Nighttime Nighttime DSLR Photo Photography graphy
How to to create awesome and stunning images images at night Brad Davis
Copyright © 2015 by Brad Davis.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in an form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, ithout the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
Disclaimer
While all attempts have been made to verify the information provided in this book, the author doesn’ assume any responsibility for errors, omissions, or contrary interpretations of the subject matter contained within. The information provided in this book is for educational and entertainment purposes only. The reader is responsible for his or her own actions and the author does not accept any responsibilities for any liabilities or damages, real or perceived, resulting from the use of this information. The trademarks that are used are without any consent, and the publication of the trademark is without permissi permission on or backing backing by the the trademark trademark owner. All All trademarks trademarks and brands brands with wi thin in this this book are for clarifying purposes only and are the owned by the owners themselves, not affiliated with this document.
Description Description of the Book Boo k
By definition, Photography is simply the science, art and practice of creating durable images. It is done by various methods like, recording light or other electromagnetic radiation which is either done electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film.
Nightt Nighttim imee Photog Photography raphy is tricky compared compared to Daytim Daytimee Photog Photography raphy.. Night Nighttim timee Photog Photography raphy has its own level and every photographer must know the way to reach to that level!
Have you ever seen certain objects or subjects by which you are just mesmerized? Have you ever felt the need to take photographs of such subjects so that you can keep them as a memory? Everyone has felt the sam sa me by b y seeing seei ng beautiful beautiful scenery, sc enery, monu monum ments, buildings build ings or bridges. bri dges. These beautiful beautiful moments oments don’t last a lifetime, but they can be easily captured by taking the perfect photographs of such moments.
This book provides every tip and trick required by the photographer to capture his best-ever night shot. You go to a party and see people dancing and you are required to take these people’s photograph photographs. s. What What will wil l you do? Just open the the flash and and click? No! There There are many many setting settings and tools tools in the DSLR camera and by using them, you take the perfect shot. Surprisingly, most of the times,
Flash is not even used!
Do you own a DSLR camera or any type of camera? If you don’t know how to play with the different settings settings of o f the the cam c amera era accordi acco rding ng to the ambie ambience, nce, then what was the the need of buying buying it?
If you you have heard about Shutter Shutter Speed, Spee d, ISO settin se ttings, gs, Aperture, Focal Length ength et cetera, then then it is i s more than enough to learn new tricks to get a perfect night photograph. This book covers all the subjects and objects which a person encounters or dreams of. From taking portrait images to wildlife to Star Trails to famous monuments, tips and tricks are provided for each subject in order to get to get a nice and beautiful image.
This This book b ook will be helpful helpful for every ever y person who possess or even doesn’t possess a DSLR; DSLR; for for every ever y person who just just started started photograph photography y or th the professional photograph photographers ers who w ho are doing it for a long long time now; for every person who takes photography as a hobby or who is serious about learning every aspect asp ect of photography. photography.
This book bo ok meets meets every ever y person’s pers on’s dem d emand and and each ea ch and every eve ry information information about abo ut night nighttim timee photography is included in this book.
Table Table of Contents C ontents
Description of the Book Introduction Chapte Chap te r1: Nighttim Nighttimee Phot Photography ography in Ge neral
Basic difference dif ference between Daytime and Nighttime Nightt ime Photography Important Tools Tool s and Settings Sett ings required requ ired for f or Photography Chapter Ch apter 2: 2 : Nigh Nightt ttim imee Ph Photo otograp graph hy of o f Sky, Stars, St ars, Skyscrap Skys crapee rs and Ligh Lighte teni ning ng
Nighttime Nightti me Photography of Sky and Stars Nighttime Nightti me Photography of Skyscr Skys cr apers apers Nighttime Nightti me Photography o f Lightning Light ning Chapter Ch apter 3: Nigh Nighttime ttime Photog Photograp raph hy of Peopl Pe oplee and Wildlife
Nighttime Nightti me Photography of People People Nighttime Nightti me Photography in Par ties ties and Clubs Nighttime Nightti me Photography of Wildlife Wildl ife Conclusion
Introduction
When the suns sets and the moon comes out, the normal buildings, monuments or bridges glows by their own lights. The night gives extra charm to everything, whether it’s a person or a building or even a beautifu b eautifull scenery. It becom bec omes es important for for the the Photographer to capture such s uch beautiful beautiful and stunning stunning subjects.
This book bo ok will wi ll give you an insight int into o nighttim nighttimee photography by DSL DSLR R cameras. This Book wil w illl focus on Nighttim Nighttimee Photography Photography of different objects, obj ects, mainly Star Trails Trai ls,, Auroras, Aurora s, Monum Monuments, ents, Cityscapes, Portraits, Animals et cetera. There are many different functions and settings in DSLR cameras and to use them properly and efficiently is an important task to achieve.
