Aviation Nightshoots

[xkekeith]

I am pulling together a presentation on Aviation Nightshoots for the local camera club, my standard set up is as follows:

• Canon mirrorless in manual mode
  IS off
  Set aperture to f/8 (sharpest for my lens)
  Set ISO to Auto
  Set exposure up to 25 seconds depending on the available light (balanced to give ISO I'm happy with)
  Will go for lower exposure / higher ISO if it's a Helicopter under power bouncing around .... or using re-enactors

What set ups do others use for nightshoots ?

[POL]

Not that I've taken many photos at nightshoots for a long time! I usually leave the ISO as low as possible and then shoot in BULB mode if I have the time to try and get a nicer exposure, or to create a few different exposures to apply HDR.

[Wallace]

Image stabilisation/s set to OFF
You can get away with wider apertures.
Use a cable release.
Goes without mentioning sturdy tripod.
If you are using a DSLR a blob of Blu-Tak over the eyepiece to stop stray light entering the camera, or use the internal eyepiece shutter if it has one.

Never be afraid to try something new and experiment, don't follow the crowd, look for your own compositions.

If you are attending an organised shoot be mindful of other photographers, there is an etiquette to follow.

White balance can be a nightmare from mixed light sources, it can pay to use masks in your editing software.