Joshua Tree At Night By Wayne Pinkston Via Flickr: Website Instagram Facebook Joshua Tree National Park,

Questions and Answers

About lighting: Which lights and Equipment to take with you

Question: 

From the picture you posted recently, you already went to Bisti Badlands area.  My friends and I are going to go there in May and we start to prepare lights for night photography. From the links you sent to me while ago, we can see what lights you used for your night shooting. However, we tried it recently when we went to Death Valley and we were not sure how many lights we need and how to setup the lights. Would you mind to share your experience with us? Do you use stands, how tall do you normally use? I bought total four CI-160 lights with two tall stands and two low stands. Since we have a weight limit when we do backpacking, I'd like to know whether I need to bring all the stands or four is not enough.

Answer:  

Abouts lights of night photos - Remember, you are exposing for starlight, and you do not need much light. You only need to match the intensity of starlight. I have used the Chromo CI 160, the Neewer CN 160, and the F&V Z96, among others. I have these and use them, BUT most of the time they too bright even on the lowest setting, especially if you are close to the area of interest. So, to make them dimmer, I cover them or drape them with a white handkerchief or white napkin, cloth or paper. Both work, I use white cloth. Many times I fold it in two or double it up to dampen down the light even more. I always use the warming filter. I have found that there is some blue light leak around the edges of the filter. This looks bad if you have the light in an arch for example. You can get a combination of blue and yellow light. To fix this I tape around the edges with black gaffers tape. $4 on Amazon.

www.amazon.com/Adorama-Gaffer-Tape-Yards-Black/dp/B00370WU2G?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00

I have found that smaller lights are very useful. I now carry two F&V Z 96 and two smaller lights that have 36 LEDs. They are smaller and lighter and very good. They are dimmable and come with a warming filter. $19.50 on Amazon:

www.amazon.com/Neewer-CN-LUX360-Dimmable-Camera-Camcorder/dp/B0098G9LHU?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00

I tape the edges on this also. If you want to convert any blue LED to a warmer temperature light color you can make your own warming filter. I use Roscoe theatrical gel. It comes in various colors and you can mix and match to get the color you want. It comes in sheets of 20 X 24 inches, and costs about $6-8 on Amazon or B&H. Just cut out a piece and cove your light with it. Here are some that I use:

www.amazon.com/Rosco-Roscolux-Effects-Lighting-Filter/dp/B000N7Y9ZW?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00

www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/163130-REG/Rosco_102302042124_E_Colour_204_Full_CT.html

www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/163132-REG/Rosco_102302052124_E_Colour_205_1_2_CT.html

For small areas I use use reflected light from a halogen xenon hand held spotlight. I reflect it off of sometime off to the side at 45-60 degrees. Halogen lights have a nice warm color. Reflecting the light diffuses the light, and if you can make the light come from the side, then you will create shadows and depth and a more 3D effect. If you shine the light on the foreground from the camera position the scene will look flat and less interesting. Get all of your lights off to the side somehow. This can be difficult in rough terrain, but at least try, This is the Li-ion halogen light I use. $24 on Amazon:

www.amazon.com/Performance-Tool-W2435-Li-Ion-Light/dp/B00EDE7X7W?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00

It is rechargeable. On continuous use it only lasts about 12 minutes, but I only use it for about 6-8 seconds a photo, so it lasts for many photos. It usually lasts the whole night. Occasionally it runs out. Use a snoot on the light. This prevents side scatter and makes the light more controllable. A snoot is a dark tube around the barrel and source of the light. Examples:

www.google.com/search?q=snoot&client=safari&rls=en&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj-8cOJk6DMAhWDWz4KHQzZDsQQ_AUIBygB&biw=1498&bih=1231

Just make your own. I have used empty cereal boxes, rolled up plastic dinner place mats, etc. It is better if the snoot is black or a neutral color. Some people like a more neutral light. 

