On my way back to my apartment I noticed pretty cool cloud formations in the moonlight. I thought maybe I'll just try some night photography on a whim and see what I get. So, I set up the camera on the mini-tripod, pointed it up, set manual focus to infinity, turned off the VR, set WB to 2500K (coolest), set the shutter to 30 seconds and let it soak.
This is what I got.
Nikon D200, 18mm, 30 seconds at f/3.5, ISO 100, WB 2500, PS CS3 exposure +1.00.I thought maybe tonight might be a good opportunity to see what night photography skills I had, since I almost never attempt any. Night photography is a different animal, just like event shooting is different from sports. It's quite literally night and day.
I used my MC-36 remote shutter cord to set the shutter open for 5, 10 and 15 minutes. I tried to get the stars in movement so they would appear as streaks in the sky. What I got was that, and a lot of other crap I didn't want.
Things I learned:
1. When attempting things like streaking stars, moonlight is the devil. It will turn everything into a sea of ambient light and foggy sky.
2. Of course, pick a better day to try this crap. Clouds and moon = no good.
3. Weather in Oklahoma won't ever clear up, and my first real attempt at some cool night photography will probably have to happen out of state. Let's hope on an internship.
4. Learn to camp. Camping out in a field with very little wind, a tripod and the other gear will be what one needs to be creative. Oh yeah, and a visual mind.
I won't bother to show you what my little experiment yielded. I don't consider that I real attempt.
On another note, here is a photo illustration I shot on Monday. Macro-photography, also a different beast. I have better luck farting up a Macro shot than I do with night photos.
Nikon D200, 24-105mm Macro-enabled at 50mm, 1/200 at f/5.6, ISO 160, Exposure Compensation -0.7, WB Cloudy, PS CS3 level edit and unmask sharpen.
Rolled up money or awkward-looking crayons?
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