Night Photography Techniques And Effects

Night photography is an exciting and creatively challenging pastime. Photography relies solely on light to capture images; at night there is less light. Objects take on a whole different feel at night, and the photographer must be skilled at capturing that feel. As most photographers know, what the eye sees is not necessarily what shows up on film. This is especially true for night photography. Shooting in low light can make pictures look darker than the environment or make images grainy. 

Increase the Exposure

The exposure is the total amount of light that is captured by the camera. Photographs with low exposure have less light in them, while photographs with high exposure are bright. The higher the exposure, the longer the shutter stays open to capture light. If the exposure is high and either the camera or subject is moving, this can result in the image appearing blurred or moving. If the subject is a light source, like the lights of a car, it can look like a streak of light going across the screen. Experiment with high-exposure shots

Shooting with a Flash Filter

At night, a flash can make images in the foreground appear white and the background very dark. Put a filter, such as a tissue or colored gel over the flash to play with how the flash works. The filter can soften harshness of the flash and add some interesting effects to the image. Alternatively, putting a hand or cutout design a few inches from the flash can darken certain portions of the image. A cutout snow flake pattern can superimpose a snow flake shadow over the subject.

Create Time Lapse Shots

Mount the camera on a tripod, and take several photographs with varying high exposures. Pick the exposure that is on the brighter side. Set the timer for the camera, and run across the framed area of the shot from left to right (or right to left) when the camera shoots. This will create a time lapse shot of the subject running. Add jumping or spinning to enhance the effect. Carry sparklers or a light source to draw light lines on the image. It may take a couple shots to get the timing right.

Adjust Exposure and Flash

As stated, images in the foreground have a tendency to become overexposed with a flash. One way to solve this problem is by lowering the exposure when shooting with a flash at night. This should offset the brightness of the flash and also allow the camera to capture movement without distortion. The background of the image will become really dark with this method.