When The Sun Goes Down...

       Why are digital photographers afraid of the dark?

 We can blame our biological clocks saying its time to sleep, or we can say its just a habit. Regardless, digital cameras have opened up a world that has remained hidden from us, or one that we hide from. What is it that turns the photographer away at night? Is it noise? Come on, why be afraid of a little noise?

     One of my favorite times to shoot images is from dusk to dawn. Why? Well the main reason is there are less distractions during the late night. Most people are in bed and the natural ambient light takes on a calming blue quality. Its amazing how different the world looks through a long exposure.

      Many photographers pack up and head home when the sun goes down. Why? For night time shots all you need is a steady tripod and some imagination. Take the picture above, a 15 second exposure at ISO 125 f/4.5 @ 165mm no flash. Sure there is some blur but have you tried holding yourself completely still for 15 seconds? This image is impossible to record on film due to reciprocity failure. Digital sensors make it possible to capture high quality images when our eyes can barely see what is in front of us.

  

     Any one walking by this house in the day time would say its just a big house. But at night, The ambient lighting turns "just a big house" into an eerie sight! Your eyes wouldn't see this. This took 20 seconds @ ISO 100 to bring the character out of the night. Do you see any noise? 

1..2.. Freddy's coming for you!

    50mm f/8 @ ISO 200 30sec.

         Still very high quality and virtually no noise! So try this, go to your favorite spot to photograph, take a few shots in the day, then, if the law allows, go back at night and shoot some more. See how much it changes just between day and night.

         Here are some tips to get maximum sharpness in low lighting situations:

1. Shoot on a tripod ~ duh!
2.  Use the self timer to prevent bumping the camera during exposure.
3. If your camera has a mirror up or delayed exposure mode use it to prevent the shutter from shaking the camera.
4. Get a remote release. Some remotes have timers to allow for shutter speeds much longer than the longest speed programed into your camera.
5. Bring a light to help manually focus your lens. Auto focus goes out the window after dark. Except during a full moon.

Speaking of full moons...

Here's an instance when shooting at night does not mean shooting in low light!

         So go out and explore the night time world that our eyes refuse to see! You may be surprised at what you reveal!