[Saru]

Pinned.

It would be good if we could create a thread containing guides and information on the facts behind photography that could be compiled in to something people could refer to when trying to analyse paranormal pictures.

If we get enough guides like this I can merge them together in to a single help thread.

[She-ra]

EXCELLENT POST!! Thank you. I do have a question. What if you cannot access this information? Is that because a pic is linked through a host? (IE: Photobucket?)

[Episteme]

It can be a few things, She-ra. I have an old camera which doesn't have this data, back in the day they didn't all write this data to the photos. Sometimes people also copy a photo in the browser and paste them to a new document rather than saving them and trying to dig for them in the hard drive (I'm guilty of this little shortcut myself). Rarely some photo editors also erase this data after editing. I'm not aware of photobucket erasing data, it does keep mine. These are the only conditions I'm aware of but there may be more.

[SS79]

Episteme on Nov 4 2007, 07:31 PM, said:

It can be a few things, She-ra. I have an old camera which doesn't have this data, back in the day they didn't all write this data to the photos. Sometimes people also copy a photo in the browser and paste them to a new document rather than saving them and trying to dig for them in the hard drive (I'm guilty of this little shortcut myself). Rarely some photo editors also erase this data after editing. I'm not aware of photobucket erasing data, it does keep mine. These are the only conditions I'm aware of but there may be more.

I have just used this for the first time EPI and i must say amazing and thankyou again . an invaluable tool

Quick question why do some pics have an exif file and some dont . is that just because certain cameras dont record the data sorry if you have already answered this

blessings SS79 x x x

[Episteme]

spiritual_soul79 on Nov 4 2007, 09:17 PM, said:

Quick question why do some pics have an exif file and some dont . is that just because certain cameras dont record the data sorry if you have already answered this

blessings SS79 x x x

Read what ya quoted.



((Yeah, I had a long day too! ))

[SS79]

Episteme on Nov 5 2007, 02:25 AM, said:

Read what ya quoted.



((Yeah, I had a long day too! ))

LOL sorry thanks i was just checking .

[Episteme]

Whether you're a serious ghost hunter or an amateur, you're likely to run into a situation where you're in a dimly lit or evening setting. You can always use the flash, but at night it won't help much and inside it often creates pesky reflections and shadows. Using other settings may turn out red or simply blurred. There are many solutions to these problems and you don't need an expensive camera to solve them. I will be focusing mainly on digital cameras but many film cameras also have these options available.

Now I may lose many of you here, but I'll come right out with it from the start. Your camera manual is invaluable. You may learn enough right here without it, as most cameras have commonly used settings, but you will learn a lot by flipping through or going to the website of your manufacturer and downloading the pdf version. Experiment with the settings and use the EXIF tool discussed in the other thread to see which settings work the best in different lighting. You'll be amazed at the improved quality of your photos.

Basic Modes

There are a some common modes that are very helpful. I'm pulling these from the top of my head, so if your camera has a different setting please speak up so all can benefit! Landscape mode usually has a pic of a mountain scene, night landscape usually has the same picture but with a star. If you only have landscape, not to worry it usually works the same as night landscape. These modes allow more light into the sensor but require a steady hand or a tripod.

Tripods

Tripods, we love to hate them. But a must if we don't want blurred night shots. They're big, bulky, inconvenient, and nothing says, "Hey, look at me, I'm taking a picture!" like a tripod. On the flip side, if you're in a place where you aren't comfortable taking pictures, like a graveyard, people are less likely to give you dirty looks if you appear more official. But there is an alternative, the gorillapod. There's even a generic now. It's small, it's portable, it's cheap, it's flexible and you can attach it to any stable surface. Way more hip. Here's a pic.

Tricks

Tried all of the above and still getting a blur? Likely when you click to take the picture it's bouncing the camera and tripod. Try the timer function. By the time the photo goes off all should be nice and still. Another option available for some cameras is a remote release (aka cable release). This is a button you hold in your hand that triggers the camera to take the photo.

Advanced Settings

For those of you wanting a bit more from your shots, there are some more useful settings. Depending on the camera, these settings are accessed in different places. Before I begin, make sure your LCD brightness is set to normal. You will want to review your photos as you take them and adjust accordingly and a brightened LCD will not give you accurate results.

Film speed / ISO rating - A quicker film speed is never recommended or helpful for night photos. The best setting seems to be between 50-100. Get up much higher and you'll start getting more and more noise.

