Useful accessories:
The trigger remote control:
A remote release to trigger the camera is a great tool to avoid camera shake. Because small movements often occur as soon as the shutter release is pressed, which in the end results in blurred images.
If, for example, a series of exposures is created, this can be controlled using the remote release without touching the camera. Slight shifting while changing settings is thus avoided. You can also use your camera's self-timer to replace the remote control. However, this requires the camera to be touched each time to change the exposure settings.
Modern cameras have the option of changing all settings via the app on the smartphone. This is of course the best option, as you have no connection whatsoever to the camera, which means that it cannot wobble due to unintentional touching. You can find out whether your camera can be controlled via the app in your operating manual. If you don't have a remote release at hand, you can also use the self-timer on your camera. Most self-timers allow a 10-second delay. In most cases, this should be enough to make your camera shake.
The newest accessory in our equipment was the new Pluto Trigger added. This little box looks inconspicuous, but offers a lot of functions. The Pluto Trigger acts as a remote trigger. Unlike conventional remote releases, the trigger functions are completely controlled via the smartphone. A Bluetooth connection gives you full access to all possible interval or trigger settings. In addition to the normal “bulb” for long exposures, the trigger can also be used as a timer or interval recordings can be started. Of course, individual “shutter” recordings are also no problem. In addition, this remote release offers a lot of sensors with which the camera can be triggered. In addition to a sound, light or thermal image sensor, which the camera triggers, for example, in the event of a bang, a thunderstorm or animals passing by, a large number of combinations of individual sensors or trigger parameters can still be selected. It would take too long to list everything here. If you are interested in such a contemporary remote release, you can get more information directly from Manufacturer .
The right clothes:
This point is often underestimated. Long exposure times are usually used in night photography. During this time, one often stands motionless next to the camera and waits until the exposure and the noise reduction that may have been started has ended. It can get quite fresh here, so you should pay attention to warm clothing. A warm drink can also work wonders on cold winter nights. If you take photos on a busy street, please ensure your own safety and do not dress too inconspicuously. We don't want you to be overlooked by a driver. Therefore, jackets with reflectors are very suitable so as not to be overlooked in the dark.
Dress warmly. Especially in the evening the temperatures drop noticeably quickly as soon as the sun has disappeared on the horizon.
Let there be light! The flashlight:
Taking photos at night does not make operating the camera easy. It is often difficult to find the right buttons to make the settings you want. It is therefore useful to always have a small flashlight with you. If this is not at hand, the cell phone is a good replacement.
Most cameras have a display light, but you often have to press a button to activate it. Mostly you look for this key by blindly touching the camera. It would be a shame if you ruined your night shot at this moment by shaking the camera.
Better than a flashlight is what is known as a headlamp , which you can attach to your head with a strap. It always shines in the direction you are looking and does not interfere with taking photos, as you do not have to hold it in your hand. Due to the bright light, however, it can happen that you can no longer perceive anything in the environment because you are blinded. It helps here if you put a red filter in front of the lamp. The red light is completely sufficient to operate your camera, but it is far less blinding than white light. The same principle is practically fulfilled by red bicycle lights. Good flashlights offer a function to dim the light.
Headlamps are a good thing, but we rarely use them. This is probably due to the fact that they are rather uncomfortable in the long run and cover relatively few areas of application. For this reason we have a couple of small Mag-Lite-XL200 Purchased flashlights. This flashlight is really small and still offers good brightness. It also has several different modes. It can be dimmed and has a motion sensor that dims the flashlight when you lie down and still offers enough light to avoid groping in the dark. It also has a strobe function that allows the flashing frequency to be adjusted. We often use this function to secure the photo position when we are taking photos on a steep cliff or on the edge of a road. This really small flashlight has many uses and is therefore perfect for our photo tours.
Note: Be careful not to shine in your camera's viewfinder during the exposure. It can happen that the light from your lamp reaches the sensor via the mirror and thus causes unsightly reflections in the photo.
Spirit level:
The hot shoe spirit level is a small spirit level that can be easily attached to the hot shoe of the camera. It is a useful tool to adjust the camera perfectly. This spirit level is not only helpful for night photography, it also makes work much easier in many parts of photography. For example, if you also want to take panoramic photos, you can use this spirit level to align the camera precisely. Most tripods also have a small built-in spirit level.
This is what the electronic spirit level looks like on our Canon 5D Mark III . It can be displayed in RealView using the “Info” button.
These hot shoe water cars are almost obsolete. Most cameras already have an integrated electronic spirit level that you can view on your display. If your camera has such an electronic spirit level, you don't need an extra spirit level, of course.
Note: We are often asked what equipment we use to take our photos. In order to clarify these questions, we have written down our equipment on a separate page. So if you are unsure when choosing a tripod, it might be worth taking a look at our equipment .
Useful filters:
The gray graduated filter:
Since we have had a gray graduated filter, it has been used again and again. This filter has a gentle neutral gray gradient that allows you to darken areas of the sky a little. Especially when the sun goes down or the so-called “blue hour” sets in, the sky is always much brighter than the rest of the photo or is even outshone. A gray graduated filter reduces or avoids this problem. We are so convinced of the advantages of such a filter that we have a suitable B + W gray graduated filter for every lens .
The darkening of gray filters is indicated with the letters ND. ND filters are identified by two different names. This can either describe the neutral density or the extension factor of the shutter speed. For the blue hour, for example, we use an ND 0.6 filter, which corresponds to a darkening of two f-stops or an extension of the shutter speed by a factor of 4. ND 0.6 filters provide a rather slight darkening that is just right for the sky.
With today's image processing it is possible to create an artificial gradient, but the contrast between the ground and the sky is particularly strong in the early evening. Often, areas on the ground are too dark while the sky is already outshone and frayed. Subsequent darkening by image processing quickly makes the mood in the sky disappear. In the worst case, even the colors will fray completely. Only a gray graduated filter can avoid this problem and reliably darken the sky. That is why we would warmly recommend such a filter to you.
The polarization filter:
In order to achieve or avoid certain effects in reflective surfaces, there are so-called polarization filters . A polarization filter or polarizing filter is intended to polarize the various light rays entering the lens. Put simply, a polarization filter can let through individual light rays or block them completely. Depending on how the polarization filter is rotated in front of the lens, it lets light rays that vibrate on the wrong plane pass through or blocks or amplifies them. However, this property only works on all non-metallic reflective surfaces.
Only light rays that vibrate in the same way are allowed through the filter, while all other light rays are destroyed and converted into heat. A polarization filter is used in photography to remove or strengthen reflections in a lake or fountain, for example, or to convert incident light into light that oscillates in the same way and, for example, to be able to depict the blue sky even more intensely. In night photography, for example, you can strengthen or weaken a reflection in a pond or avoid light reflections from glass panes.
You can darken the sky with a graduated filter. This is useful, for example, shortly after sunset. A polarization filter reduces reflections and reflections.
No comments
Post a Comment