Photo Contest - Night Fever (6/22-6/28)

In summary, the photo contest has the theme of "Night Fever" and is open for submissions for one week from June 22nd to June 28th. Multiple photos can be submitted as long as they are unique and follow the theme. The contest is open to both amateur and professional photographers. Winners will be chosen by a panel of judges based on creativity, originality, and adherence to the theme.
  • #1
ZapperZ
Staff Emeritus
Science Advisor
Education Advisor
Insights Author
32,820
4,720
Night Fever

Photos for this week's contest must show a night scene. There must be a clear depiction that it is at night. A photo taken indoors with the lights on at night, is not sufficient.

Contest Rules:

1. Any digital photo or digitally-scanned photo relevant to the theme will be accepted within the contest period. In case there's a gray area, or you're not sure if the picture is suitable, check with me first.

2. Please resize your digital photo to no more than 800 x 600 or 600 x 800 pixels. You may also crop your picture if you wish. You are also allowed to adjust the brightness and contrast of your picture but these should not dramatically alter the look of the picture. But other than those, any form of picture editing or modification is not allowed. This is a photo contest, not a picture editing/special effect contest. You may add a watermark or your name/nickname to the photo for identification purposes.

3. Upload your photos to any of the photo servers such as imageshack or photobucket. Then post it the relevant contest thread and link your picture using the img command. PM me if you do not know how. Alternatively, you may simply upload your image file to PF, and then have the full image displayed in your post.

4. Only ONE picture per member per contest. Once a picture is posted, it cannot be changed other than a total withdrawl by that member from that week's photo contest. Exceptions will be made for modification to comply with the rules, such as resizing.

5. At the end of the contest period, I will open a poll and every PF member can vote for the picture they like best.

6. Note that in case we have a large number of entries, I will do the polling in more than one thread. If that's the case, you can vote in each of the polling threads. The photos will be assigned in the polling threads in the order they were submitted.

7. The photo of the subject must be something that you took directly, not via in intermediary medium, and not taken by someone else. Unless otherwise noted, a photo of another photo, painting, print, etc. does not qualify.

8. You can use a picture only once. Once it is used in a contest, it cannot be reused in another contest.

9. Please post only pictures meant for submission in this thread. Photos not meant for submission must not be posted in the contest thread. Posting of more than one photos by a member may result in an automatic disqualification from the week's contest.

Zz.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
Very nice photo with nice stars, @Wrichik Basu !
Wrichik Basu said:
We never had a good experience with night photos. Our cameras don't have good night photography feature. Fixing the camera on tripod doesn't help either. If we fix it on a tripod, set a timer and use the night photo setting, and then move away from the camera, we always find that there were some vibrations due to which the photo came blurred (shutter speed is low). No idea how we shot this one
Hmm, it seems your basic prodecure is right, though I don't know what the shutter speed is. If you've got a phone or camera with manual settings, here is what I would recommend for night photos with stars:
  1. Mount the phone/camera on a tripod which has sufficient weight/is sufficiently stable.
    Use these camera settings (ca):
  2. Focus: Set to infinity
  3. ISO: 50 - 1000 (low rather than high ISO is generally better, because the pixel noise will be less, but sometimes high ISO may be needed)
  4. Shutter speed: At least 4 seconds.
  5. Timer: 3 - 10 seconds so vibrations from the camera/tripod disappear. If possible use a remote control to take photos. Some phones/camera apps can also be triggered by voice commands, which is good.

    Another technique which can be used is photo stacking, that is, taking multiple photos of the same scene and then combine them into one photo with special software, like DeepSkyStacker or Registax.
 
  • Like
Likes Wrichik Basu
  • #3
Malmö Inner Lighthouse, built in 1878.
36057532871_875d57e668_z.jpg
 
  • Like
Likes JBA, davenn, jtbell and 1 other person
  • #4
After dark view of a Greek island harbor
nighttime.jpg
 
  • Like
Likes morrobay and davenn
  • #5
In a suburb of Austin, Texas:

night2.jpg
 
  • Like
Likes davenn
  • #6
DennisN said:
Very nice photo with nice stars, @Wrichik Basu !
Thanks for pointing out the stars. Didn't see them before. :doh:
DennisN said:
Hmm, it seems your basic prodecure is right, though I don't know what the shutter speed is. If you've got a phone or camera with manual settings, here is what I would recommend for night photos with stars:
  1. Mount the phone/camera on a tripod which has sufficient weight/is sufficiently stable.
    Use these camera settings (ca):
  2. Focus: Set to infinity
  3. ISO: 50 - 1000 (low rather than high ISO is generally better, because the pixel noise will be less, but sometimes high ISO may be needed)
  4. Shutter speed: At least 4 seconds.
  5. Timer: 3 - 10 seconds so vibrations from the camera/tripod disappear. If possible use a remote control to take photos. Some phones/camera apps can also be triggered by voice commands, which is good.

    Another technique which can be used is photo stacking, that is, taking multiple photos of the same scene and then combine them into one photo with special software, like DeepSkyStacker or Registax.
We have two cameras: Panasonic FZ70 and Panasonic FZ35, and generally use the former for tricky situations. The thing that is most disturbing for night shots is the vibrations. We fix the camera on the tripod, increase shutter speed to around what you have said, and set a timer of around 5s. Remote or voice activation is not available. But even then, the photos come blurred, as if the ground was shaking when the shutter was open. Maybe we have to add some weight to the tripod to increase its stability.
 
