Nighttime is the right time for fun photos

Sure, nighttime scenes are photogenic, but capturing those scenes creatively with your camera takes a little know-how. Here’s a rundown on a few techniques that have worked well for me.

< One surprising tip for nighttime photography: Don’t shoot late at night! A good time to take pictures is actually not after the sun goes down, but rather when there is still some light in the sky. That’s the time when you can capture city lights along with a hint of light in the sky. The images you’ll get under these conditions are often more dramatic and picturesque than those taken against a dark sky.

> Use a slow shutter speed. A shutter speed of as long as several seconds can enhance nighttime scenes that include moving cars. Long shutter speeds blur taillights and headlights and let them streak through the scene, creating a sense of motion and adding drama to the scene. If you plan to use long exposures, you’ll need a tripod to steady your camera. To eliminate camera shake during a long exposure, use a cable release or actuate your camera’s self-timer. Another option for steady shots at shutter speeds faster than around 1/2 sec is to use an image-stabilizing lens.

< When setting the ISO, bear in mind that as the ISO increases, grain in film cameras and noise in a digital picture also increase. To reduce digital noise, use your digital camera’s noise-reduction feature (if it has one). For the cleanest film shots, use a film with a relatively low ISO.