For example, have you ever seen the images of Star Trails? To capture a stunning star trail, the minimum time required would be roughly 15 to 30 minutes. Moreover, to sit and position yourself and the camera is not even counted in the mentioned time. Photography is an art and Nighttime Photography Photography is the the master of o f art.
This book will feature various tips and tricks to capture the perfect and great images of various subjects. Every Photographer knows about the tools, like, Shutter Speed, ISO settings, Aperture settings, Exposure time, lenses et cetera but it is important to know and understand the proper use of
these tools and how they can be changed accordingly to capture the perfect photograph.
Chapter1:
Nighttime Photography Photog raphy in in General
Photography is an art in itself and is generally divided into two parts, Nighttime Photography and Daytime Daytime Photography Photography.. Most of the photograp photographers hers prefer p refer to do photograp photography hy in daytime. daytime. The reas r eason on behind behind it is that that during during the the Daytim Daytimee Photog Photography raphy,, the the photograph photographers ers get the the natu natural ral ligh l ightt which which is sunlight. Light is a key factor in the field of photography.
Most of the photographers master their photography skills during daytime and then move to nighttime photograph photography y. Daytim Daytimee photograph photography y can be compared compared to learning to ride a cycle whereas Nightt Nighttim imee Photography can be compared to riding a bike in traffic. Yes, nighttime photography is difficult but if once executed perfectly, anyone could fall in love with it.
asic difference between Daytime and Nighttime Photography
Daytime Daytime Photography Photography has has its own o wn difficulties di fficulties and settings. It depends upon the type type of photograp photograph ha photograph photographer er wants. For exam example, ple, Photograph Photographers ers generall generally y avoids Photos un under Direct Sunligh Sunlight. t. It It creates harsh glare and shadows. When photographing a person or a group in direct sunlight, not only it can create some unwanted shadows but also it leads to squinting which doesn’t count as a good picture.
On the other hand, if a photographer wants to take a photograph of an ocean, sea or lake or any scenery, direct sunlight could prove very helpful and fruitful as there would be more than enough light for a perfect photo. During the daytime, experienced photographers generally doesn’t use flash because, one, one, there there is enough enough light light and and second, flash flash migh mightt give give extra light light to to some some area and not not to to the the hole frame of picture.
Nightt Nighttim imee Photog Photography raphy is done according to th the requirement requirementss of the the photog photograph. raph. Obviously, Obviously, nigh nightt ttim imee gives very little light to the photographers. They are generally equipped with a handy flashlight other than the camera’s own flash.
The one major difference between the two kinds of photography is that to get a perfect picture in night, a photographer should use a Tripod which is a mandatory rule whereas in daytime, using Tripod is not a necessity.
The major and technical differences between the two are based on the technical terms like, Exposure, type of lens, aperture et cetera. What are the important tools and settings which are required during both daytim daytimee and nigh nightt ttim imee photog photography raphy?? Let’s Let’s have have a look at them them in brief.
mportant Tools Too ls and Setting Settingss required for fo r Photography
Tripod: Tripod: Tripod is basically a three-legged frame which is used for both motion and still photograph photography y to prevent camera camera movem movement ent and provide stability stabili ty.. Tripod is very ve ry necessar necessary y to get a perfect photograph in nighttime.
ISO: ISO is a standard which measures the Film speed. Film Speed is a measure of a photograph photographic ic film’s film’s sensitivity to to light, light, measured measured on various num numerical erica l scales. scal es. A closely closel y related to ISO system is used to measure the sensitivity of digital imaging systems. The current International Standard for measuring the speed of color negative film is ISO 5800:2001. Related Rel ated standards standards ISO 6:1993 and ISO 2240:2003 define scales for speeds of black-and-white black-and-white negative negative film and color reversal revers al film, film, respectively. re spectively.
The differe different nt ISO settings settings are mainly, 100, 200, 400, 40 0, 800, 1600, 1600 , 3200, it just double doubless up. Lower owe r ISO number settings will require more light for the image sensor to produce a good image compared to higher ISO number. For example, when a camera is set to ISO number 400, it will need less light to produce a correctly exposed exposed image image than than when when it is set to lower ISO th than 400.
ISO: 1600
Shutter Shutter Speed Spe ed:: Shutter Speed in general times is the length of time a camera’s shutter is open while taking taking a photog photograph. raph. Earlier Earli er available avail able shutt shutter er speeds were not standardized standardized but after after the the adoption of standardized standardized use of aperture, a standardized standardized 2:1 scale sca le was wa s adopted for shutter speed.