  • Like
Likes DennisN
  • #7
Wrichik Basu said:
the photos come blurred

Does the camera have picture stabilization? Switch it off for long exposures.

Long shot: I would try to switch the focus to manual as well.
 
  • Like
Likes Wrichik Basu
  • #8
Borek said:
Does the camera have picture stabilization? Switch it off for long exposures.
It remains on by default. Will switch it off from next time.
Borek said:
Long shot: I would try to switch the focus to manual as well.
I generally use MF for most cases. It helps to shift focus easily from front objects to the ones behind them. This is generally difficult with AF.
 
  • #9
Wrichik Basu said:
The thing that is most disturbing for night shots is the vibrations.
Yeah, I sometimes get messy night shots even when I use a tripod. So I often take multiple shots, or "bursts" of shots, with some delay in between, so I afterwards can select the photos with the best focus. I used a tripod for the lighthouse above, I wouldn't be able to shoot that with just my bare hands :smile:.

Wrichik Basu said:
We have two cameras: Panasonic FZ70 and Panasonic FZ35, and generally use the former for tricky situations.
Interesting, I've previously been considering buying a Panasonic FZ70 myself, due to the good reviews of the camera :smile:. But other things got in the way :oldbiggrin:.

Wrichik Basu said:
Panasonic FZ70
By the way, have you tried pointing that camera at the Moon, since the camera amazingly enough have 60x optical zoom? You can get great views of the Moon with it: video example here.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Likes Wrichik Basu
  • #10
DennisN said:
By the way, have you tried pointing that camera at the Moon, since the camera amazingly enough have 60x optical zoom?
Yes, I have some good pics. One such is uploaded here. (Couldn't post here directly as photos not meant for submission are not allowed.)

The one in your video is better as it even shows the surface of the moon.
 
  • Like
Likes DennisN
  • #11
In addition to the suggestions for improvements at picture-taking time, some work with image-editing software can compensate for flaws in exposure. I tweak most of my pictures with the “curves” tool in Photoshop.
 
  • #12
marzena_night_fever.jpg
 
  • Like
Likes BillTre, Wrichik Basu, fresh_42 and 1 other person
  • #13
Is that streak an airplane or a meteor?
 
  • #14
Iridium flare. Actually I considered posting almost identical picture, as my camera was just a few meters to the side :smile:
 
  • #15
19b3d87c-b185-4b7f-aa5f-92d290d4ed90-original.jpg
 
  • Like
Likes berkeman, kuruman, davenn and 5 others
  • #16
The fish that almost ate the Field Museum.
IMG_7121.JPG

Zz.
 
  • Like
Likes jtbell, morrobay, BillTre and 2 others
  • #17
245802


Thursday Night Fever
 
  • #18
32537647667_76499e47a5_c_d.jpg
 
  • Like
Likes jtbell, berkeman, Wrichik Basu and 1 other person
  • #19
2411eeu.jpg
+
 

Attachments

  • 343smlt.jpg
    343smlt.jpg
    23.7 KB · Views: 244
Last edited:
  • #20
Final day to post your photo for this contest.

Zz.
 
  • #21
  • #22
@ZapperZ I didn't know that I had already posted my photo before (I found the same photo in the link that epenguin posted above.) Now the decision is up to you: Either you let me put in another photo, or I withdraw myself from this week's contest to comply with the rules.
 
  • #23
Wrichik Basu said:
@ZapperZ I didn't know that I had already posted my photo before (I found the same photo in the link that epenguin posted above.) Now the decision is up to you: Either you let me put in another photo, or I withdraw myself from this week's contest to comply with the rules.

Go ahead and post another photo. I'll have one of the Moderators remove your first entry.

Zz.
 
  • #24
ZapperZ said:
Go ahead and post another photo. I'll have one of the Moderators remove your first entry.

Zz.
Thank you. Here goes the second one:

P1030896.JPG
 
  • Like
Likes Mary Conrads Sanburn and DennisN

FAQ: Photo Contest - Night Fever (6/22-6/28)

1. What is the theme of the photo contest?

The theme of the photo contest is "Night Fever". This means that the photos submitted should capture the energy and vibrancy of the night, whether it be through city lights, starry skies, or other nighttime activities.

2. Can I submit more than one photo?

Yes, you can submit up to three photos for this contest. However, please make sure that each photo is unique and follows the theme of "Night Fever".

3. Are there any restrictions on the type of camera or editing software used?

No, there are no restrictions on the type of camera or editing software used. Photos can be taken with any type of camera, including smartphones, and edited using any software. However, please avoid excessive editing or manipulation that may alter the integrity of the photo.

4. How will the winner be chosen?

The winner will be chosen by a panel of judges based on the creativity, technical skill, and adherence to the theme of "Night Fever". The decision of the judges will be final.

5. Can I submit a photo that has been previously entered in another contest?

No, we ask that all photos submitted to this contest be new and original. This includes not having been previously entered in another contest. Violation of this rule may result in disqualification from the contest.

Similar threads

Replies
31
Views
4K
Replies
19
Views
2K
Replies
9
Views
2K
Replies
22
Views
2K
Replies
12
Views
2K
Replies
10
Views
2K
Replies
13
Views
2K
Replies
12
Views
2K
Back
Top