The Enthusiast's Guide to Night and Low-Light Photography, 1st Edition

14. THE OFTEN-IGNORED SELF-TIMER MODES

YOUR CAMERA HAS a built-in timer designed to allow you to delay the image being taken so that you can run around and get into the photo. Think of it as the first way to take a selfie, but this function can do a lot more for you than just give you time to hop into the picture. By using the self-timer, you give the camera time to settle down after the shutter release button is pressed.

When you use a tripod and a very long shutter speed, it is imperative that the camera does not move at all during an exposure since any movement can cause blurring in the resulting image. Pressing the shutter release button on ...