Lighting Digital Field Guide
Preparation and Considerations Many photographers who participate in my workshops and classes relate to me the classic story of attempting night and low-light photography a time or two, being displeased with the results, and giving up and moving on to other types of photo work. Their reasons for abandoning night photography vary. For some, the final images are not representational of the scenes they photographed. Others grow frustrated because they have a limited working knowledge of the vast recording capabilities of their digital cameras. Although it’s true that the longer exposures and higher ISOs required for this kind of photography can add an intolerable amount of digital noise to some of the images, advancements in camera and software technologies have made reducing that noise easier and more streamlined as well. Many of today’s camera manufacturers have included low-light noise reduction at higher ISOs as a menu feature in their latest model cameras. Check to see if it’s included in your camera’s functions and if it is, turn it on now as you begin to explore this exciting way of capturing light.
11.1 The New York skyline showing the Empire State Building and Times Square, photographed handheld from the top of Rockefeller Center looking southwest. For the best results when making images such as this, always use a tripod and remote switch. I didn’t have them with me at the time and had to use a high ISO, large aperture, and a slow shutter speed to get a sharp image. Exposure: ISO 1600, f/2.8, 1/25 second.
Making images at night or in low-light situations can be vexing for many photographers. To do it right, you need to develop an awareness of the subtleties of light and the ability to estimate an exposure because your camera’s built-in light meter was not
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