The decided standards used for shutter speeds are: 1/1000 s, 1/500 s, 1/250 s, 1/125 s, 1/60 s, 1/30 s, 1/15 s, 1/8 s, 1/4 s, 1/2 s, 1 s. s . Camera Camera shu s hutt tters ers often include include one or two other other settings for making very long exposures: B (for bulb) keeps the shutter open as long as the shutt shutter er release r elease is held; T (for time) time) keeps the shutter open until the shutter release is pressed again.
Let’s have a look at different shutter speeds and their respective functions:
1/16000 s: s : This is the the fastest speed available avai lable in APS-H APS-H or APSC format DSLR cameras. 1/12000 s: s : This is the the fastest speed available avai lable in any any 35 mm film DSLR camera. 1/8000 s: The The fastest speed availa a vailable ble in production production SLR SLR cameras, cameras, also the the fastest speed available in any full-frame DSLR. With an ISO more than 1000 or more, this shutter speed can take photographs of subjects which are fast, like Planes. 1/4000 s: The The fastest speed availab av ailable le in i n consum consumer er SLR cameras. cameras. Also it is the fastest speed available in any leaf shutter camera. With an ISO setting up to 800, the shutter speed can take photographs of athletes or vehicles. 1/2000 s and 1/1000 s: This This shu s hutt tter er speed spe ed is used to take take sharp sharp photograph photographss of moderately moderately fast fast subjects. subjects. 1/500 s and 1/250 s: This shutter speed is used to take photographs of people who w ho are in motion. otion. 1/125 s: This sh s hutter utter speed and below/slow below/ slower er this are not meant meant to to freeze the motion. 1/125 s shutter speed is generally used to obtain sharpness in landscape photography and also to get greater depth of field.
1/60 s: This speed is used for panning shots and for images taken under dim lighting conditions, and also for available light portraits. 1/30 s: s : This shutter shutter speed is used to pan subjects subjects which w hich moves moves slowe s lower r than 48 kilometers per hour. Photographs taken at this speed or lower generally requires a Tripod to avoid blurriness. 1/15 s and 1/8 s: This This shu s hutt tter er speed s peed is used where motion motion blur blur is is required for deliberate delibe rate effect. effect. Moreover, this shutt shutter er speed s peed is i s used to take photograph photographss by using using tripod of imm immobile subjects s ubjects which which are under under bad lightn lightning ing.. 1/4 s, 1/2 s and 1 s: This shutt shutter er speed spe ed only works with a tripod. It is used for motion blur and also for low light images.
Lens Aperture: Aperture: The lens aperture is usually specified as an f-number. It is determined as the ratio of focal length to effective aperture diameter. A lower f-number denotes a greater aperture opening which allows more light to reach the film or image sensor.
To control the amount reaching the image sensor, the aperture stop can be adjusted accordingly. The aperture size regulates the image sensor’s degree of exposure to light with the the com c ombination bination of diff di ffere erent nt shut shutter ter speed s peeds. s.
For example, a fast shutter will require larger aperture so that the camera gets enough light exposure whereas, to avoid excessive exposure, slow shutter will require a comparatively smalle smallerr apertu ape rture. re.
Exposure: Exposure: Exposure Value is a number or a scale which represents a combination of fnumber and camera’s shutter speed. Generally the Exposure Value ranges from -6 to 21.
Flash Flas h Intensity Intensity/Exposure /Exposure Control Control:: In any Camera, Flash is an important tool to master. More flash provides more brightness and light which might not be suitable for some types of images and less flash would keep the photo in dark or dim light.
There is a need to control the Flash light in the Camera. Many experienced Photographers use their own separate flashlights but in most of the Cameras there is a button to control Flash Intensity Intensity or Exposure.
Chapter 2: Nighttime Photography of Sky, Stars, Skyscrapers and Lightening
Nightt Nighttim imee Photog Photography raphy is more of an experimen experiment. t. It It is done by constant constantly ly chang changing ing settings settings to to get get a perfect picture. picture. Nightt Nighttim imee photograph photography y requires a lot l ot of patience. It It requires requires perfection pe rfection and for for different types of backgrounds or objects, different settings are done in order to bring out a perfect picture.
As the settings for different objects would be different, we should see how the settings differ and how a photographer can take a nice picture according to the ambience.
ighttime Photography of Sky and Stars
Nightt Nighttim imee photos photos of sky sky and and stars has always been an interest interest for the the photograph photographers. ers. Ever sin si nce the the film was invented, the photographers enjoy taking the photographs of sky and the stars, though, there are a lot of different settings required to capture a perfect image according to the different conditions.
