Getting Started With Night Photography
Night photography is one of the most challenging and rewarding types of photography out there. Capturing the urban nightlife is my favorite genre of photography to shoot and I feel as if I’ve made enough mistakes to point newer photographers in the right direction when trying to shoot at night. To help you get started I have made a list of some tips and tricks.
1. Choose the right camera. Night photography requires a camera that can capture images in low-light settings. Look into cameras that have a high ISO range and good noise reduction capabilities.
2. Get the right lens. A wide-angle lens with a fast aperture of f/2.8 or faster is ideal for night photography. This will help you capture more light and get sharper images. If you are like me and you are locked at a high F-Stop, you can lower your shutter speed to bring in more light ( as long as your subject isn’t moving too fast).
3. Use a tripod. To get the best results, use a tripod to keep your camera steady while you shoot. This will also help you to avoid camera shake, which can cause blurry or out of focus shots if you're shooting at a low shutter speed.
4. Use a remote shutter release. When shooting in low-light settings, you need to be very careful not to introduce any camera shake. A remote shutter release will help you minimize movement, enabling you to get sharper images. If you are doing a long exposer this is very important. If you don’t have a remote shutter try putting your camera on a timer.
5. Use a flashlight or handheld light. A handheld light can be a great way to add some interesting light and shadows to your night photos. Just be careful not to overdo it, or your photos will be too bright. If you have the budget I would invest in the Aperture MC lights. Although pricy, starting at $90 a light, these little handheld lights made a massive difference in my photography and are magnetic to set the mood for your shots.
6. Shoot in RAW. Shooting in RAW will give you more control over your images, allowing you to adjust the white balance, exposure, and other settings after the fact. Shooting in JPEG reduces your starting quality in your image. Its always better to start at RAW and lower the quality later.
7. Try different shutter speeds. Experimenting with different shutter speeds will help you capture different types of night shots. For example, slower shutter speeds can help you capture star trails, while faster shutter speeds can help you freeze motion. Beware that the higher you push your shutter speed, your shots may start to become really dark since you’re already shooting in slightly difficult lighting.
8. Take multiple shots. Taking multiple shots at different exposures will help you capture the best possible image. This will also give you more options to choose from when editing your photos. If your looking for a starting point, I use 1/80 shutter speed down to 1/40 with an ISO range of 800-1600 but depending on your camera and lens it will determine your settings.
9. Use post-processing. Post-processing is an important part of night photography. Using software such as Adobe Lightroom or Photoshop will help you achieve the best possible results. Sometimes all you need is little extra light in your shadows or to remove a small imperfection. Edit away, and if you don’t want to throw a photo away, there’s hundreds of ways to save photos you thought originally were ruined.
10. Know your cameras limits. As mentioned before, I shoot at 1/40 - 1/80 if I’m doing handheld night street photography with a ISO between 800-1600. After shooting hundreds of photos you start to see where your camera starts to struggle. Keeping this in mind, you may have to move closer to your subject or wait for a person to walk into better lighting. Instead of pushing your gear to the absolute max, try some of the other things mentioned earlier. The biggest thing I have learned that has helped me was moving around. You want to balance your F-Stop, Shutter, and ISO. Don’t let one section take the weight of the whole photo.
With these tips and tricks in mind, you should be ready to start capturing night photos. Enjoy the process because it takes a lot of bad photos to get those instagram worthy shots and don’t be afraid to experiment!
