How to Get Good Pictures of Digital Signs

Achieving good pictures of digital signs can be tricky. You will have to work against the clock in difficult lighting conditions if you want to get the best results. As you will be using long exposures, you have to combat camera shake by using a tripod as a steady platform for your camera. Once you are set up, you can experiment with different white balances and angles to create a truly interesting picture of a digital sign.

• 1

  Invest in a tripod. When photographing digital signs, you will be using long exposures ranging from 1 to 5 seconds, which greatly increases the chance of blurring your picture as a result of camera shake from a hand hold. Use a tripod as a steady platform from which to take your pictures or rest your camera on a wall or flat surface for stability.

• 2

  Aim to take your photographs close to dusk and dawn, approximately 10 to 15 minutes before sunrise and after sunset. At this time, the ambient light from the sky should match the light from the digital signs. Shoot quickly or plan a return trip to the area because you will be working in a very narrow time frame before the ambient light changes.

• 3

  Experiment with the white balance setting on your digital camera. Adjust the setting to try out different effects. Use a daylight balance to capture a warm glow, a tungsten balance to bring out a blue sky or a fluorescent balance to create a magenta sky. Use the setting that works best for you and that you find most interesting.

• 4

  Set your digital cameras ISO setting to 100 to avoid overexposing the image and losing the impact of the digital sign.

• 5

  Frame your image carefully. Step back so you are not looking up at the signs because this can make your picture look unnatural. Instead, take your picture from farther away, using your medium zoom lens to focus on the sign. Try zooming in on particularly interesting signs so they fill the frame or capture them in context.