Night Photography: Low Light Tips and Techniques
Camera on a tripod with: F/22, 8 sec, ISO 200
Equipment Options
For low light photos, a tripod (or some kind of substitute) is very necessary. I almost always keep a tripod in the trunk of my car or carry a miniature tripod around on trips. A miniature tripod can be very handy because it is typically small enough to fit in a pants pocket so it can be taken anywhere. Some photographers carry around a bean bag or something like it so that can set their camera down and tilt it in any way they like. Some of my best pictures I have taken simply by setting my camera down on a newspaper stand and setting the self-timer.
Many photographers are convinced that they need a cable release to take long exposures but the self-timer release option on just about all cameras works just as well. All you have to do is set the camera up, configure the self-timer, press the shutter button, and wait the specified amount of time (usually 10 seconds) and the camera will take the photo automatically. And you don’t have to touch the camera so the photo won’t be blurred from hand shaking.
Night Photo Opportunities
Landscape Photos - My favorite kind of night photo usually includes a landscape with some kind of foreground element, some sort of framing element, and lots of lights throughout the scene. Adding some kind of foreground item to the frame helps to create a greater depth of field, this technique works for any kind of photo but I have found that it makes night landscape photos much better. Another tip you should keep in mind is that the main subject of a night photo should probably be the most well lit. Lots of light is good for a night exposure but there should still be some focus applied to the major objects in a scene.
Camera set on a newspaper stand with: F/11, 4 sec, ISO 200
Capturing Motion – A very popular kind of night photography includes a steady camera with some sort of fast moving object streaming through the frame. When cars are photographed at night with a long shutter speed, the headlights make a bright pathway of light and in most cases the car can’t even be seen. Another option would be to set up your camera next to a lighted area with lots of people moving like a night club or an illuminated street. Just about any kind of motion captured with the camera steady produces a very interesting photo.
Balancing Aperture and Shutter Speed
When taking photos at night you should keep aperture in mind as well as shutter speed. It is without question that you will need a long shutter speed, but the aperture that you choose will provide the depth of field. When I take night photos I usually have a very long shutter speed (5-15 seconds) and a very narrow aperture (high f-stop). This combination creates a huge depth of field and makes everything very crisp and in focus. Of course sometimes you will not desire a great depth of field and in those situations you should widen the aperture (small f-stop).
Calculating the Exposure
Figuring out what exact shutter speed and aperture you should use can be very challenging in Manual Mode. I would recommend that you just try many different combinations for each scene and eventually you will refine the settings that you prefer. Another technique I use is Bracketing, if you bracket all your photos so the camera takes multiple exposures at different settings, you are more likely to end up with a photo that has a satisfactory brightness.
Camera on a Gorillapod with: F/27, 10 sec, ISO 200
Conclusion
There is no exact science to night photography; I hope some of these tips will guide you in the right direction. But the best night photographers are usually the people who experiment a lot when they are taking low light exposures and eventually they figure out the best scenes and best exposure settings to match. Just remember that you need a very long shutter speed setting, and that you need to keep the camera very steady.
Comment
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Comment by Gerald Anthony Bell on November 11, 2009 at 1:21pm -
Before the days of digital cameras we used a carboard based exposure calculator called
"The New Jiffy exposure calculator"
It really works too, just down load the PDF file, print it out, then cut out the folding calculator (dont forget to cut out the viewing slot) and fit the slider.
Despite being designed back in the days of film, this gives reliable exposure for digital cameras too and covers every imaginable night time scene
You can get it here http://www.stacken.kth.se/~maxz/files/jiffy.pdf
Regards
Tony
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Comment by John Daly on January 17, 2009 at 6:50pm -
Richard,
Very good summary of night photography techniques. There is one more I use. Your camera is on a very stable tripod and you have a steady hand. This works best with city shots. First expose for 3 to 4 seconds, then gently zoom the lens out for 1 second or 2, then let the final exposure go for a couple more seconds. experiment with different times and apertures. With digital it is now easier as you can see your result immediately and adjust accordingly. You get some really nice streaks of light, especially if focused on one main thing.
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Comment by Robert Nemeti on September 25, 2008 at 7:20pm - Your tips are great, and I love to take night pictures too. But to be honest, I dont have any tripod, but I still figure it out somehow, I use to place my camera on a chair if there is any, or on a post box, on a concrete wall, etc. But im looking forward to buy a new camera and a tripod, too.
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Comment by John K.Davis,Jr. on August 26, 2008 at 6:53pm - Good tips Rich. I take pictures at night allot. And I have gotten some great results. I use a monopod. I have some shots I will post soon. I think I'm going to like this society.
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Comment by Keith Willette on July 27, 2008 at 7:46am - If I may add one thing to Richard went over. When using a shutter speed around 1/15th of a sec and a telephoto lens the flipping up of the mirror in a DSLR can cause shake which can turn out as a blur your image. A simple bean bag set on the lens with help with the vibration. :)
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Comment by Maeda on July 27, 2008 at 7:25am - Wow, thanks for the tip richard! this is very useful... =]
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Comment by Ingrid on July 8, 2008 at 12:26pm - These tips are very usefull I can't wait to try them next time I take nightshots. I love taking night pictures but I always blur them when using low light flash . If i use high flash the background wont come out so I'm goign to try your techniquees next time
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Comment by G. SULPICIO on June 27, 2008 at 7:36am - wow!! great tips.. now I'm learning.. thanks!
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Comment by Mike on March 18, 2008 at 7:27pm -
Thanks for sharing these great tips Richard. Other that the moon shots I have taken I have done little nigh photography. I have one I will post later that I took at the ELI Dock in Cameron, LA. It was takem around midnight and there was a little moister in the air giving the lights a star burst affect. These pictures you have posted are awesome and definately are inspiring
Thanks again,
Mike
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Comment by Frances on December 30, 2007 at 3:53am - .. thanks for the great tips.. haha.. >^_^<</body>
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