How do I take a photo in the dark?

[eichh]

Heres the problem Im having. My bike just got painted and its a bright ass yellow but when you turn  off the lights it glows an aqua color like a watch. How do I get a photo in the dark ,I have a digital camera and it wont focus on the glowing color.Im including a link of the company that makes the product and the fellow that painted the red truck in one of the photos is the same guy who painted my bike my question is how did they get the photo to come out. Perhaps a special camera or lens or is there a special way to light it ,it appears to have some sort of lighting in the pictures. If I had to discribe the bike in the dark it would look like a ghost bike . Any suggestions?
heres the link just scroll down to see the truck.
http://www.mimousa.com/cii-lite.asp

[CDawg]

get a manual focus camera with a tripod and a light meter to set exposure time.

[OverCaffeinated]

Does the camera have an ISO setting?

[He Man]

Does the camera have an ISO setting?

high ISO ruins a picture. Great for "I need the pic no matter what" but not presentable.

Any camera with an expsure time is your best bet. However, you have to be aware of street lights (if you have any) they will drown out the picture if you overexpose it.

alternatively, if you just want to see the glowing color, get a flashlight, point it at the bike, let teh camera focus on that light, then shut of the light (while matining the half trigger on the shutter button) and then take a pic. My Canon point and shoots could not focus at night time at all. My samsung can focus in pitch black, then flash the area and take a great pic.

[stopintime]

Of course turn the flash off

Most cameras have automatic focus, but they require some light input to work. The focusing is what happens when you push the button half way in.
My suggestion, no FHE, is that you somehow light the bike and push the button half way in to focus - holding the button at the half way position, turn off the light and shoot (steady!). I haven't tried it, but it *should work*  



PS    HeMan beat me to it, same story.......

[Bun-bun]

What they said, but with one addition. You will need a tripod, or something to rest the camera on. The exposure time will be long enough that just breathing will shake the camera and ruin the photo if you're just holding it in your hand.

[mitt]

tripod and slow shutter.  Also, use the timer function on the camera, so you aren't touching it when it is exposed.  Any movement of the camera will make it IZ_.  


mitt

[Grampa]

tripod and slow shutter.  Also, use the timer function on the camera, so you aren't touching it when it is exposed.  Any movement of the camera will make it IZ_.  


mitt

or having IZ take the pic

[ducpainter]

or having IZ take the pic

I knew it was only a matter of time before the DMF photog was mentioned.   

[eichh]

I'll search the manual for those settings fhe, iso and also set up a tri pod use the timer and give it another shot tonight thanks.

[eichh]

I got the best photos I could and I posted them up in the general monster forum titled "my bike just got painted".I believe I needed a higher quality camera to pull it off properly I had very limited settings but your advise helped out. Thanks

[the_Journeyman]

I use a DSLR + tripod + remote for dark.  The larger image sensor combined with the remote & tripod makes it work.

JM

[Holden]

high ISO ruins a picture. Great for "I need the pic no matter what" but not presentable.

Sometimes grain/noise is very desirable!

...but you have to know what you're doing (and so does your camera).

[the_Journeyman]

Yup.  I typically won't turn my camera above ISO400, unless I need/want the grain.

JM

[He Man]

Sometimes grain/noise is very desirable!

...but you have to know what you're doing (and so does your camera).

haha, i wanted to type (in my original post) unless your the artsy type and looking to put bugs on a canvas and call it texture. lol