Assignment #43: Twilight Zone

NikolaiNikolai Registered Users Posts: 19,035 Major grins
edited July 16, 2007 in Assignments
No, we're not talking about the well-known TV series. We're talking about that special time of day or night that creates that vague limbo between the two. While it can be virtually nonexistent near the equator or last for days on the poles, most of us can expect it to last anywhere between the 30 minutes and an hour (really depending on the latitude).
The beauty of the twilight lies in its exceedingly soft, albeit a bit low, light. And while the human eye may not necessarily enjoy it without special preparations, out cameras can.
Here's one of such twilight shots, taken from the Bryce Point about 30 minutes prior to sunrise during the 2006 Smugmug shootout in Bryce Canyon.

125439078-L.jpg

EXIF shows that this shot has been taken at mere ISO100, f/4 and 8sec.
I can assure you (and you can ask everybody who was there at the moment) that from the human stand point it was very, very dark. Yet Marc (Muench that is:-) advised us to take a few shots - and we did. It wasn't even on full manual - camera automatic exposure system did fairly well.

And here's generally the same shot about 30 minutes later. This one, taken just a few minutes before the sunrise, I could already see myself as clearly as the did the camera:

125439896-L.jpg

You can easily notice the much deeper and somewhat colder colors of the twilight shot.

So, here's our next task: get up early or stay out late and take the shot (or two) at least 15 minutes before sunrise or after the sunset. Better yet - make it 30 minutes. And for the standing ovation make it 45 min, provided it makes sense at your latitude. The ideal scenario will be having all three, hopefully of the same general subject. In any case, if your camera shows more than 30 sec at ISO100 - it's eather way too early or way too late. In general, let's agree on 30 sec max and 3 sec min.

You can always find your exact local sunrise/sunset times here. Dress up for the weather, bring a reliable flash light (I like those some LED-based head-mounted ones), a sturdy tripod and a remote shutter. If you go for a morning shoot, make sure you scout the location beforehand, otherwise you'd be having a hard time finding your way in a predawn darkness carrying a few $K worth of very delicate equipment on you.
Once on location, setup your tripod and let the camera do the work (or you can play with trial-and-error method).

Please provide the basic exif info, and if you happen have a little story to tell about this shoot - bring it on, too!

As always: fresh shots only, moderate postprocessing. For the rest of the rules please check the usual sticky.

Let's get some twilight!
"May the f/stop be with you!"

Comments

  • Antonio CorreiaAntonio Correia Registered Users Posts: 6,241 Major grins
    edited July 6, 2007
    Nikolai.
    Good assignment ! thumb.gif
    You make the interested ones, to wake up early and go out ! :D
    It's easier in the evening ... :D
    I'm already thinking the days and the time to shoot ! thumb.gif

    Have a nice week-end !thumb.gif
    All the best ! ... António Correia - Facebook
  • dlscott56dlscott56 Registered Users Posts: 1,324 Major grins
    edited July 7, 2007
    My camera was set for ISO 100 for all shots.
    Sunset @ 8:35 pm - EXIF
    f/11 1/2s ISO 100
    170312428-L.jpg
    8:50 pm - EXIF
    f/11 3s ISO 100
    170311282-L.jpg
    9:05 pm - EXIF
    f/11 25s ISO 100
    170311618-L.jpg
    9:20 pm - My camera wouldn't set up automatically for an exposure @ ISO 100 so I used manual with f11 and tried it at 1 min 20 sec for this shot. - EXIF
    f/11 80s ISO 100
    170311819-L.jpg
  • z_28z_28 Registered Users Posts: 956 Major grins
    edited July 7, 2007
    Picture was faster than 3 sec , so I decided to erase, sorry :(
    D300, D70s, 10.5/2.8, 17-55/2.8, 24-85/2.8-4, 50/1.4, 70-200VR, 70-300VR, 60/2.8, SB800, SB80DX, SD8A, MB-D10 ...
    XTi, G9, 16-35/2.8L, 100-300USM, 70-200/4L, 19-35, 580EX II, CP-E3, 500/8 ...
    DSC-R1, HFL-F32X ... ; AG-DVX100B and stuff ... (I like this 10 years old signature :^)
  • NikolaiNikolai Registered Users Posts: 19,035 Major grins
    edited July 7, 2007
    dlscott56 wrote:
    My camera was set for ISO 100 for all shots.
    Dave, thank you great entries!
    Can you please update your post with the inline aperture and shutter speed info, so we don't have to click all the exifs? TIA!
    "May the f/stop be with you!"
  • Antonio CorreiaAntonio Correia Registered Users Posts: 6,241 Major grins
    edited July 7, 2007
    Today, the 7 th July I woke up at 4.30h in the morning and head on to the S. Filipe's Fortress after shower and breakfast.
    It was closed and was opening at 6. He would have opened the gate for me but there was some equipment outside because of a party and may be, he suspected me.
    A guy trying to enter the premises at 5 to take pictures ???

    I decided then to go elsewhere.

    I have been to the place you can see where I made some shots.
    The problem is that I didn't know where the Sun should come up and he did so, behind the trees. I wanted to get him as well...

