home Consultations How to take photos at night: simple tips for night photography. How to take photographs at night: what you need to know to get good photos

How to take photos at night: simple tips for night photography. How to take photographs at night: what you need to know to get good photos

Night photography is one of the areas of landscape (and not only) photography, which attracts the attention of many amateur photographers. If during the day the camera “sees” the picture in approximately the same way as we do, then at night familiar landscapes appear in a completely different form compared to what we see with our own eyes.

The main secret of the difference between the perception of a real picture and its photograph is a long shutter speed of several seconds. We cannot look with a “long exposure” - when it is dark, we can only distinguish the silhouettes of objects. The camera can stand with the shutter open for 1, 2, 5, 10, 30 seconds or even more - during this time the picture slowly but surely “appears” in the picture - bright and colorful!

What equipment do you need to have to take such pictures?

Just two things - a camera and a tripod. It is advisable that the camera have a manual mode (M) or at least the ability to set a long shutter speed in shutter priority mode (TV). To shoot late in the evening, you need a shutter speed of up to 8 seconds, but in the dead of night, even 30 seconds may not be enough. With such a long shutter speed, it is simply impossible to hold the camera still in your hands, so you have to use a tripod.

The main requirement for a tripod is sufficient rigidity and weight at least 2 times the weight of the device (so that the camera does not “sway in the wind”).

Misconceptions about night photography

Often on Internet forums you hear opinions, incl. from reputable users that for night photography You definitely need a DSLR with an expensive fast lens. I personally am skeptical about these kinds of statements.

There are certainly benefits to having a fast lens, but you can still take great photos with a tripod without one. The only difference is that your shutter speed will not be 4, but, for example, 8 seconds.

A fast lens provides real advantages in two cases - when you need to shoot without a tripod, for example, on a street lit by lamps, and reducing the shutter speed from 1/15 to 1/60 of a second due to a wide open aperture looks like a very convincing argument.

The second case when a fast lens will be useful is when shooting a night landscape with floating clouds. If the shutter speed is longer than 2 seconds, the clouds will look blurry and not very beautiful. To prevent this, you often have to increase the ISO, which causes noise to increase. A fast lens will keep ISO within reasonable limits.

As for the camera itself, cameras with large matrices - APS-C, or even better - full frame, are best suited for night photography. They have a high operating ISO, which ensures the best image quality and at the same time gives some scope for creativity, thanks to the ability to choose different combinations of shutter speed and ISO sensitivity.

Compact cameras with “inch” matrices also cope with night photography quite well, especially if they have a fast lens. But simple amateur soap dishes, even if they have a special “night mode,” can only provide quality for posting photos on the Internet in low resolution.

The second very common misconception is excessive reliance on the image stabilization function. In reality, the stabilizer helps at shutter speeds of no more than 1/20 of a second when shooting handheld. At longer shutter speeds, the stabilizer is useless at best. When using a tripod, the stabilizer must be forcibly turned off, since when using it the picture will “walk”, which will cause blur during a long shutter speed.

How to set up your camera for night photography on a tripod?

We switch the device to (manual) if one is present. If there is no fully manual mode, go to (programmed exposure).
We set the ISO sensitivity to the minimum possible, usually ISO100. This will reduce the noise level.
If the device can shoot in , switch to RAW. This is necessary so that you can later correct colors without overall loss of image quality. If the device does not support RAW, set the white balance corresponding to the type of light sources - if they are street lights, then “halogen”, if the moon or just the sky, then “cloudy day” (options are possible, the best result is achieved experimentally).
Set up the self-timer on the camera. This is necessary in order not to touch the device when the shutter is released (by pressing the shutter button we move the device, which is unacceptable). Many DSLRs have a Mirror Lockup mode (preliminary raising of the mirror) for this case - the shutter is released only a few seconds after raising the mirror, so that vibration from the mechanism does not cause blurring of the picture.
Installing the camera on a tripod
We switch to manual focus mode - there is no hope for autofocus in the dark. If you use a point-and-shoot camera, clamp the aperture to 4, set the focusing distance to 2-2.5 meters (at the short end of the zoom). In this case, your depth of field will be from 1.5 meters to infinity. If you have a DSLR, you will have to aim at any light object that is distant at the required distance. After the autofocus is “hooked,” we switch to manual focusing and don’t touch the lens again.
We compose the frame properly and fix the tripod head.
If the device is in M mode, set the shutter speed and aperture. The shutter speed is usually from 1 to 8 seconds, depending on the lighting. We clamp the aperture to 4-5.6, while most lenses provide better picture clarity.
Press the shutter

If you did everything correctly, the self-timer will work first, then the device will stand for several seconds with the shutter open. At this moment, it is important to ensure that the apparatus remains stationary - do not stomp your feet nearby (vibration is transmitted through the soil); if the wind is blowing, stand as close to the windward side as possible to protect the apparatus from the wind.

