How to shoot night scenes

Introduction: In the photography process, whether the exposure is correct or not is a key issue for the success or failure of photography technology. Therefore, when doing this step of work, you must take it seriously, not be careless, and be careful and accurate. Therefore, the exposure time must be determined according to the different requirements of different scenery, different light and themes. The exposure methods of night scene photography can be roughly divided into two types, namely single exposure and multiple exposures. Let's learn how to shoot night scenes with examples. How to shoot night scenes

1. Single exposure

Use a tripod to set up the camera, and then use the viewfinder to arrange the scene that should be photographed in the frame as required. After taking the view, fix the camera on the tripod so that it does not move. When shooting, use the shutter cable to control the opening and closing of the shutter (or use the lens cap to control the opened shutter) for an appropriate exposure time.

2. Multiple exposures

The operation process is the same as above, except that the exposure is not completed in one time, but on the same film, after more than two exposures, the shooting is completed. Multiple exposure is a method used when one exposure cannot complete the shooting. If the conditions are met (lighting, environmental conditions, timing, etc. all meet the requirements), one exposure is the most ideal. But sometimes in order to achieve a certain special effect, multiple exposures are used, and it is necessary to capture certain scenes in each exposure.

When shooting, you should pay attention to the following aspects:

(1) When controlling the exposure, you can separate the light intensity and other scenes so that the darkest scene is exposed first. Expose more, expose the brightest later, and expose less. This can make up for uneven exposure.

(2) When encountering some scenes that cannot be exposed first or multiple exposures during photosensitivity, artificial light can be used to subsidize the darker scenes to make the contrast better. weaken.

(3) Some scenes cannot be avoided when shooting because the light is too strong or too weak. After shooting first, the occlusion method can still be used to correct it when zooming in. Regardless of whether you use one exposure or multiple exposures, you must master the accurate exposure time and choose the appropriate exposure time. Under normal circumstances, the exposure time of night photography is more than one second, usually from one second to one minute. In some special cases, the exposure time may be several minutes. When shooting, it must be completely controlled by the photographer. If overexposed, the light itself will spread to the surroundings due to long time, causing the surrounding buildings or sky to produce large white areas, increasing the contrast, which will destroy the lighting effect of the night scene. Underexposing the photo will have the opposite effect. It is difficult to distinguish the outline of the scene and there are no layers. In the photo, except for a few lights, the rest is immersed in a dark tone. When shooting night scenes, if there is some afterglow in the sky (evening or dawn), be especially careful. Make the sky less sensitive and do not let the light sensitivity reach its peak, otherwise the atmosphere and characteristics of the night will be lost.

3. Common night scene photography

Construction site night scenes generally refer to reservoirs, power stations, mines, bridges, factories, buildings, etc. that are under construction in the wild. The following points should be paid attention to when shooting: /p>

(1) Determine the shooting angle according to the characteristics of the project. You should understand the relevant situation and the pattern of night activities during the day in advance;

(2) Choose the appropriate shooting time to shoot this type of subject It is best to do it when the project reaches its climax, when the appearance of the large-scale and intense project is basically visible;

(3) Pay attention to the surrounding natural conditions - mountains, water, trees, bridges, buildings etc.;

(4) The sky should not be too sensitive;

(5) When expressing the scene, the angle should be high rather than low;

(6) Yes Take one or multiple exposures.

City Street Night Scene

Photographing market streets can be done during festivals or at night during normal times. It is generally better to do it during festivals. Because during the festival, streets, shops, cityscapes, and display windows are organized and decorated. Larger buildings have also been added with colored lights, neon lights and slogans, and the demolished images will look more prosperous and beautiful. The angle should be chosen appropriately. Too high or too low angles can easily deform the roadside buildings. The camera should be placed in a place that is not easily collided and does not hinder traffic. It is better to choose a location with concentrated lights, concentrated vehicles, concentrated buildings, and a place with certain characteristics.

Photographing fireworks

Photographing fireworks in night scenes is not as easy as photographing construction sites, it is more stressful. During the entire process of shooting fireworks, set up the half-camera. When the fireworks are about to rise, open door B and let them bloom and float in the night sky within the shooting range until they go out, so that the entire process is recorded on the film. In the shooting part, after the fireworks start, open the shutter when the flowers are about to bloom or bloom, and capture the most representative moment. You can shoot with the multiple exposure method, using the same negative film and exposing it in two or more times. When shooting fireworks, the exposure time can be shorter, and when shooting ground scenes, the exposure time can be longer. In addition, you can also shoot separately with two negatives, that is, shoot fireworks on one negative and shoot ground scenes and people on the other negative. The exposure times vary. After they are developed, stack the two films together and make sure that the fireworks and scenery you want to photograph should not be photographed in the middle of the film. It is best for the fireworks to be on the top of the film and the scenery to be on the bottom of the film. This way It saves you a lot of trouble when enlarging two negatives together.

Photographing moonscapes

To photograph moonlight scenery, you can use the following methods:

(1) Use long exposure and shoot alone under the moonlight scene; use a short exposure to photograph the moon alone, and then stack the two negatives together to enlarge.

(2) When exposing on a piece of film, cover the moon with your hand on the lens (it is best to try it before shooting to prevent the scene from being blocked), wait until the exposure reaches During the last few seconds, remove your hands and let the moon appear on the film.

Shooting night scenes and portraits

At night, it is also very interesting to shoot night scenes and portraits. It is unique in life photography. The shooting method is also relatively simple and easy to master. It can be shot in one shot Or double exposure.

(1) One shot

Since the light source for portraits is often very weak when shooting at night, auxiliary light must be used as the light source for portrait shooting (such as flash, etc.). Don’t use a large aperture when shooting. Use F/5.6 or F/8 aperture. Because a large aperture will easily blur the background of night scenes.

(2) Double exposure

If the background light of the night scene is very weak, it can be divided into two exposures. It is ideal to expose the night scene for the first time, and then add the flash exposure for the second portrait shot. This is more ideal for shooting night scene portraits.

4. Equipment and tools for shooting night scenes

(1) Generally, domestic and imported cameras used by amateur photographers are equipped with B-door equipment. Night scenes are also sufficient for application. Imported SLR cameras are even better to use. However, it is more difficult to take night scenes with a simple fully automatic camera because it does not have a time-lapse exposure device.

(2) Shutter release cable and lens cover

Under normal circumstances, night scene photography requires a long exposure time. If you press the shutter button with your finger, a slight vibration will cause Images overlap. Therefore, the shutter cable and lens cap are indispensable equipment for night scene photography. For exposures of several seconds, you can use the shutter cable. For longer exposure times or multiple exposures, it is more convenient to use the lens cap.

　(3) Tripod

When shooting night scenes, a tripod is an indispensable auxiliary tool. During long exposures and multiple exposures, the camera is required not to move at all. The best way is Mount the camera on a tripod.

(4) Other sporadic equipment

Such as flashlights, hoods, etc. must be prepared in advance. The flashlight can be used for illumination to measure distance, adjust the shutter, aperture, or find parts. Lens hoods also play a certain role in shooting night scenes. If you encounter rainy days or when the light is messy, wearing a hood can protect the lens from moisture and prevent light from entering the lens.

The above is the most basic knowledge of night scene photography. We must continue to practice in order to better master and improve it.