sunday school: because the night belongs to us

Way back in the very tail end of my 20s, I found myself single again, living alone for the very first time in a tiny attic apartment in the heart of my city.  That's when I fell in love with the night and spent countless hours walking the city by streelight and capturing what I saw with my little Nikon Coolpix.  Back then, I knew nothing about white balance or aperture.  I just knew to hold really still and that sometimes my photos would come out a bit blurry and kinda orange, but what the hey;  I still loved it.

To this day, night photography remains a nostalgia-soaked event that I try to do every chance I get.  There are several variables that come into play that you don't get during daylight--moving points of light, streetlight flare, blur, deep indigo blue skies, strangers who seem even more mysterious in the night than during the day.

If you'd like to try a little night photography like the one I photographed above, here is a play by play of what I did to get the shot:

1. I set my ISO to 200.  The lower the ISO, the less noise you'll get.  In Aperture Priority, I set the the camera to f/4.5.  The narrower the aperture, the longer the shutter speed you'll need for proper exposure.  Since I wanted the people to be relatively in focus, I set the aperture narrow enough to make the streetlights flare, but wide enough for the shutter speed to be a reasonable 1/3 of a second.

2. I placed the camera on a stable surface.  I happened to find a ledge that was built into the wall of the building I was next to, and I set the camera on that.

3. Looking through the viewfinder (or Live View or LCD screen), I framed the shot the way I wanted it.  I knew I wanted streetlight flare, so I tried to get some streetlights in the shot, and I knew I wanted the the girl in one half of the shot, and the guy in the other.

4. I also wanted to capture the streaking blur of passing vehicles, so I waited until two cars were passing in opposit directions at the corner, and I clicked.

5. In post-processing, I played with the white balance and various color saturation to get the look I wanted.

So are there any other night owl shutterbugs out there?  I'd love to see what you capture in the night.

Comments

[kosenrufu mama]

my last night out....
http://esterdaphne.blogspot.com/2008/10/serata-mondana-via-guerrazzi-caff.html

[Marcie]

Love the image...and thanks for the 'how to' tutorial. I've never been one to go out shooting in the night..but you've inspired me to give it a try.

[Georgia]

this shot is awesome! i am always wanting to take good night-time photos. i am grateful for these tips! thank you.

[Sara]

I'm going to try out your techniques!. Here are several night time photos of Brooklyn.

http://elliottjournal.typepad.com/chitown2beantown/2008/12/24-hours-in-nyc-at-the-end-of-a-long-year.html

[Tracey Clark]

this is such a sarah shot. you have such a distinct style. it's SO cool! i never shoot at night to any exciting results but appreciate the play by play. i'll have to try !

[Tracy]

I love night photos! I was fortunate to get some exciting shots when I was on a boat cruise in Paris. I set my camera on a ledge and tried to focus at a point far enough away to avoid too much blurriness.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/31417716@N00/2463622218/in/set-72157604360719680/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/31417716@N00/2383581907/in/set-72157604360719680/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/31417716@N00/2384348372/in/set-72157604360719680/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/31417716@N00/2384346392/in/set-72157604360719680/

[The Bossy Yankee]

Oh I love this...I love night photography. Thanks for the tips to the shot. I think if it stops pouring tonight I will head out there and take some photos!

[Claire]

night time photogrpahy has always been a frustration to me. i set a goal to get over this year. thank you for the prompt. it is just what i needed. i will definitely put to use what you have shared here.

[hi kooky]

Great capture. I love the true whites (I agree that night colors can be difficult!), the combination of still vs. moving, and the people in the photo pique my interest. Thanks for sharing!

[Leah]

I love night shots.

Here is an urban one (from the passenger seat on the Dan Ryan Expressway):

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lakeline/3388497455/

And here is a rural one (central Wisconsin thunderstorm):

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lakeline/2522725691/

[summer]

I remember being a kid of 19 and wandering through my city night shooting. I loved it and now with digital I'm trying to re-learn, though no longer do I wander the streets. Now most of my night shots seem to be out of my living room window to the street below while my little ones sleep.
Can't seem to get the link to work but I added to the flickr pool.

