In my latest escapade to fulfill our assignment of taking urban photos around Billings, I decided to head up on top of the rims, the cliffs that make a natural barrier on the north side of Billings. I’ve been up to the rims at night before and have seen how beautiful the view of Billings from above is at night, but I’ve never taken the time to take any pictures of it. tonight was a perfect night for it, partially cloudy and crisp after our snow and rain earlier in the day.
Here is the one picture I really liked the outcome of:
Date taken: 10/3/12
Camera: Nikon D40
Lens: AF-S nikkor 55-200mm 1.4-5.6G
Shutter speed: 30″
F-stop: F22
ISO: 400
Focal length: 200mm
Tripod: yes
I am not exactly sure what the light/fog/mist is that appears to be drifting off of the building is, but I feel like it creates an intriguing aspect to the picture.
This second picture was taken on Grand Ave. at about 10:15 p.m. It was interesting to see how much traffic there was at that time of night.
Date taken: 10/3/12
Camera: Nikon D40
Lens: AF-S Nikkor 55-200mm 1.4-5.6G
Shutter speed: 13″
F-stop: F18
ISO: 400
Focal length: 103-135mm range
Tripod: yes
One of the things I like about this picture is how there almost seems to be a reflection of the headlights, as though the surface of the road is wet, when it wasn’t. I had tried for another picture similar to this, where the first light was red and the others in the distance were green, but it didn’t come out as nicely as this one, with all green lights, did.
While I was up on the rims I decided to try my hand at a moon shot. the clouds were good, and it was a beautiful night, despite the chill.
Date taken: 10/3/12
Camera: Nikon D40
Lens:AF-S nikkor 55-200mm 1.6-5.6G
Shutter speed: 30″
F-stop: F22
ISO: 400
Focal length: 200mm
Tripod: yes
This particular picture I am okay with. It’s certainly nothing spectacular, but for a first attempt I am pleased with it. the thing I realized I did wrong, however, was that I had my camera set for shutter speed, instead of adjusting the aperture. By focusing on the shutter speed instead of the aperture, I allowed the picture to come out blurry because during the time the shutter was open, the clouds were also moving. Whe I should have done was set a larger aperture to allow for a faster shutter speed and still allow the light to come through in the photo. Perhaps I’ll venture out another night and try for a better moon photo.
What the World Sees 