Best exposure setup for a Bangkok skyline time-lapse from sunset into night
Asked 9/16/2015
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2 answers
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I want to shoot a city-skyline time-lapse in Bangkok starting about an hour before sunset and continuing until the sky is fully dark. My interval device can ramp exposure either linearly or logarithmically by changing shutter speed over time. Because I may only get one chance, I’d like to choose the most reliable approach.
For a sunset-to-night skyline time-lapse, should I rely on a linear or logarithmic shutter ramp, or is it better to let the camera handle exposure automatically? Also, what starting camera settings would best balance the bright sky and darker buildings through the transition?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
10y ago
2 Answers
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As noted in the comments it gets dark pretty quickly in that part of the world.
Since you've only got one shot at it and you don't know how long sunset will last, I'd suggest you put the camera on a fixed ISO, Aperture priority and matrix metering and let it run.
Initially you will end up with uneven exposures but you also have the best chance of getting the exposure as close to correct as you can in each image and you will also get the actual exposure data from the exif data which you can use to make adjustments in post to compensate.
Originally by user14028. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user14028
10y ago
0
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For a one-chance sunset-to-night time-lapse, the safest option is usually not a preset linear or logarithmic shutter ramp. Light can fall very quickly around sunset, so a fixed mathematical ramp may miss the actual change.
A more reliable setup is:
- fixed ISO
- aperture priority
- matrix/evaluative metering
- let the camera adjust shutter speed as the scene darkens
This gives you the best chance of getting each frame close to correct exposure as conditions change. The exposure may not be perfectly even from frame to frame, but you’ll keep usable image data, and you can smooth brightness changes later in post-processing.
You’ll also have the actual exposure values recorded in EXIF, which can help if you need to correct or deflicker the sequence afterward.
To help hold detail in both sky and buildings, keep ISO fixed and choose an aperture appropriate for the skyline depth of field you want; then let shutter speed vary. This is generally more forgiving than trying to predict the whole sunset with either a linear or logarithmic ramp.
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