How do you do it properly with a digital camera?
Here is a random picture from the web that illustrates the problems I face when trying to take photographs at night. The core of the highlights are almost completely white. The borders where the highlights clipped are sharp.
So how do you do it right? I would assume multiple exposures but the picture that the program made when I combined them looked horrible.
Advice please.
>>2782921
I'm not an expert, but just in case it helps, look up HDR photography.
Unless I'm wrong, it seems to be for just that kind of situation.
Combining underexposed, normal and overexposed shots together so that there is both detail in the dark areas and in the light areas simultaneously, impossible to the same extent with a single ordinary shot.
>>2782921
Tripod
Low iso
Shutter release cable
Awb
Color balance sliders in PS
Set your shutter speed around 5 seconds and work your way to 30 seconds depending on the light
Try to look for subjects that have other light sources such as street lights lighting them but trt to avoid having them in the frame
>>2782921
Avoid having sources of light pointed directly at the camera, like the other anon said. Also avoid having big sources of light too close to the frame, as your eye will keep pulling to them (they're distracting).
One other issue with the photo you posted is that the sky is (IMO) too dark. The whole cityscape is very dark, so in order to set an exposure that reveals details in the buildings you have to expose longer which blows highlights.
Digital cameras, especially those with Sony sensors (Sony, Nikon, Pentax cameras), are actually better at pulling details out of the shadows than they are with highlights (the opposite is true with most film stock). Thus I'd typically recommend actually underexposing the scene and then bring out shadow details in post. Again though, the scene posted is very dark, so it could be tricky and you may have to do some HDR to get it to look right.
Honestly though, I think most cityscape images look best when the sky hasn't completely darkened yet. Right after the sun goes down there will still be a fair amount of ambient light for another 30-45 minutes, which helps balance the exposure of darker/unlit areas of the scene with brighter areas, or areas of light.
