Night Photography
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General
Modern cameras make night photography somewhat routine, but don't be fooled into thinking that just because it's shot at night it's a good shot. Images made at night need just as much thought on composition and content as any other and this can be quite challenging as the composition you see during daytime will change significantly at night, and vice versa. There are areas where night photography composition is quite straightforward, viewpoints for city skylines like this one overlooking Calgary Saddledome for example make for 'easy' compositions but they still require thought. |
f/16, ISO 200, 30 sec.
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Equipment you will need for night photography
- You will need a camera that allows full manual control which should be straightforward enough these days as even your phone camera is likely to have this facility.
- You will also need the skills and the knowledge to fully utilise those manual controls.
- A tripod (or something you can rest your camera on that works with the composition)
- A remote trigger or in camera timer.
You will be making long exposures in order to let sufficient light into the camera to capture the image you intended, so the tripod is vital to your success. You can use a wall to rest your camera on (if one is available) but how likely is it that a wall is going to be perfectly positioned to suit your composition?
The remote trigger is always useful and should be part of any serious photographers kit, not only will it allow you to make images without any delay (which you will have with an in camera timer) but it will allow you to make one image directly after the previous one with almost no gap in time between shots, this can really matter as this shot of Tower Bridge in the blue hour shows.
The remote trigger is always useful and should be part of any serious photographers kit, not only will it allow you to make images without any delay (which you will have with an in camera timer) but it will allow you to make one image directly after the previous one with almost no gap in time between shots, this can really matter as this shot of Tower Bridge in the blue hour shows.
f/16, ISO 200, 10 sec.
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I was providing 'one to one' tuition on night photography in London early in 2017 and as I was setting up and composing for some night shots of Tower Bridge I saw an ambulance heading into shot from the right of the frame. I hit the remote trigger almost instinctively and fired off a shot. The shutter was set for a 10 second exposure so with the ambulance halfway across the bridge the shutter closed. Because I was using a remote trigger and not the in camera timer, I was able to fire another shot immediately and capture another 10 second image that completed the crossing leaving me with a beautiful blue light streak across the bridge in the blue hour. I would have been sick if I had missed this due to not spending a few dollars on a remote, this remains one of my favourite shots from London. |
Camera Settings
When it comes to settings, what you want as an output should be the first thought. If you want those star like flares from static light sources you should begin around f/16, if not then f/11 makes a good starting point for a night shoot in the city (this is not the aperture for starry skies). As with all photography you should start with as low an ISO as you can get away with (100 - 200) again this is for city nights, then set your shutter speed to get the correct exposure.
You might find that relying on the in camera 'exposure level indicator' will produce shots that are a little overexposed, personally I find you often get better results by underexposing by 1 or sometimes even 2 stops so experiment a little with underexposing to achieve the look you are going for. Finally, shooting in RAW format will allow you to get the very best out of the final processed image rather than relying on the in camera processing.
When it comes to settings, what you want as an output should be the first thought. If you want those star like flares from static light sources you should begin around f/16, if not then f/11 makes a good starting point for a night shoot in the city (this is not the aperture for starry skies). As with all photography you should start with as low an ISO as you can get away with (100 - 200) again this is for city nights, then set your shutter speed to get the correct exposure.
You might find that relying on the in camera 'exposure level indicator' will produce shots that are a little overexposed, personally I find you often get better results by underexposing by 1 or sometimes even 2 stops so experiment a little with underexposing to achieve the look you are going for. Finally, shooting in RAW format will allow you to get the very best out of the final processed image rather than relying on the in camera processing.
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Don't forget the fun you can have with moving lights at night, your long exposures will allow any moving light to become a light streak across your image. This can be as simple as a handheld torch or passing traffic, or as elaborate as your own light stick manoeuvred through a forest or manipulated to bring light streaks where you want them (as in this image I made at Upper Kananaskis Lake). It's not the best image but it does show the technique. I'm still trying to find the perfect way to utilise a light stick to enhance an image, but that's the fun of photography, there's always a new shot to chase. |
f/3.5, ISO 100, 30 sec.
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Composition
It's important to remember that your composition might change due to the length of the exposure but you can use this to your advantage. This shot of the London Eye under misty skies meant a long exposure would flatten the fast moving water of the River Thames below Westminster Bridge balancing out the empty skies perfectly. The Reflection enhances the shot even more and leaves the splash of colours as the eye grabbing topic in a sea of blurred darkness.
It's important to remember that your composition might change due to the length of the exposure but you can use this to your advantage. This shot of the London Eye under misty skies meant a long exposure would flatten the fast moving water of the River Thames below Westminster Bridge balancing out the empty skies perfectly. The Reflection enhances the shot even more and leaves the splash of colours as the eye grabbing topic in a sea of blurred darkness.
f/11, ISO 100, 30 sec
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Whatever you choose to shoot at night, experiment. What does it look like with a longer or shorter exposure. Do you want f/16 for 'light stars' and how will that affect your image. Do you want light streaks from moving traffic or other moving lights, do you want to paint with light during the exposure. There are so many things you can try and with digital photography the expense of experiments is negligible. So, take your torch, take some coloured leds and get out there and shoot, night photography is a fantastic genre to explore and helps us understand light and improve our photography overall....what's not to like. |