Shoot the night fantastic

Some people look a lot better in the dark  and it’s the same with buildings.  Some facades can appear dark, brooding and hit with a big ugly stick at night.  Others may be a bit plain and not worth a second look during the day but can look  spectacular at night.

You may feel nice and toasty in front of the TV but you could be missing a great opportunity… why not plan a night shoot?

If you can spare the time to do a little recce prior to a night shoot it’s well worth it, it will allow you to plan a hit list and your timings - some buildings will look great at a certain time and others will get better and better as darkness creeps in.

It may seem a bit soft but a bit of planning can go a long way but it’s all very well talking about it - a few days ago I ventured into London town and went for it.

Kit

Shooting in low light obviously leads to longer exposure times and some form of support is vital (and we’re taking more than a shoulder to lean on.) Now you don’t have to a massive chunky tripod - although in a big bag it may get you a seat to yourself on the bus and is great for clearing the way in a crowd. If you go for a big tripod you and your back will soon regret it.

I opted for a medium sized tripod – sturdy but most importantly not too heavy and this was carried over my shoulder in a tripod bag. A lot of photographers were around (well that’s London for you) and were carrying their cameras aloft – not sure about that, you really need to trust you tripod head - if  it was me I’d have popped a soft cover over the top for protection and reduced the overall height, big time.

Anyway, talking of heads a two way pan tilt would cover all eventualities if you go for one that just offers one option you’ll regret it  (been there and unfortunately done that.)

A small beanbag is also a good support option as is your camera bag and on one memorable occasion a cellophane wrapped sandwich (well it was old.) The name of the game, when you’re out and about is to occasionally improvise. If you’ve got a DSLR a standard lens and a wide angle should be sufficient, unless you want to get in tight for some detailed shots, if that’s the case add a short zoom – if you’ve had time to prepare you’ll know what you need.

Accessories

Spare batteries and plenty of memory cards are obvious but must be mentioned. In London there’s loads of cafes dotted around but a small flask to keep you going would be a good idea and some food. If you’re using a tripod I would recommend a cable release as you can still suffer a shudder when pressing the shutter. If you find that you’ve forgotten the cable release just pop the camera on self-timer.

Clothing

Layers are better than a thick jumper and a scarf or a snood keeps your neck snug – it’s better to have stuff you don’t use rather than stuff you don’t have.

You’re either a ‘hat person’ or not, so it’s down to you I always think a good way to improve bad hair is to get a hat. Sturdy shoes, long socks, gloves and a good coat and you’re ready rock & roll.

Safety

If you’re alone you should be vigilant all the time and beware dark alleyways it’s common sense but it’s actually a lot more fun to go on a night shoot with a fellow photographer or two. It’s good to have someone else’s opinion and they can hold your tripod when you go to the loo (no pun intended.)

Technique

By using a tripod you can get a decent depth of field and as a result longer exposures, in the days of film you used to get reciprocity failure (basically in longer exposures the film would become less sensitive to light and you could end up with poor results.) Thankfully digital doesn’t have this capability but noise can build up in underexposed frames so bracketing of exposures is a good plan, although you can lift midtones and reveal hidden detail by using curves in Photoshop but keep an eye on all areas as you may need to mask certain bits if they overexpose.

 

If it’s busy you can get a bit fed up waiting for people to pass by so why not make them a feature of your image? You can achieve some great results with long shutter speeds which will render them blurred and ghost like. An added benefit is that they won’t be recognisable but beware men in white coats (or women) as they can draw the eye. You can also experiment with zooming a lens during exposure – get stuck in and have some fun with it. It can seem a bit odd at first as focus and sharpness are normally so important but by breaking rules and actually striving for blurred results it’s rather liberating.

Lit offices and shops are good subjects as are municipal buildings -  at night the details seems extra vibrant and  highly detailed. I was lucky enough to get to Somerset House before the ice skating rink closed and the atmosphere was great, the lighting made everything sparkle.

 

You might not think bridges are very exciting but once again, at night they can become wonderful subjects.

Also keep your eye out for interesting lighting some councils are using lighting in ever-more creative ways and we’re not just talking about Christmas. Average metering means light will be bright and backgrounds recede – a perfect combination. 

If you come across a selection of coloured light a little brush (low opacity) can give them an extra ping – but don’t go overboard.

You can also have some fun on the way home, if you’re a passenger in the back seat experiment with long shutter speeds (no flash) and you’ll be amazed at what you get. Best of all these images will be truly unique – you’ve captured a moment in time and non-one will have the same shot.

The images will be abstract but I guess it’s a case of being a little off-the-wall to get something on-the-wall and these would look great as large canvasses or framed prints.

Shooting vehicles must be done with care as you don’t want to distract a driver – I just put the camera up to the window and sat back, if only everything was as simple.

So there you go – there’s plenty of opportunity at night, just get out there and enjoy it, once you’ve had some fresh air and got some great images you can then stay in the warm and really start playing.

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