Photo Techniques Landscapes : Nightscapes

Introduction

Have you been wanting to take nightscape shots because they are beautiful, but holding back because you think it must be difficult somehow?  Actually, if you just use a tripod and the night landscape multi-shot function, these shots are pretty easy to take. Let’s take a look at how to take these shots.

Instructor : Shigeki Kawakita

Instructor : Shigeki Kawakita

Born in Kyoto in 1967, Kawakita graduated from the photography program at the Osaka University of Arts. While shooting for stock photography and publications in locations around the world, he developed a passion for urban nightscapes that has stayed with him to this day. Nighttime makes up half of each day, and Kawakita continues to shoot nightscapes energetically in various locations.
Visit the instructor's Web site, "Nightscape Times," at:

http://www.geocities.jp/shigeki_kawakita/

1 Know how light works in nightscapes

Evening light changes with timeTry changing the white balance used for shooting
Just after sunset40 minutes after sunsetAfter the sky has gone completely dark

Evening light changes with time

You may be thinking that nightscapes are shots taken in the dark of night, but actually a favorable time to take them is during the twilight hours just before it really starts to get dark, while there is still a little bit of light in the sky. If the sky is completely dark, buildings also start to melt away, but you don't have to worry about that if there is still a bit of light lingering. If you leave a bit early and aim to shoot from sunset through to nightscapes, you can capture various ways of expressing the same subject.

Just after sunset40 minutes after sunsetAfter the sky has gone completely darkDisplay side by side

OutdoorsFluorescentCloudyShadeIncandescent

Try changing the white balance used for shooting

Would you be surprised if I told you that there is no set color for nightscapes? The world at night is illuminated by artificial light, the colors of which change depending on the light source. There are no strictly set colors like there are for shots taken during the daytime, so you can experiment with changing the white balance settings that you would typically use for compensation to emphasize various colors. How do you like that? You can select which setting to use based on what you like.

OutdoorsFluorescentCloudyShadeIncandescent
Evening light changes with timeTry changing the white balance used for shooting

PAGE TOP