Camera Settings for Getting You Started

[Nancie & Gracie Doodle]

I have just recently made a "break through" on my camera.  I have started to understand Aperture, Shutter Speed, Manual, White Balance, ISO, etc.  It has taken me probably 8 years of starting with a point and shoot until now and various upgrades of cameras along the way to finally start to sort of "get it"!!  Yes, I am a slow learner! 

I took an amazing class back in May that was a 12+ hour class on a Saturday and was held out doors.  It sounds insane to be taking a class that long but it was amazing!  The time really flew.  We sat in a park and had lecture and demonstration time.  During the lecture he showed us what each button and setting on our individual cameras did.  We had 12 students...half Canon and half Nikon with one Panasonic.  During this time was when I had my break through on the Aperture and Shutter Speed.   Then we wandered around with various camera setting assignments to compose photos and regroup to be evaluated.  After dinner we went to the ferry landing and learned how to shoot a nightscape scene using a tripod. 

 These were taken with my Nikon D-5000 and my personal settings were:Tripod, turn anti-shake lens off, change White Balance to Tungsten (bluest setting you have -  Depends on camera model/mfgr.), Flash off, Shutter Speed 20, F/11, ISO 100, timer set to 2 seconds.  These settings are pertaining to the Nikon D5000... AF-S (focus mode), S (release Mode), AF Area Mode (middle selection), Metering (top selection), Active D Lighting - N, Picture Control - SD.  Of course the instructor set me up and helped me with test shots to get this photo!!

The next class I just took last night from another instructor that I found through "MeetUp".  He holds various classes all over San Diego County and they are usually $50.  Last night was "Night & Low Light Photography". 

Just to give you all a reference point I will list various settings that I have written down from my classes which might help you achieve what you are looking for.  As far as how you get your settings in your camera, that will be up to you and Mr. Manual!  Both instructors said that these are just starting points and you need to tweek them constantly.  Take test photos and adjust. 

SUGGESTED SETTINGS (all of these you are in the MANUAL "M" setting on your dial)  Night photography is all manual because there is no reflective light.  AUTO will  not work!  All photos use a tripod and turn anti-shake lens off.  For your flash settings use "Rear Sync Flash" or "Rear Curtain" (depends on make of camera) and TTL setting. 

Party/Club
     Aperture:           f/4.0
     Shutter Speed:  1/60 sec
     ISO:                  800
     Flash:               Yes but use External Flash set to Rear Sync or Curtain and bounce the flash
                             up  on the ceiling so you don't wash out faces

Dusk
     Aperture:           f/11 (try f/8.0 or higher...f/11, f/16
     Shutter Speed   1-5 sec
     ISO:                  200 (also try 100)
     Flash:               No
     White Balance:  Incandescent (play around with sunny and shady too)

Nightscapes
     Aperture:           f/8
     Shutter Speed:  5-15 sec
     ISO:                 200 or 100
     Flash:               No (if you have a foreground you need to light such as a person then use flash
     White Balance:  Auto

I have not done Fireworks yet but I have the suggested settings from both classes:

     Aperture:           f/8.0
     Shutter Speed:  8-12 sec
     ISO:                 200
     Flash:               No
     White Balance:  Auto
If you want long light trails then use a longer Aperture

Another suggested setting is to use the Shutter Speed 5-8 seconds and set timer to 2 seconds for SINGLE burst.  Set the Shutter Speed to 20-30 and set timer to 2 seconds for MANY bursts.

Again, these are just reference points to get started.  They are also from my notes which unless transcribed immediately after the class I can't read or remember.  I may have left something out...most likely!

These are last nights photos:

f/11, ss 1/125 sec, ISO (I was playing with shaddy and sunny), 85mm focal length, no flash

f/22, SS 2.5 sec.,  ISO 200, 185 mm focal length, no flash, 2 sec. timer

f/22, SS 4 sec., ISO 200, 185 mm focal length,no flash, 2 sec. timer

[Zoe, Benny and Tyler]

These are great pictures. I'd wish I could play around with our camera already like that.

[Tilly and Gertie]

Pretty amazing. Thank you for sharing the tips.

[Joy Williams]

Nancie, these photos are amazing, especially the first one you posted! This really makes me want to take a class now, too. I have just gotten so lazy with taking pictures lately - I just keep everything in auto and fire away. Maybe these will motivate me to start playing with the different settings on my camera.
Thanks for sharing!

[F, Calla & Luca]

Re: Fireworks: Apertures are sizes of the opening so wider or narrower not longer. Maybe you meant a slower shutter speed? That would make sense to me. If you leave the shutter open longer you should get the longer light trails.

[Barbara]

Gorgeous photos!

[Richard Crowe]

Great photos... I am in San Diego and would love to go shooting sometime or perhaps, just have a cup of Starbucks somewhere.

Although using manual is probably the best way to shoot night shots, I have also been successful shoooting in the AV (aperture priority mode) with my Canon DSLR cameras. I do it this way:

Set my camera to ISO 400 (I will go up to ISO 800 or even 1600 if I want a faster shutter speed).

Use a wide open aperture or perhaps one stop smaller than wide open. My lenses provide excellent quality wide open but, some lenses really benefit from stopping down a bit...

Set the exposure compensation to -1 stop. If I do not set a -1 stop compensation, my set of images usually starts with one totally overexposed image.

Set exposure bracketing to 1 stop intervals and set the camera to shoot burst mode.

With Canon cameras (I don't know about other brand cameras) this will shoot three shots with a -1, right on and +1 bracketing. Then the camera will stop shooting, allowing you to get three exposures per scene.

However, since I originally set the camera to a -1 stop compensation; my actual exposures will be: -2 stops, -1 stop and right as the meter reads.

I always shoot in RAW and usually one of the three images is pretty well in the ballpark. A little Photoshop or Photoshop Elements tweaking usually completes the job.

I have done quite well at night using this technique either hand held or tripod mounted. It is also good for compositing the three images into an HDR image which will allow both highligts and shadows to be capured. Photoshop and Photoshop Elements 8 can easily do this type of composite.

Here is a shot of Hong Kong Skyline from Across H.K. harbor at night using this exposure technique. I did not have a tripod with me so I shot this hand held. My exposure was 1/20 second @ f/2.8 using ISO 800. My 17-55mm f/2.8 IS lens was set at 55mm and the Image Stabilization was turned on.

[Carol and Banjo]

Richard this is beautiful!!!

[Richard Crowe]

Thanks, my other China and Hong Kong Image are at: http://rpcrowe.smugmug.com/

Just scroll down the page for the various galleries...