Bridge at night from a cruise ship: I’m sure this has been discussed before but I couldn’t find it. Thanks in advance for any help. We leaving next Sunday for a cruise from Port...

ssohl Loc: NJ

I’m sure this has been discussed before but I couldn’t find it. Thanks in advance for any help. We leaving next Sunday for a cruise from Port Liberty in NJ. Coming back in early morning probably before dawn. I hear there are great photo ops coming under the Verrazano Bridge. I have not been successful at night photography but I don’t want to miss this opportunity. Can anyone suggest settings that will work to get the bridge lights and maybe the Statue of Liberty without using a tripod. My lens does have vr so that will help. Shooting with Nikon 7200 with 18-200 lens or 50 mm 1.4.
Thank you

alx Loc: NJ

ssohl wrote:

I’m sure this has been discussed before but I coul... (show quote)

When you don't have a tripod, improvise. There should be no shortage of rigid objects to brace your camera against onboard. One thing to bear in mind that a ship is a giant mechanical device that transmits vibrations along its parts. To minimize those, you can grab anything that might help dampen them to put between your camera and a bulkhead for example. I'm sure you'll have towels in your stateroom.

. Brace yourself and the camera and shoot away. I've used lampposts on a street, palm trees on a beach, anything handy to grab night shots, sometimes with shutter speeds lasting minutes. Not every shot will be perfect, but that's part of the challenge of a great shot.

ssohl Loc: NJ

Thank you...I hadn’t thought of using towels to reduce vibration.

RichardTaylor Loc: Sydney, Australia

ssohl wrote:

I’m sure this has been discussed before but I coul... (show quote)

Without knowing the light levels I would try:
Use your 50mm f1.4 lens
Shoot aperture priority
Shoot with the lens wide open or at f2
Shoot with a very high ISO (6400 or 12800?)
Shoot raw (it will help when post processing)
Take what ever shutter speed you can get.
If you have more light than what you need consider reducing your ISO and?or shooting at a smaller aperture.
I would not brace the camera against any part of the ship as I feel the vibration would cause unwanted camera movement (the towell idea is worth trying).

alx Loc: NJ

ssohl wrote:

Thank you...I hadn’t thought of using towels to reduce vibration.

You're welcome. Any port in a storm, so to speak.

mcveed Loc: Kelowna, British Columbia (between trips)

Test your camera to see just how high an ISO you can stand. Use noise reducers to determine how high you can set your ISO without ending up with garbage. You might be surprised. But it is better to know before hand. You may have to shoot wide open at high ISO to get what you want. I would suggest using manual mode or your camera might just set a shutter speed so low that you'll end up with garbage anyway. Good luck!

BebuLamar

Just kidding but I heard there is such thing as bridge camera?

SteveR Loc: Michigan

Shoot and adjust.

ssohl Loc: NJ

BebuLamar wrote:

Just kidding but I heard there is such thing as bridge camera?

Hmmm...I have one of those! Ha ha. Good one.

alx Loc: NJ

RichardTaylor wrote:

Without knowing the light levels I would try: br U... (show quote)

I wouldn't write off the zoom, it will give you more flexibility in framing. If you can set your camera to auto ISO, that will also give you added capability to control your aperture and speeds and don't forget your +/- control. Depending on your scheduled arrival times in other ports on the cruise, that might give you chances to practice with low light arrivals and give you some ideas for the big bridge arrival. I'm just hoping you don't get one of those 4 degree F dawns we had last week.

davidrb Loc: Half way there on the 45th Parallel

ssohl wrote:

I’m sure this has been discussed before but I coul... (show quote)

I admire your tenacity. Extremely low light, motion, AND vibration are conditions that make for an excellent final exam from photo school. Vibration can be a killer on metal ships and the conditions will vary from ship to ship. Creativity may be required to combat it in your situation. Nikonauts can address the low-light settings you may require but be prepared to go to the moon with your ISO, see motion in low light? In your situation the 50mm may be your best bet as the aperture is going to help in the lighting situation. Good luck in your quest and please post the results.

Joe Blow

Besides a couple of towels, you could try using a blanket, life jacket, or even your husband's coat rolled up.

Keep your camera strap around your neck, especially if you go anywhere near a railing. Some people have a habit of bumping those with cameras.

Good luck.

mrpentaxk5ii

What ever you do dress warm, once you get out on open water it's going to be real cooooooooooooooooooold.

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

Ships of that sort are not exactly speed demons; l'm guessing that is especially true in crowded waters. One of the advantages of digital cameras is that you can take a picture, then immediately follow with another one, changing shutter speed, aperture, and/or ISO depending on what you saw in the previous one.

ssohl Loc: NJ

alx wrote:

I wouldn't write off the zoom, it will give you more flexibility in framing. If you can set your camera to auto ISO, that will also give you added capability to control your aperture and speeds and don't forget your +/- control. Depending on your scheduled arrival times in other ports on the cruise, that might give you chances to practice with low light arrivals and give you some ideas for the big bridge arrival. I'm just hoping you don't get one of those 4 degree F dawns we had last week.

Thank you. Good suggestions.