Night Lights

[joebranko]

Taken from the walkway in Hamilton Harbour Bay Front just after sunset. The structure in the distance is the bridge over the entrance to Hamilton Harbour. As always comments and critiques are appreciated.

[Kodiak]

•
Hey Joe, good frame and reflexions!
I think a WB tweak would help your shot!
I don't understand the background noise as this was taken at 200 ISO!
THE EXIF SAYS:
Exposure: Auto exposure, Aperture priority AE, 10 sec, f/9, ISO 200, Compensation: -4/3

A better practice to EV -4/3 in such case would be to "manual" everything with no EV
…this is where the noise may be coming from!

[Geoff F]

With so much difference in distance between the subjects and a long exposure, this was certainly a testing shot; but it has worked well.

I only have one complaint. When viewed at full screen size there is a very tiny red dot above the fourth light from the right. Maybe a star or something? Anyway, I would clone it out.

[joebranko]

•
Hey Joe, good frame and reflexions!
I think a WB tweak would help your shot!
I don't understand the background noise as this was taken at 200 ISO!
THE EXIF SAYS:
Exposure: Auto exposure, Aperture priority AE, 10 sec, f/9, ISO 200, Compensation: -4/3

A better practice to EV -4/3 in such case would be to "manual" everything with no EV
…this is where the noise may be coming from!

Thanks Kodiak! I did not notice/recognise the noise problem, and did not know the EV could add noise. I was just being lazy and using this function without realizing it could take away from my pic. Thanks for this advise. One other fact: I did not turn off the stabilizer during this exposure. Could this also add noise?

[joebranko]

With so much difference in distance between the subjects and a long exposure, this was certainly a testing shot; but it has worked well.

I only have one complaint. When viewed at full screen size there is a very tiny red dot above the fourth light from the right. Maybe a star or something? Anyway, I would clone it out.

Good eye! I did not notice this until you mentioned it! Thank you!

[Kodiak]

I did not notice/recognise the noise problem, and did not know the EV could add noise. I was just being lazy and using this function without realizing it could take away from my pic. Thanks for this advise. One other fact: I did not turn off the stabilizer during this exposure. Could this also add noise?

I think you got me wrong or, most probably, I poorly express myself!

I'm giving you the strategy I use in such conditions. And I know the good
practice of using EV since I use it most of the time but never in night shoots,
since all is on "manual", there is no need for that. … I know there is a
stabilizer switch but I never use it.

I am puzzled as to where the noise comes from!

[Kodiak]

Maybe a star or something?

Looks more like a hot pixel…!

[Stagecoach]

Joe, regarding the noise have you increased the exposure/brightness in post processing?

If so this would increase it and be most noticeable in the dark sky.

[HaseebM]

I am puzzled as to where the noise comes from!

Most likely from the 10 sec exposures.

[Kodiak]

Most likely from the 10 sec exposures.

Unlikely! …unless the chip is of poorer quality or…
Hey joe, is your camera firmware up to date?

[joebranko]

Unlikely! …unless the chip is of poorer quality or…
Hey joe, is your camera firmware up to date?

Firmware is up to date! Don't have any info on the chip..?

[Kodiak]

•
…then I can only blame, as Nikon user, my lack of knowledge on Canon gear.

Sorry… ;-)

[joebranko]

•
…then I can only blame, as Nikon user, my lack of knowledge on Canon gear.

Sorry… ;-)

Thanks for all your help and comments! Very helpfull!

[joebranko]

Joe, regarding the noise have you increased the exposure/brightness in post processing?

If so this would increase it and be most noticeable in the dark sky.

Possibly. I did fool around with post processing and I may have changed exposure/contrast/clarity as these are the adjustments I have tried in the past. So I think this is a definite possibility. Thanks for your suggestion.

[joebranko]

Most likely from the 10 sec exposures.

Is noise a necessary accompaniment to long exposures, or is it avoidable?

[Stagecoach]

Is noise a necessary accompaniment to long exposures, or is it avoidable?

Joe, I take many long exposures and although I'm not familiar with your camera I would suggest that noise is a not a necessary accompaniment to exposures of that length.

To minimise noise use a low ISO, (base ISO for the camera) and expose the image so that you do not have to increase the exposure/brightness in post processing.

To achieve this, expose to push the histogram over to the right without clipping. So for this scene I would decide which aperture I want, set it, and then adjust speed to put the histogram in the required position.

I would work fully in Manual, centre the cameras meter, take a shot, check the histogram and make speed adjustments as necessary.

Grahame

[joebranko]

Joe, I take many long exposures and although I'm not familiar with your camera I would suggest that noise is a not a necessary accompaniment to exposures of that length.

To minimise noise use a low ISO, (base ISO for the camera) and expose the image so that you do not have to increase the exposure/brightness in post processing.

To achieve this, expose to push the histogram over to the right without clipping. So for this scene I would decide which aperture I want, set it, and then adjust speed to put the histogram in the required position.

I would work fully in Manual, centre the cameras meter, take a shot, check the histogram and make speed adjustments as necessary.

Grahame

Thanks Grahme. I have not been using the histogram during the capturing, relying solely on how the shot looks visually. I will start following your suggestions.