My favorite night photography tips for photographing in the city
Photographing cityscapes at night can be both challenging and rewarding. The shimmering lights, dramatic shadows, and bustling energy offer endless opportunities for creative expression. To help you elevate your nighttime photography, here are my top three tips to create compelling and technically sound cityscape images.
Tip #1: Embrace or Eliminate Ghosting in Your Photos
Ghosting occurs when people or objects in your frame move during a long exposure, creating streaks or blurs. While some photographers consider this a nuisance, it can add a dynamic and artistic element to your shots, giving your image a sense of motion and life. Think of blurry pedestrians crossing a brightly lit street or cars leaving streaks of light behind them.
Here’s how to handle ghosting, depending on your preference:
To emphasize ghosting: Set up your camera on a tripod and use a longer shutter speed (5-30 seconds). This will capture the movement of people and vehicles in a way that contrasts beautifully with the stationary cityscape. These elements can inject energy into what might otherwise be a static shot.
To minimize ghosting: If moving subjects are distracting, shoot multiple frames of the scene without changing your composition. Later, you can blend these images in Photoshop to remove the motion. Use a layer mask to paint out the unwanted movement while retaining the integrity of the static elements in your photo.
Pro Tip: Whether you embrace or eliminate ghosting, experiment! Movement in cityscape photography can transform an ordinary scene into something extraordinary.
Tip #2: Use Your Histogram and Expose to the Right
One of the biggest challenges with night photography is exposure. It's easy to underexpose your images because the bright LCD screen on the back of your camera can be deceiving. Have you ever thought your shot looked fine on location, only to find it was too dark and noisy when you got home? You’re not alone!
Here’s the fix: always rely on your histogram rather than your camera’s screen.
What does "expose to the right" mean?
Your histogram is a graphical representation of the tonal range in your photo. "Exposing to the right" means adjusting your exposure so that the data shifts toward the right side of the graph without clipping the highlights.
This technique ensures your image is slightly brighter than it may appear on the back of your camera. A brighter exposure minimizes noise and gives you more flexibility during post-processing.
Practical steps:
Use a tripod to stabilize your camera and allow for longer exposures.
Set your ISO to a higher value that you’re comfortable with to avoid excessive noise.
Manually adjust your shutter speed and aperture to achieve a balanced histogram. The right side of the graph should have a gentle slope without sharp spikes at the very edge.
Pro Tip: Trust the histogram over your LCD screen. The LCD shows a low-resolution JPEG preview, not your RAW file. By exposing to the right, you retain more data in the brightest parts of your image, reducing noise and improving overall quality.
Tip #3: Make Rain Your Ally, Not Your Enemy
Rain might seem like an inconvenience when shooting at night, but it can transform your cityscape photography. Wet streets and puddles create stunning reflections, amplifying the vibrancy of city lights and adding unique compositional elements to your images. However, rain does come with challenges—namely, water droplets on your lens.
Here’s how to work with rain effectively:
Protect your gear: Use a lens hood and a waterproof camera cover to shield your equipment. If possible, carry a small umbrella to keep raindrops off your lens. Be mindful of the umbrella’s position to avoid it creeping into your frame.
Check your lens frequently: Water droplets are especially visible at narrow apertures (e.g., f/8 to f/16). Between shots, inspect your lens for droplets and wipe it clean with a microfiber cloth.
Leverage the rain for creative shots:
Look for puddles and experiment with reflections. Position your camera low to the ground to make the most of these mirrored surfaces.
Use the glistening streets to emphasize illuminated foregrounds, where streetlights and neon signs create dramatic colors and textures.
Pro Tip: Don’t let a little rain deter you! Some of the most captivating cityscapes come to life when the streets are wet and reflective.
In Summary
Photographing cityscapes at night requires attention to detail and a willingness to experiment. By embracing ghosting or eliminating distractions, properly exposing your shots with the help of a histogram, and creatively incorporating rain and reflections, you’ll capture images that stand out from the crowd. Grab your camera, head into the night, and let the city’s lights guide your creativity!