Night Photography

Night Photography, as the name suggests, refers to the practice of taking photographs outside at dusk or during the night. Due to the lack of light available in night photography, photographers would traditionally use artificial lighting or long exposure times to make sure that the film would be properly exposed. These days, powerful flashes, as well as digital cameras, make better use of available light (such as the moon) in a night scene.

Two photographers who paved the way for night photography were Brassai, who took pictures of Paris at night, and Bill Brandt, who took night photos of London during the WWII blackouts.

However, Michael Kenna of Great Britain is possibly the most famous night photographer to date. His black and white cityscapes, as well as his pictures of textile and power plants, sold well during the 1990s.

If you are just begining to dabble in night photography, experiment with your camera’s manual setting to evaluate with ones work better in conditions of varying light. Keep in mind that most digital cameras have a night setting.