Shutter speed, aperture - Shutter speed is how long the shutter stays open and allows light to reach the film/sensor. Aperture (lens opening) is the amount of light that is allowed to reach the film/sensor. To remember, I always just imagined the aperture as sunglasses. The higher the number, the darker the glasses.

These settings are totally dependant on the kind of photo effect you're trying to get. Obviously you'll have to work at it to get that perfect night shot, 1/100th of a second shutter isn't long enough to let enough light in on a dark night. But 3 seconds with an aperature of 2.8 just might be. Moonlight, streetlights, and all of the different lighting around you makes all the difference in the world, so the best way to learn these settings is through trial and error. Each new location will require different settings depending on the effect you're looking for. A nice cheat if you're just learning and fiddling in the backyard is to set up landscape mode and check the EXIF, find the settings and adjust accordingly to the brightness that YOU want to get.

Many cameras have "AV" mode, Aperture Priority. This allows you to manually set the aperture while the camera sets everything else depending on the brightness. TV mode is another common setting and acts like AV mode but with shutter speed. Or you could go to full manual control.

There are many other important settings but these were the most important for me when learning night photography. Please chime in if I've missed anything! I'd really like to make another on night photo adjustments but am having a difficult time finding a simple and free program that allows for level adjustments through the histogram that everyone can use. If anyone knows of one I'd love to hear about it!

Here are a few of my night shots: click, click, click, click

This post has been edited by Episteme: 10 November 2007 - 02:03 AM

[SupeRgirl]

That was very interesting Episteme and thanks for posting I also think it's a good thing for those who are serious, semi serious about ghost hunting and taking pics at night in really getting to know your camera beyond it's auto setting.

My camera has an option to suppress flash which can be quite useful. I also have one of those gorilla tripods I fully recommend them for taking pics on the go in odd/tricky locations - I had mine wrapped round a washing line to take moon shots recently! and using it with the self timer brought out some good pics.

[primordial]

Thank you Episteme. I’m going to print out this one. It will come useful when we will go away and ghost hunt. In February or hopefully sooner, a Christmas present from me, I’m planning of buying a new camera when my income tax return comes in. What is the best camera to buy? My eyes are set on a Nikon D80 for some time now at an camera store.Thinking of taking up photography. Saskatchewan is an stunning place to take great pictures, albeit we now have snow, it’s still awesome. http://www.youtube.c...h?v=Q-iW0zL2LI0

[The Last Unicorn]

Episteme on Nov 10 2007, 01:49 AM, said:

Whether you're a serious ghost hunter or an amateur, you're likely to run into a situation where you're in a dimly lit or evening setting. You can always use the flash, but at night it won't help much and inside it often creates pesky reflections and shadows. Using other settings may turn out red or simply blurred. There are many solutions to these problems and you don't need an expensive camera to solve them. I will be focusing mainly on digital cameras but many film cameras also have these options available.

Now I may lose many of you here, but I'll come right out with it from the start. Your camera manual is invaluable. You may learn enough right here without it, as most cameras have commonly used settings, but you will learn a lot by flipping through or going to the website of your manufacturer and downloading the pdf version. Experiment with the settings and use the EXIF tool discussed in the other thread to see which settings work the best in different lighting. You'll be amazed at the improved quality of your photos.

Basic Modes

There are a some common modes that are very helpful. I'm pulling these from the top of my head, so if your camera has a different setting please speak up so all can benefit! Landscape mode usually has a pic of a mountain scene, night landscape usually has the same picture but with a star. If you only have landscape, not to worry it usually works the same as night landscape. These modes allow more light into the sensor but require a steady hand or a tripod.

Tripods

Tripods, we love to hate them. But a must if we don't want blurred night shots. They're big, bulky, inconvenient, and nothing says, "Hey, look at me, I'm taking a picture!" like a tripod. On the flip side, if you're in a place where you aren't comfortable taking pictures, like a graveyard, people are less likely to give you dirty looks if you appear more official. But there is an alternative, the gorillapod. There's even a generic now. It's small, it's portable, it's cheap, it's flexible and you can attach it to any stable surface. Way more hip. Here's a pic.

Tricks

Tried all of the above and still getting a blur? Likely when you click to take the picture it's bouncing the camera and tripod. Try the timer function. By the time the photo goes off all should be nice and still. Another option available for some cameras is a remote release (aka cable release). This is a button you hold in your hand that triggers the camera to take the photo.

