new photographer help

[bromide]

I am just getting into photography so i will probably have a lot of questions. i will try and post them all in this thread.

first question:

If i want to take some night shots or scenic things, like a waterfront or down a commercial street. what are the best settings to use? flash? long exposure? what f stop should i be using? any other suggestions...


Thanks!

when i finish my first roll, i will shoot some of them up here!

 

[croww]

Hey

First step is to just experiment. Depending on the lighting, you're looking at 1 second+. You'll want to experiment with Fstop but I generally set mine at 5.6 to 8, 8 being the limit. I use up to 16 second exposures which are the limit of my camera, but generally find that I do well around 8-10 seconds in dark situations. Ambient light really shows up around the 10 second mark, esp with an fstop under 5.6.

Here are some pics :

http://croww.blubox.yi.org/pics/albums/Finished Pictures/Downtown Cincinnati.jpg

http://croww.blubox.yi.org/pics/albums/Finished Pictures/Newport On The Levee.jpg

http://croww.blubox.yi.org/pics/albums/Finished Pictures/Roebling Suspension Bridge At Night.jpg

http://croww.blubox.yi.org/pics/alb...hern Kentucky Waterfront with I471 Bridge.jpg

http://croww.blubox.yi.org/pics/alb...US Bank Arena and Great American Ballpark.jpg


Unedited album. These aren't cleaned up at all, and they're unsorted so there are alot of crappy ones. You can go through and find the ones you like though and all the EXIF data is intact so you can read it and see how I did it. :

http://croww.blubox.yi.org/pics/?mode=album&album=Long+Exposures&dispsize=2048

 

[bromide]

cool! thanks. nice shots too!

edit: i am going to be in santa cruz tomorrow night and tuesday morning, any advice for some night/morning beach shots?

edit x2: i was driving home tonight and took some night shots, including some of a cool bridge...i didnt have a tripod so i had to settle for the top of my car. we'll see how they turn out.

thanks!

 

[Da PlaN-R]

www.photo.net

The tutorial there is a way to start. I think i had a link to another one but i cant find it atm

 

[croww]

Hey Bromide, how did those shots come out?

 

[bromide]

Originally posted by croww
Hey Bromide, how did those shots come out?

meh, not too good. i just got the roll back today, i will scan some for ya. i am taking a secong roll now..pumping out as many shots as i can to learn everything. i just got a tripod so that should help too.

here are a couple from that roll:

http://www.bromidic.com/images/1st roll/


the bridge one i forgot to turn off my headlights, so i didnt really like it, and i did it without a tripod so its a little shakey being held with my hands for ~12 seconds. i redid the bridge one tonight with my headlights off and i bought a tripod

 

[croww]

I like the fire one, and the bridge shot looks like an awesome view.

I just purchased a 35mm SLR to complement my C740..going to get into star trail photography soon.

Keep it up, keep posting the pics and let us see how you're doing.

 

[bromide]

i really like your shots. especially the night shots. i want to get into doing those...maybe i will have to hit up San Fran one of these nights.

 

[croww]

Well, for my part I've never been west of Indiana..but I dream of going to San Fran and doing night shots from the same spot in the 'Marin Headlands?' of the Golden Gate bridge that I think pretty much every photographer shoots. That's on my list to do either this year or next if I can get away for a week hehe.

 

[bromide]

if you do- let me know, we can go shoot and you can give me some pointers

 

[bromide]

ok, i have a new question- have any of you guys used film scanners? are they worth the money? what to look for in a good film scanner? thanks!

 

[bromide]

^^^^^

trying to decide if i should spend the money or not