Nighttime photography can be truly spectacular, especially if you're photographing in large urban areas with interesting light and colors coming from all over.
It's a kind of photography that every photographer out there should try at least once. The process can be really fun and the results very rewarding.
To help you get started with nighttime photography using long exposures, we've put together a list of 6 very useful tips.
1. Go shooting after sunset
Since we're talking about exposures that could last up to a few minutes, it's best to start taking photos after the sun has completely set. The reason for that is that you will not have to use a ND filter. There's nothing wrong with them and they are very useful when photographing in daylight, but they are known to take out color, and that's not what you want in a photo taken at night.
2. Aim for 25 seconds
A long exposure is anything from a speed that is too slow to allow the camera to be hand held, to just about as long as you can want. Obviously this is not a rule of any kind and it should be regarded as a recommendation, but a 25 second exposure works really well a lot of times. If you have water in the frame it will give it that nice, silky look, and if you have cloudy skies, it will make them look stretchy. So overall, this is a good exposure setting, but as always, you should keep experimenting until you get the desired result. Try varying the aperture value until you get to a value that allows you to expose for 25 seconds.
(Success Tip:Take better photos with this simple deck of cards )
3. Experiment
This is a piece of advice that goes for all types of photography. Experiment as much as you can, with exposure composition and perspective.
4. Shoot towards the sun
Point your camera towards the sun's last position. After the sun goes below the horizon line, it will leave a great sky that adds great value to your photos.
5. Add water and clouds
These are two vital elements that make long exposure night time photography spectacular. Water and clouds have a very powerful visual impact and ultimately they make your photos look a lot more interesting.
6. Bring the clouds to you
Of course there’s no real way of doing that but you can position yourself in a way that will make them look like they're coming towards the frame. It's one of those salt and pepper tricks that make the difference between and a cool photo and an awesome one.
In one of his video tutorials, photographer Serge Ramelli explains these tips in detail and he also shows you how to retouch nighttime long exposures.
Learn more about exposure from these recommended books:
- Understanding Exposure: How to Shoot Great Photographs with Any Camera
- Bryan Peterson's Exposure Solutions: The Most Common Photography Problems and How to Solve Them
- Understanding Exposure: Get Amazing Results on your DSLR