[HappyHourMom]

Las Vegas is always brighter at night:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/happyhourmom/3497193559/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/happyhourmom/3497194025/

Disneyland has it's own special magic at night:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/happyhourmom/3498010486/

[Wanda]

Great shot. Thanks for the info.

[Jaana]

LOOOVE shooting at night. Just did the other day in fact! What a coincidence.

http://photographybyjaana.blogspot.com/2009/05/blog-post.html

[jody]

Funny I was just playing outside the other night. =)
It Is fun. And a challenge. But gives rich results.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jodyangel/3498242674/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jodyangel/3498237662/

[The Glamorous Life Association]

So nice of you to ask!
Here is a recent favorite. A night time Little League game. In the RAIN.
http://marcywrites.com/2009/03/12/skywatch-friday-8/

Thank you for including all your settings....so helpful!

[Alicia]

That photo is an amazing night time photo! My camera was also set on a ledge, and I used the self timer to keep it from moving when the picture was taken.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/34467943@N07/3499492198/

[Michelle G.]

Okay, first of all, thank you so much for sharing your settings! Awesome! Now, when I went outside to take the picture, my camera refused to take the picture, no matter how many sweet names I called it, lol...was it too dark maybe? It was in my back yard and I was trying to capture the pictures of the semi's that growl past our home every night on the freeway. I only had the porch light on and it was a good 10 feet behind me.

Thanks again, and as soon as I figure out how to get the picture, I'll post!

[bleachusd]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bleach226/578541227/

I love night shots and playing with the lights.

[Beatriz Kim]

Really love that shot! I'm definitely going to try to do something like that! I'm so inspired! Thank you! Thank you so much!

This is not quite that good, but I love the mood. This saxophone player was playing on top of the Empire State Building. Between the full moon, the views, and the saxophone player it was a harmonious soliloquy to the stars. How magical to just be present and appreciate the beauty of the moment, then capture it on a tiny Sony viewfinder! Just lucky...that's all I can say! Of course, there was a little help from Photoshop! Enjoy!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/artbybeatriz/3465102726/in/set-72157617161813152/

Hope Monday is good to you!

[Steph]

These are great. Thanks for sharing. I have such difficulty with night shot.

[Karyn]

Had some fun downtown with the zoom lens

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kayak57/3258669716/in/set-72157613406960483/

[shelli - mama of letters]

Thanks for the tips. Can't wait to try it.

[Shawna]

i've been working on this very technique, though your shot far exceeds mine! the still subjects and moving cars make such an amazing pair. here's one evening attempt of mine:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/28479290@N05/3499968906/

[Nikki]

Here are a couple of successful night shots that I took in the past:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/94807212@N00/3502645597/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/94807212@N00/3503456436/

I'd love to play around more in the future. Thanks for the advice on the technique used.

[laura-dolcepics]

Wow Sarah-Ji! That is a fabulous shot! I really want to try it now. :)

[Carmen]

Hi Sarah-Ji! Thanks so much for writing this post :) I will have to go out and experiment soon! I love the mood of that shot and the flare of the streetlights is beautiful! The composition is amazing as well. I love your blog and your photography! Thanks again!

[Vanessa]

i wish i did night shots more often...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/vanessa_r/3295308189/in/set-72157607450910728/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/vanessa_r/3295305423/in/set-72157607450910728/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/vanessa_r/3295311717/in/set-72157607450910728/

[Vaness]

That is a GREAT Picture!
What camera are you using? Mine had an accidnet thanks to my two year old today, I'm looking for some help in picking one out :-)

[Alicia]

I know I'm about a week later in putting this up... but thanks for the inspiration! I finally got a chance to try out some night photos tonight...

Here's one shot I LOVE... http://aliandsethinthecity.blogspot.com/2009/05/bridge-at-night.html

And I have more to post soon... http://aliandsethinthecity.blogspot.com/ Check back soon, I should have them up in the next day or so!