{"id":81667,"date":"2022-04-18T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-04-18T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/?p=81667"},"modified":"2022-07-25T14:40:15","modified_gmt":"2022-07-25T18:40:15","slug":"night-photography-ideas-tips-and-examples","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/night-photography-ideas-tips-and-examples\/","title":{"rendered":"Night Photography Ideas, Tips, and Examples"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A couple decades ago, night photography was barely even possible with ordinary camera equipment. Today, the imagery we are seeing is absolutely breathtaking, even from a simple, single exposure!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is thanks to both digital sensor technology and impressive optical innovations, that is, exotic lenses. In fact, almost any camera and lens today is capable of stunning night photos, if you know how to properly use the gear of course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How is this possible? Digital camera sensors are now capable of capturing excellent images at extremely high ISOs such as 6400, 12800, or higher, and fast-aperture lenses are also allowing in more light, with F-stops such as f\/1.4, f\/1.2 and even f\/1.0 or faster depending on the focal length. Even f\/2.8 zoom lenses, which were previously only available to serious pros, are becoming commonplace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photos Courtesy of SLR Lounge<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

In this article, we are going to share seven of our best tips and inspirational ideas with you. Hopefully, they will inspire you to get outdoors at night and create some stunning imagery!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, these tips are just the beginning. There are lots of other resources here, including guides on what gear to choose<\/a> and which settings to use<\/a>, etc. With that being said, let\u2019s dive into these 7 essential tips, ideas, and examples for night photography!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Use a Heavy Tripod<\/a><\/li>
  2. Remember: Fast Lenses Are More Affordable than Flagship Cameras<\/a><\/li>
  3. Know How to Find the Milky Way<\/a><\/li>
  4. Create a Sense of Scale<\/a><\/li>
  5. Make a Night Photography Time-Lapse<\/a><\/li>
  6. Hold Still for a Night Photography Portrait<\/a><\/li>
  7. Educate Your Viewers About Your Night Photography<\/a><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    1. Use a Heavy <\/em>Tripod<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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    This first tip might sound odd, but hear me out. That cheap, lightweight tripod you bought might be convenient for travel, however, if it wobbles even a tiny bit then you will be constantly frustrated by blurry photos because virtually all night photography is done at very long, slow shutter speeds. So, for night photography you will learn to appreciate a sturdy, even heavy tripod!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Sometimes you can find old Manfrotto etc tripods at a garage sale for $20, from \u201cback in the day\u201d when they were made of all metal parts and weighed as much as a small boat anchor. Or, for something a little more balanced, I like the Slik AMT series<\/a> because they\u2019re very affordable, almost indestructible; Slik is an original brand that has been around for decades. Of course, you don\u2019t have to always drag a big, heavy tripod everywhere. If you\u2019re traveling a lot, or hiking\/backpacking, then there are a few lightweight, compact tripods that still offer decent strength, and won\u2019t break the bank. My favorite ~2 lb tripod is the Slik Pro CF-634, although you\u2019ll need to add a good ball head to the legs. My favorite ~3 lb tripod is the Feisol Tournament<\/a> series.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    2. Fast Lenses Are More Affordable than Flagship Cameras<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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    Samyang 12mm f\/2 ($369<\/a>), Sony A6100 ($750<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    If you think you need that $3,000 or $4,000+ full-frame camera in order to capture decent night photos, stop! Here\u2019s the honest truth: the camera body itself doesn\u2019t matter nearly as much as a bright, fast-aperture lens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Maybe you already have a new(ish) APSC format camera, such as a Sony A6600 or a Fuji X-S10, or an Olympus or Panasonic Micro Four Thirds camera. Or, maybe you have an entry-level full-frame camera, like a Nikon Z5, a Sony A7C, or a Panasonic S5. Honestly? All of these cameras are incredibly capable, and you can use them to capture stunning night photos; you don\u2019t need to upgrade bodies! What you need is the right lens. That is, a fast aperture, and a wide focal length.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Thankfully, in the last few years many excellent lenses have arrived for literally every mount and system. If you have the money, name-brand wide-angle lenses such as f\/1.4 primes or f\/2.8 zooms are excellent choices. However, third party lenses from Tamron, Sigma, Rokinon\/Samyang, Laowa, Irix, and Tokina also have excellent image quality and are incredibly affordable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Make no mistake, you will want as much light-gathering capability as possible. So, do save up for that fast-aperture prime or zoom, and do use it wide-open! These modern lenses don\u2019t really need to be stopped down, at least for sharpness, that is. (Also, the sharper the lens, the easier it will be to manually focus on the stars!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    3. Know How to Find the Milky Way<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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    One of the best night photography subjects that is relatively easy to capture with basic equipment is the Milky Way galaxy. That is, the Milky Way core, actually, which is only visible during the summer months (and a bit of spring and fall, too) in the northern hemisphere, or the opposite for the southern hemisphere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    How do you \u201cfind\u201d the Milky Way, though? Don\u2019t just go out to the desert or mountains in the middle of the night and hope to see it. You can find it quite easily, before you even get to your photo location, using any number of mobile apps. Sun Surveyor is one, and PhotoPills is another. Also, The Photographer\u2019s Ephemeris offers both a mobile app and an impressive desktop computer interface. Most apps are free, and available for both Android and iOS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    There are other apps you can use to find other, smaller subjects in the night sky, such as nebulas and galaxies, however, those are often best photographed through telescopes, or with telephoto lenses and distant foregrounds, of course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Andromeda Galaxy and Halfdome, Yosemite National Park<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    Using any of these apps, you can easily scout a location before you visit, determine if\/when the Milky Way and other objects are visible, and which direction to point your camera in order to capture them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This is how many experienced photographers plan out their photographic compositions in advance and know exactly where to stand in order to line up their foreground with the perfect night sky!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    4. Create a Sense Of Scale<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
    \"night
    Photo by Matthew Saville<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    One of the impressive things about the night sky is just how vast it is. The Milky Way stretches from one horizon to another, for example, and sometimes it is a challenge to tell the story of just how incredibly tiny we are here on planet earth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Include an identifiable subject in your photo and give it some distance in the scene; this is a great way to create a sense of dramatic scale. Want to make viewers feel just how grand the cosmos is? Zoom out just a bit more, or add a little extra distance between you and your main subject, allowing it to \u201cshrink\u201d in your frame relative to the sky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    While a 24mm f\/1.4 prime lens is a popular tool for astro-landscapes, a ~14mm lens is a great way to give the Milky Way some more breathing room and\/or to shrink a subject within your frame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    5. Create a Night Photography Time-Lapse<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If you think that capturing (and editing) a time-lapse is too advanced; think again! It has gotten very easy in recent years. Almost all cameras have a built-in option to capture time-lapse images, not just as a single video file, but as individual raw frames that you can later edit and compile into a time-lapse video clip.<\/p>\n\n\n

    <\/div>
    A Yosemite Wedding Day (4K Time-Lapse)<\/div><\/div>
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