First and foremost task to do is to use a Tripod for clicking any type of picture. A tripod provides stability to to the the camera camera and it is an essential essential part of nigh nightt ttim imee photograph photography. y. Experienced photographers use a fisheye lens which is used to capture the widest view o the sky.
A full-frame camera is a DSLR fitted with a 35mm format image sensor which gives better better ISO capabilities. capabil ities. Many Many professional professional photograph photographers ers use such camera camera thoug though, h, the the normal DSLR which has lower than 35mm format can also be used.
A photographer must never take photos of sky when it is filled with clouds. The air should be preferably dry because Humidity in the atmosphere can cause flare around the stars and other heavenly objects. In cold nights, the air is dry and is best suited for photograph photography. y.
To get great photographs of sky or stars, a photographer should start no sooner than 3 hours after than sunset and should stop no later than 3 hours before the sunrise. The reason behind the timing is that, the Sun is far below the horizon that its rays won’t illuminate the upper reaches of our atmosphere.
If the only objective is to take the photograph of stars, then the ideal time to photograph would be when there is New Moon. Other than the Sun and the Moon, the city lights should be definitely avoided to get a great photograph of the stars. The ideal location is far away from the polluting effects of the city lights.
The focal length length of the the lens l ens used will wi ll determine the the maximum maximum exposure time a person per son can get. To determine the exposure the basic formula used is: Exposure in seconds = 600/Appare 600/ Apparent nt Focal Length ength..
A key point to shoot the stars or the sky is to capture more light because at night, it gets really dark. Hence, a photograph should use wide open aperture.
ISO also plays a major major role. More the the camera’s ISO, more more will w ill be the the clear cle ar and perfect picture. picture. The recomm recommended ISO ISO should should be around around 1600.
In the the dark, dar k, sometimes sometimes automatic automatic focus doesn’t does n’t work. wor k. So, the recom rec omm mended way w ay would
be to do manu manual al focus on the the object or star you are trying trying to capture. capture. Moreover, after taking an image, it is better to zoom it and check the object whether it is blurry or not. It is necessary to check the sharpness of the image. If the object appears blurred, then it is better better to re-focus re-focus again and take take the the photo. photo.
The advantage of using a wide angle lens is that it has greater depth of field than a normal lens.
If a photographer just wants to do Nighttime photography then it is recommended to modify odi fy his his camera, althou a lthough gh once modified, it cann ca nnot ot be reverted. rev erted. For only night nighttim timee photograph photography, y, a person could could use low pass pas s filter which covers the actual actual sensor. Also, sensor cleaning is also recommended.
Star Trails The light from stars moves in circles around the celestial pole because of Earth’s rotation about its axis. These movements are detectable after 5 to 30 minutes and they can be traced by the camera in the form of a streak .
The steps to capture star trails are: Focus the lens to infinity and set the camera’s mode at Bulb or Manual. Automatic Mode won’t be able to capture such trails. The exposures can be a few minutes to several hours long.
ISO: 3200, Shutter Speed: 180min, Aperture: F/4
Auroras and Polar Lights
It’s a great challenge to capture Auroras for photographers. The difficulty arises because of the frequent changes in the brightness of light. The charged solar particles move very fast and sometimes sometimes get hidd hidden en making making it impossible impossi ble to shoot them. them.
The tips to capture Auroras or Polar Lights are: Set your Camera at tripod to keep the image steady for long exposures. The ISO range should be set in between the range of 100 to 400.
Shutter Speed depends upon the amount of light available but it should be as long as 30 seconds. Although, any kinds of lens would do for capturing Auroras but a wide angle and faster lens is recommended.
Shut Shutter ter Speed: 32/1, ISO: ISO: 100, 1 00, Aperture: F/4
Cloudy Skies In the dark, you should try using an 80A blue cooling filter to enhance the blue cast of the sky and to reduce the yellow cast from the artificial lights. To capture great image of clouds, it is better to use a wide-angle lens and opt for long exposures. The shutter speed should be kept low and the ISO could vary but kept it around 800.
Aperture: Aperture: F/2.8, ISO: 214, Shu Shutter tter Speed: 1/20
ighttime Photography of Skyscrapers
Every time a person visits a metropolitan city, he is mesmerized by the number and the beauty of the skyscrapers. All around the world, skyscrapers are increasing every year and yes, the beauty of skyscrapers becomes the beauty of the city. Here are some tips to have a great picture of skyscrapers.
