Help with my nighttime portrait!

since you asked for help. i edited this image even though it doesnt say image editing ok in your profile.this is my quick attempt. i used photosops shadow highlight filter, then i used unsharp mask,and finally noiseware .if this isnt the kind of help you had in mind. i will remove it .also here is the exif data tht was in the imageCamera Make: Canon
Camera Model: Canon EOS 350D DIGITAL
Image Date: 2006:02:13 02:57:21
Flash Used: No
Focal Length: 25.0mm
CCD Width: 22.20mm
Exposure Time: 0.125 s (1/8)
Aperture: f/4.0
ISO equiv: 400
White Balance: Auto
Metering Mode: Matrix
Exposure: program (Auto)

HTTP response: 404 | MIME changed to 'image/gif' | Byte size: ZERO | PHOTOBUCKET ERROR IMAGE

thanks, thats pretty good - what would you suggest i/he does differantly in future so i dont have to alter the image?

i think the best option to get the rider exposed properly with the background like you have it in your pic. would be to use 2nd curtain flash,but i dont know if the rebel xt is capable of that in the custom functions menu.i know we have a few xt users on this forum who could most likely help you better than i.

You really should look into using flash to expose the subject and make sure you drag the shutter to expose the background properly. You also want to be careful to not drag it too much that the ambient light metering negates the flash. You'll end up with serious blur of the subject. You should aim for around 1/15 or so, so make sure you use an appropriate ISO setting to get that shutter speed at an acceptable aperature. Also use 2nd curtain sync so that the last thing the image sensor records is a strobed still motion of your subject... which should sharpen it up a bit. Using these techniques, you may be surprised at how interesting the end image looks.

There was a discussion in the last 2-3 weeks on POTN somewhere in which the relative merits of bumping up the ISO were discussed in the context of low light level shots.

As I remember it, the consensus was that you should bump up the ISO as far as necessary to get the exposure where it should be (you were set for ISO 400 - so, you had 2 stops to go). The reasons were that it was easier to doctor up the resulting noise than it is to find any shadow detail in an underexposed image. That's my recollection of the way it went.

My guess is that had you been at ISO 1600 instead of 400, you would have had a pretty good exposure and would not have needed much jazzing up in Photoshop.

Easiest thing to do - use fill flash. Tell your buddy to flick the selector over to the guy with the star over his left shoulder. That should do the trick.

I agree with this. If your intent was never to use the flash. ISO 800 at least.
Otherwise flashing and dragging the shutter would be a very good choice.

thanks for all your help, im sure ill do alot better next time im out after dark!