Shooting at night

[Haydn23]

Hello Rangefinderforum

This is my first mail so I would firstly like to say what an entertaining, informative site this is. I feel humbled the quality of the technical knowledge being exchanged.

I would welcome your thoughts on developing film from candid shots taken at night, using available light with 3200 Tmax and a fast lens.

My friend Joe thinks the best way to get natural looking results is to over expose and under develop. I haven't tried this yet, but the theory is this will reduce the contrast and improve shadow detail, which sounds useful.

I am obsessed with capturing the city I live in at night. I don't have the negs to hand so I can't post anything to show (sorry).

So there it is. My first post. I can't wait to hear your thoughts!

Kind regards

Haydn West - Dublin - Ireland

 

[sepiareverb]

Welcome!
Testing is the key here- but overexposure & underdevelopment is great for getting a more natural look- no blasted highlights and fewer empty shadows.

You might try shooting it at 800 and backing off on the development by 40% to start- see if that gets you close to what you're seeing. I usually try shooting a whole roll of a scene or two- alternating a few frames of each and then cutting the film up into foot or 8" long pieces to test development. Time consuming, but in the end well worth the time spent.

 

[Haydn23]

Sepiareverb

Thanks for your reply. I agree that a test strip is probably the way to go.

Happy shooting!

Haydn

 

[gregg]

I did some experiments with 100asa and a TLR at night. I have prints, but no scans handy - pay attention to the listed reciprocity factors and you should be fine. Some are as extreme as 5x standard exposure times.

Normal development, when you account for reciprocity, provides the best shadow detail in my experience.

 

[traveller]

Generally, with TMax, I overexpose 2 stops and cut development time 40% as a starting point.

A example, with TMax 400, is this one

 

[rolleistef]

You mean to shoot candid shot at night, that means that you'll be out in the streets and that there'll be enough available light to take photos without much problem. What I'd do is using Tx400 and push it to 800, it's fast enough. 3200 is reeaaally grainy, so grainy that you can print it and focus watching at the grain with bare eye. If you don't shake too much, you can shoot a 15th/f2 without much trouble. Here's a photo I took in the tube, 15th/f3.5, there was only little light and it worked very well. (Rolleiflex TLR, HP5)
No need to worry about reciprocity failure since it's applied for 1second and above (if you can take pictures at a slower speed than 1 second without a tripod, that means you are dead.)

 

[Xmas]

Pick a rainy night, there will be real nice effects in/on/from the wet surfaces, use a lens hood, and no filter and dont wipe the lens, point the camera down when your not shooting.

Find a friendly lamp post to coil around to reduce the camera shake, I good shot in 36 may be success...

Noel

 

[Tom Harrell]

Noel,
That sounds like a really capitol idea! What kind of film would you suggest using? I can just imagine all of the light reflections and streaks from passing cars using a slow shutter speed. All sorts of possibilities there!

Regards,
Tom

 

[Xmas]

Tom

It rains so infrequently here (now) it is whatever is in the camera (400ASA - FChrome or Ilford B&W). I pack a monopod in the trunk (boot in UK English) & if I'm planning to be out late, I strap to gbag.
Lunasix (CdS) meter for exp.
Plan on low success %.

Noel

 

[sepiareverb]

I've had a couple of students get great results with Fuji ACROS 100 at night- Tripod of course, but shot at 100 and developed normally. This film has fantastic reciprocity, so times don't get overly long.Those wet street effects are quite stunning on this film- smooth as can be.

 

[Haydn23]

Night shooting

Night shooting

Hi there again

I have had success with the rain idea and Dublin has a large area of beautiful Georgian buildings and wrought iron to work with which adds a timeless quality.

I find I need shutter speeds of 125th and above. Camera shake is surprisingly easy to create when you are framing and shooting fast.

Thanks for your replies!

Haydn

 

[Xmas]

Hayden

You need street or shop window lights to get any hopes of facial details and expect no more then 1 good frame in 36 even with practice.
You also need rain, spent childhood in N Donegal - 100 inch per year then, I get home sick with cats and dogs now.

Noel

 

[40oz]

I've found that pushing Tri-X or TMAX 400 to 1600 gives usable shutter speeds under streetlights, and the images have a nice quality to them. But the performance when pushed is dependent on both the specific film and the developer you use.

Also, holding a camera steady is something that comes with practice. When you are actually taking the shot, you need to slow down. For handheld at 1/15th, you really need to brace yourself against something. I can sometimes get 1/30th just by being careful, but prefer to lean against a wall or post. I also found a softrelease on the shutter button helps with some cameras - having to push the shutter down into a depression is more likely to tilt the camera as the shot is taken than a shutter button that sits above the body. (You then need to remember not to wind before putting the camera in a bag.)

 

[GeneW]

Good thread! I've picked up a lot of tips here.

Gene

 

[Xmas]

Hayden

If you have a fast wide angle that will help with the minumium shutter speed, but you gotta work real close, try 1/60, with 35mm, if you need 1/125 with a 50mm.

Noel

 

[rolleistef]

A TLR is a really great thing for low light photography. If you take your breath and release softly, then using 1/8th is no trouble at 11pm under streetlights thanks to the nice "necklace" holding the camera...

 

[Haydn23]

Hi there

Great selection of replies! I will do my best to post something in the next month using your suggestions!

Thanks

Haydn