Night photography - long exposures

[dsldub]

Is there a rule of thumb about how long the shutter should remain open, during night photography?
Does more time mean better pictures? or against it?
I've done some night fotography, but I'm never sure how long to leave the shutter open.

Any pointers?

[Harm]

it all depends on what you aim to capture...

Sometimes a slightly quicker shutter speed is good to absorb a little less light and enhance moods...Other times a longer shutter speeds is great for say capturing vehicles going by...there is no set rule about quick/long shutter speeds for night photography. It is all about how you want to use the available light to you.

If you've done night photography before, next time take more than one photo of differing shutter speeds...you may like something at a speed you don't normally use.

[jrader]

I agree with Harm. It really depends on what you are trying to capture. If you want to capture motion versus not capturing motion, the camera settings can be very different. Let's just talk about an average scene for the moment.

My recommendation: start out with high ISO (you have a 30D, so H=3200) and do a manual exposure at the lowest f# you have to determine the amount of light you want in your image (side note: you'll have to manually set the focus, which is by far the hardest part of this process). Once you figure that out, determine the appropriate settings you need to get the same amount of light (under different ISO and f# settings). Remember, the histogram is your friend. Now, shoot away!

John

[corkneyfonz]

When I shot on kodachrome 64, I always used bulb for 2 minutes at f22. In 9/10 cases this was always successful. Since moving to digital, I've yet to use my camera in the dark, something to do with that imaginary "mug me" sign that a tripod carrries.

[neilwood32]

When I shot on kodachrome 64, I always used bulb for 2 minutes at f22. In 9/10 cases this was always successful. Since moving to digital, I've yet to use my camera in the dark, something to do with that imaginary "mug me" sign that a tripod carrries.

The good thing about a triopd is that it can be used as a weapon - just pick it us (making sure that nice heavy head is facing the attacker) and swing away!:lol:

Or carry a monopod for that purpose!:cool:





Jk btw