Photography Foundations: Night and Low Light

Describes the tools, creative options, and special considerations involved in shooting with a DSLR camera at night or in low-light conditions, such as sunset or candlelight.

Introduction

• Welcome

1. Setting the Stage

• What can you shoot in low light?
• What you need for this course

2. Exposure Considerations

• Working with exposure parameters in low light
• Working with image sensors in low light
• Working with shutter speed in low light
• Considering motion blur
• Working with ISO in low light
• Assessing your camera's high ISO capability
• Working with in-camera noise reduction
• Working with aperture in low light
• Understanding dynamic range
• Working with color temperature and white balance
• Exposing to the right

3. Scenario: A Dinner Party

• Introduction
• Talking with Steve Simon about low-light photography
• Shooting by candlelight
• Choosing a mode
• Exploring the role of lens stabilization
• White balance considerations
• Flash considerations
• Problem solving
• Understanding aesthetics and composition

4. Scenario: A Performance

• Introduction
• Preparing for the shoot
• Act I: adjusting to the light
• Intermission: reviewing the strategy
• Act II: moving to the back of the house
• After the show: lessons learned
• Reviewing the performance images

5. Scenario: In a City

• Shooting in the shade
• Street shooting
• Shooting flash portraits at night
• Controlling flash color temperature
• Adjusting exposure to preserve the mood
• Dynamic range considerations

6. Scenario: Landscapes

• Shooting lingering sunsets
• Exploring focusing strategies
• Composing and focusing at night
• Shooting the stars
• Practicing low-light landscape shooting
• Focusing on the horizon in low light

7. Special Effects

• Light painting: behind the camera
• Light painting: in front of the camera
• Manipulating long shutter speeds

8. Post-Processing Considerations

• Correcting white balance
• Correcting white balance with a gray card
• Correcting white balance of JPEG images
• Blending exposures with different white balances
• Brightening shadows
• Reducing noise
• Sharpening
• Correcting depth-of-field issues
• Correcting night skies

Conclusion

• Goodbye