Low Light Photography Talking Points – by Robin S. Kent

Presentation by Robin S. Kent, Silver Spring Camera Club, November 3, 2017

Website: www.photographybykent       Email: kentro@cox.net

 

Low Light Photography Talking Points

 

[the following lists the slides used in the presentation along with talking points regarding the slides.  Of limited use without the slides.  Meant as a supplement to those that saw the presentation]

Image:  Pier pilings on Lake Superior

We all know that low light situations can occur in many ways. 

For example,  when  you are indoors with no flash

Image: Udvar Hazy Space Shuttle

9:07 PM (30 Minutes after sunset) 2 sec. @ f/14; 18-200mm lens set at 27mm

 

Or outdoors at night:

Image: Olympic High Jumper

Film Image Ektachrome E-200, EV @ -0.3, shot with 300mm f/2.8 prime lens

Image: Stinson Beach, CA

Film Image, Ektachrome E-100 VS, EV @ -0.3

But what about a really extreme situation?  As I thought about this topic during the summer, I wondered how low the amount of light could be and still get an image.

IMAGE: Great Falls, Maryland

               Total Darkness, 8 sec. @ f/8, ISO 10,000

 

Question might be why we would want to make pictures at night because the idea sounds counter-intuitive.  But while a low light situation presents challenges, it also presents opportunities especially when you are working during twilight.

IMAGE : Mid-Hudson Bridge at Mid-Day

IMAGE : Mid-Hudson Bridge at Morning Twilight

 

GALEN Rowell Quote

“Twice each day, when the sun is close to the edge of the Earth, the cool, blue light of night interacts with the warm tones of daylight.  This is the Magic Hour.”

 

My first few attempts at photographing in low light were not terribly successful which is why I attended a workshop headed by Galen Rowell more than 15 years ago.  He impressed upon us the importance of understanding the behavior of light as well as knowing the capabilities of your tools. 

For example, we all know that twilight is a relatively short period of time after the sun has gone below the horizon. 

SLIDE: Twilight Chart 

Even though the sun has disappeared,  scattered sunlight from the atmosphere continues to provide illumination.  But there are three different categories of twilight, pegged to the distance the sun is below the horizon. 

 

Understanding those three categories is important because the quality of the light and therefore one’s photograph changes significantly depending on how long it’s been since sunset and whether you are taking the photograph here in Washington, DC or someplace like Paris which is much farther north.  It also depends on whether you are pointing your camera away from the location of the sunset/sunrise or toward it. 

 

So let’s look at some examples.

SLIDE:  WW I Memorial

               19 Minutes after Sunset, Civil Twilight, looking Northwest 1.6 sec., @ f/16, ISO 400, Nikon D800E

SLIDE: Air and Space Museum

               36 Minutes after Sunset, Nautical Twilight, Looking East 6 sec. @ f/16, ISO 400, Nikon D700

SLIDE: WWW II and Washington Monument

               51 Minutes after Sunset, Looking East 6 sec. @ f/16, ISO 400 Nikon D800E

SLIDE: Ferris Wheel

               1 hour 51 minutes after Sunset, After end of Astronomical Twilight, Looking generally East

5 Sec. @ f/16, ISO 100, Nikon D800E

 

SLIDE:  Challenges at Night

  • Lack of sufficient light forces compromises
    • Wider aperture = loss of depth of field
    • Slower shutter speed = hard to stop motion blur
    • Higher ISO = increases problems from noise
    • Tactics
      • Use a sturdy tripod
      • Evaluate options for correct combination of settings based on goals for that specific image.
      • When money is no object: buy a faster lens (F/2.8 or better)
    • Lens flare
      • In cityscapes, streetlights and other strong lights can produce flare
      • Tactics
        • Use your lens hood at night
        • Compose image to avoid flare when possible
        • Use small apertures (e.g. f/16) to create star effect if appropriate
        • Use a prime lens instead of a zoom if available (fewer elements for light to pass through)
        • Avoid using filters
      • Noise from high ISO, long exposures
        • Tactics
          • Use lowest ISO feasible when slower shutter speeds or wider aperture are possible.
          • Use camera’s Long Exposure Noise Reduction feature when possible
          • Use Noise Reduction functions in post-processing (see links on Resource Page)

 

  • Focusing in low light
    • Auto focus may not function in a really dark scene
    • Manually setting a camera at infinity will not guarantee sharp focus of a distant object (e.g., stars, Milky Way)
    • Tactics
      • If possible, illuminate main subject with a flashlight for the Auto Focus
      • When shooting stars or Milky Way, use Live View and manual focus (See Resource Page for details)

 

  • Working in total darkness
    • Tactics
      • Learn to use the camera info screen controls and buttons in the dark before going out to shoot, you won’t be able to see them at night.
      • Pack your gear in a consistent configuration in your bag, return each item to designated place after using it. (saves time fumbling around and/or losing items in the dark)
      • Have a small flashlight on a lanyard looped over your neck so hands are free.
      • When you need a flashlight in truly dark situations use a dim red flashlight or headlamp with red light option to reduce the time your eyes need to readjust to
      • During the shooting session return each item to backpack immediately after use so it doesn’t get left behind in the dark

 

 

SLIDE:  Subjects at Night

  • Landscapes
  • Cityscapes
  • Industrial Areas
  • Staged Tableaux
  • Astronomical Phenonema

 

SLIDE: Sources of Light at Night

  • Natural
    • Twilight Illumination
    • Astronomical (Stars, Moon, as subjects)
  • Artificial
    • City lights, special events, fireworks, traffic
    • Provided by the photographer

 

Cityscapes

SLIDE: Hartford

  • Still Nautical Twilight, but looking west so plenty of light in the sky;
  • Lots of illumination from city lights except for bank on the far side;
  • Glare problem from street lamps on bridge; Use of small aperture (f/16) to get the star effect

SLIDE: Manhattan

  • Just a few minutes into Nautical Twilight, but looking west
  • Main Problem with this location was boat traffic on East River (had to wait, photomerge)

SLIDE: Pittsburgh

  • Still have some twilight coloring in the sky
  • Lots of illumination from the city lights and traffic
  • Main Problem here is the motion of the ferry on the River

SLIDE: Washington DC Overview (Iwo Jima)

  • Civil twilight provides plenty of illumination for the city buildings

 

SLIDE: Washington DC (5 Minutes later, same location, same night)

  • Still Civil Twilight, but much darker now and there is loss of detail

 

Compared to many cities, Washington has less architectural lighting  with the exception of the major monuments.  But there are ways to take advantage of the darkness.  One way is to look for water, especially water that is illuminated.

 

SLIDE: Tactics for Adding Interest

  • Include the Moon This is a lot easier today than it used to be. 
  • Look for water, especially fountains that are illuminated. Many of the memorials around DC have elaborate fountains.  Unfortunately many are shut down for the winter.
  • Look for reflections. Places such as the Potomac River, the Tidal Basin, the Reflecting Pool, and others are always there.  After a rainstorm, you often can find standing water that provides a unusual opportunity.
  • Incorporate moving traffic with time exposures to trace the taillights or headlights.
  • Add your own which can range from a slight flash fill to an elaborate light painting operation.

 

The MOON

SLIDE: March 9, 2001

  • The moon rises in a different location every night. And unlike the sun which has a one-year cycle meaning that every March 21st, it will rise at exactly 90 degrees east. The moon has a 19.6 year cycle.  Not a problem, because there are various apps for your smartphone or tablet such as TPE or PhotoPils.  This picture was taken in 2001 when such things did not exist.  You needed a compass and a chart with the azimuth of the moonrise. 
    • In this case, Sunset at 6:09 PM
    • Moonrise at 6:16 PM
    • Moonrise at Azimuth 80.9 degrees
    • Next: Nov 3, 2017 Azimuth 78.0 degrees Sunset at 6:05 and moonrise at 6:12PM
  • But there are a number of other locations in DC where you can place yourself in a good location to combine the moon with an iconic building.

SLIDE: Jefferson and Moonrise

  • The scene is different with the newly constructed tall waterfront buildings that will appear about where that moon is.
    • 3 sec. @ f/5.3, ISO 200, Nikon D200
    • 18-200mm set at 105mm
    • 7/7/2009
    • Moonrise at 119 degrees

 

Next opportunity, April 29, 2018  moonrise is 113.9 is 5 minutes after sunset

SLIDE: Moonrise over Dulles

  • Shows challenges of different light temperatures
    • Moonrise at 107.6 degrees
    • Moonrise at 7:56 PM
    • Sunset at 7:42 PM
    • Photographed 33 Minutes after Sunset
    • August 29 2004

Next opportunity, August 25, 2018  night before the full moon; moonrise is 108.5  degrees, 10 minutes before sunset

SLIDE: Moon and Washington Monument (not shown during presentation for time considerations)

1/13th sec., at f/4.5, ISO 1600

Nikon D800E, 70—200mm f/2.8 @ 135mm

March 26, 2013 (night before the full moon, rising at azimuth 94.9 degrees, 26 minutes before sunset.

Next Opportunity will be March 30, night before full moon, rising at 87 degrees 46 minutes before sunset.

SLIDE: Iwo Jima and Crescent Moon

0.6 sec. @ f/20, ISO 2500, Nikon D200, 70-200mm f/2.8  at 200 mm, May 28, 2011

Moonrise at 3:00 AM, Sunrise at 5:47 AM

SLIDE: From Netherlands Carillon and Crescent Moon

0.6 sec. at f/2.8, ISO 200, Nikon D700; 34 minutes after moonrise, 40 minutes before sunrise 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200mm,  April 12, 2010

 

SLIDE: Moonrise over Washington DC (aligned with Lincoln, Washington, US Capitol)

Photographed on Sept 5, 2009 the night after the full moon. Nikon D200 with 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 lens, lens extended to 200mm; Shot at 7:58 PM, Sunset @ 7:32 PM, Moonrise was  at 7:45 PM vs. 7:21 on previous night when full, Moonrise was @ 85.5 deg. vs. 92.7 on previous night when full.

Next Chance for similar shot: October 5, 2019 @ 85.4 degrees, rising 21 minutes after sunrise.

 

  

SLIDE: Lunar Eclipse

Even more rare

1.3 sec. @ f/5.6, ISO 400 Nikon D700  28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 at 300mm

December 21, 2010;  Next eclipse on winter solstice 2094

Next lunar eclipse here on January 20-21, 2019 with the maximum totality just after midnight. 

See Resource Hand-out for Lunar Eclipse Exposure Guide

 

Slide: Lunar Eclipse Multiple Exposure

Lunar Eclipse, October 8, 2014, Total of 18 Exposures, Starting at 5:34 AM Ending at 6:39 AM

See Resource Handout for info on Star Trail Image Stacking, this is essentially the same procedure

 

FOUNTAINS

SLIDE:  WW II Memorial

The numerous fountains and water features in the DC area are good subjects for low light photography.

Nikon D800E, 24-70mm f/2.8 lens; Lens set at 24mm;   June 1, 2013; Sunset plus 31 Minutes

Removed the people by exposing small sections and using photomerge.  There are other ways to do this with multiple images in Photoshop, such as the Image Stacking Mode or the Scripts-Statistics  process.  But those involve removing objects that are different from image to image, but this scene also has moving water. (See Resource Hand-out for details)

SLIDE: Senate Fountain

Located between Capitol Building and Union Station

Nikon D700, 24-70mm f/2.8 lens; Lens set at 40mm; August 26, 2010; Sunset plus 30 Minutes

 

SLIDE: Waterfall  at FDR Memorial

One of the problems with the fountains of DC is that you will often find them not running  or the lighting is not working.  The NPS is responsible for most of them and their maintenance budget is seriously underfunded.  Scouting locations is recommended.

SLIDE: Fountain at Georgetown Waterfront Park

Located below the Whitehurst Freeway in Georgetown

SLIDE: Bartholdi Fountain

Located in Bartholdi Park across Independence Ave from the US Botanic Garden

Nikon D800E, 24-70mm f/2.8 lens; Lens set at 34mm; September 19, 2014; Sunset plus 28 Minutes

 

REFLECTIONS

SLIDE: Jefferson Memorial Reflection

4 Sec. @ f/16, ISO 400

Using a body of water as a foreground for an illuminated subject such as the Jefferson Memorial is another way to add interest to your composition. 

 

SLIDE: US Capitol Building and Reflection

East Front of US Capitol. When the pump is operating, there is a shallow pool of water surrounding the glass ceiling of the visitor center at the Capitol Building. No tripods allowed here. 1/25th Sec. @ f/2.8, ISO 1600

SLIDE:  Times Square after a Rainstorm

If it has just rained, then you can use the wet pavement as a reflector, especially when in a brightly lit scene such as Times Square.  This example may not exactly meet the definition of a low light situation, but the scene is quite different at night. 1/200th @ f/3.2, ISO 800

 

Staged Scenes

SLIDE:  Kennedy Center and Light SHow

This example also uses water for the reflection, but it also falls into the category of staged lighting in a scene.  The light projections on the Kennedy Center were the work of a Scandinavian artist who was replicating the Northern Lights during a series of related programs at the Center.

 1.3 Sec. @ f/5.6, ISO 400 Sunset plus 40 Minutes

 

SLIDE: Alexandria Cadillac and Fountain

But you can create your own staging rather than just rely on luck or what you might hear about in advance.

This was a commissioned job and the client came up with the idea of driving his Vintage Cadillac up on this fountain terrace in Alexandria (John Carlyle Square Park).

1.6 Sec. @ f/10, ISO 400 Sunset plus 23 minutes

 

 

SLIDE: Cadillac in front of the USPTO.

But it’s always good to have a PLAN B in case the police arrive and ask you to get the car back on the street where it belongs.

Sunset plus 46 Minutes 0.3 Sec. @ f/2.8, ISO 400, D800E

These two images are examples of using the available light that is already on the scene.  But you may want to or possibly you may have to add some additional lighting of your own and we’ll talk about that in a few minutes.

 

TRACE Lights

SLIDE: Wilson Building and Light Projection (Ektachrome Slide)

This is the Wilson Building on Pennsylvania Avenue.  A pair of French artists were contracted to provide this light show for a two week period.  Used the lights of passing traffic to help fill the dark space in the foreground.

SLIDE: Washington Monument and Kutz Bridge

When you are shooting at street level, the glare of oncoming headlights is usually a problem.  Here the traffic was all going away from the camera so only taillights and the blue warning lights from the police car were visible.  Use of f/16 to create star effect on street lights.

8 sec. @ f/16, ISO 200

SLIDE: Bus Lights (not shown for time considerations)

Here is an example of the glare problems from oncoming headlights.  I mainly am including this here as a cautionary note about always being aware of your situation.  I was lining up the composition of the moon and the Lincoln Memorial for a test exposure and was a bit closer to the edge of the sidewalk than I realized. I had just pressed the shutter release when this big bus blew by me a little too close for comfort.

SLIDE: Final Approach

There are several locations where you can use a similar technique with aircraft traffic landing at National Airport.  This was taken on the river’s edge about 200 feet northwest of the Thompson Boat Center.

30 Sec. @ f/16, ISO 100

 

 

Astronomical Phenomena (Stars)

SLIDE:  USAF Memorial and Big Dipper (not shown for time considerations)

The Big Dipper is barely visible here, showing that Washington, DC is not a good place for photographing stars.

 

SLIDE: Milky Way from Olmsted Point, Yosemite National Park

You need a place where the skies are dark.  Resource Hand-outs include a link to the Dark Sky Association which provides information on such locations

SLIDE: Milky Way looking north from Olmsted Point (not shown for time considerations)

SLIDE: Milky Way and Half Dome

Looking south from Olmsted Point The best views of the Milky Way are in the southern skies which contain the galactic core shown here. 20 Sec. @ f/2.8 ISO 6400

SLIDE: Milky Way at Gaylor Lake, Yosemite NP

30 Sec. @ f/3.5 ISO 6400

SLIDE: Milky Way Guidelines

See Resource Handout for a copy of this List

SLIDE: Juniper Tree and Milky Way near Olmsted Point, Yosemite NP

Example of light painting to illuminate foreground and add interest to the scene.

15 Sec. @ f/4 ISO 6400

SLIDE: Milky Way, Bodie California

Looking North at 11:35 PM  Example of Light Painting; this effort required 3 people to “paint” the scene, each using a different colored flashlight 20 sec. @ f/4.5 ISO 3200

SLIDE: Star Trails, Sonora Pass, California

30 separate exposures, each four minutes long with a 1 second interval between each one.  Requires an intervalometer attached to camera to manage sequence.  The images are combined in Photoshop in a relatively simple procedure.  See Resource Hand-out for details.

SLIDE: Star Trails, Bodie, California

You have to know exactly where the North Star will be prior to the onset of twilight (i.e. it’s not yet visible).  This image required approximately 35 4-Minute minute exposures @ f/4.0, ISO 400, Nikon D800E, 14-24mm f/2.8 lens set at 14mm

SLIDE: Star Trails, Gaylor Lake, Yosemite N.P

This image is shooting toward the west in order to capture the ecliptic, the plane between the northern and southern hemispheres of the sky.  The North Star is just out of the picture in the upper right. Approximately 25 exposures at f/5.6 @ ISO 400

SLIDE: Guidelines for Star Trails

  This list can also be found in the Resource Handouts

IMAGE: Single Image of Star Trail Sequence

4 Minutes @ f/5.6 ISO 400.

 

SLIDE: Questions?

End of Presentation