Taking night shots with low lighting...what settings to use?

[ssabripo]

I'm trying to get a shot of my car to look something like this:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3316/3572564276_e9bd2a3621_b.jpg

I've tried using something like this on my camera (Canon 40D, 17-50mm Tamron 2.8):
Av: f/10
Tv: 100secs
ISO: 400
and tried different variations thereof:(

but it never comes out good....it's either blurry, or the dark, or the lights are not as smooth and vibrant as the photo above.

any recommendations?

(ps- I'm using a tripod as well, but no flash).

[ssabripo]

anyone?

[Todd Lambert]

Can you post an example?

[gooble]

Seems like 100 seconds at ISO 400 ought not to be too dark in light like the picture.

Use tripod; a sturdy one. Lock up mirror or use liveview. Use a shutter release cable. Use low ISOs. I'd probably stay below 400. 100-320; some cameras actually have less noise at 320 than at 100 so you're experience may vary. I also set the C.Fn for long exposure noise reduction to 'on' or 'auto'. If you're having trouble focusing, bring a bright flashlight to help.

If you don't want to run long exposures only to find out it was off, try bumping ISO way up and/or opening aperture up and shoot test shots till exposure looks good. Don't worry about shaking or anything just the exposure. Then just adjust ISO down to 100 or whatever and reset aperture to where you need it for DOF and set shutter where it needs to go or use bulb if necessary. For instance, say you're set at ISO 3200 at f/2.8 and shutter is 1/8 and you get enough light in a test shot. Move ISO to 100 or down 5 stops, then lengthen the shutter by 5 stops to 4 seconds. If you need f/8 stop down to f/8 from f/2.8 or 3 stops, so then lengthen the shutter again by 3 stops to 30 seconds. You get yourself pretty close to the ballpark this way and then you can make slight adjustments later.

Hope this helps. Also FYI, it's not recommended to post other peoples' images in your post. Just post a link to them.

[PhotosGuy]

Also FYI, it's not recommended to post other peoples' images in your post. Just post a link to them. Fixed. It's not a recommendation, it's against the IMAGE POSTING RULES (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=74718)

2. A better place to have asked this question might have been in Transportation Talk. See the links in my Sig for lighting a car.

3. Some of the best "night shots" I've seen were taken before it's totally dark while there's still some light left in the sky. You don't need much, but you need some.
Lets See Your 30 sec. exposures (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?p=4476828)

4. Good info on zeroing in on the exposure above. I used this, Need an exposure crutch? (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=89123), for this: Malibu in the snow. (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=620283)
See post #13 for post processing ideas. it's either blurry, or the dark, or the lights are not as smooth and vibrant
5. Either use the self timer to trip the shutter, or get a remote shutter release. Unless the wind was blowing, which is a whole 'nother thing.