One thing I find harder to do at night is to properly focus. If there is plenty of well-lid building, it is surely easier but it’s a different story if most of the scene is dark. From time to time, I think the shot would be sharp while the focus was completely off. AF is sometime useful still. And there is Night and Night.

mikeo21 said:
I was doing some googling about this and ran into the buzz word hyperfocal focusing and its very interesting stuff. definitely anew concept for me to explore.

Can be really useful as it turns your DSLR into a really fast point'n'shoot but with DSLR advantages. Never miss those crashes at the motor race again and no missed focus.

Don't forget to turn AF off...... ;^/

Gorgeous night shots, everyone!

Paperman said:
Which brings me to thinking about a new utility that may be added to oncoming DSLRs. Considering the camera is able to gather all data needed for DOF calculation ( focal length,focus distance,aperture ), it can't be too hard to incorporate a DOF calculator visible in viewfinder :-)). Even just a firmware might be enough to run it in the menu.

I agree. I think Nikon has really under-utilized the data available in 'D' lenses.

mikeo21 said:
I was doing some googling about this and ran into the buzz word hyperfocal focusing and its very interesting stuff. definitely anew concept for me to explore. I can maybe put a couple of charts for my 35 1.8 on my iphone to use in the field. Either way, I will try to get as prepared as possible for Tokyo!

Kinda off-topic, but allow me to reply to this post real quick: my two favorite depth-of-field apps (which include hyperfocal distance), for iPhone/IPod touch are:

1. Simple DoF $0.00 (excellent free app!)
2. PhotoCalc $2.99 (worth every penny!)

When I remember to bring my iPod touch with me when I go out shooting, it's mainly for just these two apps. I like both for different reasons. Simple DoF has an immediately interpretable graphical representation of your focus depths. While PhotoCalc shows distance in both feet and INCHES (and, includes a handful of other useful photo info). Most depth-of-field apps (including Simple DoF) don't show inches, only decimal portions of feet (e.g., "6.7 feet").

I was doing some googling about this and ran into the buzz word hyperfocal focusing and its very interesting stuff. definitely anew concept for me to explore. I can maybe put a couple of charts for my 35 1.8 on my iphone to use in the field. Either way, I will try to get as prepared as possible for Tokyo!

thanks for the advice guys! I need to come aroudn here more often :)

spraynpray said:
If they made these darn G lenses with DoF scales on, it is an moments work to set it to hyperfocal distance but they don't GRRR.

Which brings me to thinking about a new utility that may be added to oncoming DSLRs. Considering the camera is able to gather all data needed for DOF calculation ( focal length,focus distance,aperture ), it can't be too hard to incorporate a DOF calculator visible in viewfinder :-)). Even just a firmware might be enough to run it in the menu.

If they made these darn G lenses with DoF scales on, it is an moments work to set it to hyperfocal distance but they don't GRRR.

To explain it briefly with the DoF scale: You have two lines coming from the aperture numbers on the lens - one going towards the close focus end of the focus scale abnd one going to the infinity end. Set the lens to f8 (say) then turn the focus until the line from the infinity side of the f8 aperture on the lens is on infinity and then everything from the minimum distance the infinity line is on right out to infinity is sharp. Seemples.

Without the DoF scale, you have to look the hyperfocal distance up and remember it for your favourite apertures and focal lengths....

mikeo21 said:
I am wondering.. to optimize DOF and sharpness with night photos what do you recommend using as an aperture, and where should I set the focus too? I don't understand the technique behind this. Even some of the sharpest photos I've seen in this thread were taken at f/ 7. Wouldn't 11 or 12 give more DOF?

Also in the handheld, wide aperture cases, where should I set the focus?

f8 will give you enough DOF ( and also the maximum performance from your lens )as you will probably be shooting night scenes from a distance . Everything will be sharp anyways after a few meters all the way to infinity - if you are shooting wide angles.

I suggest you have a search for the subject "hyperfocal" to have a better grasp of the theory and maybe for " online DOF calculator" for some fun afterwards. There are a few simple methods for maximum DOF focusing but it might take a bit too long trying to put it in words here .

D300 & 18-135mm - 2 or 3 frame mini panorama . Any need to say the athlete is a statue :-) ?

D300 & 18-135mm - Single shot long exposure f22 - 20 seconds
Not as easy as it looks, but too long to explain here why it wasn't :-).The background is hazy due to cloud of smoke from cannon after firing.

D300 & 18-135mm - 2 or 3 frame mini panorama

I have been itching to find out more about night photography, particularly cityscapes where a larger DOF is required, before I make a trip to Tokyo next month.

