Lights, Camera, That's it.

This week's entry is focused on night photography. What seems like an easy shoot is filled with difficulties, thinking behind every snap of the shutter, and creativity. 

ISO 800; f2.8; 1/30th second; 11:31pm

This picture, in case you weren't aware, features the Washington Monument located in Washington, DC. The monuments look so much better at night, and if you have a camera while midnight monumenting, you better have that lens cap off otherwise some amazing scene will come along and it will be epic and you will be so sad that you couldn't capture it.

Tips for night shooting:

• Either bring a tripod or find something to rest your camera on. I used one of the stone benches by the monument. If you have a steady spot for your camera, you can add time to your shutter speed and lower your ISO, giving you proper exposure and crispness in the photo.
• NEVER use the flash that comes with your DSLR. Not unless you enjoy awkwardly bright light or a washed out background. Like this:

that's about as appealing to the eye as curdled milk.


• If you want to use a separate flash, make sure to take the time to set it up, and do several test shots to make sure the lighting is just right. Lighting is one of those things you can't just wing it on, especially with night photography.
• Awesome Inspiration for Night Shooting; see how they use simple tools such as flashlights to create stunning images. 
• Don't be afraid to take a bad picture by messing with exposure. Long exposure shots can be very frustrating, but they can also produce some stellar shots. 
• Have fun! (So cliche, but still something you should remember)

ISO 125; f5.6; 2"; 9:21pm

ISO 125; f4; 2"; 8:18pm

ISO 125;  f5.6; 2" 8:37pm

 ISO 6400; f4.2; 20"; 11:21pm

Hello digital world, this is me, Merideth. Me in all my glory at ISO 166, f18, and 1/100 of a second. This blog is intended for me to share my images and talk about the process and difficulties I faced when taking these pictures. I'll probably wind up complaining and begging for pats on the back as well. If any of you loyal readers have constructive criticism and feedback for me with any of these images (or you want to purchase these gems) please comment and send me your opinions. 

For those of you curious about my wicked skillz, this image was taken in my backyard, in the beautiful state of New Hampshire. Taken on a chilly, January day, at approximately 3pm. The lighting from the sun was just right, except I'm standing in the shade. BRILLIANT, RIGHT? I realized that after I finished shooting. Guess this makes me look mysterious, huh?

Phew, the pain of my first post is over. Hopefully you didn't laugh too hard at my pathetic attempts at wit and humor. If anyone has suggestions for future shoots or general photography questions, please let me know!