Keep in mind the direction of light as it can increase contrast, shadows, textures and reflections. Cameras can be fooled by exposing the scene incorrectly because of high levels level s of contrast.
Contrast can be controlled by using Exposure Compensation mode. One more trick which is used by the photographers is to bracket shots at different exposure values and then later merge the three in a dedicated HDR program.
A fish eye or wide-angle lens is ideal for this type of photography as it enables photograph photographers ers to frame frame the the entire entire building within its environm environment. ent. Sometim Sometimes, es, panoramic panoramic view becomes the best way for the photographers when they cannot encompass the whole scene. Night Night shots shots can be very dramatic dramatic and atm atmospheric too. Take Take photos photos when there there is still some light and color left in the sky as it adds tone to the backdrop and help to illuminate
details. Use a wide wid e apertu aper ture re an a nd lon lo ng exposure. exposure.
Cityscapes The positioning is pretty important to get a wonderful picture of cityscapes. Find a spot that shows off all the buildings and office or residential lights which are lit. Use tripod for capturing such images. Use the AV (Aperture Priority) mode and use f/8 and upwards for a greater depth of field.
Use the camera’s self-timer or a cable release to take the photograph with absolutely no blurring. blurring. The The best time time to shoot shoot such such beautifu beautifull cityscapes are the first first hour hour after the the sunrise sunrise and the last hour before the sunset. Shutter speed should be neither too slow nor too fast.
Aperture: F/13, Shutter Speed: 1/8, ISO: 100, Focal Length: 65mm
Bridges Bridges become more beautiful when they are lit up by lights in the night and theirs perfect photograph photograph just adds to the the charm. charm. Place the the camera camera on the the tripod tripod and position yourself yourself such such that the water (if there is), bridge and the buildings can be seen. The interesting parts in these images are the background as well as foreground.
To get a perfect and great image of a Bridge and its surrounding, you should set the mode dial to aperture priority mode. Then, to choose an aperture, make it F/14 or more. Actually, we would want a long exposure anywhere in the range of 1-30 seconds to get an effect of silky water. If you want warmer colors, then change the setting of White Balance from Auto to Daylight.
Aperture: F/14, ISO: 100, Shutter Speed: 60/10 sec, Focal length: 40mm
Monuments Monuments and beautiful architectures become breathtaking during the night time and it becomes becomes the the duty duty of the the photograph photograph to take take a magn magnificent ificent photograph photograph of beautifu beautifull monu monum ments. ents.
The The ideal i deal settings settings for such images images are to use use tripod and a cable cabl e release. re lease. Use a wide-ang wide -angle le lens, because the normal lens won’t fulfill your desire and hope for a good photograph. The camera camera mode should be set to Aperture priority prior ity and and it is i s preferable pre ferable to choose a small small aperture aperture in order to have a deep depth of field which makes the building super sharp. Set the aperture to F/16 and above. Camera Camera will w ill choose the the correct cor rect shutt shutter er speed. s peed. Use a narrow aperture and
let the shutter remain open for a longer duration so that more light could enter.
Aperture: F/13, ISO: 100, Exposure Time: 30
Street Lights Capturing movemen movements ts of light l ightss at a t night night is the the most interesting interesti ng piece pie ce or task to do. To photograph photograph the the movem movement ent of people moving moving or the the cars and the the buses driving in the the streets streets is very intriguing.
Use a tripod to keep the light trails straight and the background sharp. Use the Manual Mode and a small aperture between (f/11-f/32) for a greater depth of field. Set the ISO at 100 to keep the digital noise at a minimum. Use the low shutter speed like 6 second shutter speed, which is slow enough to capture the traffic trails.
Aperture: F/5.6, Exposure Time: 13, ISO: 100, Focal Length: 55m
ighttime Photography of Lightning
Lightning is one of the hardest photographic subjects to shoot successfully. It requires a fair luck to capture a great scene filled with lightning. The key to get great shots is to prepared for the right opportunity and get the camera’s settings perfect. Patience is an important tool in such photography because if you you click clic k a dozen of them them and if you will be lu l ucky, cky, then then only only one one or two would come come out to be perfect.
A tripod is mandatory along with a cable/remote release. Although, Lightning can be photographed ith any focal length lens but it would be advisable to use a wide angle zoom lens. Moreover, Manual mode is the preferable mode as the focus will be at infinity.
Your location should be 6 to 10 miles away from the storm. The simplest and easiest method which is employed by the photographers to judge their location is to count the time taken from the lightning bolt to the crack of thunder. For example, if the distance is 6 miles the time will be 30 seconds. It will be advisable advisa ble to stan s tand d under under some some shelter and to be away from any tall objects obj ects like li ke trees or poles.