I have been some great looking pictures here, some even taken handheld at wide apertures, yet with still adequate sharpness!

I am wondering.. to optimize DOF and sharpness with night photos what do you recommend using as an aperture, and where should I set the focus too? I don't understand the technique behind this. Even some of the sharpest photos I've seen in this thread were taken at f/ 7. Wouldn't 11 or 12 give more DOF?

Also in the handheld, wide aperture cases, where should I set the focus?

Please explain experts!

Thanks!

Mike

D700, 3", F2.8, 24-70mm. Not that sharp. moon & reflections.

ISO 3200, 200mm, F2.8, 1/80"

studio460 said:
I like this thread! I hope more than just me and Regulator (as gorgeous as his pictures are) post some night photos and NR tips!

D700, no PP.

Some of you must have seen this one.

Night jacuzzi light-painting fun.

studio460 said:
Thanks! I assume you mean this one:

That was shot with a AF DC-Nikkor 105mm f/2.0D on a D7000.

Yes, that shot. I was going to say, if you were shooting with a kit lens then the chromatic abberation might be explainable.

But that's good glass there. Perhaps just the design?

@Regulator75: really nice shots!

@studio460: good shots as well. I really like the airport one (nice colors)

@Mike: cool image. When you took a roll of moon images, did you write down where in the image the moon was placed so you can do in-camera double exposures?

@Pale Rider: very good too!

What I would like to know: how do you guys set the white balance for these shots? Currently I just set my camera on flash WB (as this is what I would get from slides) and adjust later in Aperture. But I am not sure if the selected WB does have any impact on the metering. After all, the matrix metering is done with an RGB sensor...

I never go out shooting night exposures without a long lasting Cuban , a good cigar cutter and a reliable lighter ...

Thanks, I had a lot of fun wandering around Leadville, Colorado that night. Love still and crystal clear night air!

NSXType-R said:
That's a cool shot, Studio460. What lens did you shoot with?

Thanks! I assume you mean this one:

That was shot with a AF DC-Nikkor 105mm f/2.0D on a D7000.

That's a cool shot, Studio460. What lens did you shoot with?

Mike, for a shot that was taken pre-photoshop and probably edited in the darkroom, that's amazing.

Pale rider and Correlli, those are really nicely done too.

Mike Gunter said:
It's a pretty awful homemade dub of a dub. I don't have the original. It was a long time ago. I don't recall if it was printed in color.

Awesome shot, Mike!

spraynpray said:
I like that shot Correlli, nice colour. Shame you didn't have a DX like a D90 to replicate your settings on and compare images.

Thanks. As for the DX: I don't mind receiving presents... :)

I like that shot Correlli, nice colour. Shame you didn't have a DX like a D90 to replicate your settings on and compare images.

I switched from film to digital not too long ago and to me the low light possibilities of the D700 are just amazing. I try to use as low ISO as possible (mainly because I still in the process of learning to use this camera to its full possibilities). This one is taken with ISO 800, Nikkor 105 mm f/2.5 AI-S, 1/8s. I did not have any tripod but I used one of the lanterns as support (pressed the camera against it). NR settings of the camera are default, no NR in post.

Nikon D300s with the good old 18-55 lens.

That is impressive for ISO 2000, studio.

Mike, very cool double exposure 'composite'.

Hi,

This is a very nostalgic topic for me. I got a lot of my pictures from the night time from either going to/from work assignments either at the papers I was working for, or in the military jobs I had.

I always had a camera (or six or seven) and made pictures I found interesting, and tried to make them in the camera.

One of my teachers - and more of a contemporary, Jerry Ulesmann - did his work using multiple enlargers in the darkroom. But I have always preferred color unless it was my work to do it in B&W.

One technique then was to roll a series of 'moon' pictures in a film of 36 and then re-expose the film (if you had a Nikon with pin accurate registration - I did) and you knew where the moons were exposed by grid on the film.

In Fort Benning, GA, we had Physical Training close to the Airborne Towers at the main Fort (way before sun up). ;-)

I used to go there a couple of hours and scout locations for shots and other activities for the days ahead.

Here's a shot that was used in one of the Army's publications. I don't remember which, _Infantry_ Magazine, I think, although there were several for the military I was shooting for at that time. It's a picture of one of the practice jump towers at dawn, with a moon 'patched in', pre-dating Photoshop by 20 years or so.

It's a pretty awful homemade dub of a dub. I don't have the original. It was a long time ago. I don't recall if it was printed in color.

My best,

Mike