Shooting landscapes at night

LeftRightLeft · Oct 11, 2006

I'm an absolut noob with dslrs, anyway decided to take some pics at night of landscapes... i dont have a tripod and took pictures by changing the apeture and shutter speed.. the pics i took were blurred and was wondering if there was anything else i could to take night pics without a tripod or was a tripod the only solution?

JDS · Oct 11, 2006

A tripod is going to be your best solution. For long exposures (which are required at night to let more light reach the sensor) the camera needs to remain perfectly still to eliminate any blur caused by camera shake.

You could always find something else solid to put the camera on, but I'd hate to have my dSLR on the edge of a rock and a nice gust of wind knock it off...not a great choice...

One other thing to consider (once you have a tripod) is that you'll want to get a remote shutter for your camera or set the self-timer for your night shots. That way you're not touching the camera when it actually takes the picture and eliminates any chance of camera shake.

Big Mike · Oct 11, 2006

JDS is right, the solution to your problem is to fire the camera without touching it. You could even use a bean bag and fire it with the self timer...but you can't hold it in your hands.

The rule of thumb for when you are shooting hand held is this; The shutter speed should be equal to or faster than the focal length of the lens. So if the lens is 50mm, then you should be shooting with a shutter speed faster than 1/50 (1/60 should do). That was the rule with 35mm film anyway...with the smaller sensors in most DSLR cameras, they say the rule should be multiplied by the crop factor which is probably 1.5 or 1.6 for your camera. So with a 50mm lens, your shutter speed should be 1/80 (1/90).

It's not as simple as adjusting your shutter speed to make it fast enough....you still need to get enough light. The first way to get a faster shutter speed is to make sure the aperture is open all the way (low F number)...the next step would be to turn up the ISO setting. However, the more you turn up the ISO, the more digital noise you will get.

Maybe just go out and get a $20 tripod.

rmh159 · Oct 11, 2006

Yeah if you're not looking to do anything too intense I'd say run to Wal-Mart and grab a $20 tripod. I did and while it's a complete POS it does the job (kind of... 2 / 3 legs don't lock so they slide back in). Plus $20 to try something out isn't that bad. If you're really into it and like the results maybe then consider buying something more expensive.

The bean bag trick is another good idea. I think most cameras also support a remote control (I know my D50 does and it was about $10).

You should be able to get the minimum equipment for this type of shot fairly cheap. Good luck!

LeftRightLeft · Oct 12, 2006

thanks for the replies.. im going to be travelling so i dont know how easy it will be to lug a tripod around

dubydogg · Dec 3, 2006

they have mini ones (tripods) at best buy, ect. for cheap as well.

ericande · Dec 4, 2006

I got one from bestbuy that is maybe 8 inches long and it was only about $12. Can't be your only tripod but I can carry it on trips on my bike.

ironsidephoto · Dec 4, 2006

they beat me to it, but i don't see how you could do this without a tripod.

Groupcaptainbonzo · Dec 4, 2006

There are some very good light weight tripods around and quite cheap as well. I hike and hill climb and if the Manfrotto is too heavy . the Velbon CX-640 works well...
You don't say what equipment you use, this could have a bearing. Essentially. try to take a few before dark falls. There is an unbelievable Blueness to the sky just before dark. Also the contrast between the highlights and the shadows is not so pronounced. so you can capture more detail. RAW (If digital) is very useful at the "Twilight" time. ask a few more specific questions on this forum, read a few magazines / web pages, etc and play with your camera a bit (NOT practice or experiment. But PLAY ).
You can use any flat sturdy surface as a "TRIPOD" a gate or fence post a wall etc . A jumper / fleece / coat / suitcase / back pack, is a reasonable "Bean Bag" Substitute. just have a look round and have a think about what is available (Consider time first). Learn to breath slowly (Breath in , Hold it, breath slowly out and squeeze the shutter as the "Target" crosses the focus mark.

AluminumStudios · Dec 8, 2006

If you can afford a DSLR you can afford to go to Walmart and buy an $18 tripod

neogfx · Dec 8, 2006

Don't forget to alter your exposure meeting for night shots as well, the camera's light meter tends to overcompensate a little so try stopping down a few stops.

David · Dec 8, 2006

You may wish to visit Cambridge in Colour :hail:. Not only is there a gallery with some amazing urban landscapes shot at night to inspire you, but there are some excellent tutorials for all levels of knowledge, and some good advice on techniques.

David

j-pol · Dec 8, 2006

David said:
You may wish to visit Cambridge in Colour :hail:. Not only is there a gallery with some amazing urban landscapes shot at night to inspire you, but there are some excellent tutorials for all levels of knowledge, and some good advice on techniques.

David

thanks a lot david. it's a pretty neat site. it's a lot of help for beginners like me. i haven't read the tutorials yet. i need more time for it so i'm gonna alot a specific time for that. once again, thanks! :wink: