Tami Williams
December 2024 - London Tower Bridge
About the Image(s)
Location - London England
Time - 8:15 pm 10/22/2024
Equipment - Nikon Z6II, tripod
Settings - ISO 100, 70 mm, F/13, 1/20 sec
Post - Lightroom adjustment, highlights, shadow
I have a question for the group. I upgraded my camera to the Nikon Z6II. I’m using manual mode and adjusting my settings based on 0 reading on my camera meter. The picture looks great in camera but when I download the picture they are all darker than expected. Any tips on getting the in camera exposure correct for night photography.
3 comments posted
Hi Tami,
Just a few points that might help you with night photography
:
- your camera sensor will capture an image and automatically correct the light intensity to "medium Gray" if your EV is set at 0.
This makes it difficult to obtain something close to what you saw, unless you set your camera to EV -1, -2 or even -3.
I personally prefer to bracket the capture with 3 to 5 images and 1 EV interval. I would put the mid capture at EV -1 or -2. You might get the perfect exposure on one of the image (minimal true black and true white) and work with this image. You can also elect to blend (High Dynamic Range) 2, 3 or all the images as needed (if no perfect single image). Posted: 12/16/2024 23:34:04
Just a few points that might help you with night photography
:
- your camera sensor will capture an image and automatically correct the light intensity to "medium Gray" if your EV is set at 0.
This makes it difficult to obtain something close to what you saw, unless you set your camera to EV -1, -2 or even -3.
I personally prefer to bracket the capture with 3 to 5 images and 1 EV interval. I would put the mid capture at EV -1 or -2. You might get the perfect exposure on one of the image (minimal true black and true white) and work with this image. You can also elect to blend (High Dynamic Range) 2, 3 or all the images as needed (if no perfect single image). Posted: 12/16/2024 23:34:04
Kathryn Engle
It's a great shot. I couldn't get it to enlarge at all though. When viewing your histogram during or after, did you adjust your settings to allow for more light? Maybe a higher ISO or longer time on the tripod. Bracketing like Pierre mentioned is also a good idea. I also do that a lot when I'm unsure if I can get everything in without clipping. Posted: 12/17/2024 02:05:38
I love pictures of lighted structures at night, and this bridge is a great subject. I wonder if it would help the bridge to stand out more if the background and foreground were darkened a bit. Also, you might consider cropping some of the buildings on the right and left sides to focus on the bridge. I tried it and the result is attached. Posted: 12/22/2024 02:34:53