Buildings at Night

[dbrooks1983]

So I've been trying to get a good picture of this building for quite some time and each time I do, I end up with foreign marks in it (the greenish light just to the right of the tree in the middle of the picture). I took a TON of pictures of this from the exact same spot back to back adjusting various settings (shutter, aperture, ISO) and I still end up with those foreign marks. Any advice anybody could give me on how to get rid of it and take better pictures of buildings (and other illuminated scenes) at night would be greatly appreciated.



Canon Rebel T1i

f-stop: f/8
Shutter: 1/3 sec
ISO- 3200
Focal Length: 55mm

[RichardTaylor]

It may be flare.
Are you using a lens hood. If not try it.
Do you have a filter on the front of the lens, if so remove it.
Can you see the "flare" when looking through the viewfinder, if so you may be able to shade the front of the lens to stop unwanted light striking it.
Is the lens spotlessly clean?

[dbrooks1983]

I wasn't using a hood, the lens is clean, and there is a UV filter attached to the lens...I'll make a few changes and try again. Thanks for the suggestions.

[photocist]

Why would you use a UV filter when there is no sun? I dont think you need a UV filter even when there IS sun.

As a suggestion, if you have a tripod and are doing shots like this, keep your ISO really low to get the best quality photo. Try ISO 100 or 200.

[dbrooks1983]

I used a tripod and in other versions of this photo, had the ISO set at 100, 200, 400, 800, and 1600 all with faster and slower shutter speeds (slowed down to every setting from 1/3 to 2 sec) and still had the marks on it. I also adjusted the aperture at different levels. I chose to post this particular picture because it was the only one where the flag and trees were still so as not to distract attention from the mark I want to get rid of.

[Sterling]

Are those lights on either side of the door cylindical? If so, it could be a reflection of one of the lights picked up by the UV filter most likely. Get rid of that filter for these types of shots to minimize the chance of reflections and flares.

[OsmosisStudios]

Originally Posted by photocist

Why would you use a UV filter when there is no sun? I dont think you need a UV filter even when there IS sun.

Many people use UV filters the same way one would have used Skylight (1A) filters on film: for protection.

[dbrooks1983]

Originally Posted by OsmosisStudios

Many people use UV filters the same way one would have used Skylight (1A) filters on film: for protection.

I've been told the same thing, which is why I leave it on the camera...I was told it wouldn't affect the clarity of the pictures, but I can understand how the light could reflect off of it...we will see what happens when I take the filter off.

[Krusty79]

Originally Posted by dbrooks1983

I've been told the same thing, which is why I leave it on the camera...I was told it wouldn't affect the clarity of the pictures, but I can understand how the light could reflect off of it...we will see what happens when I take the filter off.

Any piece of glass you put in front of your lens that is not as good optically as the lens itself can degrade the quality of your shots. Many pros don't even use a UV/Skylight filter at all - they use a lens hood and lens cap instead. I only use a lens cap and I haven't had any problems shooting at the beach.