Don't fear the dark...

[Mark Toia]

I have shot in the dark many many times with RED cameras, but just before any complex night shoot I always test lenses & cameras I want to use during the tec recci, just to see what lights I may need to suport me.
In this case.. not many.

Last night I decided that I was to push the cameras a bit harder than usual, just so I could see what could be retrieved from RCX PRO using multiple different color / gamma settings.
My base was 320 and some 800 ( 800 was set in the camera only so I could register something on the split monitor ) it was alot darker than it looked.
If you could imaging this... all of these shots were a lot darker than what you see before you... and what we retrieved from RCX pushing the curves only are the shots you see below. Grain never worries me until it gets distracting, but i'm honestly amazed with what we go considering how dark it really was out there last night.

I use to grade from REDLOGFILM or REDLOG base settings for dark shots like this, but I was getting better results from just leaving the color setting on REDGAMMA 3.

So to all the people that email me worried about shooting in the dark of night.... don't worry, Shooting in the dark is wonderful...

[soren k jensen]

Thanks Mark!

[Sergio Perez]

Love it! You just inspired me to shoot some night stuff just for kicks ;) I'm in the middle of an important project, but will probably take some time this weekend to get it. Also love shooting at night with my Epic!

[luigivaltulini]

;) DragOONnnnnnnnn

[Gunleik Groven]

As long as there's a bit of contrast in there, darks are no issue...

[Brian Shephard]

Mark & Gunleik,

These shots, as always, are amazing.
I am now getting pretty comfortable shooting with my camera and am constantly expirementing in RCX, but that's still where I need the most help. Would you mind going into a little detail about grading these shots? I honestly don't do much with the curves other than the standard "s" curve. I'd love to hear a little more....

Thanks guys.

[Gunleik Groven]

Mark & Gunleik,

These shots, as always, are amazing.
I am now getting pretty comfortable shooting with my camera and am constantly expirementing in RCX, but that's still where I need the most help. Would you mind going into a little detail about grading these shots? I honestly don't do much with the curves other than the standard "s" curve. I'd love to hear a little more....

Thanks guys.

Our approaches differ, methinks, but that only means that both are maybe not wrong... :)

I never shoot with a lower ISO than 800, and WB is allways flat when I shoot. 800/5600/
As I know where that image can go. If there is any fidling wth metadata (except for the default curves) I don't really know what's in the image.

These were with just a luma curve adjustment (from redlogFilm). The color images have an additional adjustment of the RED curve.
All straight out of RCX. Maybe spent 20 secs on each.
Most of the stuff happens from framing and exposure... IMHO

I think that is another point of which Mark and I may agree...

[Gunleik Groven]

Sometimes I even shoot FOR the noise...
Anything is ok, as long as you go for it... (these are NOT noisefree... And nor are they meant to be...)





Dark is beautifull in so many ways...

[Brian Shephard]

Thanks Gunleik! Much appreciated.

[Gunleik Groven]

What Mark says about rating 320 for dark/tungsten has a lot of merit, though.... I just am so familiar with the flat image that I prefer to go from there.

Nothing is wrong as long as it gets you were you want, but I prefer to just use it like a filmtool.
The film is 800/daylight. The rest is exposure, (including filering) and framing...