Let's see what happened

After the shooting is completed, the device processes the photo for some time (reduces noise), and the screen says BUSY (“busy”). It may appear that the device is frozen. The longer the shutter speed, the longer the processing will take. Wait for it to finish.

After the device has shown the result on the LCD screen, check whether the exposure is set correctly using the histogram. The screen may not display the image correctly in terms of brightness and contrast.

It is important to realize that night photographs should be in a dark tone. Do not get carried away with too long shutter speeds - it will most likely be impossible to save overexposed night photographs in Photoshop. It is advisable to shoot the same scene at least three times - usually a little darker, a little lighter, so that you can choose the best option.

Happy night hunting!

Is it possible to take photographs in low light without a tripod?

Yes, you can. The photo above is proof of this. With a long shutter speed, the waves on the river would be blurred by movement and the water would appear matte, but in the photograph all the waves were worked out.

To take photographs like this, you need to increase the ISO sensitivity so that the shutter speed is no longer than 1/20 of a second if the lens is with a stabilizer and 1/60 of a second if without a stabilizer. In such cases, the positive qualities of cameras with large matrices and fast lenses manifest themselves. There are many subtleties and nuances when shooting in such conditions, which are described in detail in the book. Photography in difficult conditions.

Night photography: universal settings for any scene.

Do you only shoot during the day? It's great to take pictures on a sunny day, but hiding your camera as soon as dusk sets in means missing out on several hours of beautiful photography. In the future, night photography may become one of the most attractive genres for you.

In low light conditions, your DSLR camera can capture beautiful images. But he will need your help. If in such conditions you shoot as usual - “framed the frame and pressed the button” - then either you will get blurry pictures, or you will not convey the atmosphere of the night in the photographs.

Don't be afraid of the dark! We have answers to all your frequently asked questions about how to prepare your camera for night photography.

We'll show you how to set up your camera and what extra gear is worth bringing along. We'll spice it all up with a variety of tips to help you unlock your camera's nighttime potential.

Selecting the appropriate aperture value

Night photography: how to choose the appropriate aperture value.

When preparing for night photography, it is important to ensure that you can securely mount the camera. In low light intensity it is difficult to achieve fast shutter speeds.

In some situations, such as when photographing sporting events in a well-lit stadium, the camera can be handheld. But to shoot most night scenes, the camera must be mounted on a fixed support.

The ideal option is a heavy, stable tripod, on which the digital SLR camera will definitely remain motionless even during an exposure of several minutes. In addition to the suggested option, you can mount the camera on a relatively stable support - the roof of a car or the edge of a window - and set the shutter release to be delayed to avoid unwanted camera shake when pressing the shutter button.

So, the camera is stationary - your hands are untied. Freely choose the shutter speed, aperture value and sensitivity (ISO) that can achieve the appropriate exposure for the scene, not just the combination of settings that will not affect camera shake. To estimate what settings you will need when shooting a particular scene, take a look at the table below.

With the camera resting on a tripod (find the best way to set up a tripod), set the camera to ISO 100 (to reduce digital noise) and a large aperture (f/16). In this case, the shutter speed can be as long as desired, which is not a problem as long as the camera is securely mounted. Read about some common problems that arise when shooting at different shutter speeds and the best ways to solve them.

Here is a short but convenient cheat sheet containing combinations of approximate settings for shooting some popular night scenes:

*Plot*	*Excerpt*	*Aperture value*	*Sensitivity (ISO* )
Festive fireworks
Attractions
Road traffic
Football at the stadium	1/125 second
Flash of lightning	In Bulb mode
Performance on stage	1/60 second
Rock concert	1/125 second
Illuminated Cathedral	4 seconds
Full moon	1/250 second
Landscape bathed in moonlight
Firmament at dusk	1/30 second
Night sky

How long should the shutter speed be to blur motion beautifully?

Night photography: blurring the movement.

Cars and trucks can ruin the composition of your photo if you're shooting during the day. At night, their movement turns into an advantage.

The moving headlights and taillights are depicted in the photograph with red and white ribbons running throughout the image. This effect suddenly turns high-speed highways into film sets. To achieve it, you need to set a moderately long shutter speed.

In this case, shutter speed depends on how fast the cars are going and how much of the space “fits” in the frame. In any case, the general rule applies: the longer the shutter speed, the better.

Then the ribbons appear wider and more continuous in the photographs. For an average city street, a shutter speed of 20 seconds is suitable (but don't forget about a tripod!). If there is a traffic light on the road, its signals will help you understand at what point to start exposing the frame in order to cover the entire period of movement.

How do I set my shutter speed to be long enough?

