Author Topic: How light or dark a night scape of the city is acceptable? (Read 5296 times)

Lana · « **on:** January 25, 2016, 12:36 »

Hi there,

Would like one more piece of advice from you, please.

I haven't shot many night scenes before but I've got a few shots I thought could pass the review. All were rejected by SS for poor lighting.

I'm attaching a couple of them - are those too dark?

I went through SS database for different night scapes before I edited and submitted my images to get an idea and I think I've seen some much more underexposed than mine..

PS all submitted as editorial.

Many thanks!

surpasspro · « **Reply #1 on:** January 25, 2016, 13:11 »

Hard to tell with the size of the images that you posted. Unless you look at it at 100% its hard to tell what their issue was. I don't think they are too dark. In fact I would actually make them a little darker since they seem to be shot at blue hour. Maybe the street lights are a factor, can't tell with the current display size.

Zero Talent · « **Reply #2 on:** January 25, 2016, 13:37 »

They are not too dark.
Maybe just a little flat, see the attached histogram: blacks can be darker, and it is OK to burn the specular highlights.
But, why editorial? You can easily delete all signs, ads etc, and enlarge your image potential by making it acceptable for commercial usage.

etudiante_rapide · « **Reply #3 on:** January 25, 2016, 13:45 »

i will not pick and tell you the problem with your work... but more give you in general
the thing that ss likes about night images.
there is a moment in night when it is just enough to see everything in detail..
and yet , you look at the sky and you can tell there is night ...

this is about that moment when the sky is just about brightest before the black cloak comes on.,.
more or less just like the dawn... when you just about see the luminence or what they call it..
glow.

ss likes to see that. some ppl call it the blue moment, some others like myself .. don't know what to
call it LOL,.. just know that is the moment to be shooting.

BaldricksTrousers · « **Reply #4 on:** January 25, 2016, 14:32 »

There is a market for black skies and coloured city lights - they look good in back-lit displays.

Lana · « **Reply #5 on:** January 26, 2016, 07:47 »

Thank you, guys, appreciated!

@Zero Talent you're right I might remove the logos and try to submit them as commercial! I just thought those kinda skylines may represent trademark even without any logos visible

sgoodwin4813 · « **Reply #6 on:** January 26, 2016, 12:00 »

If the rejection was for lighting then resubmitting as commercial won't help. I think they are probably too light, or too flat as Zero Talent stated - bring down the blacks. Those kinds of images are best done HDR, and of course you can't submit those as editorial so commercial might give you a better chance.

Lana · « **Reply #7 on:** January 26, 2016, 12:02 »

Quote from: sgoodwin4813 on January 26, 2016, 12:00

If the rejection was for lighting then resubmitting as commercial won't help. I think they are probably too light, or too flat as Zero Talent stated - bring down the blacks. Those kinds of images are best done HDR, and of course you can't submit those as editorial so commercial might give you a better chance.

Sure, thank you, I'll play with the blacks and logos before resubmiting

Pauws99 · « **Reply #8 on:** January 26, 2016, 14:15 »

Quote from: lanabyko on January 26, 2016, 12:02

Quote from: sgoodwin4813 on January 26, 2016, 12:00
If the rejection was for lighting then resubmitting as commercial won't help. I think they are probably too light, or too flat as Zero Talent stated - bring down the blacks. Those kinds of images are best done HDR, and of course you can't submit those as editorial so commercial might give you a better chance.

Sure, thank you, I'll play with the blacks and logos before resubmiting

It might ....I have found them more forgiving on Editorial

StanRohrer · « **Reply #9 on:** January 27, 2016, 08:12 »

Quote from: etudiante_rapide on January 25, 2016, 13:45

i will not pick and tell you the problem with your work... but more give you in general
the thing that ss likes about night images.
there is a moment in night when it is just enough to see everything in detail..
and yet , you look at the sky and you can tell there is night ...

this is about that moment when the sky is just about brightest before the black cloak comes on.,.
more or less just like the dawn... when you just about see the luminence or what they call it..
glow.

ss likes to see that. some ppl call it the blue moment, some others like myself .. don't know what to
call it LOL,.. just know that is the moment to be shooting.

To find this point in time I use an astronomical table and find the time for Civil Twilight. Good shots of city lights can be had at approximately Civil Twilight when shooting north or south. A couple minutes earlier when shooting east (away from the sunset). A couple minutes later when shooting west (into the sunset). Having cloud cover may adjust a couple minutes earlier - or may not depending on how much city light is reflected.

Another method to determine this time is to note when 90% of the street lights have come just come on.

Of course conditions do vary so I shoot large bracketed sequences through this time period so I can pick out the best image light balance later.

kingjon · « **Reply #10 on:** January 27, 2016, 17:07 »

I use this site to find the "blue hour". This is my favorite time for night photography (just before sunrise or just after sunset). It works for cityscapes and also for any building or monument that is well lit.

http://www.bluehoursite.com

Regards,

John

Melissa22 · « **Reply #11 on:** March 31, 2016, 06:42 »

What hdr tool did you use??

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Author Topic: How light or dark a night scape of the city is acceptable? (Read 5296 times)

Lana

surpasspro

Zero Talent

etudiante_rapide

BaldricksTrousers

Lana

sgoodwin4813

Lana

Pauws99

StanRohrer

kingjon

Melissa22

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