Night Photography
Introduction
Star trails over Freshwater Bay
Night photography involves taking pictures late at night when there is very little in the way of ambient light.
I have always been fascinated by the simplicity - or so I thought - of the technique and the power of the resulting images. A photograph that in daylight would be a nice image of some trees becomes by night a window into the larger world around us and the universe beyond.
Even with large apertures, the levels of light involved will generally be so low that exposure times can range from a few minutes to several hours. Stars take on the appearance of trails of light, clouds become streaky blurs and flowing water resolves as a gentle mist.
Under these circumstances tripods and remote cable releases are essential items of equipment.
Night photography in all it's forms can be an extremely rewarding process - both visually and mentally. Standing on your own in pitch darkness for an hour with only your thoughts and the wildlife to keep you company is a liberating experience that I would recommend we all try at least once.
You do not have to stick to landscape photography either. City centres, abandoned buildings, playgrounds and parks all take on an entirely different life when night falls.