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CHAPTER
NIGHT AND LOW-LIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY / Low-Light Landscapes

that being said, just being on the West Coast

doesn’t mean that there will be a great sunset

every night, nor does it mean that every sunrise

on the East Coast will produce a great image, but

the odds are in your favor.

When composing for coastline photographs, try

not to just point the camera out to sea and hope

for the best. These images can appear really bor-

ing unless there is a stunning sunrise or sunset to

hold the viewer’s attention. Look for areas where

there is an interesting subject, like pier pilings,

rocks, driftwood, and even the patterns in the

sand. These are great compositional elements

that you can use in conjunction with the smooth

look of the water that is captured with a long

that the water will either be coming in toward
you or going out away from you, and adjust the
composition accordingly. For example, if the
water is going away from you, make sure that you
are not left with just sand, unless that’s the look
you are going for. If the tide is coming in, you
want to give yourself a little space so that you
don’t end up in the water.

When photographing along the coast, the best
times to shoot are at dawn or dusk when the sun
is below the horizon but there are still traces of
light in the sky. This also depends on which coast
you are photographing. Generally the East Coast
has better light before sunrise, while the West
Coast has better light right after sunset. With

ABOUT THIS PHOTO This image was shot with a longer shutter speed to get the water to flow, but because of the amount of light present, a
6-stop neutral density filter was needed. The 2 second exposure time really managed to smooth out the fast-moving water. Taken at 2 seconds, f/11,
and ISO 200. © Ken Toney

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