    I don't think this is a good shot. And it's only half a second exposure headscratch.gif
    I hope to have the courage to get up that early during the week and take some pictures from a better place with more care which will result, I hope, in better pictures.

    170362555-M.jpg
    All the best ! ... António Correia - Facebook
  • Antonio CorreiaAntonio Correia Registered Users Posts: 6,241 Major grins
    edited July 7, 2007
  • Antonio CorreiaAntonio Correia Registered Users Posts: 6,241 Major grins
    edited July 7, 2007
    170526829-M.jpg
    All the best ! ... António Correia - Facebook
  • NikolaiNikolai Registered Users Posts: 19,035 Major grins
    edited July 7, 2007
    Explosion
    Interesting.. thumb.gif What is it? Were you flying?headscratch.gif
    BTW, you two previous entries do not meet 3-30 sec assignment rule, sorry ne_nau.gif
    "May the f/stop be with you!"
  • Antonio CorreiaAntonio Correia Registered Users Posts: 6,241 Major grins
    edited July 8, 2007
    Nikolai,
    As you know, to get the 3s 30s rule I would have stopped the lens a little more...
    I was not flying. No. I just zoomed carefully.
    How about this one now ? 15 seconds f/5.0 - 21h 54m local time on the 7th July 2007

    170527992-M.jpg
    All the best ! ... António Correia - Facebook
  • NikolaiNikolai Registered Users Posts: 19,035 Major grins
    edited July 8, 2007
    Nikolai,
    As you know, to get the 3s 30s rule I would have stopped the lens a little more...
    I was not flying. No. I just zoomed carefully.
    How about this one now ? 15 seconds f/5.0 - 21h 54m local time on the 7th July 2007

    Goes! thumb.gif
    Soo, that was optical zooming? VERY nice, I'm gonna try it! thumb.gif
    "May the f/stop be with you!"
  • Antonio CorreiaAntonio Correia Registered Users Posts: 6,241 Major grins
    edited July 8, 2007
    170706438-M.jpg
    All the best ! ... António Correia - Facebook
  • TravisTravis Registered Users Posts: 1,472 Major grins
    edited July 8, 2007
    Excellent photo Antonio!
  • DustyLeeDustyLee Registered Users Posts: 17 Big grins
    edited July 10, 2007
    First attempt
    Ok, I found these assignments a few days ago and I'm hooked. I went out tonight, and set up across the street from the National Cemetary here in Chattanooga.
    171760573-M.jpg
    Date Modified2007-07-10 21:26:19Date Taken2007-07-10 21:26:19CameraOLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. E-500Exposure Time15s (15/1)Aperturef/9.0ISO100Focal Length95mm (190mm in 35mm)Photo Dimensions3264 x 2448File NameP7101671.JPGFile Size1.70 MB
    Flash
    flash did not fire, auto mode
    Exposure Program
    manual
    Exposure Bias
    0 EV
    Exposure Mode
    manual
    Light Source
    unknown
    White Balance
    auto
    Digital Zoom Ratio
    100/100
    Contrast
    0
    Saturation
    0
    Sharpness
    1
    Color Space
    sRGB
    Carole, Olympus E500, 18-180
  • DustyLeeDustyLee Registered Users Posts: 17 Big grins
    edited July 10, 2007
    Twilight Lines
    While I was working on that one - I kept remembering another assignment I had read/viewed. "Lines".

    That led to a combo of the two - twilight lighting on 'lines'.

    171760489-M.jpg

    aso 100, f9, 25 sec.

    Can someone tell me jf there's an easy way to post the exif info from smugmug?

    Then tell me how to make these better. rolleyes1.gif

    I used manual focus - clearly (or perhaps fuzzily?) a mistake in the dim lighting with my lousy eyesight, so that would be thing to change #1. :D

    I'm pretty much starting from scratch here, so don't be afraid to take it to BASICS for me, ok?
    Carole, Olympus E500, 18-180
  • DustyLeeDustyLee Registered Users Posts: 17 Big grins
    edited July 10, 2007
    the story
    I forgot to add the story. To get the angle I wanted on the cemetary, without a huge foreground of cars and fence, I had the camera on the tripod, short legged it, and set it up on TOP of my car (Toyota Echo) and used the 2 sec timer to trigger it. That might have something to do with the fuzz too. ;-)


    I got a lot of strange looks from the cars driving by. Laughing.gif
    Carole, Olympus E500, 18-180
  • NikolaiNikolai Registered Users Posts: 19,035 Major grins
    edited July 11, 2007
    DustyLee wrote:
    I forgot to add the story. To get the angle I wanted on the cemetary, without a huge foreground of cars and fence, I had the camera on the tripod, short legged it, and set it up on TOP of my car (Toyota Echo) and used the 2 sec timer to trigger it. That might have something to do with the fuzz too. ;-)


    I got a lot of strange looks from the cars driving by. Laughing.gif

    Thank you for the entries, good shooting! thumb.gif
    "May the f/stop be with you!"
  • bavasshokiebavasshokie Registered Users Posts: 155 Major grins
    edited July 11, 2007
    These Pics are great I will post mine soon
  • schmooschmoo Registered Users Posts: 8,468 Major grins
    edited July 11, 2007
    I normally don't do the assignments because I miss them. However I was out tonight at dusk and decided to give it a shot (pun intended).

