Tim’s tips for taking urban shots at night
1
Get stable shots
In addition to a tripod, if you are
using a traditional DSLR, you
may need to use a shutter release cable
or self-timer, to avoid any shake as you
hitting the shutter or from the mirror
moving before the shutter opens.
Wind can cause your camera to wobble,
so you need a tripod that’s light enough for
you to carry easily, but also sturdy enough
to counter gusts. You may also need to
find a well-sheltered area to set up in.
With all these factors in place, you can
afford to open the shutter for several
seconds and have a crisp image.2
Capture light trails
When you open up your shutter
for 15 seconds, 30 seconds or even
several minutes, moving lights are captured
in an interesting way. If you take a long
exposure of a busy road, for example, the
vehicles might disappear, but their light trails
remain. To capture light trails, you’ll need to
experiment with the shutter speed, but 10
seconds is a good place to start. Lower the
ISO to compensate for the low exposure
times. A long exposure from above can
show your city’s networks in a beautiful
and new (ahem) light.3
Paint with light
Using exactly the same principles
as shooting light trails, you can
manipulate light and create patterns to
photograph – with a simple household torch
or even the torch on your phone. Set your
camera up for a long exposure, then move
the lit torch around for the duration of the
exposure. You can also buy light sticks
specifically designed for long exposures,
such as a Pixelstick, which will paint a
pre-selected pattern for you. By spinning
the stick in a circular motion, you can also
create a light orb (like the one on the right).4
See stars
Another trick of night photography
is turning static lights in the scene
into stars. When you look at a light and
squint your eyes, you’ll find that the light
flares out from the edges as it diffracts into
your retina. The same principle applies to
cameras. If you stop down your aperture
to its narrowest opening (probably f/22)
compensated with a long exposure time,
your camera is effectively squinting. Point
your camera directly at a light source, then
shoot the same shot at f/2.8 and again at
f/22, and see how the light behaves.http://www.digitalcameraworld.com MARCH 2020 DIGITAL CAMERA^33TimCornbillPhoto Active
Urban Photography
by Tim Cornbill
is published by Ilex
http://www.ilex.press