8

CHAPTER
NIGHT AND LOW-LIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY / City Lights

> If the image seems too dark, decrease the

shutter speed by 1/3 stop or open the aper-

ture up 1/3 stop.

Once you have the settings that give you the

proper exposure, you have to keep adjusting them

as the scene changes and the sky gets darker, as

I had to do to capture the image in Figure 8-20.

When photographing the San Diego skyline, I

needed to constantly make adjustments to the

exposure. Because the light is constantly chang-

ing, there is no single setting that will work all

the time. Shoot the scene, check the LCD display

on the camera, make adjustments, and try again.

3. Set the ISO to 100.


4. Set the exposure mode to auto.


5. Set the metering mode to matrix or scene
   metering.


6. Press the shutter release button halfway
   down to get a light meter reading.


7. Change the exposure mode to manual and
   apply the settings shown in the previous step.

Either increase the shutter speed or reduce
the aperture by 1 stop and take a test photo.

If the image is too light, increase the shut-
ter speed or decrease the aperture by
another stop.

ABOUT THIS PHOTO The San Diego skyline photographed from Coronado Island. I took this picture in the
winter months so that the office lights were still on and the sun had already set, even though it was only 5:30 pm.
Taken at 10 seconds, f/10, and ISO 100.

8-19