    Sunset 8:28 PM
    Taken: 8:56 PM

    172091696-L-1.jpg

    EXIF data

    Down by the waterfront, suffocating in the humid stillness before grabbing a few cold drinks in one of the pubs. :D

    I did do some PP to make it pop... what counts as "moderate?" ne_nau.gif
  • NikolaiNikolai Registered Users Posts: 19,035 Major grins
    edited July 11, 2007
    schmooo wrote:
    I normally don't do the assignments because I miss them. However I was out tonight at dusk and decided to give it a shot (pun intended).

    Sunset 8:28 PM
    Taken: 8:56 PM

    EXIF data

    Down by the waterfront, suffocating in the humid stillness before grabbing a few cold drinks in one of the pubs. :D

    I did do some PP to make it pop... what counts as "moderate?" ne_nau.gif

    Quite lovely 4s exposure! thumb.gif

    Your pp is ok, the only thing I would do is get rid of the keystoning on the building (or shot it in a way to avoid it in the first place).
    "May the f/stop be with you!"
  • schmooschmoo Registered Users Posts: 8,468 Major grins
    edited July 11, 2007
    Nikolai wrote:
    Quite lovely 4s exposure! thumb.gif

    Your pp is ok, the only thing I would do is get rid of the keystoning on the building (or shot it in a way to avoid it in the first place).

    Keystoning? I am not familiar (or don't think I am) with what you mean...?
  • NikolaiNikolai Registered Users Posts: 19,035 Major grins
    edited July 11, 2007
    schmooo wrote:
    Keystoning? I am not familiar (or don't think I am) with what you mean...?
    The building is skewed.
    "May the f/stop be with you!"
  • schmooschmoo Registered Users Posts: 8,468 Major grins
    edited July 12, 2007
  • hawkeye978hawkeye978 Registered Users Posts: 1,218 Major grins
    edited July 13, 2007
    Twilight Garden
    I didn't realize you could this bright a shot considering how dark it was. Local sunset was 8:21p.


    Garden Picture
    172478521-L.jpg


    newexif.mg?ImageID=169855811
  • NikolaiNikolai Registered Users Posts: 19,035 Major grins
    edited July 13, 2007
    hawkeye978 wrote:
    I didn't realize you could this bright a shot considering how dark it was. Local sunset was 8:21p.
    Told' ya:-) mwink.gif
    Nice shot, great colors!thumb.gif And colors is what the whole twilight thing is all about :-)! deal.gif
    "May the f/stop be with you!"
  • Phil_LPhil_L Registered Users Posts: 106 Major grins
    edited July 16, 2007
    Sunset at 21:55, first picture taken at 22:15.
    Nikon D70, 12-24 f4 zoom at 24mm fl, ss 5 sec, f20.

    173557492-L.jpg


    ACR, PP in PS, heavily cropped to remove uninteresting material and crazy frameing.
    Would have been better off with a tele-zoom.
    Not enough traffic to make it more interesting so I moved off.

    Second picture at about 23:00.
    F16, ss 4 sec. Fl 12mm

    173556648-L.jpg

    Still enough light to cause blown highlights in the sky so I made separate exposures of the sky and land and merged the files in PS.
    F16, ss 6 sec and 1.6 sec. Ooops. ne_nau.gif

    173557196-L.jpg
  • NikolaiNikolai Registered Users Posts: 19,035 Major grins
    edited July 16, 2007
    Phil,
    Phil_L wrote:
    Sunset at 21:55, first picture taken at 22:15.
    Nikon D70, 12-24 f4 zoom at 24mm fl, ss 5 sec, f20.

    ACR, PP in PS, heavily cropped to remove uninteresting material and crazy frameing.
    Would have been better off with a tele-zoom.
    Not enough traffic to make it more interesting so I moved off.

    Second picture at about 23:00.
    F16, ss 4 sec. Fl 12mm

    Still enough light to cause blown highlights in the sky so I made separate exposures of the sky and land and merged the files in PS.
    F16, ss 6 sec and 1.6 sec. Ooops. ne_nau.gif

    Nice entries, thanks! thumb.gif
    So bright at 23 pm? Man, looks like you live pretty far up North. deal.gif Scandinavia? Canada? Alaska? headscratch.gif
    "May the f/stop be with you!"
  • Phil_LPhil_L Registered Users Posts: 106 Major grins
    edited July 16, 2007
    Nikolai wrote:
    Nice entries, thanks! thumb.gif
    So bright at 23 pm? Man, looks like you live pretty far up North. deal.gif Scandinavia? Canada? Alaska? headscratch.gif

    Thanks Nikolai.:D Live in Sweden.
  • NikolaiNikolai Registered Users Posts: 19,035 Major grins
    edited July 16, 2007
    Phil_L wrote:
    Thanks Nikolai.:D Live in Sweden.
    That explains it, I guess :-) lol3.gif
    "May the f/stop be with you!"
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