How to Take Spectacular Photos at Night Using Your Smartphone

Night time pictures will be a number of the most spectacular you will ever take, however capturing in low gentle does require a bit of little bit of know-how to get the very best outcomes. On this piece, we’ll clarify why night time pictures appears to be like so good, the steps you might want to take to arrange, and 5 key items of recommendation.

Why Night time Photographs Can Be Spectacular

Take the very same photograph in the very same place through the day and at night time, and it is common for the day shot to look very odd whereas the night time shot appears to be like spectacular. There are a few causes for this.

First, pictures is actually about capturing gentle, and night time lighting is commonly way more diverse and fascinating than daylight. That is very true in cities and when there may be water concerned, as we’ll see.

Second, pictures is as a lot about what you do not present as what you do. For instance, we will have a scene that has a fantastic sundown within the background however a litter-strewn highway within the foreground. Until we intentionally need to spotlight the distinction, we’ll are inclined to compose the shot to exclude the ugly components. Once you’re capturing at night time, a lot of that job is completed for you by the darkness.

Take These Two Steps First

I am usually of the view that you do not want a lot to take nice pictures. A smartphone, some remark expertise, and a bit of creativity. However for night time pictures, there are a few issues I like to recommend you get to make your life a lot simpler: a mini-tripod with a smartphone holder and a long-exposure app.

That is as a result of night time pictures sometimes wants an publicity of round 30 seconds for finest outcomes. This implies you want a strategy to maintain the digital camera completely nonetheless having full management over the composition and a strategy to shoot a 30-second publicity, as that is not one thing most smartphones can do natively.

Personally, I’ve this mini-tripod and this smartphone holder. The tripod is of nice high quality, and the ballhead mechanism makes it very easy to get the precise framing you need. The smartphone adapter can be actually stable, and the screw-down mechanism is way simpler to make use of than cheaper spring-loaded ones. Nonetheless, there are very cheap merchandise that may do the job, so if you wish to spend rather less, it is simple to take action.

By the way, it is best not to make use of a full-size tripod. These are banned from many remark decks and different common areas, whereas a mini one not often attracts any consideration.

On my iPhone, I exploit the Spectre app for long-exposure photographs. You will must improve to the professional model to take 30-second exposures, however that is only a one-off value of $4.99. For Android, Slow Shutter (free) appears to get good critiques.

Cityscapes Look Nice at Night time

Admittedly, I am a metropolis man by way of and thru, so it is no shock that cityscapes are the place I’ll advocate you begin. Whether or not it is your house metropolis otherwise you’re touring, my high recommendation is to rise up as excessive as you possibly can and seize as a lot of town as you possibly can. An remark deck, rooftop bar, or any bar with a view is the primary place I head to in any metropolis. This is a 30-second publicity of Manhattan, for instance:

However you may also get some nice photographs from floor stage. The key is to seek out locations that provide you with an unobstructed view of as a lot of town as doable. Taking pictures throughout a large river is one other nice strategy, like this one among Shanghai:

Most smartphones nowadays have a number of cameras, so experiment with completely different focal lengths. This one in Melbourne was taken with a wide-angle lens in order that I might get the distinction of the only constructing on the proper with the cityscape throughout the river:

Taking pictures Throughout Water Appears Fantastic

In case you have the chance to shoot throughout the water, that is a good way not solely to get far sufficient away to seize a variety of town, however it may possibly usually add an awesome sense of depth to your pictures—in addition to seize reflections of the sunshine on the water. You possibly can see this within the shot of Vancouver on the high of the piece:

In some cities, you would possibly must perform a little analysis or ask for recommendation on the very best locations to go. Once I was in San Francisco, for instance, an area really useful a visit throughout to Treasure Island. Whereas the reflection right here is way lower-key, the moonlight on the water provides it a stunning moody really feel:

You too can see my favourite night time shot of San Francisco in a associated piece on composing your photos like a pro.

Water Usually Is The place Lengthy Publicity Photographs Actually Shine

Simply as I might at all times look to shoot in cities at night time, I am additionally at all times looking out for the chance to incorporate water in night time photographs. A 30-second publicity smooths out the floor, giving it a mushy, ghostly look, as seen on this shot of St Paul’s Cathedral in London:

Waterfalls and fountains additionally look lovely in long-exposure photographs, as on this instance in London’s Trafalgar Sq.:

We have seen examples of how nice shade lights can look mirrored in water, however even when the lighting is usually white, it may possibly nonetheless look attractive in long-exposure photographs. This instance is Tower Bridge in London:

Mild Trails on Roads Additionally Appears Nice

Lengthy exposures of site visitors at night time flip headlights into rivers of white and tail lights into trails of purple. You do, although, want fairly fast-moving site visitors to seize this in a 30-second publicity. I needed to wait some time for site visitors to begin shifting freely when taking this shot in San Francisco:

I discovered this spot by performing some exploring on a rented scooter through the day, after which returning at night time.

The Magic of the Blue Hour

Final however not least, whereas you may get memorable photographs at any time of the night time, the very best ones are sometimes taken throughout what is called “the blue hour.” That is the time simply earlier than dawn and simply after sundown.

Personally, I think about one thing has gone terribly incorrect with my life if I am ever out earlier than dawn, so my blue hour photographs are usually taken after sundown. I sometimes discover that round 40 minutes after the solar goes down will get the very best outcomes.

In busy places like metropolis remark decks, you will sometimes discover the entire world crowding the home windows at sundown, however most of them are gone lengthy earlier than the proper second for a blue hour shot.

Do not count on to see a lot of a blue glow within the sky with the bare eye, however a 30-second publicity captures gentle our eyes cannot see. You possibly can see examples of this within the Manhattan, Vancouver, and Shanghai pictures above, and here is a pair extra. This was taken from the highest of Grouse Mountain, additionally in Vancouver:

This one was taken from the remark deck of the Stratosphere in Las Vegas. I usually purpose to get as near glass as doable to remove reflections, however on this case thought the window frames added curiosity to the shot:

As ever, water is your pal, on this case, the Reflecting Pool in Washington, DC:

In abstract, then, use a tripod and a long-exposure app to take 30-second exposures; embrace as a lot of a metropolis as you possibly can; embrace water any likelihood you get; and the blue hour is your pal.