Early Morning/Dusk Photography - Help Required

djaphoto

djaphoto

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I am off to Cornwall tomorrow for the week and will be getting up early and maybe staying out lateish (depending which offers the best light) to get some nice shots on the beach with some sun and some misty water or dramtic clouds and misty water...

I've already been and purchased my Cokin ND filter kit, tripod etc etc but...any tips so I don't turn up and make it a complete waste of time?

One thing that sprung to mind was focusing...if it's dark with very little to focus on, what method do you guys use to try and get a long exposure to come out which is in focus and has good detail?

Thanks very much in advance
 
1. Use hyperfocal distance for focusing (you should be able to find a guide to determining hyperfocal distance on the web, afraid I don't have one on hand). You should be able to get just about everything in a scene in focus with an aperture as low as f8. f8-11 is probably you best bet for most shots, but higher fstops will provide you with longer shutter speeds if you want to smooth water etc. Aperture priority is probably best for shotting landscapes.

2. Use exposure bracketing and a tripod so that you can play with combining different exposures in PP. Shooting RAW is probably best too.

3. Visit Porth Nanven!
 
TomB said:
1. Use hyperfocal distance for focusing (you should be able to find a guide to determining hyperfocal distance on the web, afraid I don't have one on hand). You should be able to get just about everything in a scene in focus with an aperture as low as f8. f8-11 is probably you best bet for most shots, but higher fstops will provide you with longer shutter speeds if you want to smooth water etc. Aperture priority is probably best for shotting landscapes.

2. Use exposure bracketing and a tripod so that you can play with combining different exposures in PP. Shooting RAW is probably best too.

3. Visit Porth Nanven!
Click to expand...

Tom, your a star!

Thanks for the pointers, will have a look at the hyperfocal distance technique now, see if I can get my head around it lol :D

Is Porth Naven anywhere near Padstow? We are heading to my childhood haven :thumbs:
 
djaphoto said:
Tom, your a star!

Thanks for the pointers, will have a look at the hyperfocal distance technique now, see if I can get my head around it lol :D

Is Porth Naven anywhere near Padstow? We are heading to my childhood haven :thumbs:
Click to expand...

Nowhere near Padstow I'm afraid! It's down on the north coast in West Cornwall. Look for St Just on a map, its the first cove west of there.

Hyperfocal distance tends to sound very complex... if in doubt then I find just focusing at slightly less than infinity tends to do the trick!
 
Shame, would have been great to visit there, noticed the pics in your awesome gallery ;)

So if I fail at hyperfocal then focusing at pretty much the furthest point possible at maybe f8-f11 will give me an acceptable result?
 
djaphoto said:
So if I fail at hyperfocal then focusing at pretty much the furthest point possible at maybe f8-f11 will give me an acceptable result?
Click to expand...

yes.


does having a tripod etc etc include a remote release ???

as having a tripod and no form of remote release is a little bit chocolate fireguardish ,

in the absence of a remote release use the self timer as even a short delay can make a difference.
 
daftbugga said:
yes.


does having a tripod etc etc include a remote release ???

as having a tripod and no form of remote release is a little bit chocolate fireguardish ,

in the absence of a remote release use the self timer as even a short delay can make a difference.
Click to expand...

I don't have a remote release, so using the self timer at 5 seconds to get well clear :)
 
Yeah make sure you use the timer if you dont have a remote shutter release! If you are struggling to focus just get as fast a shutter as you can for a test shot (whack up the iso, stick it on f5.6 or whatever) get that in focus, then carefully change the settings back ;)

I would recommend a trip down to (and around) the Lizard Peninsular. Can get some cracking sunrise and sunsets around there :) Coverack is a pretty little fishing village for some good shots too, and then there are loads of lovely coves etc. Damn wish I was going to Cornwall :(
 
Jimmy_Lemon said:
Yeah make sure you use the timer if you dont have a remote shutter release! If you are struggling to focus just get as fast a shutter as you can for a test shot (whack up the iso, stick it on f5.6 or whatever) get that in focus, then carefully change the settings back ;)

I would recommend a trip down to (and around) the Lizard Peninsular. Can get some cracking sunrise and sunsets around there :) Coverack is a pretty little fishing village for some good shots too, and then there are loads of lovely coves etc. Damn wish I was going to Cornwall :(
Click to expand...

Cheers buddy :woot:

Yea, got a factory shutdown this week so thought why not, should be nice and quiet after the holidays that have been so looking forward to it I must say!

Will be posting my shots sometime next week depending when we get back lol

Thanks for the much appreciated help ;)
 
Sorry to revive the thread. But did you ever post your shots? I am off to Cornwall soon and would like to see how you got on :)
 
Ah, sorry Scary, I posted my results but in a different thread.

Please visit http://www.djaphoto.co.uk/photoblog/ and hit 'browse' this will open all of my image thumbnails.

You will see the low light ones on the second and third row of images ;)
 
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