The simplest way is to select the “Av” shooting mode. Then use the control wheel located behind the shutter button to set the aperture to the largest aperture your lens will allow (usually between f/22 and f/32).

Night photography: shooting with a long shutter speed - 1/8 second.

Night photography: long exposure photography - 15 seconds.

Night photography: long exposure photography - 30 seconds.

In this mode, the maximum available shutter speed for most DSLR cameras is 30 seconds. To be able to shoot at slower shutter speeds, switch the shooting mode to “M” (“Manual Mode”).

You can also use Bulb mode by holding the shutter open as long as you hold down the remote shutter button (see article on that). You may need a neutral density (ND) filter to reduce the amount of light hitting the light sensor.

What sensitivity should you set when taking night photos?

Night photography: the right sensitivity.

When adjusting sensitivity, make a rule: sensitivity is 100 ISO. Change it if you know for sure that it should be different.

Increasing sensitivity increases the ability of the photosensitive sensor to “absorb” light. Therefore, you will have to reduce the amount of light hitting the sensor. For each frame you can set your own ISO value.

But be careful: increasing sensitivity increases the amplitude of the electrical signal generated by the sensor when converting light energy into electrical energy. This increases digital noise and makes it visible in the photo (see how to reduce digital noise when shooting at high ISOs). If you want high-quality photos, set the sensitivity as low as possible (translator's note - on those cameras that allow values less than 100 ISO, to maintain the widest possible dynamic range, set the sensitivity to 100 ISO).

When shooting in low light intensity, you don't necessarily need to increase the sensitivity (for the camera to "see" in the dark). If you're using a tripod or flash, keep the sensitivity at ISO 100 in most cases.

When to increase sensitivity?

Increase sensitivity when you want to avoid directional blur. It's always better to have a little bit of digital noise in your photo than to have a blurry image due to camera shake during shooting. Therefore, only increase the sensitivity when you are unable to shoot on a tripod.

ISOin night photography - ISO 100.

Using Large ValuesISOin night photography - ISO100 + flash.

Using Large ValuesISOin night photography - ISO 1600.

A good alternative to increasing sensitivity is to use flash. Using flash, you can still shoot at ISO 100. But the light from the flash changes the chiaroscuro, which can ruin the atmosphere of the photo (look at the middle photo of the three above).

Long exposure

When the scene is dimly lit, set the sensitivity to ISO 100.

Correct valuesISOfor night photography - adjust ISO 100.

The photo above shows an indoor Polish market late at night. A tripod was used. This made it possible to lengthen the shutter speed enough for the required amount of light to hit the photosensitive sensor. This photo turned out to be moderately lit - normally exposed - without any changes in sensitivity.

What is digital noise?

All digital cameras make mistakes - the image taken by any digital camera contains digital noise. It is similar to the grain of a photograph taken on film. It is enough to brighten the photo to see the noise. Fortunately, digital camera manufacturers, from model to model, are successfully coping with the problem of digital noise appearing in images.

What is digital noise -ISO 100.

The error increases with increasing sensor sensitivity - digital noise appears more strongly in the photo. It is especially noticeable in dark areas of the image. In addition to the fact that homogeneous dark areas acquire a rough texture, they are covered with colored dots.

What is digital noise -ISO 1600.

Digital noise can be reduced by turning on the camera's digital noise reduction function. Or in a photo editor at the processing stage.

Controlling white balance

Night Photography: How to Avoid Horrible Shades.

How can I avoid terrible color casts?

In most cases, your DSLR camera will reproduce the colors correctly in your photos, regardless of lighting conditions. The camera's internal white balance system strives to reproduce colors as we humans see them with our eyes (for a deeper dive into this topic, check out our guide to solving common white balance problems.

In standard mode (automatic white balance - "AWB"), the system detects colors better in daylight than in low-light conditions. For example, pictures of illuminated buildings or pictures taken in your living room may contain a subtle but unpleasant orange-yellow tint.

This is a sure sign that the white balance is not set correctly. This tint can be easily adjusted in Photoshop, especially if you're shooting in RAW format.

Correct white balance setting for night photography: wrong color cast. The photo will turn orange.

Correct white balance for night photography: Manual white balance adjustment.

Correct white balance setting for night photography: manual adjustments even out color rendition.

However, it is quite easy to adjust the white balance while shooting. All you need to do is set the mode to manual (“PRE”). This approach is especially effective if you're going to take multiple shots of the same building under the same lighting conditions. The standard technique is to use as a reference a photograph with a gray or white object occupying a significant area of the photograph.

Is there an easier way to avoid color shift?

Even if you adjust the white balance manually, the colors in some areas of the photo may still not match reality as seen by the human eye. The reason is that the building can be illuminated by different types of light sources.

You can adjust the white balance based on one type of light source, but balancing the color rendering across all sources at the same time is a non-trivial task. There is a simple solution. Convert color photos taken in difficult lighting to black and white.

