There are a couple of planning tips you will need to bear in mind before you take any night time photographs of cities:
First, you need a good viewpoint;
And second, you need either a tripod or a solid base to place your camera on. The viewpoint - this depends a little on the type of shot you are after. My preference is for somewhere that is above the ground (a set of steps, for example), but not always. Sometimes the best shots can be had at ground level.
A tripod or solid base is recommended because your camera’s shutter will be open for several seconds, and you want to make sure your camera is absolutely still during that time.
You will also need to make sure you secure your camera onto the tripod. If you can’t find a solid surface to rest your camera on you can always try propping it up with something like a bag or jumper.
Once you have figured out how to secure your camera you want to set the shutter speed for a few seconds. I recommend starting with about 15 seconds.
If you are unable to control the shutter speed, set it to “night” mode.
You are ready to take your pictures once you have everything arranged (camera on a solid surface and self timer primed).
First, check your scene. Is everything in it that you wanted to be in it? If you are aiming to get streaking car headlights, is there any traffic around?
Once you have your scene figured out you can finally press the shutter button.
The self timer should begin to count down. Please note that if you are waiting for something to appear in your scene you need to remember that your shutter speed will have to count down first - time for this.
When the shutter clicks, wait. And wait, and wait . . . until it closes again. Remember that this will be a few seconds.
If you don’t see the preview right away on the LCD there is no need to worry. Due to the long exposure time digital cameras usually take longer than usual to process the photo.
This is just my opinion, but here are a couple of things that I think make a good night photography shot:
Neon lights Streaks of car headlights and tail lights Available light For both of these you need to plan a little in advance. Find an area where you can safely photograph neon lights.
Find your solid spot (or put your camera onto a tripod), and then take a few shots. Because neon lights flash you will need the shutter to be open for some time in order to catch all the flashes.
For photographing streaks of car headlights and tail lights you will obviously want to find a spot that has a good bit of traffic, but again, be safe in your choice of locations.
One thing to try is to use something in the background as well; usually streaks of light photographed on their own can be a bit boring!
Now you can take your shot.
Please know that the longer your shutter is open, the more streaks you will capture. And of course, the more traffic there is, the more streaks will appear too!
Available light also has a part to play in creating a good night photography shot.
You will find that there are times when a scene looks its best when you set it amongst inky-black skies. By playing around you will also find that there are times when a little light works best, so photos just prior to dark really sets in are worth a try too.
The best bit of advice I can give you is to try both situations and see which captures the effect you are after best.
You also will want to play around with your shutter speed since there are times you will find that a 10 second exposure gets the look you are after. Sometimes you may need up to a minute.
If you practice you will soon get a feel for what you will need for any given situation.
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