The dazzling lights and captivating nightscapes are sure to catch the attention of many novice photographers.
However, many photography enthusiasts say that although they look beautiful, the results they capture are not ideal.
As long as you master some small techniques, you can easily take high-quality night scene photos too!
1. Bring Your Tripod
When shooting night scenes, longer exposure times are often required to capture the desired effect. Therefore, the camera needs to remain stable to produce clear photos.
To avoid any vibration that could compromise the image quality, it's best to use a tripod to minimize shake, especially in windy conditions such as on a mountainside. A good tripod, if well-maintained, can last a long time and is a worthwhile investment in photography equipment.
2. Lower the ISO Sensitivity
It's well known that higher ISO sensitivity allows for faster shutter speeds at the same aperture, reducing the risk of motion blur during shooting. Therefore, if conditions permit, it's advisable to use a tripod and lower ISO settings to achieve the best shooting results.
3. Use a Wide Aperture for Framing
When we mount the lens onto the camera body, the lens aperture automatically opens to its widest setting. In pitch-dark environments, a wider aperture allows more light to enter the lens, making the scene clearer through the viewfinder.
For example, two photographers shoot the same night scene at the same time and location: one using a lens with a maximum aperture of f/2.8 and the other using a lens with a maximum aperture of f/5.6. The photographer using the f/2.8 aperture lens would have a noticeably brighter view through the viewfinder, making it easier to see clear details.
4. Long Exposure
One common technique for capturing night scenes is long exposure, where the shutter speed is slowed down to 10 seconds, 30 seconds, or even several hours. This technique is used to capture effects like light trails from cars, star trails, or the smooth motion of waves.
Long exposures not only record the trails of red taillights but also reveal light sources that are usually invisible to the eye. The results can be captivating, so everyone needs to experiment with this technique!
5. Set White Balance
When shooting night scenes, it's not advisable to rely on automatic white balance, as it can become inconsistent in low-light environments, leading to color shifts in photos. Instead, you can use the "tungsten" mode for white balance when capturing night scenes.
Experiment with different white balance settings for the same scene. A cooler white balance can give a futuristic feel to urban landscapes, while a warmer white balance can make the city appear lively and bustling.
However, it's essential to choose the most suitable mode based on the current environment. Additionally, storing photos in RAW format allows photographers to adjust the white balance as needed afterward, which is more convenient.
6. Beware of Overexposure
When using automatic exposure modes (such as Auto/P/Av/Tv/S/A) at night, it's easy to encounter overexposure. This happens because the camera can be misled by the vast dark environment, resulting in overexposed photos.
Therefore, when shooting night scenes, we can use full manual mode or the Bulb (B) mode (where the shutter stays open until manually closed by the photographer). This allows us to set the appropriate shutter speed and aperture ourselves. Finding the right aperture-shutter combination requires experience, so beginners should take several shots to assess the results.
To determine if a photo is overexposed, examine the clarity of light spots in the image. In other words, under normal exposure, light spots (such as common lights) appear crisp and clear. Conversely, if the photo is overexposed, the light spots will appear "blown out," and the lines will be less defined.
7. Use a Black Card
Using a black card is quite simple, even for beginner photographers. The principle is to use a non-reflective black card to block bright areas during long exposures, allowing darker parts of the image to absorb more light. This technique helps achieve more even exposure in high-contrast environments.
The nighttime cityscape is a captivating world, filled with colorful hues of lights and elegant lines of architecture. Through the lens of a camera, it transforms into countless marvelous scenes. While capturing night scenes may present some challenges, mastering a few techniques can effortlessly capture breathtaking moments.
With continual practice and exploration, you'll find your photography skills continually improving, and your nightscapes becoming more vivid and enchanting. May you capture your unique beauty amidst the nighttime allure of the city.
