Night Photography

As cameras and lenses are becoming advanced year by year, or I should rather say month by month, night photography is becoming easier and easier. Years ago it was a hard job to get a good night photo, you need to keep the camera taking the photos for minutes or even hours and think how frustrating that could be if the image was blurry or not properly exposed. Now new cameras have huge capabilities in dealing with low light situations. Huge aperture, high ISO capabilities and low noise...
In some cases even low profile cameras can get a night shot that is good, and probably most of them shoot a descent photo.

It is really hard to talk about night photography because it is extremely wide subject and people get creative with it, but we can talk about what you need and tips on photographing at night.

• Use DSLR. It is best to shoot night photography with a DSLR, it gives you more possibilities than a point-and-shoot camera or other similar cameras.
• Use a high-quality lens. It is important to use a good lens that has a wide aperture to capture the most light out of the scene. It is also good if it has an image stabiliser so that you can use slower shutter speed. People prefer, usually, a wide-angle lens when doing a night photography. This is a personal preference, it also depends on what you are shooting
• Use Tripod.  If possible, always use a tripod when taking a photo at night, this will prevent blurry pictures caused from camera shake, it also allows you to use extremely slow shutter speeds.
• Flash light. Invest in some high quality flashes and use them to light a close dark scene. Avoid using the pop-up flash on your camera because in most cases it will ruin the photo. When using the flash try different angles and see which one looks best. If the object is so close to you, use a diffuser to get soft light and smooth shadow.
• Use lens hood. You might ask why use lens hood in the dark, or where there is no sun. Simple, this is to avoid light from outside the frame (picture you are taking) from entering to the camera sensor. If you are taking long exposure photos and there is a light source near you, this might ruin the photo or you might see lens flare in the picture.
• Use remote. Whether it is connected directly to the camera or a wireless remote, it is good to use one to avoid handshake, even when its mounted on a tripod. When you press the shutter button the camera will shake, and if no remote is used you will see a blurry photo. If you dont have a remote you can use a self-timer (if equipped) in the camera. When you press the button a timer will go off and the photo will be taken after a certain interval of time (usually 2 seconds).

Ill be adding more tips soon. I'll probably even move it to another page and keep expanding it. If you have any suggestions, additions, comments, or questions feel free to comment or email me.