Night photography can seem like a daunting challenge, but it doesn’t have to be.
With the right gear, techniques, and a little practice, anyone can capture stunning images of the night sky, cityscapes, and everything in between.
In this guide, we’ll explore how to get started with night photography, from understanding the basics to choosing the right equipment.
Understanding Night Photography
Night photography is all about capturing images in low-light environments. Whether you’re shooting city lights, starry skies, or landscapes under the glow of a full moon, you’ll be working with conditions that demand careful planning and the right technical settings.
Unlike daytime photography, which allows you to use faster shutter speeds and smaller apertures, night photography requires longer exposures and wider apertures to let in as much light as possible.
But getting the perfect shot isn’t just about settings—it’s about choosing the right equipment and having a solid understanding of the techniques that will give your photos a professional touch.
Essential Gear for Night Photography
While you can start night photography with a simple camera and lens, certain gear can make a big difference in the quality of your shots. Let’s look at the essential equipment you’ll need to get started.
Camera with Manual Controls
The heart of your night photography kit is your camera. Ideally, you’ll want a DSLR or mirrorless camera that allows full manual control over settings like shutter speed, aperture, and ISO.
Cameras such as the Canon EOS R5 or the Nikon Z7 II are excellent options for night photography, offering high-quality sensors that perform well in low-light conditions. These cameras also feature advanced autofocus systems, which can be a lifesaver when trying to capture subjects in dim light.
When selecting a camera, keep in mind that night photography often involves long exposures, so you’ll want something that can handle high ISO settings without producing too much noise. Look for a camera that offers good low-light performance and noise reduction technology.
Wide-Angle Lens with a Fast Aperture
One of the most important pieces of gear for night photography is the lens. A wide-angle lens with a fast aperture (f/2.8 or lower) is ideal for capturing as much light as possible, especially when shooting landscapes or the night sky.
The Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG HSM Art Lens is a fantastic choice for wide-angle shots, offering sharpness and clarity even in the most challenging lighting conditions.
If you’re planning on photographing the stars, a fast lens will allow you to use longer exposures without overexposing the image.
A lens with a focal length of 14mm to 24mm is perfect for capturing expansive night skies, while a 50mm lens can be great for more intimate cityscapes or close-up shots of lights and architecture.
Tripod
Stability is key in night photography. Since you’ll often be using long exposure times, even the slightest camera shake can ruin your shot. A sturdy tripod is essential for getting sharp, blur-free images.
Look for a tripod that is lightweight yet sturdy, so it’s easy to carry but will also stand up to the weight of your camera and lens.
The Manfrotto MT190XPRO3 Aluminum Tripod is a great option that offers solid stability and versatility. With its 90-degree center column mechanism, you can easily switch between landscape and portrait orientations without having to adjust the tripod’s setup. This tripod is durable and will provide the stability you need for those long exposure shots.
External Flash or Light Source
While night photography often relies on natural light, sometimes a flash or additional light source can help enhance your shots.
If you’re shooting in low light but need a bit of extra illumination, a high-quality external flash like the Godox V1 can be used to add a pop of light to your subject. It’s especially helpful for portraiture or for lighting up details in a dark scene.
If you’re shooting star trails or long exposure landscapes, a flashlight or LED light can be used to “paint” the scene by illuminating certain areas during the exposure. Just be sure to use it sparingly, as too much light can overwhelm the scene.
Key Camera Settings for Night Photography
Getting the right camera settings is crucial when shooting at night. Since the lighting conditions are much different than during the day, you’ll need to adjust your settings accordingly. Here’s a breakdown of the key settings to get right.
Shutter Speed
Shutter speed is perhaps the most important setting when it comes to night photography. For star photography or long exposure shots, you’ll want a slower shutter speed to capture enough light. Depending on what you’re shooting, your shutter speed could range from 5 seconds to several minutes.
If you’re capturing the night sky and want to avoid star trails, a general rule of thumb is to follow the 500 Rule. Divide 500 by your lens’s focal length to determine the maximum shutter speed you can use without noticeable star trails.
For example, with a 24mm lens, you would want to use a shutter speed of no longer than 21 seconds (500 ÷ 24mm = 21 seconds).
Aperture
A wide aperture (low f-number) is key to allowing as much light into the camera as possible. For night photography, you’ll typically want to shoot with your aperture set to f/2.8 or lower. This lets in more light, which helps brighten your image without needing to boost the ISO too much.
Keep in mind that very wide apertures can cause some softness around the edges of the image. For star photography, f/2.8 is generally a good balance between sharpness and light gathering.
ISO
ISO determines how sensitive your camera’s sensor is to light. The higher the ISO, the more sensitive the sensor becomes, which is helpful for low-light environments.
However, higher ISO settings can introduce more noise into your images. When shooting at night, start with an ISO setting of 1600 to 3200 and experiment from there. If you find that your images are too noisy, try reducing the ISO and compensating with a slower shutter speed or wider aperture.
Advanced Techniques for Night Photography
Once you’re comfortable with the basics, you can start exploring more advanced night photography techniques that will help you elevate your shots.
Star Trails
Star trails are a beautiful and mesmerizing result of long exposure shots, showing the movement of the stars across the sky.
To capture star trails, you’ll need to use an extremely long exposure (usually 30 minutes or more) or take multiple shorter exposures and stack them together.
To get started, set your camera to manual mode, use a wide aperture (f/2.8), and set the shutter speed to around 20-30 seconds.
Use an intervalometer or remote shutter release to take multiple shots. Once you have a series of images, you can stack them in post-processing to create the star trail effect.
Light Painting
Light painting is another fun technique for night photography. In this method, you use a flashlight or other light sources to illuminate your subject during a long exposure.
The result is a beautifully lit image against the backdrop of a dark sky or landscape. You can get creative with light painting by moving the light source around to create patterns or add highlights to specific areas of the scene.
Cityscapes and Low-Light Portraits
Nighttime cityscapes are a popular subject for photographers, and with the right settings, you can capture beautiful images of illuminated buildings and streets.
When photographing cityscapes, use a wide-angle lens and a relatively low ISO (around 800-1600) to avoid noise. A longer exposure (5-30 seconds) will help bring out the lights in the scene.
If you’re interested in low-light portraits, use a fast lens (f/1.8 or f/2.8) and increase your ISO to make the subject stand out from the background. A fast aperture will help you isolate the subject with a shallow depth of field, while a higher ISO will ensure you get enough light without motion blur.
Post-Processing Night Photography
Once you’ve captured your night photos, post-processing is where the magic really happens. With the right adjustments, you can bring out the details that might have been hidden in the shadows or fine-tune the exposure to create the perfect balance.
In post-processing software like Lightroom or Photoshop, start by adjusting the exposure to brighten up the image without overexposing the highlights.
You can also increase the contrast and adjust the shadows to bring out more detail in dark areas. Be mindful of noise, though—night photos can often have visible grain, especially at higher ISO levels.
Conclusion
Getting started with night photography can be intimidating at first, but with the right gear and techniques, it’s an incredibly rewarding genre of photography.
The key is to experiment with your camera settings, take the time to learn how different factors affect your shots, and invest in high-quality gear that will help you get the best results.
With a camera like the Canon EOS R5, a wide-angle lens like the Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8, and a sturdy tripod like the Manfrotto MT190XPRO3, you’ll be well on your way to capturing stunning night shots.
And remember, practice makes perfect, so get out there and start shooting!