What went wrong?

[Paul Izyk - toi]

Ok here is the situation. Im working nights now so the only time i can shoot anything is at dusk. I went out for the sunset and a few around town after and this is what i got. Im not happy with them but it was my first time doing the night shot thingy so please help me out.. The sunset did not look like that when i was taking the picture and in the theater pic's you cant read what's playing.. I moved closer but still got a white out on the screen where the letter's were.. Im off thur and will be going back there to try again.. Well help me out please..

The sunset.. Nikon D80~ Nikkor 18-135mm 3.5 A-priority~F6.1

The rest were shot with my 28mm 2.8 on the same mode with various changes in shutter speeds and ampature. I know there is a great picture there i just cant seem to get it..

[Steve Foss]

RU, use you camera's exposure compensation to overcome the meter's tendency to blow out the bright lights. I'd go with EC down around two stops underexposed and see what that gets you. Check the histogram on the back of the camera as you go to get dialed in right. I don't know how EC is enabled on your D80, so if you aren't sure and no Nikonian chimes in, check your manual.

If the brights are rendered correctly, however, the shadow areas are going to be even darker than they are now. That's just the reality of the situation with photography when you've got intensely bright lights and black areas in the frame together. The camera sensor/film can't achieve detail in both when they are so far apart in brightness.

After capture, using your post-processing software will allow you to brighten the shadow areas somewhat without blowing out the highlights so you see some detail in the blacks/shadows, but you don't want to brighten them too much because they'll be full of digital noise, which will become obvious the more you brighten them.

[MN Shutterbug]

I have no idea what you saw, when you took the first shot, but I like it as it is.

[MARINERMAGNUM]

If your camera is capable,try shooting a AEB bracket of 2 stops up+2 stops down. It will show you the effects of different shutter speeds quickly so you can apply what you've learned.

I will guess that the sunset shot is brighter than your eyes saw it???

[Dbl]

I will send you in a different direction. Shooting at night is a great time to use manual settings. Why? Easy to learn. Set your ISO at 100, your f-stop at f 8.0, leave them there and do not change them. Now the only thing you have left to adjust is your shutter speed.

Most night shots are 10-25 second exposures, but that is when it is completely dark. Starting out with some light in the sky you will be around 1-5 seconds. The problem you ran into is you are letting the camera meter do your heavy lifting and it is just not very good at night with the large swings between bright signs and shadow areas.

So take a shot at say 5 secs. Look at your LCD and see if you have any "blinkies" or overblown highlights. If you do knock a few seconds off and shoot again. Remember the only thing you are changing is your shutter speed. You have un-complicated your shooting by only giving yourself one thing to change. It honestly could not be easier.

[T.S128]

also like the shot, but its a bummer it didn't turn out how you planned.

a question to the statement above... when do you not use manual settings?

[Dbl]

T.S128, Manual, Av, Tv and even Program all have a place and the more you take pictures the more you will recognize when it makes life easier to use those modes. There is nothing mystical about shooting in manual. You will find many situations that manual will give you much more consistent results, like the night shots above, the light is for the most part consistent. There are times when using Av will make your life easier, changing light conditions (partly cloudy skies for instance) is a good example. Tv is great when you want to control your shutter speed, shooting a bike rider, or car.

If you take it a bit at a time like the above situation and simplify your approach you will be more comfortable in what your camera can do and more importantly you will soon realize that the human brain is smarter than the camera meter and for that matter the camera in many situations. But there are other times the camera will be way ahead of us, so let the camera do the tough work.

I would strongly encourage you to get out and take pictures, don't shoot the same thing day after day. We all tend to get in a rut and become just a bit lazy with our photography. You will be faced with different challenges and how the camera handles those situations. You will gain more knowledge of how to deal with those situations and what will give you more consistent results. You will see times it is better to use manual, Av, or Tv and begin to use your camera to the best of its capabilities.

The challenges we have are a great way to motivate yourself to get out and try something different. This month is a good example, we have a night shot challenge. If you have never tried it, now would be a great excuse to do so. Sorry to get this off track RealUgly1.

[T.S128]

thanks, since got my camera I have been shooting nothing but manual. i guess i didn't really understand when to use the Av is all. but i'll just have to experiment. I've read on here before when shutter prioirty makes life easier so i have an idea about that.

apologies to realugly1 for hijakcing your thread, it was just easier to ask on here.

[Dbl]

Indoors, outdoors makes a difference for me. Outdoors, Av is used about 70% of the time on my camera's, manual 29% and Tv about 1% Indoors I use manual almost exclusively. Av if you want to control your backgrounds and depth of field and your light is changing. Changing light is the key, if it is not constant you might as well let the camera do some work. Then you can use exposure compensation to help with the tougher situations, back lighting for example. Your technique may call for a different blend of what works for you.

[Paul Izyk - toi]

Thanks everyone for the C&C..... I dont think it was a Hi-jacking here we all learned something here and my self i learned enough to order 2 new lenes.. Im picking up my Nikkor 85mm 1.4 on Thur and ill wait a couple of weeks and ill be getting my Nikkor 70-200 2.8... I cant wait for that day to come. All 3 lenes i have are fine but 1 is a kit lens(18-135 3.5),one is a slow 80-400 4 Tokina and one is a little better 28mm 2.8 Nikkor.. So with the addition of these 2 lenes ill do much better. My Mom just bought the D60 so ill give her the 18-135 3.5 Nikkor..

Once again thank you guys for the help.. I know most of the people on here are Canon people but i have learned so much from this site it isnt fuuny..

Zeke

[Steve Foss]

RU, congrats on the lenses.