If you are planning on doing some night photography I have a few planning tips you will need to keep in mind prior to taking your evening shots:
First, you need a good viewpoint;
Once you have chosen your viewpoint the second thing you will need is either a solid base or a tripod to set your camera on. Viewpoints always depend on what type of shot you are looking for. I will typically try to look for somewhere that is little bit above the ground (a set of steps, for example), but not always. Some times the best photos are those which are taken at ground level.
I recommend a tripod or solid base simply due to the fact that your camera's shutter will be open for several seconds and you definitely want to make sure that your camera is absolutely still during that time.
If you are using a tripod you will also want to be sure you secure your camera using the screws provided. If you simply can't find a solid surface to place your camera on you can always try propping it up with something like a bag or jacket.
Once your camera is in place, make sure your shutter speed is set to a good few seconds. Start with about 15 seconds.
If your camera doesn't let you 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 everything in place you can finally press the shutter button.
If you set the timer it should begin to count down. Please be aware that if you are waiting for something to appear in your scene (i.e. headlights) 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.
If you are wanting to try out night photography but don't have any idea where to start here are a few ideas on what to photograph:
Neon lights Streaks of car headlights and tail lights Available light For all of these you do need to plan a bit in advance. You want to 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.
And for streaks of car headlights and tail lights - find a spot with a lot of traffic.
Try to get something in the background too - streaks of light on their own can be a little 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.
There are times when a scene looks its best when you set it amongst inky-black skies. There are also 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 is to try both and see which captures the effect you are after best.
You also will want to play with various shutter speeds 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.
Practice, and you will soon get a feel for what you will need for any given situation.
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