Some advice for a planned night shoot (please).

[Kell]

As some of you may be aware, I work along the South Bank and over the past year or so have been getting out with my (digital) camera to get some night shots.

Anyway, someone at work asked if I wouldn't mind leading a group of people from the office to do a similar thing.

To make a long story short, I thought maybe it's an opportunity to try and recreate some of the shots on film and see how that turns out.
I've not shot a lot of film at night, but when I have, I've ended up with the lights massively blowing out the highlights.

So instead of something like this:


Charing Cross PM by Kell, on Flickr

I'm getting shots more like this (this is on XP2):


Chain Bridge, Budapest by Kell, on Flickr

I will probably be using one of the manual Minoltas and some Portra 400- although I did recently pick up a 505Si Super which is currently loaded with Portra 400 (but that is as yet an untested camera, so maybe not the time to wheel it out). And obviously a tripod.

So, the question is what sort of things do I need to be doing to avoid those blown highlights.

Thanks

 

[Nod]

I'd look at any exposure compensation you used on the digital shots and apply that to the film. I'd also make sure the lab knows that it's a night shoot so big black areas are to be expected (fully automated printing MIGHT cause the whole print to be lifted.) I'd also bracket; underexposing in 1 stop increments (negative film [like the Portra you mention] latitude would probably make smaller steps unnecessary.)

Of course, you might be too busy shepherding the group round to get too many shots yourself!

 

[Barney]

I would be looking at the development procedure rather than technique or film, I think that the contrast range would be beyond that which technique and film is capable of, Metering on an area that is well lit ( such as the brightly lit wall under the bridge ) might bring down the highlights enough to prevent the halation effect.

 

[FishyFish]

I've not shot much at night with film, but my technique was to first photograph the scene with a digital camera to work out a goood exposure for the given ISO rating.

Dont forget to consider the reciprocity failure rate of the film you choose so you can accurately calculate the exposure.

Shooting during twilight might also allow you to avoid areas completely devoid of light.

Don't forget a cable release!

 

[Kell]

I've not shot much at night with film, but my technique was to first photograph the scene with a digital camera to work out a goood exposure for the given ISO rating.

Dont forget to consider the reciprocity failure rate of the film you choose so you can accurately calculate the exposure.

Shooting during twilight might also allow you to avoid areas completely devoid of light.

Don't forget a cable release!

Don't have any cables as it goes, though the timer on my X500 works.