White balance in night photography: converting to black and white.

Shoot in color, and at the processing stage, use a photo editor to convert the image into a monochrome image. This approach will allow you to adjust the contrast and tonal range of the photo as flexibly as possible. It also works great for party portraits.

How to adjust white balance manually?

All digital SLR cameras allow you to precisely adjust the white balance using a pre-photographed reference image. The following technique shows how to adjust white balance on DSLR cameras. Camera settings from other manufacturers may vary slightly.

A sign that white balance requires “manual control” is when the entire image casts an extraneous tint, such as orange.
Take a photo of a white or gray object illuminated by the same light as the scene you are shooting. Select manual white balance (“Custom WB”) in the camera menu. Make sure the reference image is displayed on the screen and press “SET”.
Now change the white balance mode from Automatic (“AWB”) to “Manual” (“PRE” - indicated by a square with two triangles near the tops). Now subsequent images will display colors correctly. Remember, when you shoot a different scene under different lighting, you'll need to re-adjust the white balance.

An alternative way to manually adjust white balance

The traditional way is to photograph a sheet of white paper or a special gray card for a reference image. But you can do it differently: choose an image of the object being photographed as a reference image.

An alternative way to manually adjust white balance - white balance is automatically determined

The photo of the castle in Krakow has an orange tint. We used this photo as a reference when manually adjusting white balance.

An alternative way to manually adjust white balance is to set the white balance manually.

The use of this little-known method allowed us to obtain a more acceptable result.

Creative uses of flash for night photography

Night photography: universal settings for any scene

When to use flash?

Photos taken using flash can be frustrating. Flash light changes the lighting atmosphere, making the subject too light and the background too dark. For this reason, instead of using flash, sensitivity is increased.

However, increasing sensitivity is not enough to shorten the shutter speed or narrow the aperture to obtain a sharper image. The built-in flash is handy here.

Flash is necessary when taking portraits in low light intensity conditions. The subject can be frozen even after exposure for a few seconds.

The thing is that the need to use a flash in this case is less obvious. The flash fire is combined with a long shutter speed. This is a feature of the reception.

This technique is called “slow synchronization”. It is simply implemented on your DSLR camera with a built-in flash.

When to use bounce flash?

Bouncing the light produced by an external flash is another great technique for creating natural-looking photos in low-light conditions. It works especially well for portraits, illuminating the subject's face evenly and hiding the fact that flash is being used at all.

How to use bounce flash - direct light

The stream of light reflected from a nearby wall or low ceiling is wider and weaker than the original one and is limited by the size of the external flash head. But the thick shadows with clear edges disappear. They are a consequence of the light flux “released” directly onto the subject.

How to use bounce flash - reflected light

Unfortunately, you won't be able to use the built-in flash. You will also need to purchase a tilt-head flash that is compatible with your camera. It is installed in the “hot shoe” connector.

How to set up slow sync mode?

In slow sync mode, the camera sets the shutter speed to the desired length to properly expose the background and calculates the power of the flash pulse to sufficiently illuminate the subject in the foreground.

Flash disabled

Flash on

The flash fired in slow sync mode

The subject was not blurred thanks to the flash light, and the background was normally exposed (compare with the case when the flash fires in normal mode).

To enable , set the flash mode to “Slow Sync.” On Canon cameras, all you have to do is set the shooting mode dial to “Av” and raise the built-in flash. If you have a camera from another manufacturer, check the instructions.

When not using a tripod, set the aperture value, usually by rotating the control wheel under your thumb, so that the corresponding shutter speed is not too slow. Starting from a certain shutter speed, the background will appear blurry and the longer the shutter speed, the more “blurred” the background will be.

Night photography: universal settings for any scene.

Don't be afraid of the dark! We have answers to all your frequently asked questions about how to prepare your camera for night photography.

We'll show you how to set up your camera and what extra gear is worth bringing along. We'll spice it all up with a variety of tips to help you unlock your camera's nighttime potential.

Selecting the appropriate aperture value

Night photography: how to choose the appropriate aperture value.

When preparing for night photography, it is important to ensure that you can securely mount the camera. In low light intensity it is difficult to achieve fast shutter speeds.

In some situations, such as when photographing sporting events in a well-lit stadium, the camera can be handheld. But to shoot most night scenes, the camera must be mounted on a fixed support.

Here is a short but convenient cheat sheet containing combinations of approximate settings for shooting some popular night scenes:

*Plot*	*Excerpt*	*Aperture value*	*Sensitivity (ISO* )
Festive fireworks
Attractions
Road traffic
Football at the stadium	1/125 second
Flash of lightning	In Bulb mode
Performance on stage	1/60 second
Rock concert	1/125 second
Illuminated Cathedral	4 seconds
Full moon	1/250 second
Landscape bathed in moonlight
Firmament at dusk	1/30 second
Night sky

How long should the shutter speed be to blur motion beautifully?

