Night Portrait Photography Tips
Shooting photography at night is a challenging but obtainable feat. The obstacles may be overcome with progressive success, continued practice and accumulated knowledge. Researching what others have learned in the process will help your success arrive sooner. Choosing a camera with the right options will also optimize your chances for success.
Be prepared
Night photography requires a camera with the ability to shoot manually, preferably in raw format, with a bulb setting or time setting capabilities. You will also need a tripod. Remember to add extra batteries, a flashlight, a timer or watch and a notebook to record your exposure notes. Include a hood to guard against flare-ups, which are common occurrences in night photography.
Be aware of the weather and dress accordingly. Bring something warm to drink such as coffee or hot chocolate. Sitting still for long periods of time will make it feel colder than the temperature readings. Bringing a friend or companion photographer is also recommended. It is safer and a companion will help the time factor while waiting for your shots. If fog is involved you will want a chamois for your lenses and a plastic bag and rubber band in case you need to cover your camera.
If you are using film research the best type for the camera and type of shots you plan on taking. Different types of shots will dictate different types of film.
Learning your Camera
Practicing and knowing your camera settings is the key to success. Study your manual and learn your ISO settings, white balance and exposure capabilities. When you feel like you understand your camera schedule your night excursion. Be prepared for a long night. Exposures for city settings will require 20 to 30 minutes for a shot. Shots in remote areas may take up to 3 hours to achieve.
If you set your ISO to higher settings up to 1600 you can achieve a night shot with shorter exposure time. This is because the higher setting makes the sensor more sensitive to light. However, if you set your ISO at 100 and use a long exposure you can create some movement in your shots that produce some awesome virtual reality shots. So experiment with different speeds to see the difference in your shots.
To begin with, you should use your automatic white balance when shooting at night. However, as you experiment and are more experienced try changing it to match the color of your light source. With city shots, the types of lights are different colors and will affect your finished results. The change will add clarity to the lights in your night shots.
Shoot in raw format with manual settings to benefit the most in your exposure. Use bracketing to take several shots. With the long exposure, you can edit the shots to create the best contrast and most interesting shots.
Record the times and settings you used to learn what to do and not do with your next shots. As you practice, your learning will make each successive shot better and easier to achieve.
Learning to capture nocturnal shots greatly enhances your photography portfolio.