Canon Powershot S400 Question

[int0xicated]

I recently purchased the Canon Powershot S400, and I love it but I'm trying to learn certain settings and things to acheieve different photographic effects.

The thing I'm most interested in learning but can't quite figure out the settings for, is capturing light in ways like these two pictures below.


http://www.downloe.com/lofithriller/underground.jpg

http://www.downloe.com/lofithriller/holidaythrills.jpg

I love the way the light GLOWS, and really stands out bright in each picture, but I am unsure of what settings to use to get that effect.

Any tips or anything would be greatly appreciated!

P.S those pics WERE taken with a Canon Digital. I'm not sure which model though, and i cannot get a hold of the photographer :[

[stopbath]

The lights were allowed to overexpose,and not mess up the metering.

Use a hand held meter, or the cameras spot meter. If an average or center weighted meter reading were used, the light sources would have pushed the exposure down, and the face would have been darker.

Light balance was set for tungsten or a custom light balance used for the natural faces. The parking lot looks like it was set purposefully incorrect to give a "other world" feel to the shot.

When metering scenes that include the source, meter for the subject, and expose and white balance as you wish. (Do you want the subject dark, bright, normal, do you want the subject look like it was under "normal" light or strange light...)

[VicGlass]

The trick to taking pictures like these is (1) use a tripod and a remote cable release (eliminate camera shake), and (2) use a long exposure with an appropriate f stop. Personally I would shoot these in RAW format and then handle the white balance using the software (Photoshop, Breezebrowser, ...). If you handle the white balance in-camera, looks like they were set for tungsten lighting. White balance is the color temperature, in degrees Kelvin, that white is set to. The lower the temperature the more "warm, i.e. yellow" the look, the higher the temperature the more "cold, i.e. blue" the look.