Some of the pics that I took in Cebu during the storm --- well, at least during the time that the rains stopped for a bit.

http://static.flickr.com/127/319513866_4dfeedbf72.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/123/319513864_bcd40a9f21.jpg

C&C more than welcome :Scared:

i like the blue tones on these photos. not bad at all man! gj! :)

Alan, you must have a steady hand because you got both in focus. Well done. On the other hand, the shots are grainy, probably a result of high ISO. But if you're using a tripod (and I assume you did for the second photo), it's advisable to shoot at the lowest ISO. Both are also underexposed.

You opted not to center the boat on the first photo, which is good, but you also cut it off -- I would have liked to see the whole boat intact.

About the second photo, I would have zoomed out a little bit to see more water on the foreground and to avoid cutting off the house at the back. Finally, both photos are too blue/cool for my taste. As a whole, not too bad for a first night shot attempt. Keep on shooting!

Cheers,
Norman

Alan, you must have a steady hand because you got both in focus. Well done. On the other hand, the shots are grainy, probably a result of high ISO. But if you're using a tripod (and I assume you did for the second photo), it's advisable to shoot at the lowest ISO. Both are also underexposed.

You opted not to center the boat on the first photo, which is good, but you also cut it off -- I would have liked to see the whole boat intact.

About the second photo, I would have zoomed out a little bit to see more water on the foreground and to avoid cutting off the house at the back. Finally, both photos are too blue/cool for my taste. As a whole, not too bad for a first night shot attempt. Keep on shooting!

Cheers,
Norman

Thanks for the comments. Well, I was using a tripod for both. On the high ISO - yeah i was using a high number. So what youre saying is that - I should shoot at the lowest possible number and leave the shutter open longer? Was playing around with the camera ... chanced upon a magazine (whose name I will not mention lest I be banned.. hahaha - but DPP already has my subscription) that featured night time photography. Again, thanks! Will try that again this weekend ...

I'm not norman but I generally use the lowest iso setting when shooting at night. Unfortunately, my d70s only goes down to iso 200. Just leave the shutter as long as needed for proper exposure. Sometimes, you'll have to use the bulb setting for even longer exposure (on my cam, the max is 30 seconds then bulb). Just my opinion, mind you.

So what youre saying is that - I should shoot at the lowest possible number and leave the shutter open longer?

Yes, ISO100 if possible -- you have a tripod anyway so camera shake at longer shutter speeds is unlikely.

Try centerweighted or spot metering if your camera has one, and use manual because the shutter speed in aperture and shutter priority is limited. In most cameras, the shutter/aperture indicator in the viewfinder will blink if the photo will be underexposed under aperture/shutter priority.

In manual mode, try F8 and adjust the shutter speed based on the camera's meter. You should get the star effect with F8, but if not, you can always go up to F11 or F16.

Last but not the least, turn on noise reduction to avoid hot pixels, and anti-shock as well to avoid camera shake upon pressing the shutter button.

Cheers,
Norman

Hi Alan

Here are some quick tips.
1) Camera on a tripod
2) Lowest ISO possible
3) Cable release
4) Flash light to help focus in really dark situations
5) Shoot RAW
6) A friend to keep you company or a dog :Grin:

Others please feel free to share your quick tips.

Cool! I should wait for this thread of tips to go longer ... then print it all out.

Hmmm .. I have 1, 3, and 5. That leaves me with 2, 4 and 6. Can I count the security guard that was wondering what I was doing as #6? Joke lang ... this is most helpful. Till the next night time experiment.

Thanks guys!

Alan

Thanks for the comments. Well, I was using a tripod for both. On the high ISO - yeah i was using a high number. So what youre saying is that - I should shoot at the lowest possible number and leave the shutter open longer? Was playing around with the camera ... chanced upon a magazine (whose name I will not mention lest I be banned.. hahaha - but DPP already has my subscription) that featured night time photography. Again, thanks! Will try that again this weekend ...

hahaha... i know what mag you're referring... they got this night shots technique :)

you sure got the mood for the pic. "gloomy after-storm feeling"

hmmm....

difficult to critique night photographs without exif data. for one, is this a dusk/dawn shot?

the first photo is a better composition than the second. actually, the second photo has ambiguity written all over. whats the subject? im thinking, the light source is...

nice mood. again, post exif data so we can come up with better c & c. as sir norman said, use lowest iso when shooting long exposures. though, for certain cameras, high ISOs and long exposures work equally well.

night photography is the realm of bulb exposures. try shooting using available moonlight. it rocks!