Advanced Settings

For those of you wanting a bit more from your shots, there are some more useful settings. Depending on the camera, these settings are accessed in different places. Before I begin, make sure your LCD brightness is set to normal. You will want to review your photos as you take them and adjust accordingly and a brightened LCD will not give you accurate results.

Film speed / ISO rating - A quicker film speed is never recommended or helpful for night photos. The best setting seems to be between 50-100. Get up much higher and you'll start getting more and more noise.

Shutter speed, aperture - Shutter speed is how long the shutter stays open and allows light to reach the film/sensor. Aperture (lens opening) is the amount of light that is allowed to reach the film/sensor. To remember, I always just imagined the aperture as sunglasses. The higher the number, the darker the glasses.

These settings are totally dependant on the kind of photo effect you're trying to get. Obviously you'll have to work at it to get that perfect night shot, 1/100th of a second shutter isn't long enough to let enough light in on a dark night. But 3 seconds with an aperature of 2.8 just might be. Moonlight, streetlights, and all of the different lighting around you makes all the difference in the world, so the best way to learn these settings is through trial and error. Each new location will require different settings depending on the effect you're looking for. A nice cheat if you're just learning and fiddling in the backyard is to set up landscape mode and check the EXIF, find the settings and adjust accordingly to the brightness that YOU want to get.

Many cameras have "AV" mode, Aperture Priority. This allows you to manually set the aperture while the camera sets everything else depending on the brightness. TV mode is another common setting and acts like AV mode but with shutter speed. Or you could go to full manual control.

There are many other important settings but these were the most important for me when learning night photography. Please chime in if I've missed anything! I'd really like to make another on night photo adjustments but am having a difficult time finding a simple and free program that allows for level adjustments through the histogram that everyone can use. If anyone knows of one I'd love to hear about it!

Here are a few of my night shots: click, click, click, click

Stunning night shots! Now to learn how to use my Nikon D40X I feel ashamed, I got it in june and still don't fully understand how to get the most out of it.

Episteme on Nov 10 2007, 01:49 AM, said:

Whether you're a serious ghost hunter or an amateur, you're likely to run into a situation where you're in a dimly lit or evening setting. You can always use the flash, but at night it won't help much and inside it often creates pesky reflections and shadows. Using other settings may turn out red or simply blurred. There are many solutions to these problems and you don't need an expensive camera to solve them. I will be focusing mainly on digital cameras but many film cameras also have these options available.

Now I may lose many of you here, but I'll come right out with it from the start. Your camera manual is invaluable. You may learn enough right here without it, as most cameras have commonly used settings, but you will learn a lot by flipping through or going to the website of your manufacturer and downloading the pdf version. Experiment with the settings and use the EXIF tool discussed in the other thread to see which settings work the best in different lighting. You'll be amazed at the improved quality of your photos.

Basic Modes

There are a some common modes that are very helpful. I'm pulling these from the top of my head, so if your camera has a different setting please speak up so all can benefit! Landscape mode usually has a pic of a mountain scene, night landscape usually has the same picture but with a star. If you only have landscape, not to worry it usually works the same as night landscape. These modes allow more light into the sensor but require a steady hand or a tripod.

Tripods

Tripods, we love to hate them. But a must if we don't want blurred night shots. They're big, bulky, inconvenient, and nothing says, "Hey, look at me, I'm taking a picture!" like a tripod. On the flip side, if you're in a place where you aren't comfortable taking pictures, like a graveyard, people are less likely to give you dirty looks if you appear more official. But there is an alternative, the gorillapod. There's even a generic now. It's small, it's portable, it's cheap, it's flexible and you can attach it to any stable surface. Way more hip. Here's a pic.

Tricks

Tried all of the above and still getting a blur? Likely when you click to take the picture it's bouncing the camera and tripod. Try the timer function. By the time the photo goes off all should be nice and still. Another option available for some cameras is a remote release (aka cable release). This is a button you hold in your hand that triggers the camera to take the photo.

Advanced Settings

For those of you wanting a bit more from your shots, there are some more useful settings. Depending on the camera, these settings are accessed in different places. Before I begin, make sure your LCD brightness is set to normal. You will want to review your photos as you take them and adjust accordingly and a brightened LCD will not give you accurate results.

Film speed / ISO rating - A quicker film speed is never recommended or helpful for night photos. The best setting seems to be between 50-100. Get up much higher and you'll start getting more and more noise.

