' missed out on the "use pop-up/external flash" comment.

 

[wmayeo]

Hi all,

Thanks for the reply. Will try out the longer shutter to see if it helps to brighten the people at foreground. Current got no external flash so cant use that.

i would use such setting and test on spot.

use a tripod
switch to Manual focus and off IS on your lens
set ISO 100
turn on Live view and on-camera flash
switch to Manual mode
use Manual focus and magnification (5x, 10x) to correctly focus your subject
try from low to high aperture value (preferably f/8 onwards)
try different shutter speed (example 4sec)