Long night exposure and keeping detail

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Emmet Brickowski
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Dave
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How do I keep the detail in Big Bens clock face? Most times when I try a long exposure I loose the detail in the whites. I can't even save them in by using the highlight tool. What am I doing wrong, or what do I need?

Sony A6000 - Sigma 19mm - 30sec - f10 - iso 100

 
You're blowing out the highlights at the top end of the dynamic range of the scene as a you chase the shadow detail. Two options - either reduce the exposure to preserve highlight detail at the expense of shadows, or combine multiple exposures.
 
Your exposure is too long for the highlights, if you have a live Histogram when focusing adjust the EV (or even expsoure time) so that the highlights are not clipped, then recover from the shadows.

Its a little difficult and a bit of a leap of faith as your resultant image will look quite dark when pixel peeping, but in PP you should be able to recover from the shadows to get a decent image

Or take two shots and blend......
 
You're blowing out the highlights at the top end of the dynamic range of the scene as a you chase the shadow detail. Two options - either reduce the exposure to preserve highlight detail at the expense of shadows, or combine multiple exposures.

Thank you :)

Your exposure is too long for the highlights, if you have a live Histogram when focusing adjust the EV (or even expsoure time) so that the highlights are not clipped, then recover from the shadows.

Its a little difficult and a bit of a leap of faith as your resultant image will look quite dark when pixel peeping, but in PP you should be able to recover from the shadows to get a decent image

Or take two shots and blend......

Thanks :) I was trying to get the water silky smooth effect, but I guess not so long and using pp to brighten the image. I'll try the EV too.
 
If I use an ND filter and say went 10 seconds do you think that would save the detail in the clock face?
 
If I use an ND filter and say went 10 seconds do you think that would save the detail in the clock face?

Thats as long as a piece of string.... it really depends on what the lighting conditions are like, a 3 stop ND filter would multiply your exposure time by 8 so a 5 second exposure becomes 40 seconds, but this is only to smooth the water, you will still need to control the highlights as mentioned above.

Do you mean HDR? Sorry to add confusion.

It can be done many ways - blending would be normal, but you could use HDR, but again you want to ensure that the resultant highlights are not blown., but you want to control the highlights, best not to blow them out in the first place, my preference would be a single shot, get it right in camera, recover shadows in PP. My Example Recovery Images earlier where just a few slider tweaks in Lightroom.
 
Do you mean HDR? Sorry to add confusion.

There are many blending Programs that are not HDR such as TuFuse. But in many such circumstances it is just as easy to blend in photoshop by using layers and masking.
 
I done one photo where you can use detail extractor and then soften the image. It's ok but not great. I was after a more real feel. (as in David's photos)

 
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The other thing to watch is your aperture. Stopping down is a convenient cheat for lengthening the exposure when you don't have an ND but it comes with a penalty for this type of shot, all that lovely star flare from point sources such as the street lights is also happening to a extent on all the highlights in the shot- so not only are the highlights blown from overexposure there's a halo of flare around them further softening details.

Open up the lens if you want the HD-real look, for the first shot f/2 would have given you enough depth of field! (focused at 15m for hyperfocal from 6m+).
 
Hi Dave. I think it's all been said above and i'm no expert. I would say don't over complicate things your opening image is fine apart fromt the clock and some lights maybe personel taste, so just take another photo at the same time with less shutter speed so the clock is not blown then layer it in with your software. No need for any other filters for that, your doing a good job already.

Gaz
 
Hi Dave. I think it's all been said above and i'm no expert. I would say don't over complicate things your opening image is fine apart fromt the clock and some lights maybe personel taste, so just take another photo at the same time with less shutter speed so the clock is not blown then layer it in with your software. No need for any other filters for that, your doing a good job already.

Gaz

Thanks Gaz :)
 
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