Shutter speed, aperture - Shutter speed is how long the shutter stays open and allows light to reach the film/sensor. Aperture (lens opening) is the amount of light that is allowed to reach the film/sensor. To remember, I always just imagined the aperture as sunglasses. The higher the number, the darker the glasses.

These settings are totally dependant on the kind of photo effect you're trying to get. Obviously you'll have to work at it to get that perfect night shot, 1/100th of a second shutter isn't long enough to let enough light in on a dark night. But 3 seconds with an aperature of 2.8 just might be. Moonlight, streetlights, and all of the different lighting around you makes all the difference in the world, so the best way to learn these settings is through trial and error. Each new location will require different settings depending on the effect you're looking for. A nice cheat if you're just learning and fiddling in the backyard is to set up landscape mode and check the EXIF, find the settings and adjust accordingly to the brightness that YOU want to get.

Many cameras have "AV" mode, Aperture Priority. This allows you to manually set the aperture while the camera sets everything else depending on the brightness. TV mode is another common setting and acts like AV mode but with shutter speed. Or you could go to full manual control.

There are many other important settings but these were the most important for me when learning night photography. Please chime in if I've missed anything! I'd really like to make another on night photo adjustments but am having a difficult time finding a simple and free program that allows for level adjustments through the histogram that everyone can use. If anyone knows of one I'd love to hear about it!

Here are a few of my night shots: click, click, click, click

Stunning night shots! Now to learn how to use my Nikon D40X I feel ashamed, I got it in june and still don't fully understand how to get the most out of it. I keep meaning to read the manual but never get a moment lol

[She-ra]

Excellent post/thread EPI and Beautiful shots! Were these shots taken in total "night" conditions or were they taken at dusk? Amazibly crisp and clear photos - LOVE THEM! Thanks Jody

[JustNormal]

She-ra on Nov 10 2007, 03:51 AM, said:

Excellent post/thread EPI and Beautiful shots! Were these shots taken in total "night" conditions or were they taken at dusk? Amazibly crisp and clear photos - LOVE THEM! Thanks Jody

Me too, they are gorgeous. Mine come out green LOL..JN

[Episteme]

Anvil on Nov 9 2007, 09:03 PM, said:

My camera has an option to suppress flash which can be quite useful.

Great for bracketing! Take a pic with a flash, one without, use which looks best.

Anvil on Nov 9 2007, 09:03 PM, said:

I also have one of those gorilla tripods I fully recommend them for taking pics on the go in odd/tricky locations - I had mine wrapped round a washing line to take moon shots recently! and using it with the self timer brought out some good pics.

Nice, they really can grab onto anything!

primordial on Nov 9 2007, 10:25 PM, said:

What is the best camera to buy? My eyes are set on a Nikon D80 for some time now at an camera store.Thinking of taking up photography. Saskatchewan is an stunning place to take great pictures, albeit we now have snow, it's still awesome. http://www.youtube.c...h?v=Q-iW0zL2LI0

I think it totally depends on your needs. The D80 is a great camera. I read up on it a bit. I'm partial to the canon EOS models, I had one for years and loved it. I ended up going with the EOS Digital Rebel XT 350D. It's an 8mp vs the D80's 10, I didn't feel I needed the extra 2mp as I'm only a hobbyist. (I've gotten paid to do work from time to time but I don't really think that counts. ) I think as long as you do plenty of research you'll be happy. Read up why people were disappointed with the camera, then there won't be any surprises. People returned my camera because you can't record video clips and you can't see what's in the viewfinder through the lcd to take a picture. Doesn't bother me a bit!

She-ra on Nov 9 2007, 10:51 PM, said:

Excellent post/thread EPI and Beautiful shots! Were these shots taken in total "night" conditions or were they taken at dusk? Amazibly crisp and clear photos - LOVE THEM! Thanks Jody

The reflection was around 11pm, the frog's foot was around midnight, the "love" was taken around 1:30am - yeah, our neighbors probably think we're nuts. The river with the pink sky was kind of borderline, it was October 28 at 7:04. So it was pretty dark at the time but not completely black, there was just a tad bit of light in the right side of the photo. The sky is absolutely amazing at night, I didn't add any color filters to the one with the pink sky, just corrected the levels to lighten it a tad.

[Pythia]

This is why I listen to everything that Episteme has to say about a picture.
Brilliant! I love the first click, reminds me of the bayou's I grew up with.

[Karina888]

Wow Mysteries are hurt to find!