Photography Tips, Tricks and Pointers Thread

[FerrariEnzo]

I though I would start a new thread, since I didnt really see one here. It would help out anyone that would need some help aswell.. RS has lots of photography experts..

Im still a beginner and would like some pointers and tips.

My gear right now consist of
Canon T2i with stock kit lens
Canon 75mm-250mm zoom lens
Sigma 10mm-20mm wide angle lens (borrowed from a friend)
Tripod (cheapo one from XScargo)


I will be travelling to Beijing, Hong Kong and Macau.
I think I will mostly be using the Sigma wide angle lens.

I would like some tips/pointers for taking some nice Night Time Photography of the cites. Im thinking long exposure time to get all the correct color of the lights..
Should I go with a high ISO 1600+ or 400-800?? Should I raise the exposure compensation?? I havent really taken night time shots to really know how to do it properly...
Should I use any filters to enhance the night time photography?

[Razor Ramon HG]

It doesn't state on your list, so I am going to recommend that you get a tripod if you plan on doing any sort of long exposure shots. Simply mount your camera, change to ISO 100, set up your desired aperture and shutter, and shoot.

If you're taking regular handheld shots at night, I would bump up the ISO so that your shutter speed is at least the same as your focal or faster. But keep in mind that you always have to take into consideration the level of noise and loss of dynamic range when you bump up the ISO. If your hands are steadier, you can probably get away with a lower ISO and a slower shutter.

But with this all said, you're going to learn more from actually going out and shooting at night. Better to learn now than go on your vacation and wonder why half your shots were garbage.

EDIT: I would also recommend a fast prime like a 35mm or a 50mm. Lens with a wide maximum aperture are your best friends at night.

[Boostslut]

F8 and be there!
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[FerrariEnzo]

haha sry.. yea I have a tripod.. a cheapo one from XSCargo... it works.. I plan on buying a nicer one in Hong Kong...

ISO 100.
I heard F/8 was good point to start at.
Whats a good shutter speed to start at? 30s or slower?


BTW, I will be going up to The Peak, to take some night shots..

[Sniperslayer]

How do you guys determine your f stop when your just out shooting?

Also on just typical walk around shooting when shooting in AV what settings are you guys adjusting?
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[FerrariEnzo]

for this, using the creative auto mode, just shot 1 pic at 0 exposure compensation and then adjust after that...

[LiquidTurbo]

Buy books and read them, not get more and more equipment.
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[laqvrai]

Pixels After Dark

Check the above presentation from Jeff Cable if you're interested in night photography. I learned quite a bit about night photography from his lecture.

BTW, you don't need expensive gear to do night photos. The tripod is a great equalizer.

[ddr]

Originally Posted by LiquidTurbo

Buy books and read them, not get more and more equipment.
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this, and youtube, and I find once in a while if you borrow/test better equipment you'll try harder to overcome the shortcomings and appreciate the good stuff when you can get them.

[davidhtam]

Originally Posted by Sniperslayer

How do you guys determine your f stop when your just out shooting?

Also on just typical walk around shooting when shooting in AV what settings are you guys adjusting?
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Determining f-stop really depends on the feel you want for your photo and is more of a tool on how creative you want to be with your subject and composition.

Large aperture will give you a shallow DOF and throw the background out of focus relative to your subject. Keep in mind that there are things that affect your DOF as well such as lens focal length and your distance to the subject. The longer the focal length and closer you are to the subject, the shallower your DOF and vice versa.

That being said, if you're trying to isolate your subject, go with a larger aperture. An example of this would be if you're taking a portrait or taking a photo of something.

If you're doing a landscape or a scenic photograph and you want everything to be in focus, you should stop down and use a smaller aperture. F8 usually works and is usually the "sweet spot" of the lens where everything is sharpest and you eliminate flaws in the glass such as vignetting and chromatic aberrations.

However, these are just general rules or tips. Again, it all depends on what you want to achieve with your photo.

As for settings in AV, again, it depends. For me, I do a lot of portraits so I'll usually stop my lens down to about 2.0 on my 85mm to get enough DOF so that the whole face is in focus, throw it on spot meter, meter for proper exposure on the face, lock the exposure in place, focus on the eyes then recompose and take the shot.

If that didn't make any sense to you, read up on your camera manual.