The basic steps which should be taken by the photographer is to observe where most of the lightning is happening and where the storm is headed. He should be ready with the camera settings and wait patiently patiently for for the the lightn lightning ing..
Surprisingly, Surpri singly, Nighttim Nighttimee Photography of the the ligh li ghtn tning ing is the the easi e asiest est one. Here are the the tips tip s and a nd settings settings hich should be followed to capture a perfect image of the lightning:
Put the camera into the Bulb Mode. The shutter stays open as long as your finger is on the release button. Use a low ISO, around 100-200 and choose an aperture of around f/5.6.
When you see a lightning strike, press and hold the releases button to open the shutter. This will enable to increase the light into the camera. Hold the finger until you have seen several bolts flash across the the frame frame and then then release releas e it. There is very less chance chance of overexposing in nights. Hence, the shutter can be open for up to 2 minutes though 30-45 seconds generall generally y works.
After After getting getting some some shots, s hots, check the the im i mages which w hich are captured. If they they are too dark, da rk, try to use a wider wi der apertu aper ture, re, longer exposure time time and a nd higher higher ISO setting. setting. Although, Although, if the images images are too light then, use narrow aperture, small exposure time and low ISO setting, just the opposite of the settings used for the dark images.
Check Check for the the blurre b lurred d im i mages which w hich might might be caused by the the clouds. c louds. They are com c omm mon in windy nights. If it happens, then reduce the exposure time.
If you are shooting the lightning images near a city then the exposure time should be less or limited to prevent the image from the light of the city.
ISO: 100, Aperture: F/8, Exposure Time: 5, Focal Length: 12mm
Chapter 3: Nighttime Photography Photog raphy of People Peo ple and Wildli Wildlife fe
Photos taken of people are always charming to see. Nighttime gives an extra addition to beauty by the backgroun background d lights lights or the the shadows. Nevertheless Nevertheless,, Night Nighttim timee photograph photography y is tricky in its own way but but there are certain advantages of photos taken in night.
ighttime Photography of People
Nightt Nighttim imee photograph photography y of Portraits Portraits or People Peopl e is the most most difficult difficult task. task. In In Daylig Daylight ht,, there there is more than than enough enough lift to adjust a djust accord ac cording ing to to the needs. But, But, during nigh nighttim ttime, e, a photograp photographer her is i s restri r estricted cted to the the availabil avail ability ity of light light and and has to settle settle for less l ess spaces. s paces.
Some of the basic tips for getting a great portrait image in the nighttime are as follows:
Observe the lightning around you. There could be plenty of light from signboards, street lights or shops. The main point is to use the light properly by taking its advantage by positioning positioning yourself. yourself. It depends upon the photograp photographer her to photographer, whether whether they they want to use the tripod tri pod or not. Set Manual Manual Mode for clicking cli cking the the nighttim nighttimee photos of people. peop le. Shutter Speed, Aperture Settings, ISO settings and Flash play a very major role in night nighttim timee portraits. portr aits. Shutter speed should be set low to capture more and more light but that might cause a little blurring. High ISO settings like 400, 800 or 1600 allows the photographer to use shorter exposure
times particularly in lower light conditions. Although, if the camera has higher ISO, then it is advisable to use ambient light instead of using flash. More aperture setting settings are ar e preferably pre ferably preferred to have a great portrait. Flash is used depending on the availability of light. Many photographers keep a small flashligh flashli ghtt to cont c ontrol rol the the amoun amountt of flash. flas h. Moreover, Moreove r, in many many cameras, Flash Flas h Intensity Intensity Control is also used.
Let’s have a look loo k at some different types of Nighttim Nighttimee phot p hotography ography of people: peopl e:
Night Night Portraits These are comparatively easy to photograph as the person will be sitting or standing pretty still, to be photographed. If there is low light then, keep the shutter speed low so that more light light would enter enter the camera. camera. Use a tripod trip od and a cable ca ble releas r eleasee just to avoid any blurriness. You can use low ISO settings for taking a still photograph.
Aperture: F/1.4, ISO: 800, Shutter Speed: 1/125, Focal length: 85mm
Candid Pictures
These type of images involve a little movement of the subject. The key point to shoot such images is to use a high shutter speed to stop the movement of the subject. Use very high ISO setting as well as a fast lens. ISO adjusts the sensors sensitivity to light. The higher ISO-the less light light is needed.
A fast lens has a large aperture such as F 1.4. More the aperture-more amount of light passes through through the the shu s hutter tter during the the time it is i s open. o pen. For example example,, to capture c apture an im i mage of a person per son who is at rest, the shutter speed required will be 1/15 s.
