How much exposure should a digital camera adjust for night photography?

The Characteristics of Scenery and the Choice of Environment and Angle

Shooting at night, each scene has its own unique differences from other scenes. These different landlords are inseparable from the surrounding environment and conditions. They complement each other and echo each other. Therefore, the characteristics of the scenery itself are more distinct and prominent, often manifested in content, form, scale, geographical environment, climate and so on. To grasp these characteristics, it is sometimes necessary to understand the internal situation of the subject, which are primary and which are secondary, and the law of activities. Here are a few scenes that play different roles in night photography.

1, lighting (or moonlight)

Lighting (or moonlight) is often an important part of night scene, and it is also the main light source of night scene photography. Without lights or with few lights, objects cannot be displayed or displayed clearly. With enough lighting, not only can the physical presentation be layered, but the picture can also be brighter and clearer. Flowing lights (such as car lights, boat lights and other movable lights) can present strips of light (that is, light columns) on the negative, which can add atmosphere to the content and obtain better results.

2, rainy days, foggy days (or wet weather)

The light in rainy and foggy days can make a beautiful halo in photos. The color of the sky is influenced by light, and sometimes it reflects other colors and appears on the screen. If you use color film, the effect will be more obvious. Because the asphalt road or smooth ground in rainy days can show the reflection of objects and lights, the effect is more vivid.

3. Water

Water sometimes plays a role in night scenes. Buildings by the sea, river and pond. Due to the reflection of water, it can increase the brightness of the lights on the shore or around, outline the scenery and add a lot of life to the picture.

Shooting at night, mastering the characteristics and choosing the angle are closely related to the use of natural conditions. In other words, the choice angle must be determined according to the characteristics of the subject and the natural environment of the scene, while mastering the characteristics, choosing the angle and using the natural environment must obey the requirements of the theme, not isolated.

The choice of angle has great influence on expressing the theme and highlighting the characteristics. For example, it is better to show the night view of the construction site with huge project scale from a high angle. It is more appropriate to express the height and grandeur of the building from a lower angle.

Select the angle and pay attention to the camera position. In general, the sky is bright in the west and dark in the east on a sunny night. From east to west, the water is white, and there is little difference between the reflection of water and the brightness of the sky; Looking from west to east, the reflection ability of water is weak and gray. It is better to shoot the night scene from east to west at night. At dawn, such as rainy or cloudy days, it is better to shoot in the opposite direction, so don't consider these problems.

Night scene shooting method

1, night view of the construction site

Construction sites generally refer to reservoirs, power stations, mines, bridges, factories and buildings. They were built on site. The shooting method should pay attention to the following points:

(1) according to the engineering characteristics, determine the shooting angle, and know the relevant situation during the day and the law of night activities in advance;

(2) Choose a suitable shooting opportunity, and it is best to shoot such subjects at the stage when the project reaches its climax and the face of large-scale tense projects is basically visible;

(3) Pay attention to the surrounding natural conditions-mountains, water, trees, bridges, buildings, etc. ;

(4) The sky should not be exposed to too much light;

(5) When presenting the scene, the angle should be high rather than low;

(6) One or more exposures can be used.

2. Night view of city streets

Take a street view of the market, either at night on holidays or at ordinary times. Generally, it is better to take pictures on holidays. Because during the festival, the streets, shops, city appearance and windows are all arranged in perfect order. Colored lights, neon lights and slogans have also been added to the larger buildings, and the demolished pictures will be more prosperous and beautiful.

Choose an appropriate angle. Too high or too low an angle can easily deform the roadside buildings. The camera should be placed in a place where it is not easy to be collided and does not hinder traffic. It is best to choose places with concentrated lighting, concentrated vehicles, concentrated buildings and certain characteristics.

Step 3 set off fireworks

Shooting fireworks at night can't be as relaxed and nervous as shooting the scene. In the whole process of shooting fireworks, half a camera was set up. When the fireworks are about to take off and land, open door B and let the fireworks bloom and float in the night sky in the shooting range until they go out, so that the whole process can be recorded on the negative.

In the shooting part, after the fireworks are opened, open the shutter when they are about to bloom or bloom, and shoot the most representative moment.

Multiple exposures can be taken, and the same negative can be exposed for two or more times. The exposure time can be shorter when shooting fireworks, and longer when shooting ground scenery.

