Night and Low-light Photography Photo Workshop

hasn’t gone completely dark yet, and the clouds

are starting to take on the color of the sky and

the city.

Exposure concerns

Metering a changing sky with the gradually

increasing brightness of the city lights can be

tough. This is one of those scenarios where prac-

tice can really pay off, but to ensure the closest

starting point, do the following:

1. Set the camera on a tripod.


2. Compose the image and lock the camera
   into place.

you should forget shooting at any other time of
the year except winter and fall, but just realize
that the images might not have as much light.

The direction that you photograph in also makes
a difference in the final image. Facing west will
catch the most color in the sky as the sun sets,
while facing east could allow you to catch the
reflections of the setting sun’s colors in the glass
buildings and make the photos something special.

The best time to photograph is right after the sun
sets, when some of the colors of the day are still
bleeding into the sky. Take the photo of the San
Diego skyline that I shot from Coronado Island
(shown in Figure 8-19); you can see that the sky

8-18

ABOUT THIS PHOTO The San Diego skyline photographed with a long lens makes the buildings look like they are closer together than they
really are. Taken at 5 seconds, f/7.1, and ISO 100.