Help! Photos in the dark?

[LusbyMom]

We are now at the beach in FL. Our campsite is right on the beach and a storm just came through. I tried to get some pics of the lightening but nothing stayed.. this is the best shot I could get of the waves and it's terrible. What can I do? Also adding a few shots I took before the storm, open to opinions/suggestions of what I could/should do different

 

[Joe'smom]

HEY LM!! No pics coming up in post--vacation brain!!!!!!

 

[unixpirate]

We are now at the beach in FL. Our campsite is right on the beach and a storm just came through. I tried to get some pics of the lightening but nothing stayed.. this is the best shot I could get of the waves and it's terrible. What can I do? Also adding a few shots I took before the storm, open to opinions/suggestions of what I could/should do different

Go nite nite!

 

[LusbyMom]

HEY LM!! No pics coming up in post--vacation brain!!!!!!

They are up now. I put them up and they were small, so I took them down but lost my wifi connection for a little bit and couldn't put them back up.

Go nite nite!

Not yet... I am a nightowl. Everyone else is snoozing and here I am.. do you hear the silence?

 

[itsbob]

For night pictures, lightning pictures.. you'r aperature has to stay open a LOOOONG time. You would really need a tripod or even a monopod may work, but you need something to keep the camera steady.

I can't remember the 'rule'.. something like any speed slower than 1/250th of a second use something to stabilize the camera.

Another problem is movement. Waves are moving, so taking pictures of waves at night, same as above, the aperature has to stay open an extended period of time, and during that time the waves have moved, and will blur your picture. Clouds move too, but not as fast so they may come out clear and focused in the same light.

Playing with aperature setting in the dark can be a lot of fun.. extended opening aperature can make for some cool pictures.. Rotating stars in the sky... light lines of moving traffic.. etc..

 

[wch]

Sometimes there is just not enough light to take a picture. Suggestions use tripod and remote. Use Programmed auto with exp compensate all the way up, use, Manual mode with shutter at 30sec and Aperture at the smallest # and hope a lightning bolt acts like a flash and illuminates the area or get a $5000 lens with a f2 or f1.8 ratio. Pictures in the dark take patience and planning so don't get discouraged.

 

[CaptainCryptic]

Here's a pretty complete exposure guide

Ultimate Exposure Computer

 

[Dead Eye]

Put camera at its widest apature ( lowest number ) , Set iso anywere from 100 to 400 , Use very long shutter speed anywere from 1/30 to mamy seconds. must use a tropod or sit camera on a table or something. KEEP CAM VERY STILL as the slightest movement will blur picture. Take a picture and look at it on screen then adjust the shutter speed to get axposure you want. Ocean pictures are very cool this way as the waves that are moveing will turn to looking like dreamy fog at very long shutter speed.