How to take photos at night

Photos taken at night can produce spectacular results – in fact many cities present their best views after dark. Night photography can also be very forgiving in bad weather, so if rain’s prevented you from grabbing the shots you want of a city, it’s well worth trying again after sunset. Night photography can prove quite a challenge in Automatic modes, but it’s surprisingly easy with a few simple tricks and in this workshop we’ll explain how.

In the photo of Christmas lights above left, the camera’s automatic settings have selected an exposure that’s way too quick, and as a consequence the image is too dark. The trick to successful night photography is to get much more light into your camera for a decent-looking image, as seen in the image above right. In our video tutorial below, we’ll explain how to achieve this effect, and at the bottom of the page you’ll find a reminder of the steps you’ll need to take.

Checklist: Night photography

1: Switch your camera to Manual mode by turning the mode dial to ‘M’.

2: Choose the smallest f-number available and a relatively long shutter speed to record the lights. One second is a good starting point and most cameras indicate seconds using double quotes, so look for 1”.

3: Keep your camera very steady. Preferably use a tripod or a Gorillapod. Use the self-timer to avoid wobbling the camera as you press the button.

4: Check your photo. If the lights aren’t bright enough, try a slower shutter speed. If the lights are too bright, try a quicker shutter speed.

5: After taking your photo, remember to set the mode dial back to Auto or Program mode.

Watch out!

Always temporarily switch off any anti-shake or image stabilisation systems when using a tripod. If the camera is perfectly steady these systems can actually introduce wobbling as they attempt to counteract something which isn’t there.

Some cameras will also have difficulty focusing in dark conditions, so if yours is having problems, switch the lens to manual and focus on the lights. If they are distant, focus the lens to infinity.

Another way to maximise available light is to increase your camera’s sensitivity by using a bigger ISO number. Increasing the sensitivity will however reduce your picture quality and may still not give you a quick enough exposure to handhold. So stick to using a tripod and a low ISO number for the best quality.

Equipment tip

As explained in the video, there’s just two tricks to successful night photography and one is keeping the camera steady. The simplest way to avoid camera shake is to use a tripod. Manfrotto models are widely regarded as the best around and allow you to separately buy the legs and the head unit. If you’d prefer to travel lighter, consider a Joby Gorillapod who’s flexible legs can be wrapped around almost anything from a railing to a branch for a steady grip.

What To Look For When Purchasing a New DSLR Camera

Photographs are memories; and can speak of thousand of life's events, capturing precious moments and serving as a reminder of the kind of life we have experienced. You will have undoubtedly noticed that on popular social networking sites, people are constantly uploading photos that they want to share with their friends and family.

It has become an effective means of communicating with loved ones, who we may not see as often as we want because of distance or busy schedules. That is why today more and more people are investing in a high quality digital SLR camera. If you are serious about owning a top quality camera with a wide array of features and the flexibility to add additional lenses, adigital SLR camera is an obvious choice.

Before you decide on the camera that will best suit your needs and budget , you have to keep several factors in mind as to what to look for before buying your new digital SLR camera.

What to look for when buying a new digital SLR camera?

There are many factors to consider in advance so that you will know what type of camera will best fit your needs. First and foremost, how much are you willing to spend for a DSLR camera? There is a wide selection of digital SLR cameras available these days, there are low cost very affordable cameras for people who wish only to take photos as souvenirs and there are others who may aspire to become a professional photographer needing a powerful, advanced and expensive unit.

Most of us will fall somewhere in the middle and be mindful that the expenses in purchasing a camera is not only confined to the unit itself as possibly lenses, memory cards batteries and other accessories must also be accounted for.

You may find it expedient to carry another set of batteries and additional memory cards to anticipate all eventualities. image resolution of the camera is an important point, however It does not necessarily mean that you need a unit with the highest megapixel count to get the best photos. If you only need pictures that you want to save on your laptop and email to your friends, you probably do not need a DSLR with the highest megapixels, all you need is an average one. However, if you anticipate blowing up some of your photos to larger dimensions you will need a camera with better resolution.

The size of the unit is a consideration to some when buying a new digital SLR camera. Although, some advanced DSLRs are quite bulky and weighty, the sizes also vary. If you want to use a camera when you go on a vacation, a light and handy model such as the micro four thirds digital cameras could the correct choice for you.

Other features to take into consideration are ISO Ratings, LCD size, dust protection, semi-auto mode and flash. These are specifications that you should carefully review before you decide on the best DSLR for you.

A strategy I've successfully employed in finding a top rated digital SLR at an extremely competitive price is to review the top rated Digital SLRs which gives an accurate picture of actual buyer satisfaction with individual camera models based on customer reviews and then take a look at the best selling Digital SLRs which gives a quick snapshot of what consumers are favouring based on both price and ratings (most of the best sellers are also rated highly by customers)

I hope these tips will aid you in your search for a great camera that will meet your needs and allow for your creative progression the the years to come as you embrace the fantastic hobby of photography.

Nando's Art Exhibition

I have taken all this picture at 1 Utama Shopping mall,  this picture are from Nandos art competition..I forgot all this picture title..