Night photography: blurring the movement.

Cars and trucks can ruin the composition of your photo if you're shooting during the day. At night, their movement turns into an advantage.

In this case, shutter speed depends on how fast the cars are going and how much of the space “fits” in the frame. In any case, the general rule applies: the longer the shutter speed, the better.

How do I set my shutter speed to be long enough?

Night photography: shooting with a long shutter speed - 1/8 second.

Night photography: long exposure photography - 15 seconds.

Night photography: long exposure photography - 30 seconds.

In this mode, the maximum available shutter speed for most DSLR cameras is 30 seconds. To be able to shoot at slower shutter speeds, switch the shooting mode to “M” (“Manual Mode”).

What sensitivity should you set when taking night photos?

Night photography: the right sensitivity.

When adjusting sensitivity, make a rule: sensitivity is 100 ISO. Change it if you know for sure that it should be different.

When to increase sensitivity?

ISOin night photography - ISO 100.

Using Large ValuesISOin night photography - ISO100 + flash.

Using Large ValuesISOin night photography - ISO 1600.

Long exposure

When the scene is dimly lit, set the sensitivity to ISO 100.

Correct valuesISOfor night photography - adjust ISO 100.

What is digital noise?

What is digital noise -ISO 100.

What is digital noise -ISO 1600.

Digital noise can be reduced by turning on the camera's digital noise reduction function. Or in a photo editor at the processing stage.

Controlling white balance

Night Photography: How to Avoid Horrible Shades.

How can I avoid terrible color casts?

This is a sure sign that the white balance is not set correctly. This tint can be easily adjusted in Photoshop, especially if you're shooting in RAW format.

Correct white balance setting for night photography: wrong color cast. The photo will turn orange.

Correct white balance for night photography: Manual white balance adjustment.

Correct white balance setting for night photography: manual adjustments even out color rendition.

Is there an easier way to avoid color shift?

White balance in night photography: converting to black and white.

How to adjust white balance manually?

A sign that white balance requires “manual control” is when the entire image casts an extraneous tint, such as orange.
Take a photo of a white or gray object illuminated by the same light as the scene you are shooting. Select manual white balance (“Custom WB”) in the camera menu. Make sure the reference image is displayed on the screen and press “SET”.
Now change the white balance mode from Automatic (“AWB”) to “Manual” (“PRE” - indicated by a square with two triangles near the tops). Now subsequent images will display colors correctly. Remember, when you shoot a different scene under different lighting, you'll need to re-adjust the white balance.

An alternative way to manually adjust white balance

An alternative way to manually adjust white balance - white balance is automatically determined

The photo of the castle in Krakow has an orange tint. We used this photo as a reference when manually adjusting white balance.

An alternative way to manually adjust white balance is to set the white balance manually.

The use of this little-known method allowed us to obtain a more acceptable result.

Creative uses of flash for night photography

Night photography: universal settings for any scene

When to use flash?

However, increasing sensitivity is not enough to shorten the shutter speed or narrow the aperture to obtain a sharper image. The built-in flash is handy here.

Flash is necessary when taking portraits in low light intensity conditions. The subject can be frozen even after exposure for a few seconds.

The thing is that the need to use a flash in this case is less obvious. The flash fire is combined with a long shutter speed. This is a feature of the reception.

This technique is called “slow synchronization”. It is simply implemented on your DSLR camera with a built-in flash.

When to use bounce flash?

How to use bounce flash - direct light

How to use bounce flash - reflected light

Unfortunately, you won't be able to use the built-in flash. You will also need to purchase a tilt-head flash that is compatible with your camera. It is installed in the “hot shoe” connector.

How to set up slow sync mode?

Flash disabled

Flash on

The flash fired in slow sync mode

The subject was not blurred thanks to the flash light, and the background was normally exposed (compare with the case when the flash fires in normal mode).

39676 Improving knowledge 0

Night is an attractive and mysterious time of day. The night world becomes intriguing and alluring. Photos taken in the evening and at night look unusual: the light of the moon and electric lamps transforms the landscape. The photographer can only capture it artistically and technically competently. This is what makes night photography so interesting. However, there are many technical nuances that you need to know in order to take acceptable photos. So, first things first.

Night shooting conditions

What makes night special for a photographer? First of all, an insufficient amount of light does not allow the camera to focus normally and distinguish objects. There is an exit. You can use cameras that don't make too much noise when the ISO is raised. These are mostly full-frame DSLR cameras. Such a camera is an expensive pleasure that not everyone can afford. In principle, you can use any camera, but cheaper models will have poorer quality pictures.