If you want a neutral light you can use the Hi CR LED lights. It has a much more neutral light than a typical blue light LED. I use this one:

www.amazon.com/EagleTac-D25LC2-Clicky-Nichia-Flashlight/dp/B00IK9HID0?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00

It is about $62 on Amazon. It is rechargeable, lasts a long the, and is incredibly bright. Also use a snoot. Other examples:

www.amazon.com/Bundle-Nitecore-Flashlight-Searchlight-EASTSHINE/dp/B017KHTJ98?ie=UTF8&keywords=LED%20hi%20CR%20LED&qid=1461256808&ref_=sr_1_2&sr=8-2

www.amazon.com/Tactical-Flashlight-EdisonBright-Lithium-Batteries/dp/B00AIBFZME?ie=UTF8&keywords=LED%20hi%20CR%20LED&qid=1461256808&ref_=sr_1_8&sr=8-8

These are also called CREE LEDs. 

www.amazon.com/Mikafen-Flashlight-Torch-Adjustable-Zoomable/dp/B0183JMQ9C/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1461257049&sr=8-8&keywords=CREE+LED

www.amazon.com/Rechargeable-Brightest-Flashlight-External-Waterproof/dp/B0166NXRCM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1461257049&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=CREE+LED&psc=1

If I do not have to hike very far I use a 10 foot or 3 meter tripod stand for lighting. It is very light and it gets the lights well off the ground and creates less shadows from rocks and bushes on the ground. $57 USD on amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004Q7B0WA/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I also use very small and lightweight tripods for lights. I carry 2. I use small cheap tripods for the lights. Here are some I use:

Cheap, light 50 inch tripod from Amazon,  $16 on Amazon:

www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-50-Inch-Lightweight-Tripod-Bag/dp/B00XI87KV8?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s01

Here is a 42" tripod that works better in my opinion. It is a little more sturdy, and still pretty light and compact. $20 on Amazon:

www.amazon.com/Polaroid-Carrying-Digital-Cameras-Camcorders/dp/B004W4BAUO?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00

These are very light, and can blow over in the wind. I have never lost a light to breakage though, but maybe I have been lucky. They do blow over, but that is the result of them being lightweight.

These are 42 to 50 inches high. The higher the better. You need to get the lights off the ground or they will create many ground shadows. I try to find a big rock to place the tripod on if possible. I also try to avoid any large rocks that may cast shadows on the area of interest.

I usually carry 2 F&V Z96 lights, 2 of the smaller 36 LED lights, the high CR LED, my Halogen hand held spotlight, and a couple of headlights. I carry my camera tripod and head, with a leveling head. I carry 2 small tripods for the lights. I carry a remote shutter release device. Extra batteries for the headlights. I have never had the LED light panels run out down the batteries in one night. If I know I am going to photograph something big, then I take the larger 160 LED light panel. I carry a number of white handkerchiefs to cover the front of the lights if necessary. (Sometimes I double up or triple up the handkerchiefs).

I also carry a small canister of Mace or Pepper Spray, and a gas powered Boat Horn. These look like a spray can with a cone on top. It is a gas powered horn that is incredible loud, and I hope it will scare off any wildlife that might be dangerous. Examples on Amazon, $5-20 :

www.amazon.com/Falcon-Safety-Super-Sound-Horn/dp/B0000AXTVF/ref=sr_1_cc_2?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1461261495&sr=1-2-catcorr&keywords=boat+horn

www.amazon.com/Shoreline-Marine-Horn-Mini-Ounce/dp/B004UOVAO2/ref=sr_1_cc_9?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1461261495&sr=1-9-catcorr&keywords=boat+horn

I wear tall boots, 8" above the ankle, and watch for snakes.

I use either Canon or Nikon. I carry 3 lens. 1) Nikon 14-24 mm f/2.8 2) Rokinon (same as Samyang or Bower) 24 mm f/1.4 3) Fisheye lens Sigma 15 mm f/2.8 or Rokinon 12 mm f/2.8

That is what I carry. It's a lot but it is manageable.

Cheers,Wayne

2016

Thoughts about Contrast

My background is the profession of Radiology. The making of radiographs, Magnetic Resonance scans (MRI), CAT scans, Ultrasounds, etc. share a great deal with the technology of digital photographs. All are digital images, and the issues of getting quality images and good signal to noise is very similar. More signal is good, more noise is bad. More sharpness is good. Sharpness is primarily due to spacial resolution and contrast resolution.  There is one area where the emphasis is different. In MRI scanning and CT scanning we emphasize two things to make good images, spacial resolution and contrast resolution (in radiology we commonly say soft tissue resolution). Both combine to create the perception of sharpness. The spacial resolution is important in Radiology, as long as you have enough, but the size of the pixels is vastly different. For years in CT scanning and MRI scanning we used a matrix of 512 X 512 pixels, as that was all the machine were capable of. It finally advanced to 1024 X 1024 pixels and is slowly moving upwards. This gives a ONE Megapixel image!!! It is less spacial resolution than the earliest Digital Cameras!  

