Nighttime photography offers a unique canvas for creative expression, and we want to share with you some valuable tips to help you take remarkable photos during this season.
Use external illuminations gadgets to compensate the light
External flash:
We know that not all photographers are willing to use the flash in their photos, but the right usage of this tool can really help in capturing nice moments during the night time specially to compensate for the light.
In general:
Set the TTL mode of your flash and avoid directing the flash towards your subjects.
We recommend bouncing the light at any available walls, and in case of no walls around, then twist the flash as if you were going to bounce it in a wall and proceed to pull out the white card that your flash has built in so you can use this as a bouncer itself.
Pay attention at the distance to your subjects in order to have enough reach of the flash
Pay attention to your speed, that's the tricky part: enough to let ambience come in, enough not to have a motion photo. That would be 1/ 125 or minimum 1/60
We highly recommend you to watch the tutorials of the following photographer that specialises in flash photography.
External Still - Led light source:
If you are not a fan of external flash, we suggest you use: led panel light to mount on top of your camera.
Depending on the panel you use, power might not be enough to freeze a person in movement, but would be enough to obtain a nice photo. Another nice thing about some led panels is that you can modify the temperature, giving you the opportunity to play around with different colour tones.
Here is an example of panel that might interest you.
Post-Processing for enhancement of your night shoots:
After capturing your images, utilise post-processing tools to refine and enhance your photographs. Adjust exposure, contrast, and colours subtly to bring out the festive ambiance while ensuring a natural look.
If you are more into presets, here you can find a collection of affordable presets that are related nightshoots:
Don't know how to use presets? You can find a tutorial on this here.
Noise reduction in editing
Given the light conditions that you will be managing, ISO might have to go high and impact the noise on your photos.
The new version of Lightroom, has a new AI noise reduction feature and with a few clicks you can transform your photos. We have prepared a short tutorial to help you with that:
Other Tips
Choose the right gear
Equip yourself with the appropriate gear for low-light conditions: A tripod is essential to stabilise your camera, consider fast prime lenses with wider apertures (f/2.8 or lower) to gather more light and create beautifully blurred backgrounds
Experiment with bokeh:
Take advantage of the sparkling lights to create mesmerising bokeh effects. Use a wide aperture to blur the background lights, turning them into soft, colourful orbs that add an enchanting touch to your images.
Remember, the key to exceptional nighttime photography lies in creativity, experimentation, and patience. Embrace the enchanting atmosphere, play with different angles, and allow your imagination to capture the essence night time photography 💛