|
Kevin
|
 |
« on: February 02, 2011, 01:28:37 PM » |
|
ARKANSAS OUTDOORS ONLINE
Monthly Photo Blog
Nightscape Photography
by Arkansas Photographer Todd Whetstine
2/2/2011
I’ve been very fortunate the last few years to have the opportunity to spend several days hiking through the woods with some of the best nature photographers in the state. I know that sounds like fun, and it is, I must admit. Along with the good times and fantastic photos comes a very hectic schedule and much hard work that wears you down in a hurry. Getting up early, hiking in the dark to reach the raging waters spilling over the bluffs, or the sunrise peaking over the mountaintops. Shooting sunsets and wildlife will have you wondering through the woods well after dark.
I have recently noticed a big flaw with my scheduling. By leaving camp an hour or so before sunrise and returning usually an hour or so after sunset, I’ve missed out on some great photography adventures. Nightscape photography is something I’ve started trying to do more often. The moon and a timed exposure can bring out enough light to produce photographs with many different outcomes.
It’s easy to use the darkness as a tool. Have you ever seen the stars photographed with trails attached to them? This is because of the earth’s rotation, the stars are stationary. The darkness also brings amazing photographic opportunities with lightening. These shots are actually very easy to do. You will need a tripod and digital SLR camera. You can leave the shutter open for twenty minutes and have a nice star trail photo. Lightening can be done this same way to. I like to point my camera into the darkness during a lightning storm. I’ll leave the shutter open until I see a few strikes and then close the shutter. All the strikes will be caught looking like they all struck the same time, when in reality they may have occurred over a five minute period. Lightening photos are spectacular and they quickly impress. People ask,“how’d you do that?” I like to say, “I’m just so fast?”
Another good night photo shoot is to literally paint with light. To do this attach the camera to the tripod and use flashlights to paint the area you want to see. Digital photography has made these shots much easier. In the old days you had many useless exposures to deal with and very thorough note taking in order to have a chance at success. I like to set my camera at ISO 100, f8, and the bulb setting on my cable release. After a couple test shots you'll quickly have your camera set just right.
Spring time and better temperatures are just around the corner. Night time photographs are much easier to take than one might think. A tripod with a digital SLR and an understanding of your cameras manual settings will put all the creativity in your finger tips, not in the camera. Get out after dark and shoot for the stars, or try to catch lightning from a bolt. These shots are easy, if you’re fast enough.
After keeping the shutter open for one minute this what I ended up with.
I used the headlights of a car driving across this bridge in Beaver, Arkansas, to paint with light. There are no lights on this bridge.
|
