Night Photography

I don't actually live in the Seattle area, but I go there frequently for photography opportunities. My last trip there, I decided to fight the crowd for a popular spot in order to get a great shot of the famous space needle. I knew I wanted it to be at night, and I also knew it was going to be a black and white shot, mainly because I knew exactly where in my house I was going to hang it and the black and white feel would match the area I was planning on hanging the photo.

When I showed up, it was about 45 minutes before dark and there was already a crowd, most setting up their tripods and getting their cameras ready. I managed to squeeze (quite literally) between a couple of people and started setting my camera up.

Taking pictures at night isn't as hard as some might think, though it does take a little understanding of your camera and the settings in order to get it right. I remember seeing the guy next to me using a point and shoot camera with his flash on. Please don't do this. If you research a little and know your camera settings, you do not need to use your flash at night.

First, make sure your camera is on manual setting (I know, scary!) It's usually found as being the 'M' on most cameras. Next, you'll want the smallest f number you can get your camera to. This will vary, depending on your camera. You'll also want a long shutter speed. Look for the number that has double quotes. Starting at 1" should be good to start at. You may need to change this slightly as you go.

If you want a clear shot, I'd highly suggest using a tripod. With the long shutter time, you almost can never get a crystal clear shot holding your camera by hand. Also, use the self timer or a remote if you have one, the less you have to touch the camera the better!

Once you take the photo, check and see if the lights are bright enough/not bright enough. If they are - great! If not, adjust your shutter speed by making it slower. If the lights are too bright, make your shutter speed a little faster.

Taking the perfect picture is having fun with trial and error, in my opinion. That's what makes it so enjoyable for me.