For a person pe rson moving moving slowly, slow ly, shut shutter ter speed required will w ill be 1/60s. 1/6 0s. For a person walkin wal king, g, the the shutter speed required will be around 1/125s and for a person jogging, the shutter speed used will be around 1/500s.
Aperture: Aperture: F/2.8, Shutt Shutter er Speed: 1/30, ISO: ISO: 800
Background Images Images For effective effective backg bac kgroun round d images, images, it is i s preferable preferabl e to use a wide wi de apertu aper ture re like, l ike, 4.5 or lower. l ower. This aperture setting is used to blur the area behind the subject. The best backgrounds are possible possib le because of soft soft and and indistinct indistinct colored ligh li ghts. ts. It It is importan importantt to to make make these these lights lights blurry so that that they they won’t won’t draw attention attention away from from the the subject or person.
The method to do is to focus on the subject and continue to do the same until the background gets blurry. blurr y. This This image image becomes be comes great and a nd perfect when the the backg ba ckground round has movi moving ng traffic, so so that that proper trails are formed. formed. Slow shutt shutter er speed s peed works w orks in this this case.
Use of Flash If the the surroun s urroundings dings is pretty dark and you have to get a photograph photograph of a person per son or the the group, then go for flash. Flash could give enough light on the subject or more than enough light which distorts and ruins the image.
The trick to use flash is to understand when and how to use flash to get a perfect image. Using the frontal flash in the night captures the subject but everything in the background becomes dark.
The question is to how to include both subject and the background? The concept combines long exposure along with flash photography. Front-Curtain and ear-Curtain are the two types of slow-sync flash available. Any of the two methods can be used in an environment where everything is still. Tripod might be still necessary in most of the cases.
Front-curtain: In this technique, the flash is fired at the start of the shot just after the shutter
opens. The subjects and the foreground illuminates because of the flash and for the remainder of the shot, the shutter will remain open which will be long enough to capture everything else
in the background.
Rear-curtain: It is basically the opposite of the Front-Curtain technique. First, the shutter is
opened for very long to capture the background and then at the right end, the flash is fired to illuminate the subject as well as foreground.
ighttime Photography in Parties and Clubs
Nightclu Nightclub b photograph photography y is different from regular regular photography photography because it involves involves workin w orking g with dim lights and fast movements. Taking photos at parties, clubs or any social event, can be tricky but fun.
Generall Generally y, in parties especially especi ally in night nights, s, where w here there there is i s comparatively less light light and people always al ways remain in some movement. Nevertheless, if photography is done properly in parties or clubs, where there is both portrait as well as movement, then it becomes great photography.
Here are some of the tips for getting a great photograph in parties or clubs: Setting your camera: Use 18 to 50mm lens. Use a wide angle lens. It is the best lens if you wish to take a photograph of the whole club. Also, for portraits, use a lens with a longer focal length. UV filter is a must. Apart from the on-camera flash, it is advisable to have an external flash that too of a strength of 1/18. To control the light, a flash diffuser should be used.
If the club is pretty dark but has colorful lighting, it is advisable to go with high ISO, ranging from 800 to 3200. On the other hand, shutter speed should be fast enough to capture any a ny type type of movement, movement, it is like li ke freezing the the action. a ction. The shutter shutter speed s peed should range from 1/8th to 1/100th , depending on the camera’s focal length and crop factor of the camera.
The aperture should be at a minimum of f/4 and should be increased only when you need to take photos with more people in the scene. This helps to increase the depth of your subjects, which definitely results in better shots.
A great party pa rty photo photo means to captu cap ture re a group of peopl p eoplee along a long with wi th the the background background of the dance floor or the lightings set by the organizers. It shouldn’t be mundane by having only a group in the frame with the background black.
The flash should be set at ¼ or 1/8 power depending on the venue. Also, set the camera to rear-curtain sync. The reason for using this setting is because slow shutter speed will be used to to make make most most of the the ambient ambient light light in a club and and then then fire fire flash at the the end end of the the exposure so as to freeze the subjects at the last possible moment. Freezing the subjects at the end of the exposure makes any blur trails caused by movement appear more natural.
When When navigating the the crow c rowd, d, keep the the cam c amera era held up high above your your head. It help helpss to keep the camera safe. Moreover, use the mirrors, although try not to get yourself or your flash reflected re flected but use use them them to capture more am a mbient bie nt light light and make make the place pla ce look bigg bi gger. er.