So how could you see or diagnose anything at such low resolutions? Well, it turns out that contrast resolution, or the ability to get contrast differences between normal and abnormal tissues was at least as important, if not more important than spacial resolution. For years most of the research went into getting better soft tissue differentation (contrast resolution) rather than spacial resolution. It was more important. 

In photography we talk a lot more about sharpness, and we usually mean spacial resolution. There is little talk about contrast resolution. Well, contrast resolution does matter. Some lens have significantly more contrast than others, but it is sometimes hard to even find this data. The perception is that they are sharper lens.

How does contrast matter in Nightscapes? Well, the sky at night has tremendous contrast between the dark sky and bright stars. Also, the contrast in the sky is typically increased even further in processing. This creates the Perception of great sharpness. So does the sky need sharpening in post processing? I would argue that the answer is no. Sharpening often makes the stars look “crispy” and harsh. In addition increasing the sharpness in Photoshop or other programs increases the noise in the image. This degrades the image. If anything, it is better to do some noise reduction and decrease the noise and perhaps soften the sky. 

The darker foregrounds are completely different.They usually have more noise and very low contrast (except for the illuminated areas). I typically select the foreground and do generous noise reduction here, and then use the Unsharp Mask in Photoshop to Increase Local Contrast. This is a bit different than regular sharpening. If you use a very high radius of 50-60, and a low amount of 10-20 (threshold of 0), you will increase local contrast and increase the Perception of sharpness, without increasing the perception of noise.

Cheers, Wayne

2015

Feeling Small in Big Hogan by Wayne Pinkston Via Flickr: Website, Instagram, Facebook This is a vertical panorama in Big Hogan Arch in Monument Valley, Utah. After taking the panorama I photographed myself with the same lens and settings and added it to the panorama in the same position. As you can see, Big Hogan Are is aptly named. It is huge. You feel like you are standing in a cathedral. The hole at the top is actually overhead in reality. The appearance here makes it look like it is in the front wall, but that is the result of trying to fit the inside of a sphere onto a rectangular image. You need a guide to enter Monument Valley at night. If you are interested in a night tour contact Majestic Monument Valley Tours and ask for Quanah. Thanks for all the kind support over the last year, it is much appreciated! A big thank you to the wonderful Flickr family!

Sipapu Bridge by Wayne Pinkston Via Flickr: Website Instagram Facebook Sipapu Bridge, Natural Bridges National Monument Sipapu Natural Bridge in Natural Bridges National Monument, Utah, USA. The natural bridge is huge. Those are full trees under the bridge. The arch of the bridge is massive. Hiking down to the bridge at night is like hiking down into a magical land. The arch of bridge is 225 feet or 68 m wide, and the height is 144 feet, 44m. You hike down about 600 feet, 183m into the canyon along a dark trail. Suddenly you realize you have arrived, and looking up see a massive stone arch towering above your head, dwarfing all that is around, and making you feel very, very small. Single exposure for the sky, stacked exposures in camera for the foreground, taken consecutively from the same spot. Hope you enjoy! For more images like this please take a look at Wayne Pinkston Photography . Thanks for all the kind support! Hope you enjoy! A big thank you to the wonderful Flickr family. It's a pleasure to post here. Cheers, Wayne

Among the Hoodoos by Wayne Pinkston Via Flickr: Website, Instagram, Facebook This was taken in the badlands in northern New Mexico. There are multiple areas you can visit outside of the better known Bisti Badlands. In this photo I was using Low Level Lighting to try and create a sense of depth to the field of hoodoos in the foreground. If you want a guide to the area consider contacting Kialo Winters at Navajo Tours USA. To all Night Photographers - There will be a large Nightscaper Conference in Moab May 1-3, 2019. There will be multiple speakers over 3 days and nightly excursions. You can find more information here: intothenightphoto.blogspot.com/ Thanks for all the kind support over the last year, it is much appreciated! A big thank you to the wonderful Flickr family!

