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CHAPTER
NIGHT AND LOW-LIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY / What Gear Is Important

Lenses

One of the big advantages of using a digital

Single Lens Reflex (dSLR) camera is that you can

change the lens that is attached to the camera,

which gives you an unlimited choice of focal

lengths. The lens choice is critical when you are

planning on photographing fast-moving subjects

in low light. You want to choose lenses with a

wide maximum aperture. You must pay attention

to what happens to that aperture when using

zoom lenses that have variable apertures because

as the lens changes focal length, the widest aper-

ture changes as well.

You might also consider a lens that has vibration

reduction, as this technology can help you get a

sharp image when used correctly. All these fac-

tors go into choosing the right lens for the job.

Focal length

The focal length of a lens is the distance between

the center of the lens and the sensor; it is usually

shown in millimeters. That’s really accurate but

doesn’t tell the whole story. The focal length

measurement can be used to determine how

much of the scene in front of the lens is captured

and what effect it has on the subject. The focal

length can be translated into a measurement

called the angle of view, which describes the

amount of the scene in front of the lens that is

captured. The shorter the focal length the wider

the angle of view, the longer the focal length the

smaller the angle of view. For example, in Figure

3-4 I used a 17mm focal length to capture as

much of the stage as I could from where I was

standing, while in Figure 3-5 I used the longer

focal length to only capture a small part of the

scene, in this case a close-up of Bob Weir, the

leader of the band. The longer the focal length,

If you are wondering when you might use a shut-
ter speed longer than 30 seconds, think about
fireworks, star trails, and light painting. I used the
Bulb mode and a cable release to photograph the
fireworks in Figure 3-3 instead of a set shutter
speed because it made it much easier to time the
fireworks. I just held the shutter release button on
the cable release when the fireworks explosions
started and released it when I saw the explosions
had finished.

ABOUT THIS PHOTO This was taken using a Nikon D700 set on
Bulb mode, allowing me to watch the fireworks and decide when to
start the exposure and when to end it. The long exposure also allowed
me to capture some of the movement in the smoke as the wind blew it
to the left. Taken at 6.3 seconds, f/16, and ISO 200.

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