For night photography, the lens is also important. The larger the lens aperture, the brighter the image will be, and accordingly, it will be easier for the camera to focus. It is worth noting that budget lenses at the maximum open aperture (about f/3.5) begin to blur the image at the edges of the frame. In expensive optics, such a flaw is observed less frequently and is not so pronounced.

If you are the owner of a compact with fixed optics, do not despair. Of course, you won’t be able to take pictures of the starry sky, but almost any modern camera is suitable for photographing a city at night or landscapes.

Since the camera receives little information about light at night, it is better to save photos in RAW format. This will allow you to extract much more detail from the images during processing.

Where can you take pictures at night?

What can you photograph at night? It depends on the imagination of the photographer and possible places where you can go. At night you can photograph the same things as during the day, only everything will look different. The city streets will consist of silhouettes of houses with rare detail in the light of lanterns. The park paths will become romantic and slightly scary.

Features of shooting at night

Night photography can be divided into two methods of photography: with a long shutter speed and a tripod, and with a short shutter speed, but using additional light sources.

In order to get as much detail as possible in the environment, you need to open the aperture. This will increase the luminous flux, and the light will hit the matrix with greater intensity. If the photographer's interest lies in conveying only lines and points of light, then the aperture should be closed. The shutter speed is selected experimentally.

If you only need to convey information about light sources, you shouldn’t raise the ISO. It's better to increase the shutter speed. In the event that you need to convey as much detail as possible in the picture, and the shutter speed is already at the limit or its further increase will lead to inevitable damage to the frame due to the movement of objects, then an increased ISO value will help. But do not forget that ISO values above 400 units lead to a serious deterioration in photo quality due to the appearance of noise. Here you have to choose what is more important. Sometimes you have to choose between taking a “noisy” photo or not taking a photo at all. Sometimes it's worth taking a photo. You can fight the noise later in Photoshop.

In the dark there is a problem with focusing. Clear pictures are obtained by focusing on contrasting and clear objects. This could be road markings or building windows. You should not focus on objects that have a uniform color and structure.

Preparing for shooting

Preparation is an important part of location shooting. In low light conditions it is difficult to take a sharp, blur-free shot. To avoid blurring (in the slang for “shaking”), among other things, you need to use a tripod. Let's talk about the tripod in more detail.

The tripod's tripod is responsible for stability, the head is responsible for the orientation and mounting of the camera. The entire tripod or tripod in particular can be metal or plastic. Plastic is light and cheap, but does not hold the camera well, is fragile, unstable in the wind, and even a slight vibration does not fade for a long time. The metal structure is more expensive and heavier, but stronger and more stable. Tripods with carbon tripods are also available: having a lightweight carbon frame and high strength metal parts, they combine the best characteristics of plastic and metal models.

Professional tripods have interchangeable heads - universal and specialized (for example, for shooting horizontal and vertical panoramas, macro photography). They also differ in the way and ease of adjusting the camera position. For example, a ball head, where the base is a sphere enclosed in a vice, is convenient for shooting in which the camera is constantly moving in several planes. It ensures smooth and precise movement of the camera and is fixed at all angles.

The three-axis head has separate adjustment levers for each of the three planes. And the main difference between a panoramic head and others is the ability to rotate the camera with the center of rotation at the nodal point of the lens. That is, the rotation occurs around the point at which the light streams converge before hitting the photosensitive element of the camera. If you need to shoot a panorama consisting of several rows, panoramic heads are used with the ability to tilt the camera up and down - up to the zenith (vertically up, +90° from the horizon) and nadir (vertically down, -90° from the horizon).

Remember that there are several positions in which a tripod is most stable. When installing, you need to spread the legs of the tripod widely in order to move the center of gravity lower and, if the shooting tasks allow it, do not raise its head high.

It should also be taken into account that when shooting at a long shutter speed, even pressing the shutter button can cause slight vibrations in the camera and ruin the shot. If possible, set the shutter delay mode to 2, 5, or 10 seconds, or use a remote control. If you'll be shooting in cold weather, fully charge the battery and take a spare. Remember that batteries discharge faster in cold weather.

One more tip. Do some research before you head out to photograph. This will save your time and allow you to get what you want faster. Find a good spot, evaluate the lighting at night, see how buildings are lit if you decide to shoot architecture, evaluate road traffic depending on time and place if you want to shoot “light trails” - traces of headlights from passing cars. In other words, find in advance a place where the city lights at night will look best. What is beautiful during the day will not always be good at night and vice versa.

And turn off Image Stabilization, whether it's in the lens or on the camera. The stabilizer is designed to help you when you shoot handheld. But it can have the exact opposite effect when you're shooting on a tripod with a long shutter speed. The stabilizer, depending on its internal logic and type, can, on the contrary, make completely unnecessary movements and ruin the frame. So turn it off and be calm.