Aperture: Aperture: F/2.8, Shutt Shutter er Speed: 1/30, ISO: ISO: 2500, 2 500, Flash: Flas h: Off Off
Aperture: Aperture: F/2.8, Shut Shutter ter Speed: 1/25, ISO: ISO: 800, Flash: On
ighttime Photography of Wildlife
Photography of Wildlife is always a tricky business. There are many precautions which are needed to be taken. taken. No No one can know know or analyze analyze how anim animals als would w ould react after after watching watching that that someone someone is taking taking their photographs. They can react on either ways, serene and calm or aggressive.
Wildlife Photographers take months and years of practice to do great photography by being the perfect camouflage camouflage or by being at the right position positio n and right time. time.
Here are some of the tips for getting good photographs of animals at a t night: night:
Camera Camera with wi th a good lens l ens of 200m 20 0mm m to to 500m 50 0mm m Tripod is i s a must as it provides provi des stability s tability reducing reducing blurriness Flashlight with a red bulb or red cellophane cover is also necessary
To take wildlife images at night, here are some tips which everyone should follow:
Select your hiding spot/vantage point. The point should be at the position from where the
animal animal should not be scar s cared ed or you should should not be endangeri endangering ng yourse yourself. lf. Although, Although, the the point should should be at the the position from from where the the zoom of the the camera camera can capture capture the the animal animal in full full detail.
Moon is an important element as it provides light for background. It is preferable to take a flashlight in order to see the buttons on the camera and, if required, to spotlight the animal you are trying to photograph.
It is mandatory to use a red light source. It is less visible to animals. However, in case you do not have a red bulb, then cover the flashlight with red cellophane paper to have a red light source.
It is advisable to use a camera which has at least a 200 mm lens. The intriguing thing about DSLR cameras is that it enables you to change lenses ranging from 200 mm to 500 mm. These will provide more and greater zoom power. The lens can be changed anytime according to the needs and requirements.
Use of Tripod is a must to stabilize or you can use any flat surface at the right height where you can set your camera. It helps to avoid any kind of blurry image. Low-light situations need long exposure times to capture all available light. So, any shake of the camera will blur the image. Longer focal lengths can also make the images blurred.
Use Night Mode Setting which is indicated by a symbol.
Flash shouldn’t be used so it will be better to turn it off completely. The flash may overexpose the photo or possibly, scare the animal away. The flash is more effective for close-up shots and not for long-distance shots.
Set the shutter speed maximum. This can be done by setting the camera to aperture priority prior ity mode or to the the highest highest aperture setting setting possible. possib le. The aperture aperture controls controls the amoun amountt of light the camera takes in. Higher the speed-the more light goes in.
ISO should be increased to capture wildlife images. ISO is a measurement of the camera’s sensitivity to light. It helps to get more shutter speed which in turn helps to freeze the action or movement. An ISO of 3200, for example, will get you exposures of around 1/60 second. However, higher ISO will make more digital noise, although now a days new cameras are coming which reduces such noises.
Aperture: Aperture: F/3.2, Shutt Shutter er Speed: 1/40, ISO: ISO: 800
Aperture: F/8, Shutter Speed: 1/80, ISO: 800, Focal Length: 85mm
Conclusion
Have you read the whole book and understood every single detail about camera settings? If yes, then go and practice and click some wonderful photos on your own. Photography is parallel to exploration, you just can’t sit at a single place and hope to capture beautiful images.
DSLR cameras have become pretty common these days as the price of cameras have surprisingly come down. Apart from the professional photographers, many new ambitious and budding photograph photographers ers are pu p urchasing it and and many many are purchasing purchasing just to to fulfil fulfil their their hobby. hobby.
A person who owns a camera should know the various settings of the camera with which he could play. Well, Well, that’s that’s the the only secret secre t of great photograph photographs. s. Photog Photography raphy is learnt lea rnt by playing and practicing.
Now, after after finishing finishing this this book, you you know know how to photog photograph raph Star Star Trails, Trail s, Sky, Sky, Monum Monument ents, s, Bridges, Cityscape, Portraits, Wildlife, Candid Pictures, Club photos and many more. By now, you must be having the the proper prop er knowl knowledge edge of Shutter Shutter Speed, Sp eed, ISO Settings, Settings, Aperture Settin Se ttings, gs, types of Lenses, Flashlight and much more.
After After learning lea rning more more than than enough enough,, it i t is time time for you to to convert c onvert your theor theoretica eticall knowledge knowle dge into practical knowledge. Photog Photography raphy is an art and and Night Night Photog Photography raphy is the master master of it and and you you have have to play with the the master master to give give the the world worl d some some amazin amazing, g, beautifu beautiful, l, mesm mesmerizing erizing and magn magnificent ificent photos! photos!