In addition, you can shoot separately from two negatives, that is, one negative shoots fireworks and the other negative shoots ground scenery and people. The exposure time is different. After exposure, the two films are stacked together. Be careful not to shoot fireworks and scenery with negatives. It's best to put fireworks near the top of the film and scenery near the bottom of the film, so it's much easier to enlarge the two films together.

4, shooting the moon scene

The following methods can be used to shoot moonlit scenery:

(1) long exposure, shooting the scenery in the moonlight alone; Take a short exposure, shoot the moon alone, and then overlap and enlarge the two negatives.

(2) When exposing on the negative, cover the moon on the lens with your hand (it is best to try it before shooting to prevent even the scenery from being blocked), and then move your hand until the last few seconds of exposure, so that the moon can be exposed on the negative.

Step 5 shoot the night scene and add portraits.

Taking portraits at night is also very interesting and unique in life photography. The shooting method is relatively simple and easy to master. One shot and two exposures can be used.

(1) One shot

Because the light source of portraits is often weak when shooting at night, auxiliary light must be used as the light source of portraits (such as flash, etc.). ). When shooting, the aperture should not be large, so you can use F/5.6 or F/8 aperture, because a large aperture is easy to blur the night scene background.

(2) Two exposures

If the background light of the night scene is weak, we can expose it twice. Expose the night scene for the first time, and then add flash exposure when taking portraits for the second time, which is very suitable for taking portraits at night.

6, night photography matters needing attention

When shooting night scenes, we should pay attention to several problems:

(1) Prevent the camera from moving

During the long exposure, the camera must not move, but should be fixed on a tripod with screws or placed in a stable and firm place. Dial the aperture, press the shutter and a series of operations, you should be careful. Because a negative is exposed for more than two times and moves slightly, the scenery will be blurred and overlapped, a photo will be extremely slightly overlapped, and the enlargement will be obviously exposed, leading to failure. Don't ignore this problem when making exposure, because it is often easy to happen in night photography.

(2) Prevent light from shooting at the lens.

After the shutter is opened, strong light shines directly on the lens, which is easy to produce halo, leading to the failure of the whole film. So you should carefully observe whether there is a direct lens with strong light (there is no prevention for distant light). In the process of shooting, we should also be alert to sudden strong light (such as car lights and pedestrian flashlights). If the shutter has been opened, it can be temporarily covered with a lens cover or hat.

(3) the use of aperture and focal length

The use of aperture is very important in shooting night scenes. The aperture size affects the exposure time and the clarity of the scene. Some night scenes cannot accurately measure the distance with a camera, so we have to use a smaller aperture to increase the depth of field to make up for it. When shooting night scenes in general light, the aperture can be reduced to F/5.6~F/8. If the light is bright, if the scene will not change for a long time and the light will not weaken, you can use a smaller aperture to extend the exposure time. If you use multiple exposures, you can also use the aperture to adjust according to the intensity of light.

The problem of measuring distance cannot be ignored. Generally, you can put the distance at infinity when shooting a big scene, but you must take a clear picture of the distance when shooting a middle scene or a close shot. The usual method of use is to let a person stand next to the object being photographed, light a flashlight to measure, or choose a nearby lamp and something brighter to measure. However, in the process of multiple exposures, it is absolutely forbidden to take a close shot and a long shot, which will blur the negative image or cause two shadows. You can only plan the depth of field and make the characters and the north scene as clear as possible.

7. Equipment and tools for shooting night scenes

(1) Both domestic and imported cameras used by amateur photographers are equipped with B-door equipment, which is enough for photographers to shoot ordinary night scenes. Imported single-mirror reflective camera is better. The simple camera of automaton is more difficult to shoot night scenes because there is no delayed exposure device.

(2) Cable release and lens cover

Night photography, under normal circumstances, the exposure time is longer. If you press the shutter button with your finger and shake it slightly, the images will overlap. Therefore, the cable and lens cover are essential equipment for night shooting. For those exposed for a few seconds, cable release can be used, for those exposed for a long time or exposed for many times. It is more convenient to use the lens cover.

(3) tripod

Tripod is an indispensable auxiliary tool for shooting night scenes. When exposing me many times for a long time, the best way is to fix the camera on a tripod.

(4) Other sporadic equipment

Such as flashlights, hoods, etc. You should be prepared in advance. Flashlight can illuminate to measure distance, switch shutter, aperture or find parts.

The hood also plays a certain role in shooting night scenes. For example, when it rains or the light is messy, wearing a hood can protect the lens from moisture and prevent light from entering the lens.

The above is the most basic knowledge of night shooting. You must practice constantly to better master and improve it.