The Enthusiast's Guide to Night and Low-Light Photography

The Enthusiast's Guide to Night and Low-Light Photography

by Alan Hess
Released March 2017
Publisher(s): Rocky Nook
ISBN: 9781681982434

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Book description

If you’re a passionate photographer and you’re ready to take your work to the next level, The Enthusiast’s Guide book series was created just for you. Whether you’re diving head first into a new topic or exploring a classic theme, Enthusiast’s Guides are designed to help you quickly learn more about a topic or subject so that you can improve your photography.

The Enthusiast’s Guide to Night and Low-Light Photography: 49 Photographic Principles You Need to Know teaches you how to shoot compelling images at night and in low-light situations. Chapters are broken down into a series of numbered lessons, with each lesson providing what you need to improve your photography.

Divided into five chapters that include 49 photographic principles to help you create great images, photographer and author Alan Hess covers all the necessary gear and camera settings, as well as topics such as light painting, photographing the night sky, shooting great cityscapes, and post-processing techniques that will bring out the best in your photographs. Example lessons include:

  • Using Manual exposure mode is the best way to go
  • Focusing in low light
  • Mounts, clamps, and other ways to keep the camera stable
  • How high can you push the ISO?
  • Creating low-light portraits 
  • How to get those starburst street lights
  • Correcting the tones in your image

Written in a friendly and approachable manner and illustrated with examples that drive home each lesson, The Enthusiast’s Guide to Night and Low-Light Photography is designed to be effective and efficient, friendly and fun. Read an entire chapter at once, or read just one topic at a time. With either approach, you’ll quickly learn a lot so you can head out with your camera to capture great shots.

Table of contents

  1. Chapter 1 Night and Low-Light Photography Basics
    1. 1. Night and Low-Light Photography is Difficult
    2. 2. The Pros and Cons of Long Exposures
    3. 3. The Pros and Cons of Wide Apertures
    4. 4. Use the ISO to Your Advantage
    5. 5. Why Equivalent Exposures Are Important
    6. 6. Add Some Light When You Need To
    7. 7. Use Manual Exposure Mode
    8. 8. Sometimes the Built-In Light Meter Lies
    9. 9. How To Focus In Low Light
    10. 10. Multiple Exposures Can Save Your Shoot
  2. Chapter 2 All the Gear You Will Want and Need
    1. 11. Basic Camera Needs
    2. 12. Why You Need Bulb Mode
    3. 13. What is Digital Noise and How Noisy is Your Camera?
    4. 14. The Often-Ignored Self-Timer Modes
    5. 15. In-Camera Time-Lapse
    6. 16. Lens Choices, or What’s Your Favorite Focal Length?
    7. 17. Variable Aperture vs. Constant Aperture Lenses
    8. 18. Keeping the Camera Stable and Lens Technology that Helps
    9. 19. Tripods
    10. 20. Monopods
    11. 21. Clamps and Plates
    12. 22. Remotes, Releases, and Timers are Essential
    13. 23. Using a Cable Release
    14. 24. Going Wireless with Remotes
    15. 25. Smartphone Apps I Love
  3. Chapter 3 Capturing Action in Low Light
    1. 26. How High Can You Push the ISO?
    2. 27. Freezing the Action
    3. 28. Capturing Motion
    4. 29. An Easy Way to Get Proper Exposure
    5. 30. The Other Settings
    6. 31. Focus on the Right Thing
    7. 32. Plan Ahead
  4. Chapter 4 Low-Light Portrait and Scenic Photography
    1. 33. Low-Light Portraits
    2. 34. Dragging the Shutter
    3. 35. The Importance of Location Scouting for Nighttime Photography
    4. 36. Slow Shutter Speeds and Deep Depth of Field
    5. 37. Why I Love Photographing by Water
    6. 38. How to Get Those Starburst Street Lights
    7. 39. Painting with Light
    8. 40. Photographing the Moon and the Night Sky
    9. 41. Sunrise, Sunset, and the Different Twilights
    10. 42. Light Trails and Fireworks
    11. 43. Photographing City Lights
  5. Chapter 5 Adobe Photoshop Post-Processing Techniques for Low-Light Images
    1. 44. Do You Really Need Noise Reduction?
    2. 45. Basic Noise Reduction Techniques
    3. 46. Noise Reduction Techniques for Scenic Photographs
    4. 47. Correcting Contrast and Dodging and Burning
    5. 48. Adjusting White Balance and Using Curves for Better Color
    6. 49. Removing Dust and Scratches
    7. 50. A Quick Contrast Trick Using Blend Mode

Product information

  • Title: The Enthusiast's Guide to Night and Low-Light Photography
  • Author(s): Alan Hess
  • Release date: March 2017
  • Publisher(s): Rocky Nook
  • ISBN: 9781681982434