TOP TIPS FOR NIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY
Long Exposures
When you have a lot less light to work with, you have to think about how to make a good exposure. Normally, you’d use a combination of aperture and shutter speed, but in low light situations, a lens’s aperture range is limited, so it’s a case of resorting to longer exposures. Put simply, the shutter stays open for longer, so more light reaches the imaging sensor to produce an exposure. With night photography, exposure times will often be measured in full seconds and even minutes… which creates specific challenges, particularly in terms of making sure that the camera doesn’t move – even very slightly – while the shutter is open.
Tripods
Image stabilisation systems are becoming ever more effective, but there’s always going to be a limit on the slowest shutter speed for which you can hand-hold the camera and still obtain a sharp image. Once exposure times lengthen beyond about ¼ second, the camera will need to be mounted on a tripod… and the sturdier the better. Lightweight tripods may well be easier to carry around, but they can flex and create vibrations which will be problematic when making long exposures. Make sure the tripod is securely set-up and locked off… even the tiniest of movements will create blur and soften detailing. Use the foot spikes for a
