Anyone here taken any night time city portraits?

An Exception · 2 Oct 2012 at 17:40

I have an engagement shoot coming up in a month or so, and I'm planning to do it at night around Oxford, as that is what I will likely be doing in January at their wedding.

Ideally I don't want to carry or use any lighting, as I was hoping to get away with using just the ambient lights in city for lighting at hand-holdable shutter speeds. Just worried if there will be enough light though.

Has anyone got a sample of city portraits using just the ambient light without a tripod etc?

Columbo · 2 Oct 2012 at 22:23

I dont about Oxford but I've spent quite a few evenings in and around Sheffield / Nottingham / Derby and there was definitely not enough light for hand 'holdable' shots for me.

Having said that though I've never shot full frame and have certainly never owned a body with the high ISO ability of your D700's.

I personally wouldn't fancy it without any extra lighting but I think with careful selection of where you shoot and how you shoot it should be very doable.

Is there no chance of getting in there for a night and just having a walk around and firing off some test shots?

ElDude · 2 Oct 2012 at 23:00

I can barely get usable shots in daylight

I doubt I'd ever get decent shots at night without a tripod or a flash set up. Looking around here and Chester, there isn't enough light in a lot of the places, but it's pretty open out of the immediate centre, so it's hard to say really. I suppose it depends on what part you're in as I'd imagine there would be more light around touristy places or valuable property.

An Exception · 2 Oct 2012 at 23:21

ManCuBuS said:
Is there no chance of getting in there for a night and just having a walk around and firing off some test shots?

I think that's what I will have to do. I don't really mind grain and noise, and am quite happy going to ISO6400 F1.4 and around 1/125.

I can normally hand-hold slower shutter speeds, but I'v learnt on shoot's like this, I'm usually running on a bit of adrenalin...

At The Gates · 4 Oct 2012 at 12:48

With that spec i can't imagine you'll have any issues. I manage night shots in London with a D40 limited to ISO800. The worst bit i find is the white balance is awful at times from the street lights, and its hard to get fill light on anything. There's some night portraits and indoor club shots with only ambient light in my flickr People set i think.

Derek W · 4 Oct 2012 at 13:14

i understand that you dont want to take a long any flashes / lighting stands etc for these shots but would you not at least require some reflectors seeing as your main source of light will be above the subject which would cast shadows across their faces.

GodAtum · 4 Oct 2012 at 13:52

This was done without a tripod by placing the cmaera on a wall:

DSC01688 by GodAtum, on Flickr

olv · 4 Oct 2012 at 14:49

Not so much a portrait is it though?

I would gel a flash to match the street lights. Not sure why you would wish to shoot without as it'll be horrible lighting.