66 DIGITAL CAMERA^ MARCH 2021 http://www.digitalcameraworld.com
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Flash is often completely
pointless in low-light shots:
the light will have little or no
effect on a distant subject,
and if the lit building or
structure is close enough,
the flash would destroy the
ambience of the scene. If you
do need to add light to a night
image, it’s often better done
using a torch or LED light
panel and painting the light
in subtly, for a more natural
result that blends in.SHOOT INTERIORS
1
Locations like metro stations
are artificially lit at all times,
and the light can be evenly
spread within the location, as it
is at Southwark Tube station in
London. Here, the even lighting
accentuates the metal panelling.
(With a mixture of deep shadow,
artificial and natural light, the light
at Canary Wharf Tube station has
more contrast than Southwark.)n kI «! n È«
2
Exterior lighting is often a
single type of lighting with
a single colour temperature,
although some buildings, such
as London’s National Theatre,
use gelled lighting, which
renders different parts of the
architecture in different hues.
Combine this with a glowing
sky at dusk for a low-light
image that glows with colour.ÁR0«n áٳnXJRÁ0æx ̈n0³
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Capture brightly lit buildings and structures
when the city lights up at duskities are busy and
buzzing places
throughout much
of the day and
night, but it’s
when the sun goes down and
the lights come on that they
become visually alive with
colour and contrast. Buildings
and structures immediately
become more interesting, and
as this can occur as early as
4.30pm in the winter months,
you don’t have to wait too long
for the magic to happen.
As with most landscape and
cityscape shoots, the secret to
success is to be on location and
ready to shoot earlier than thetime you intend to start. You will
get the best results shooting
when there’s still a slight glow
and detail in the sky, so start
shooting as soon as the blue
hour begins after sunset.C
PRO SHOT
Albert Bridge
Set against the glowing twilight sky, the
yellow lighting of Albert Bridge creates the
perfect balance of complementary colours- yellow and blue – that makes this Grade
II listed bridge connecting Chelsea and
Battersea a fantastic low-light subject.
PRO ADVICE
Watch the highlights
Keep an eye on the highlights to ensure
they don’t blow out. Blown highlights
hold no image data and can never be
recovered, whereas even clipped shadows
can be recovered to a degree, so it’s always
better to underexpose than to overexpose.n
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