What camera settings work best for photographing baby turtles at night?
Asked 2/12/2018
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I want to photograph baby turtles at night using a Canon 1300D and a Tamron 16-300mm lens. What exposure settings and shooting approach are best in very low light, while still keeping images sharp? Any practical tips for working on a beach at night are also helpful.
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
8y ago
2 Answers
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From a camera standpoint, the best thing you'll need to do is shoot on manual and making sure that you're using the best aperture that is possible for the lens. You should bring a Tripod with you too so that you're able to shoot at a rather low shutter speed, ideally no more than 1/30th of a second. Without a tripod, you'll never get a clear photo. Lastly make sure to crank up your ISO, a lot of people fear to do this due to making a photo more "grainy" or "noisy" however you're somewhat limited here, 1600, 3200 or 6400 if you're struggling - this will help you get some lighting too.
In regards to the tripod, I'm sure you'll be shooting on a beach if that's the case try to bring something like cup mats to put your tripod on. it's possible it'll sink very very slowly into the sand so it's a good way to avoid that and if you decided to try long exposure shots it's pretty much a must.
Originally by user70677. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user70677
8y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Use manual exposure, your lens’s widest available aperture, and a stable tripod. In very low light, raise ISO as needed—around 1600, 3200, or even 6400—to keep shutter speeds as short as possible. If the turtles are moving, even 1/30 sec may still blur them, so prioritize faster shutter speeds over perfect brightness.
If you shoot RAW, it can help to underexpose slightly and recover exposure later rather than use a shutter speed so slow that motion blur ruins the image. Bracketing exposures can also help you find the best balance between blur and noise, and you can bracket ISO similarly.
On sand, make sure the tripod is stable; placing something under the feet can help prevent it sinking.
Also consider the welfare and legal protection of sea turtles: avoid disturbing them, and check local rules before photographing. In many places they are protected, and lighting or close approach may be restricted.
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