Wandering in the Badlands by Wayne Pinkston Via Flickr: This is a panorama of one of the flatter areas in the Bisti Badlands in NW New Mexico. A few photos back I downloaded a view of a small wash or ravine surrounded by steep stony hills or ridges. www.flickr.com/photos/pinks2000/22455038082/in/dateposted... This badlands are a mixture of both broad flat areas (with many moderate to small hoodoos), mixed with long areas of water cut ravines and ridges. Both have their own unique beauty. It's certainly easier to walk around in the flat areas, and the flatter areas have most of the named hoodoos, but to get to these areas you usually have to negotiate the hills and ravines. It's a fun but lonely and desolate place at night. The first night I went there a German couple was trailer camping in the parking area and I parked near them. I was going out a little before sunset, and he said, "You're going out there? Now?" The chances that you will be alone out there at night are just about 100%. After all, who is crazy enough to go out there at night? This is a series of single vertical exposures combined in Lightroom. BTW, this was taken on May 18, not April. Thanks for taking the time to look. Hope you enjoy! Big thanks to the wonderful Flickr family out there. Please join me at: Website Facebook Instagram Blog

Mono Lake by Wayne Pinkston Via Flickr: Website, Instagram, Facebook Blend Sky: 16 images, 20 sec, f/2.8, ISO 6400, 14 mm Foreground: 5 minutes, f/2.8, ISO 1600, 14 mm Mono Lake, California. These are tufas arising out of Mono Lake. They are formed from mineral deposits from springs beneath the lake bed over centuries and are exposed when the water level falls. The water level varies greatly. The paths I recorded 2 years ago during the drought are mostly underwater now. The largest concentration of tufas is along the south shore. When including the Milky Way you are usually facing south, so this makes it more difficult to photograph the tufas, lake, and MW at the same time. There are a few small “peninsulas” that stick out into the lake making it possible (but tricky) to shoot across the water facing S and include both tufas and the MW. There is a stack for the sky and a long exposure for the foreground (5minutes), blended in PS. Cheers, Wayne Pinkston

Joshua Tree at Night by Wayne Pinkston Via Flickr: Joshua Tree National Park at night, with the Milky Way above. Canon 1Dx, Nikon 14-24mm lens, f 2.8, 20 sec, 14 mm, ISO 6400. This is an attempt to capture the feel of Joshua Tree National Park at night, with the scattered rock formations and the scattered but exotic looking trees. There are 2 very small dim lights hidden in the rocks, and another on a small tripod about 40 meters off to my right at about 45 degrees. My intent is to light the scene enough to see well without making it "in your face" bright. The lighting does make the colors more interesting than the same non-lighted scene. The yellow-orange color is light pollution probably from the town of 29 Palms. This is a single exposure. Hope you enjoy! All comments are welcomed. Please join me at: Website Facebook Blog Twitter

Trona Pinnacles by Wayne Pinkston Via Flickr: This is a panorama of the Trona Pinnacles in California, USA, another small step in my efforts to photograph landscapes at night (this time a larger area). For orientation the parking lot is on the left and the dirt road in the foreground goes around the right side of the formation and carries you deeper into the park. There is "static" light painting. There is a light far to the right, and several small lights among the pinnacles. There was a lot of light pollution aiding in the lighting. The bright area along the horizon to the left is Ridgecrest, Ca., and I believe the light pollution on the bottom right is Barstow, Ca. The image wraps around more than 180 degrees, approx. 210 degrees. There is some airglow near the horizon creating the greenish effect in the sky. Many night photographers remove or diminish the light pollution and airglow to make the scene look more natural or to make the sky look more like people expect it to look. I have decided to go along with what the camera detects rather than what you expect to see. As a result this produces a somewhat surreal effect, which to me has a more exotic feel. The rock spires are called Tufa Spires, and are up to 140 feet (43 meters) high. Over 30 movies and TV shows have been shot in this alien landscape, including Battlestar Galactica, Star Trek V, and Planet of the Apes. This is a series of 15 vertical images combined in Lightroom (the new version has a panorama merge function). The images were taken with a Canon 1D X camera and Nikon 14-24 mm lens at f 2.8, 14 mm, 30 sec exposures, and ISO 6400. Hope you enjoy! Thanks in advance for taking the time to look and comment. 

Set the Table for One... by Wayne Pinkston Via Flickr: A quiet night in the Bisti Badlands of New Mexico. There are many of these "Table Top" Hoodoos scattered around the area. These develop when the base , a softer rock, erodes faster than the top, making for a wide variety of shapes. These table tops are one of my favorites. When the flat tops are really long or wide, they have been given the name of "winged hoodoos", and some are quite long and wing-like. Here I was playing around with the lights. Canon 6D camera, Nikon 14-24 mm lens at 14 mm, f 2.8, 30 sec., and ISO 6400. Thanks for taking the time to look. Hope you enjoy! Please join me at: Website Facebook Instagram Blog