Stephen V. answered • 05/21/19
Skilled Photographer and Videographer
Nighttime photography can be very rewarding and a lot of fun. To do it successfully, here are a few things you should definitely have on-hand. A tripod is an absolute necessity. For nighttime photography, you will leave the shutter open for a second, five seconds, a minute, or even longer. It's impossible to hold a camera absolutely still for that long. If you have a remote control, use that so you don't actually cause vibration by pushing the shutter button. If you don't have a remote, use your camera's timer setting. For lenses, try to use a wide-angle lens. These pull in more light compared to standard lenses. A recommendation would be 24mm or 18mm, wider if possible. Finally, take multiple photos and review each one. Is it bright enough? Too bright? Is there movement, such as star tracks, headlights, etc.? Try different shutter speeds, different apertures, even different ISO settings to reduce grain and noise.
The only other thing I'd recommend is, go out multiple nights to get images in different settings and conditions. The more images you capture, the better you'll get.
