Strange blurs and effects in low light...thoughts?

Screamingtiki · Dec 9, 2014

Greetings from a new member!
I just uploaded a few photos in this album:

Album: Strange blurs and "mesh" -like images | Photography Forum

...and we're wondering if anyone else gets similar images to these examples when taking night shots. These were taken with two different Sony Cyber-Shot cameras, a DSC-W730 and a DSC-W650. We have gotten these types of images repeatedly in this particular location but nowhere else. We have looked online at low-light photo blurs and seen images with blurring from low light conditions and night shots. But we have not seen anything like these strong purple lights, extreme blurs, and mesh-like things. These are all taken by the same photographer, in the same location. Holding the camera still, elbows in, etc. And we have plenty of photos in the same place and conditions that come out as expected.

In particular we have never seen the mesh-looking effect in the purple light, what causes that?

Thanks for your thoughts.

James Baranski · Dec 9, 2014

The camera is moving. Lower light requires longer shutter speed and the slightest movement will do this. Plus digital photography is wierd at night. It has a hard time with florescent, sodium, tungsten, ect... lighting at night. A tripod will eliminate the blur.

bratkinson · Dec 9, 2014

Mr Baranski hit the nail on the head...the camera is moving/shaking. Although you think that you are holding it steady, even leaning against a tree or building for example, your hands have a slight shake to them, causing the blur. The unsteady hands effect becomes progressively worse with telephoto lenses.

Night shots always require some external 'steady' support for your camera. Even the 'fastest' lenses wide open still require shutter speeds too slow to be hand held and not get a camera shake caused blur. Tripods are your best bet for rock solid camera mounting for night shots. A wireless release is also strongly suggested as even your finger pressing and releasing the shutter button may result in a slight blur. And if you really want to ensure absolutely, positively no blur, use mirror lockup after focusing. For those times I don't have a tripod with me, I've used everything from flat-topped trash receptacles to the roof of a parked car, or even a concrete-topped retaining wall for support. In those situations when I have to be moving around and need steady support, I've used a monopod, but that requires me to be leaning against a wall or whatever for added steadiness. Even so, with a monopod, I still get some camera-shake blurred shots when my shutter speed is in the range of 1/30th and slower.

Which brings me to another point...subject motion blur. Taking pictures of people in dimly lit environments requires a shutter speed fast enough to 'freeze action' on them, as well. For relatively stationary people, shutter speeds of 1/125th and faster are needed. I prefer 1/200th. If they were running, then even higher shutter speeds are necessary.

It all comes down to the exposure triangle. Getting the correct exposure often requires one or more compromises of how you -want- to shoot it vs how you -have- to shoot it to get the desired results. I strongly suggest your become more than just familiar with the exposure triangle and it's tradeoffs.

Here's a good site: Cambridge in Colour - Photography Tutorials & Learning Community

Forkie · Dec 9, 2014

The purple smear is a lens flare caused by that street light being in the frame. The mesh pattern is the reflection of the sensor itself as the light from the street light hits it and is reflecting back again from one of the lens elements. The mesh you can see is actually the individual pixels that make the sensor.

astroNikon · Dec 9, 2014

For longer exposures too you need to cover the view finder. Seeing those pictures there are strong lights all over the place, and if one light was from behind the photographer more than likely he also got light leakage from the viewfinder.

Here is a longer exposure ON a Tripod with light leakage into the viewfinder. notice the immediate strong PURPLE color.

All of those photos in your album just identify bad technique.
To improve hand holding technique's it best to use a tripod, otherwise here's a good thread on hand holding techniques ==> Stability - making yourself a tripod versus using one | Photography Forum

I recommend for a test
start during the daylight. Take a shot with a fast shutter speed such as 1/125 or faster.

Then during the day, put the aperture way small such as f/22 and a longer shutter speed. And move the camera around while you take a photo. You'll use this to compare at night time.

Then as the sky is fading start taking photos again. Trying to keep the shutter speed high
as your shutter speed slows you'll probably notice more and more blur - from the hand holding technique.

At night when the shutter is slow, cover the viewfinder and take a photo. Then compare it to the blurry one taken during the day. Covering the viewfinder will eliminate the purpleis stuff.

Then you also need to know about different light color ==> Understanding White Balance
The Whitebalance wil affect the "colors" versus daylight from the various lights.

Screamingtiki · Dec 22, 2014

Thanks all very much! I wondered about the image sensor, but I had hard time thinking of the sensor taking a picture of itself, while it takes a picture... of itself... taking a picture... :boggled: