Moonlight shining over a rolling hilly landscape. Clouds and lights blurring together in the sky. Ocean waves coalescing into white swirls and ethereal forms. Red and white lines of illumination tracking over roadways. Yup, we're talking about night photos!

Night photography can offer a unique take on a familiar landscape or a well-traveled street. So what do we need to create photographs like this? And how do we use our cameras at night, in low-light, specialty exposure conditions?

In Part 1 we will discuss the equipment you’ll need to create night photographs. Then in Part 2 we’ll go into some specifics on exposure, camera settings and lighting effects.

The Equipment

Camera

Obviously, you need a camera. But not just any camera. For serious night photography or long-exposure photography, you’re going to need a digital SLR, or DSLR for short. This type of camera will allow you full manual control over all your camera settings and all the magic numbers, like shutter speed, aperture and ISO. (we’ll get into just what settings to use in Part 2)

But can you use a point-and-shoot camera for night photography? Point-and-shoot cameras are less expensive, consumer-level cameras. The short answer is maybe. If you have a point-and-shoot camera, your control over the camera’s inner workings is going to be limited. You might be able to adjust settings in camera menus, or access some sort of scene mode for night photos. But changing shutter speeds and apertures through menus is going to be limited and cumbersome at best. A point-and-shoot is not going to give you the fine-tuned control or the quality you need for good night shots.

So while you might be able to get some limited use out of a point-and-shoot camera for night photography, you’ll want a DSLR for easy access to manual settings and higher quality images.

Tripod

Aside from your camera, a tripod is your most important tool in capturing night photos and long-exposure photos. Without a tripod, there is a 90% chance that your opportunity of capturing that amazing night scene is sunk. Sure, some folks talk about “using the environment” as your tripod (and we’ll discuss this below), but even if you manage to find a fence post or railing to set your camera on for your long-exposure shot, doing so will greatly limit your choices in framing and composition.

So bring that tripod along. I know it can be inconvenient sometimes. After all, a tripod is extra weight to carry, and it will take up space in your case / backpack / packing scheme. But it’s worth it. With your camera attached to a tripod, you’ll be able to set your kit down exactly where you want and get the best shot and composition possible.

(boats and night lights at Victoria harbor; there was a railing nearby, but with a tripod I got exactly the shot composition I wanted)

If you forgot your tripod, there is still hope. A sliver of hope. When you find yourself at that stunning overlook, but don’t have your tripod along, check for something to set your camera on. A railing, a rock, a stool, a fence, a ledge, a log. Any of these will do. All you’re really looking for is a flat surface to steady your camera for the shot. They call this “using the environment” as your tripod. You won’t be able to get optimal framing, and whatever railing or barrier you’re using will probably end up in the bottom of your frame, but at least you’ll be able to get some sort of picture out of it.

But steadying your camera on a fence post or tree stump is a last resort only. For the sharpest and best shots, always bring your tripod!

Shutter Release

Once your camera is mounted on a tripod, you still need to keep your gear from moving around or shaking while taking your photos. The slightest bit of movement while the shutter is open can result in blurry, not-so-sharp pictures. Even something simple like pressing the shutter button can shake your camera enough to ruin a shot. What you need is a way to trigger the shutter release without actually touching the button.

A remote control for shutter release is the way to go. With a remote shutter release, you can trigger the camera shutter exactly when you want, for exactly how long you want, without bumping or moving the camera itself. Depending on the make and model of your DSLR camera, you will find wired and wireless remote shutter controls.

If you don’t have a remote shutter release, a backup option is to use your camera’s built-in self-timer. Set the self-timer for a two or five second delay. This means the camera will wait two or five seconds after you press the shutter button to start the capture. You will be able to press the camera shutter button as normal, but by the time the shutter opens and the exposure begins, any shaking or movement caused by your button press will have stopped.

(an early evening walk out on the dock; I didn't have a remote shutter release at this point, but the self-timer worked well)

Using the self-timer takes a little bit of finesse, practice and luck if you are trying to capture something that has a specific beginning or end, since you must account for the two or five second delay before the exposure begins. For example, if you want to catch traffic light trails as cars leave a stoplight or if you want to show the front of a train as comes it into the station. The self-timer will give you a satisfactory shot, but a remote shutter control is a more precise tool.

Filters

One thing I’ve experimented with is using different filters for night photography. If you are taking night photos that have bright areas in the frame, like city lights, traffic headlights or the moon, you will find that the brightly lit areas will sometimes appear completely white. This is because the bright areas have become overexposed. In other words, your camera sensor has received too much light to display any more detail for the bright pixels. Sometimes you’ll hear people refer to overexposed areas as “blown out” or “clipped”, but regardless of the term the result is the same.

Your camera can only capture so much brightness detail. (more on this in Part 2) So to clamp down on the brightest areas in your shot during a long exposure, you can try putting a graduated ND filter or a polarizing filter on your lens. The filter will limit the amount of light getting to the sensor and let you keep the shutter open long enough to get details from the darkest areas of the shot, while avoiding too much overexposure in brighter areas.

Wrap Up

These are the essential pieces of equipment we need for night photography. DSLR camera, tripod and shutter release. And trying out some different filters can also have benefits. In Part 2, we’ll discuss details of camera exposure and then go into some lighting effects that will help you get those really interesting and unique night shots.

Click here for How to Take Photos at Night (Part 2).