I've been looking at all the great engagement pictures on here of couples downtown after dark with all the neat blurred lights in the background, but the couples are still in focus. I'd love to learn how to do this.

Last night, I took my fiance downtown and tried this. I took lots of pictures changing my shutterspeed from 1/4 to 1/30 with my aperature at 2.8. I had my camera on 2nd-curtain flash. Only a few of the images turned out okay - where his face was in focus.

Anyway, I was wondering how any of you who are experienced with this concept go about doing this successfully. I'd appreciate any and all advice!

Thanks!
Courtney
(I'd enclose one of my images from last night, but I've tried and tried and can't figure out how to put images up with your message)

Hey Courtney! Thanks for posting this up here!

I got the idea to go shoot an engagement pic at night from Mike Colon so I can't claim much originality for this shot other than my image has people in it and his had cars but I clipped out my camera settings so you could see exactly what I was doing.



The pole that the couple is leaning on is actually a lamp post so that's where the light is coming from and I probably fired off 10 frames in a row here to get a sharp one because they liked to squirm around while they were kissing so apparently at this 1/12 of a second they were still enough to give a good image.

Another thing to help create the background blur is to make sure that the things moving in the background are going perpendicular to the direction you're shooting.

I hope this helps and keep experimenting in different lighting conditions and you'll get it!

Oh yea... I was using in image stabilized lens too! Kinda important!

Another important thing if you want to include a flash for this type of shot (and probably a higher number of sharp shots) is to make sure that your flash is close enough to your subject that it is mainly hitting them, and not the surrounding area, and that the flash hitting them is strong enough to create an exposure (probably meaning more light than is being put off by the ambient)

K, hopefully that wasn't too confusing. Maybe Chris H. can get in here and say what I'm trying to say...

Or you can use a longer exposure. This one was 1 second, 2nd curtain sync, f/3.5, 18mm, ISO 400. I also turned the camera during the exposure. A complete copy of someone else's work. But I'm going to send it to the trio, here.

I didn't think Tim's explanation was too confusing, but basically what he's saying (which is exactly correct) that if you use flash for a shot like this, you want to use it to "freeze" the action, but allow the abient light to give enough motion in the background. Hopefully that makes sense.

Hopefully, between the two of our posts you can try to understand what we are trying to say!!!

If not, just remember....if using flash, be close enough to the subject to light them suffiently without lighting up the rest of the street, people, cars, etc. tc.

Ok, I'm really tired, I'm going to go to bed and maybe revise this post in the morning if I can say what I'm mean better than I can say it now....

Courtney,

Below is a shot from a night/raining engagement shoot I did. I also have included the settings on my camera. Although using rear curtain can be cool sometimes it's very easy to blur the image. I used just enough flash to light the couple which is what Chris was talking about doing.

Hope this helps.

Here's a shot done at an outdoor reception right at dusk. It wasn't totally dark yet, but hopefully it will help you out anyways.
Two flash units were used here (1 on-camera, 1 from left on a stand at the edge of the dance floor)
This uses the same idea that Tim and Chris were talking about. You want the flash to fire on the main subject only, so you freeze them in place while the background moving, or in this case I moved my camera slightly to get that blur across the people since they weren't moving.
[attachmentid=1009]

That's a great shot J.T. !

Here's one that I shot while walking with my subject (it was for an Indie album shoot).

Thanks MJC!

I like your shot. Especially how you caught the sign on the right. "Slow Caution"
Nice Job!!

Thanks.
I noticed you're making the move from video to photo. I was trying to do both and recently droped the video so I could focus/specialize more. Plus with all of the photo gigs I'm getting, there's no more time to do video editing....I'm sure you must feel the same way.

Exactly!! I've been doing video for 5 years now and picked up my still camera in March. I ended up doing photos for a friend's wedding in June and decided to totally jump into still photography. Video is so time consuming and most people are not willing to pay the true cost of video. I'm really enjoying the creative flexibility with photography as well as the quick turn around!! And looking into the future for my video business kinda scared me. In order to really compete in the future i would have to upgrade to HD cameras. The prices scared me!! I figured it was time for a change and I've LOVED it!!!
Having the video background will really help me when it comes to presentation of the photos though. I'll be able to edit a timed photo music video, like on DJ's site.

Hope you find the same enjoyment in photography as well!!

Everyone's advice helped so much! I had a great time with the couple at the engagement shoot, and got some great shots out of it! Now if only I could show them on here.... I've tried but can't figure out how to post any. Please help?!
Thanks,
Courtney