Night and Low-light Photography Photo Workshop

    ■   Shady characters and neighborhoods. There

are some places where having a camera out in

the open is a bad idea, and having it out at

night is a worse idea. Pay attention to the

neighborhood and don’t put yourself in any

danger. If you have any doubts, don’t photo-

graph there, or ask people who know the area;

the best thing to do is to make sure you pay

attention to your surroundings. It is very easy

to get caught up in capturing an image, and

people can walk right up to you before you

realize they are there. Bringing along a friend

can provide an extra pair of eyes looking out

while you set up and take the photos.

    ■   The weather. Getting caught outdoors in the

rain is one thing, but getting caught out in

the rain with your camera gear is a whole

other story. Not only do you have to protect

yourself, but you also need to protect your

camera gear. Wearing appropriate shoes and

making sure you have the proper rain gear is

important; check out the camera rain covers

from Think Tank Photo, which are designed

with photographers in mind.

    ■   Let someone know where you are. The most

important safety measure is to let someone

know where you are and when you plan on

being back. I make sure that my wife knows

where I am shooting and when I plan on

being done, and I check in if any of those

plans change. Just make sure that you check

in when you are done. It would not be a good

thing for the person awaiting your call to be

up all night worrying; they might just call

the police.

Follow these precautions in order to stay safe

when out photographing in the city at night,

especially if you are in an unfamiliar city or are

taken at the street level. This can give your
images a sense that the viewer is part of the
scene, as everything looks in the proper
perspective.

The other point of view is to look down on the
scene from a higher vantage point, such as from
a balcony, deck, hillside, or bridge that overlooks
the scene. For example, the shopping mall in
Figure 8-2 is built to allow views out to the sur-
rounding streets, which provides multiple angles
and views of the same scene. When photograph-
ing down from the higher levels, a longer focal
length is better because the compression can
make elements at various distances seem to be
close together, even when they are far apart.

Safety first

As much fun as photographing is at night, it can
also be a very dangerous thing to do. No matter
what else is going on, your safety needs to be the
most important consideration when you are out
shooting. Remember to use your common sense,
and don’t put yourself in danger just to get a pho-
tograph. It isn’t worth it. Here are some of the
things you need to look out for:

■   Cars and traffic. The biggest danger when

taking night photographs in the city is passing
cars. Most drivers can’t see you most of the
time, and by the time they do, it can be too
late. Make sure that you stay off the road and
on the sidewalk when shooting. Be careful
where you set up your tripod to make sure it
doesn’t impede the flow of foot traffic.

A blinking bicycle light or other type

of high-visibility clothing can help

you be seen by cars and other pedestrians at night.

tip