Shooting at night is a ton of fun. Instead of capturing a moment, you get the opportunity to create a moment over the course of a few minutes. This shot was out in Byron Hot Springs at the old abandoned hotel (GPS: 37.84829, -121.633017). I opened up the shutter and walked into the center of the frame and fired off a bunch of sparks from a magnesium fire starter to create the streaks. The exposure settings are largely estimated but good results are generally easy to achieve.
Light processing was required afterward, but most of this effect is created in the camera.
To check out some more shots in this style, I have a little set of them on Flickr.
nerdy numbers:
Exposure: 106
Aperture: f/5.0
Focal Length: 24 mm
Stuart great shot, i don’t know why but I haven’t even considered shooting with an exposure longer than the default 30secs on my camera. I think its time for me to go out and explore and experiment.
It really opens a lot of doors for creativity. In order to push past 30 seconds, you will need a cable release or a remote control of some kind to hold the shutter open.
Here is a nifty guide for creating a DIY cable release. This one is specific to Canon, but I’m sure other brands have a similar circuit.
http://www.diyphotography.net/release_cable_for_canon_dslr
Also, keep your ISO low, around 100 or 200. Noise builds up and as long as it is pretty dark where you are shooting, the long exposure is all you need to capture all the light you want.
I’ve been shooting a bit more night stuff lately too …. If its pretty dark out (new moon) and you keep the ISO down – bring a book…….
yeah, bring a book or something else. Also, get a good tripod or if you have a cheap one, attach a bunch of weight to it (like a camera bag full of lenses). If there is just a little bit of wind, it can blur up everything pretty quickly.
I like seeing the ghost in the machine (ie., you). A very interesting shot, even though we know the secret!
There is no secret…I am the ghost in the machine. Some more:
Fun to put together for you, fun for me to watch…these are just fantastic, Especially the last two.
Thanks Luis! It IS fun, especially getting some friends together and just sneaking around at night.