USStar-filled skies, magical moons and bright city skylines are the perfect subjects for night photography but they can be harder to capture than daylight photos. If you are wondering how to take amazing night photos, we have some great techniques to share with you.
Our digital photography workshop for teens is the perfect place to learn everything you need to know to become a master of night photography. However, if you want to start practicing before trying our teenage photography classes, read on for some top tips for taking magical night time photos.
Camera settings for low light
The key to capturing high-quality night images is to use the right settings. If you are using a smartphone, you should be using the night mode. Also, if your phone has a Pro mode, you can adjust the ISO and shutter speed. You are best starting with a low ISO (100-400) and a long shutter speed. You can download apps such as ProCamera to allow you to control ISO and shutter speed.
If you want to capture light from the stars or moon, stay away from artificial light like nearby street lights as this will cause light pollution and the quality of your photos will not be as good. Setting up a tripod will also help to ensure that you avoid any blurs and capture a perfectly still image. Using a lower aperture of around f/2.8 or wider will allow more light into the camera.
Don’t worry if your first few efforts are not as good as you’re hoping for, night photography takes a lot of practice and experimenting with different settings depending on the subject. Taking photos at night is one of the hardest types of photography, which is why we recommend taking our digital photography workshop for teens to learn all the pro techniques.
Light trails and long exposure
A really fun way to create stunning night photos is to capture light trails. For example, using the light from moving vehicles with a long exposure. This is sometimes known as vehicle streaking and keeping the camera shutter open for a longer period will help you to capture the streaking light effect.
Find a location where there will be plenty of passing vehicles, like a busy city street and play around with different shutter speeds to find which speed is working best.
Cities and towns
Brightly lit towns and cities can make amazing night images and so can dark side streets with glimmers of light. Look for street lighting in interesting locations, vehicle lights and neon signs. Black and white photos can create a dramatic, moody image – you don’t necessarily have to find the brightest city skyline to capture fascinating city and town pictures.
Try taking photos of reflections in puddles or windows at night and capture silhouettes of people or objects under a bright light source such as a street light. Symmetrical buildings, tunnels and bridges also make great scenes for mysterious night photography.
Countryside shots
Rural locations can be just as magical as cities for night photos, filled with natural beauty such as large trees creating striking silhouettes in the moonlight. One of the advantages of taking photos in the countryside is that there is less pollution to cloud the skies, so it is the perfect location for capturing stars.
Use strong foreground elements such as hills, fences or barns to connect the viewer to the scene. Countryside night-time photos help to create a sense of mystery and the peaceful surroundings invoke an emotional feeling for the viewer.
If you want to take countryside photos at night, make sure you find your locations before it goes dark, so that you can safely get to the spot, as the lack of light can make it difficult to find your way.
Also, take a bright torch to help you to get home and always take a companion with you when taking photos at night. If you take part in a digital photography workshop for teens, you can go out with a group to take photos at night safely, while learning the most effective photography tricks.
Capturing the stars and the sky
Taking photos of the stars or celestial events is called astrophotography. Celestial events such as lunar eclipses and meteor showers are phenomenal to catch on camera but they don’t come around very often. However, in the UK we were recently treated to the appearance of the Northern Lights and some breathtaking photos were captured by amateur and professional photographers.
If you want to ensure that you can take stunning photos of such events when they occur, now is the time to start practising. Signing up for our digital photography workshop for teens will prepare you for making the most of these rare photography opportunities.
The best time to take night photos in the countryside is when there are no clouds and when there is a new moon (the moon is not visible so the stars are clearer). You can use a star-tracking app to find constellations or the Milky Way at certain times. Dark Sky Reserves are the best place to find clear sights of the stars and there are multiple locations around England to take your night photography up a level.
Magical night photography – Inspiring photographers
Take a look at some famous photographers to see how they captured award-winning night photos. A couple to take inspiration from are:
Gregory Crewdson
Some of Gregory Crewsden’s acclaimed works include images of fireflies in the English countryside. His photo titled ‘In a Lonely Place: Late Night’ is another example of creative ways to take photos at night. You can see some of his work on his website – https://gagosian.com/artists/gregory-crewdson/.
Henri Prestes
Another exciting photographer to take some tips from is Henri Prestes, whose portfolio includes some haunting rural photos including an image of car headlights on a country road through the fog. He also captured darkened, deserted streets and pictures of people standing in the moonlight. You can see them here – https://henriprestesp.com/.
Learn how to take photos like the pros at our teenage photography classes!
Teenage photography classes
If you’re feeling inspired to get started with night photography, and learn how the likes of Henri Prestes and Gregory Crewdson captured their magical photos, why not sign up for our teenage photography classes?
Taking night photos allows you to explore your creativity and it is super fun. You can add unique, moody images to your portfolio and meet fellow young snappers at our digital photography workshop for teens.
As a group, we work through the techniques and visit some amazing spots to bring your new knowledge to life. There are plenty of options for a digital photography workshop for teens – landscapes, wildlife and water, to name a few!
Check out our digital photography workshop for teens schedule and book onto an exciting day of photography fun.