Shutter Mike Photography

Moon Over Balboa

Balboa Park in San Diego is one of my all time favorite places for photography in general.  But the night photography opportunities in the park are some of the best of anyplace.  Throw in a full moon night and it is just extra icing on the cake.

I got a chance to use the sports action exposure mode on my camera while I was in San Diego a few weeks ago.  The pier at Mission Beach is a great spot to watch the surfers.  There was a competition going on so it seemed like a good opportunity to see what the sports action mode was capable of producing.

This particular shoot was very spur-of-the-moment, but had I planned it out or next time there are a few things I would keep in mind.

• Vantage point is key when photographing something that is moving quickly.  The view of the surfers from the pier was pretty good due to the “from above” position, but I got a lot of their backsides.  Moving around to find the best spot is important.
• It would be helpful to do a little research on the sport you are shooting before hand.  Knowing something about surfing would help in predicting when a good photo opportunity might be about to happen.

I was in San Diego last week and wanted to try some more night time photography.  Since one of my favorite subjects in architecture I thought the historic architecture at Balboa Park would be a good place to try out some long exposures and see what I could get.  Many of the buildings, especially those along the El Prado walk, are well lit at night.  Their Spanish style architecture makes for a great subject against the dark night sky.

Before I get to the photos, here are a few things I learned that are key to producing good night photography:

• It is very difficult to do without a good tripod.  The one I had at the time was broken and would not extend all the way up.  Crouching down to try to see through the view finder is both uncomfortable and makes getting a good shot harder.  (But my new Induro AB2 has since arrived. I am anxious to try it out and will let you know how it goes.)
• In addition to the tripod, a shutter remote is an invaluable tool to help avoid camera shake.  They can be found online for very little money.
• Take a flashlight, or some source of light.  I did not and it would have been very helpful for seeing the tripod’s level and camera settings.
• Experiment with different shutter speeds and apertures.  Take the camera off automatic. I am working with digital photography so the cost of film and developing are not an issue.  Take as many as you need to get the few good ones.
• Watch a tutorial video such as this before you go out shooting.  I didn’t, but it would have been helpful.

Casa del Prado Theater

Casa del Prado

Botanical Building

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