Best Techniques for Perfecting Your Night Photography

 Have you been wanting to give night photography a try but don’t know where to start? Night photography can be truly magical. A rather dull and unremarkable scene during the day can transform into something incredible when the sun goes down. When taking night photography, you can usually photograph places that are normally too crowded to shoot during the day. Because of the lack of light, night photography requires a little more knowledge about how to use the settings on your Canon EOS R6 from Beachcamera.com. Here are some techniques to help you master stunning night photography of the moon, the sky and other night moments this summer.

A Tripod is a Must
Taking night photography will require long exposures. Your Sony Alpha 7R III Mirrorless Camera will need to be completely motionless at all times. Chances are, your hands will not be steady enough to take night photography without causing motion blur. A sturdy tripod will solve this problem. The tripod you are using doesn’t have a level? Just use your camera’s virtual horizon to make sure it is level.

Switch to Manual
Are you comfortable using automatic mode for your everyday photography? You may be able to rely on autofocus for daytime photography, or even indoor photography when the lighting is set perfectly. The lack of light when shooting night photography will confuse your camera if shooting in auto. Your camera will choose the wrong settings and your night photography will be disappointing. Switching to manual mode will give you total control over the ISO, aperture and shutter speed when shooting night photography. Setting your camera to manual focus will ensure your camera doesn’t focus on a random part of the scene. Set your manual focus to infinity. Turn on Live View Mode and press the Zoom-in button for sharper night photography images.  

Try a Low ISO
When shooting night photography, you will probably assume using a high ISO will produce better images. Capturing night photography using a high ISO can also increase the noise in your images. Newer, high-end cameras can handle these high ISO settings for your night photography. But if you are unsure of your cameras ability, take a few practice shots at different ISO settings. If you are using a tripod, shoot your night photography at lower ISO levels. You can use slower shutter speeds and wider apertures instead for most of your night photography situations. 

Night Photography Lenses
In most cases, shooting night photography doesn’t require purchasing any special lenses. The portrait or landscape lens you are already using can be used for night photography as well. Just make sure it has an aperture of at least f/2.8. An aperture of f/1.4 is ideal for night photography. You most definitely can’t go wrong with prime lenses. They usually have larger apertures. You will also want to look for a night photography lens with a wide focal length to create sharp images. Night photography lenses with a long focal length are perfect for capturing star trails.

Use these best techniques for perfecting your night photography. Give yourself time to experiment with your camera settings. Take a lot of practice shots because just as the night sky changes every night, your settings will as well.