Friday, 20 January 2017

Tips on How to Take Photographs of Night Scenes


Cities and landscapes take on a whole new look and feel at night, giving some great opportunities for some stunning night scene photographs.


Composition

Looking at composition is very important when it comes to night photography and it can help to plan ahead.  Think about what you would like to capture in your night photographs , for example a lit-up cityscape, floodlit buildings, light trails of moving traffic, or maybe a landscape with the moon being a top feature?


Light and color in the sky

You can get some of your best night-scene photographs while there is still some light and color left in the sky, rather than waiting until the sky is completely dark.  A little light and color left in the sky will add more balance to artificially-lit scenes and will help your photographs to appear more interesting.

As an example, one of the most commonly photographed night-scene is when the sun is setting, which can add a dramatic effect to any low-light scene.


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RAW format

If you can, it is better to photograph night scenes using RAW format.  RAW images make it easier for you to process and enhance your photographs later on in image processing software.


Tripod

Using a tripod gives you the freedom to use slower shutter speeds, smaller apertures and lower ISO settings for night scenes without the risk of camera shake.  If you don’t have a tripod, try to find something you can support your camera on such as a wall.


ISO and Aperture settings

For general night scenes of cityscapes, try using an ISO setting of between 400-800, coupled with a wide aperture (low f/stop number) to get a fast shutter speed.  If you don’t have a tripod, you may need to increase the ISO setting, but bear in mind that this will increase the noise introduced into your photos.  If you have an ISO Noise Reduction feature on your camera, you will want to use it here!

You may need to experiment a little with these settings.  If after taking a shot, your results look too dark then try a wider aperture (lower f/stop number).  If on the other hand, your results look too bright, then try a smaller aperture (higher f/stop number).

Bear in mind, that a wider aperture will limit the depth of field.


Capturing Light Trails

If you are looking to capture photographs with light trails from traffic, then you will need to choose a low ISO setting and a slow shutter speed of between 10-20 seconds.  A tripod is definitely needed here!  Experiment with the length of seconds you have the shutter open for as this will give you varying results with the length of the light trails.


Capturing the Moon

The best way to capture the moon is to get away from the artificial lights of the city to get a true moonlit landscape picture.  Try using an ISO setting of 800 with a wide aperture (low f/stop number) and a slow shutter speed of around 30 seconds.  Again, a tripod is a must have here!  Focus at infinity for the moon.  You may need to experiment with settings here.  If your shot appears too dark, try increasing the ISO setting rather than choosing a slower shutter speed.  A slower shutter speed will give the stars in the sky the appearance of light streaks.


Have fun, but remember to stay safe and take care of yourself and your belongings while out and about at night.
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