Photography

Night photography refers not only to shooting at night, but also at sunset. The sunset lasts about an hour, so you need to plan your shooting location in advance and arrive at least half an hour before it starts. This time will be needed to select the angle and camera settings.

Setting an accurate white balance when shooting at night is quite difficult. When changing the composition, the number of light sources changes, the variety of which in a city can greatly change the color temperature. In our case, it is best to leave the white balance in automatic mode. Shooting in RAW format will allow you to get an original file that you can work with many times without changing the digital negative: correct the white balance, perform exposure compensation.

The final result depends on the exposure metering method you choose. Matrix metering determines exposure settings based on data collected from all areas of the frame. It is perfect for evenly lit shooting scenes. The center-weighted method measures the entire field of the frame, but the bulk of the measurement is concentrated in the center of the frame within a circle with a diameter of 8-10 mm, which is displayed in the viewfinder. This metering method is best used when a very bright light source enters the frame and you need to determine the exposure without its participation. The point method for determining exposure reads information from a point 1-2% of the frame area located in the center of the current focus area.

So, in uniform lighting, matrix exposure metering is used, and in difficult conditions, center-weighted or spot metering is used.

You should not raise the ISO value above 400. The higher the sensitivity, the more digital noise there will be in the image. The ISO 400 level on most SLR cameras gives acceptable quality for a monitor, and even more so for printing. Higher values usually lead to a sharp drop in picture quality.

Focusing is often a problem in low light conditions. For clear shots, try to focus on a contrasting or well-lit subject. For example, on road markings or on bright windows of a building. The main thing is not to focus on a homogeneous object, be it a gray wall, sky or asphalt.

Working with shutter speed is the most important aspect of night photography. Relatively short shutter speeds (1/30 - 2 seconds) emphasize the movement of objects, blurring them against a static, clear background. Shutter speeds longer than 2 seconds show movement differently: moving cars are not visible, headlights turn into streaks of light, fast-walking people are not shown in the photograph. If your main goal is to emphasize movement, it's best to shoot in shutter priority mode. If you're photographing a landscape, use aperture priority mode to be able to influence the depth of field.

Long exposure photography on a tripod

A long shutter speed will not allow you to get a sharp shot when shooting handheld, so using a tripod is a must. Depending on the lighting conditions, the camera settings will vary. It all also depends on what you need to get in the end.

What kind of pictures can you take with long exposures at night?

1. Perhaps the most common photographs are photographs of traces from car headlights.

2. Landscape photography is no less common. This can be not only nature, but also industrial landscapes.

3. When photographing in an open area, one flash cannot illuminate the entire frame, but it will do an excellent job of highlighting objects in the foreground. For example, if you set the flash to fire at the rear curtain of the lens and photograph a moving object, you will get a frame with a clear, sharp object, behind which the trail from its movement will be visible.

Very interesting pictures are obtained when painting with fire. In the next photo, the boy was drawing circles with a sparkler with the shutter open. Before closing the shutter, the flash went off, thereby freezing the image of the guy. Thus, both the light pattern and the model itself remained in the frame.

4. To get just a light pattern, you don't need to use a flash. This type of photography is called Freez (English: Freez - freezing, Light - light), this style is also known as Light graphic or Light painting - painting with light.

You need to create a light pattern outdoors in a place where there is no lighting or in a dark room. The shutter speed can be set to any length. It all depends on how long the drawing will take to draw with light. In complete darkness, the camera will not record anything other than lines from a moving light source. As you know, the aperture regulates the intensity with which light hits the matrix. This means that in freezelight the diaphragm will regulate the intensity of the glow of the drawn lines of light. With a closed aperture they will be thin, and with an open aperture they will be wide and bright.

5. At night, with a flashlight you can not only draw figures in space, but also work with it like a brush, illuminating (outlining) objects, making them more noticeable among others. This method is called painting with a light brush.

To highlight an object, you need to set the camera to a long shutter speed and, while the exposure lasts, use a flashlight to evenly illuminate the object.

When working in this style, you should be attentive to details, and good results will only be obtained after training. When working with a flashlight, you should not hold it statically. Better move it. This will give more uniform lighting. In addition to a regular flashlight, you can use a wide variety of lighting devices.

6. Simply incredible pictures are obtained when shooting the starry sky. Photographing stars is not so easy. This can be done in two ways. You can convey the stars as we see them, in the form of points, or you can capture the movement of stars in the sky (star tracks).

Shooting static stars

To capture static stars you need to calculate the shutter speed. There is a rule of 600/FR (equivalent to 35 mm cameras). As many have already guessed, you need to divide 600 by the equivalent focal length of the lens. The result of the calculation will be the shutter speed at which you need to photograph so that the stars in the picture are dots and not dashes.

