Night Photography

1. Night Photography The Basics

2. Main Options • Fast shutter speeds + flash • Long shutter speeds + tripods

3. Long Shutters…. • Low ISO – less noise + longer exposure • 30 second exposures • Captures movement • Moving lights create “lines” • Moving “dark” objects disappear • Stationary objects look “normal”

4. ISO • Noise at high ISO – not great at night • Use ISO 100/200 • Shutter at ISO 200 is ½ that at ISO 100

5. White Balance • Street lights are “warm” • Use “Tungsten” or “Incandescent” • Makes things look “normal” and “cool” • Experiment with other settings

6. Wide Apertures • Wider apertures give shorter exposures • More chance of seeing “dark” objects • Lights appear “fatter” • Points of light are “blobs” • Possible able to “hand hold”

7. Small Apertures • Long exposures • Dark objects do not appear • Moving lights look “finer” and “thin” • Points of light turn into “Stars” • Need a tripod

8. Composition • All about lines • Use road markings and moving cars • Think in Diagonal Lines • Diagonal coming out of corners is strong

9. Technique…. • Get an exposure that works – meter or trial/error • Light at night stays constant  • Camera on tripod • Compose a shot • Wait for a car to come and hit the shutter • Review the shot and learn

10. Technique - Exposure • Initial setup • Select “M” manual • Set your shutter speed to 15 seconds • ISO 100 • F11 • Take a photo of the scene

11. Technique – Exposure 2 • Is the shot too bright? • Change aperture to F16 – try again • Is it too dark? • Change aperture to F8 or shutter speed • Change shutter speed to 30 seconds • Change ISO to 200/400

12. Exposure • Try different exposure • Try different apertures, and see what happens