Nikon® D7000™

CHAPTER 12

Night and Low-Light Photography

Once the sun goes down and the light becomes low, a whole new world of photography opens up. This allows you to capture the world in an entirely different light, so to speak. Taking photographs at night or in low light brings a set of challenges that are not present when you take pictures during the day. The exposures become significantly longer, making it difficult for you to hand hold your camera and get sharp images. Your first instinct may be to use the flash to add light to the scene, but when you do this, the image may lose its nighttime charm.

Almost any type of photography can be accomplished in low light, from landscapes to portraits. Each type requires slightly different techniques and accessories, but the goal is the same: to get enough light to make a good exposure and capture the delicate interplay between light and dark.

Taking photos at night often gives you the most colorful photographs. Exposure: ISO 100, f/22, 30 seconds taken with a Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 lens at 10mm.

How to Photograph at Night and in Low Light

One of the easiest ways to do night photography is simply to grab a tripod and venture out into the night. Set up the camera on the tripod and shoot! The tripod stabilizes your camera so that you don't have to worry about camera shake with long exposures.

You can use the long exposures to create special effects like ...