In this case, the aperture should be opened to the maximum level at which high-quality images are obtained. Light sensitivity will have to be selected experimentally.

Shooting star tracks

Star tracks are more difficult to photograph. The exposure time for such shooting can last from 10 minutes to several hours. This depends on the focal length of the lens and the desired length of the tracks. For each camera and lens you need to select the settings yourself.

There are two ways to photograph star tracks. The first is shooting with one frame with a long shutter speed, and the second is shooting a series of pictures with a not too long shutter speed and then stitching these pictures together in special software. The second method undoubtedly wins. The first has many disadvantages: the appearance of noise due to overheating of the matrix during long exposures, the appearance of movement, fogging of the lens glass, overexposure due to too long an exposure. Any of these nuances can ruin a picture that was created over a long period of time (from 10 minutes to several hours).

Shooting at fast shutter speeds without a tripod

1. The easiest way to photograph an object or person at night is to use a flash or other lighting devices. This could be street lights, light from car headlights, spotlights, or specially prepared studio equipment. With this type of photography, only the illuminated object will be visible. Everything else will hide in the shadows.

2. At night, photographs of bright objects, such as street lamps, light from windows, flames, or reflections of city lights in ponds and puddles, look very good.

By completely closing the aperture you can get an interesting result. The rays from the flashlights will be visible in the photo.

3. Quite unusual pictures are obtained when photographing the moon. Most likely, many tried to photograph the night star and, after unsuccessful attempts, wondered how to photograph the moon.

In fact, everything is very simple. Many people mistakenly believe that in order to photograph the moon you need to increase the shutter speed and aperture ratio. It is not right. The moon is a very bright object in a dark sky, so the shutter speed should be fast and the aperture should be stopped down. Good photographs are taken with cameras whose optics have a long focal length. At its closest approach, the moon looks especially beautiful.

Conclusion

Night photography is a very exciting activity, but far from the easiest. Stunning pictures can be created by photographing at night, but you need to be prepared both technically and theoretically for such shooting.

Photo: Wilson Lee

Diversity

At night there is always a huge variety of things happening, accompanied by different lighting. From bright blonde lights to cool blue shades. Observe the difference in shades. You already know how important light in photography. Earlier photographers, even professionals, spent a lot of effort to overcome the difficulties associated with lighting and color. Setting up the device has always been difficult. But in today's digital world, new technologies are challenging new technologies.

Preparation

Take only a few essential items with you. You can use a tripod, but make sure that the load does not burden you and that you can easily move around. Don't waste your time thinking in vain about which lens use and how to arrange it correctly frame where to shine the flashlight. All this should happen unobtrusively. In addition, people have a wonderful organ of vision. Your eyes will begin to adapt to even the harshest low-light conditions. If you wait a little, you will be able to see a lot.

Object and composition

Whether it's day or night, choosing a subject to shoot is very important. The subject characterizes your photo. And what is included in the frame can contribute to a better presentation of your work and raise it to a higher level. Of course, difficulties arise here due to difficult night lighting conditions. But you need to be sure that whatever was photographed during the day can also be photographed at night. There are a huge number of lighting techniques you can use to make your subject even more interesting.

Focus and aperture

The most difficult task is to determine an object and the correct composition. On your menu cameras there must be a luxury feature - autofocus with great capabilities to catch an object in the right place, but it does not help in these lighting conditions. You'll need to learn how to manually focus, and also try checking the frame in the viewfinder before deciding on the final shot. This is a tricky experiment because when an object is difficult to see with the naked eye, it must be even more difficult to detect with a viewfinder. Try higher ISO, more portable exposure tests, ideal central placement and it should work.

Diaphragms

Not every time you can use it all the time diaphragm with the highest value. Of course, everyone knows that the largest aperture gives more light, longer shutter speed, and therefore less blur and more opportunities to get a great shot. It is important to note that when planning a time or long exposure plan, your aperture settings will be adjusted accordingly. Some decline aperture may also be useful in this case.

Dynamic range

Night filming features a wide variety of light sources from everywhere, as opposed to just natural light during the day. This makes the space look like a theater stage with different light sources and different lights. Dynamic range is the difference between the brightest white and the darkest black within your scene. Shooting in moonlight alone cannot be very dynamic, it is weak compared to sunlight, and therefore at long shutter speeds it produces subtle shadows, making the range narrowly dynamic.

Conclusion

At the very beginning, most likely, you will find it difficult. You need to learn to adapt to unusual lighting conditions. It is also quite difficult to determine the subject of your photo and its framing. People are not relaxed because they are in a hurry to get home or are busy with their own business, uneven light from different directions, varied color balance with highs and lows in the color palette. And yet you will begin to find the right solution. Little by little, challenges will turn into opportunities to make you a better photographer.

Tonight you can go outside and start mastering night photography techniques. Discover the unknown, improve yourself!