Ever gone on a trip especially one with photography in mind where the weather didn’t happen as you have expected? This is exactly what happen to me on one of my last trips. I was expecting low temperature and a couple showers, but didn’t expect that much fog! Basically the great scenery that I was expecting didn’t happen.

Well the point is, that in this condition there is no reason to be down and stop taking lots of photos. In fact, these kind of situations are perfect situations where we can explore our creativity. Remember that with proper compositions there are millions of ways to create special photos out of ordinary scenes.

In my case, it was obvious that the fog would eliminate possibilities to take landscape scenery shots as long as its there. Therefore what I do is focus on nearer objects and use the foggy environment itself to create the shots. I’ll have to admit though, that I’m quite fond of vignettes and darker tone photos. On the other hand, indoor objects when possible always offer great opportunities for your winner shot.

And one last important thing: don’t forget to enjoy the trip and have fun!

Here’s a couple of the photos that I have taken on the trip.

The photos from the Australian Kendo Championship 2010 are finally here. This gallery contains 400+ images, handpicked and edited for your viewing pleasure. Browse through and see almost all of the 2010 Australian Kendo Championship including the matches, award ceremony, trophies and off-the-floor activities.

1234...131415►

I”m now back on pursuing my photography interest after being really pre-occupied with many other things Anyway, on to the subject: handheld night photography. I’m sure many would think that this is absurd, one would need a tripod for night photography right? Well, yes and no. There are variety of factors that would affect our results in handholding the camera.

For me, the main reason I handheld the camera at the time was because upon entering the Luna Park, we noticed that there was a big sign saying “No Tripod”. Hence for the sake of appropriateness and understanding I put my tripod back into the bag. This turns out to be a good opportunity.

So how do we do this? How do we photograph in low light condition without a tripod and expect to get a clear view ?

1. Use a fast lens if there’s any. The lens that I was using was the f 2.8 Tamron.
2. Use higher ISO. If your camera permits, use the around ISO 1600 or higher. Be careful with this since you’ll have to compensate with noise
3. Know your exposure rules. Don’t forget the unofficial rule of thumb: your focal length is around  the minimum shutter speed. So if your lens focal length is 50mm, then your minimum shutter speed is 1/60s. This works most of the time.
4. Be steady, make sure you are holding your camera in a steady stance. Use both hands with elbows close or resting to the chest.
5. Pick the right spot, there are places where you can rest your camera (and your hands) on for steadier shot.

Above are the few points that helped me get the shots that night.

Handheld photography is also made easier if it not pitch black yet, and it adds a lot to the composition.

For example, the shot on the right was taken just after the sunset; the best thing about that time is that its dark enough for us to capture the artificial lights and its still light enough to capture the scene easily without using too higher ISO. So another lesson to add: pick your time carefully.

One last tip before the end of the article: always shoot in RAW format. In case you get underexposed slightly, there is still chance to save your shot. Sure RAW is much larger in file size than JPEG, but with large memory cards these days, it shouldn’t be a problem.

So…to conclude, handheld night photography is possible given the technique and location. Maybe not so recommended, but will be handy when tripods are not possible.