No Light, No Light
Photographed and Writen By: Farrah Fox
“Follow the light first, and your heart second” is the golden rule of photography. Light is what pictures are composed of and without illumination, there is nothing to capture. As the sun sets, options can seem bleak, but in reality a whole new set of tools can be put to use.
Using flash is usually first instinct, but utilizing the flash can be burdensome and it’s difficult to get the results you want. There are always ways to take pictures at night without employing the flash on your camera. Opening the shutter for a longer period of time will let more light it, but also allow for there to be more blur. Increasing ISO (the sensitivity of the digital sensor) will make the picture lighter, but also more grainy. When changing settings for night photography, there’s always some give and take and you have to choose what you value more in a picture: graininess or blurriness. If there is an outside light source like a streetlamp [roller skate picture] then the shutter can be kept open for longer without the threat of blurriness while the ISO can remain low to avoid grain. If you’re in an area without streetlamps, another clever way to light your subject is to use the headlights of a car [sitting in the princess dress picture] which works really well and is easily manipulated. If you’re going for a certain look, using flash can be an interesting creative choice as well. It can give a captivating effect on the photos if you know how to manipulate it correctly [picture with fur coat & picture sitting on the fence].
The more time spent taking pictures at night, the easier it becomes and the easier it is to control the outcome of the photo. It’s not an easy feat, but practice definitely equates to better pictures! Happy experimenting!
“Follow the light first, and your heart second” is the golden rule of photography. Light is what pictures are composed of and without illumination, there is nothing to capture. As the sun sets, options can seem bleak, but in reality a whole new set of tools can be put to use.
Using flash is usually first instinct, but utilizing the flash can be burdensome and it’s difficult to get the results you want. There are always ways to take pictures at night without employing the flash on your camera. Opening the shutter for a longer period of time will let more light it, but also allow for there to be more blur. Increasing ISO (the sensitivity of the digital sensor) will make the picture lighter, but also more grainy. When changing settings for night photography, there’s always some give and take and you have to choose what you value more in a picture: graininess or blurriness. If there is an outside light source like a streetlamp [roller skate picture] then the shutter can be kept open for longer without the threat of blurriness while the ISO can remain low to avoid grain. If you’re in an area without streetlamps, another clever way to light your subject is to use the headlights of a car [sitting in the princess dress picture] which works really well and is easily manipulated. If you’re going for a certain look, using flash can be an interesting creative choice as well. It can give a captivating effect on the photos if you know how to manipulate it correctly [picture with fur coat & picture sitting on the fence].
The more time spent taking pictures at night, the easier it becomes and the easier it is to control the outcome of the photo. It’s not an easy feat, but practice definitely equates to better pictures! Happy experimenting!