Night and Low-light Photography Photo Workshop

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Night and Low-light Photography Overview

Shooting Challenges

Lack of light

Freezing action

Digital noise

Light

Using available light

Adding light

What gear is important

Camera supports

Camera and fast glass

Shutter-triggering devices

Postproduction software

Choosing your subjects

People

Places

Events

The night sky

City lights and landscapes

Chapter 2: All about Light and Exposure

Direction and intensity of light

Direction

Intensity

Light sources

Measuring The Available light

The built-in light meter

Metering modes

Exposure Settings

Shutter speed

Aperture

ISO

Exposure modes

Equivalent exposures

Multiple Exposures

Exposure bracketing

Exposure compensation

Combining multiple exposures

HDR

The color of light

Different light sources

Color temperature and the Kelvin scale

White balance

Chapter 3: What Gear is Important

Understanding the Camera’s Capabilities and Limitations

The high ISO and digital noise problem

Bulb mode and long shutter speeds

Lenses

Focal length

Maximum aperture

Constant- and variable-aperture lenses

Vibration reduction and image stabilization

Flash units

Using a single flash

Off-camera flash

Using multiple flashes

Tripods

Tripod legs

Tripod heads

Extras

Monopods

Shutter Releases and Remotes

Timers

Chapter 4: People and Places indoors

Photographing People Indoors

Window light

Using a flash or flashes

Building interiors

Choosing the best lens for the space

Dealing with multiple light sources

Chapter 5: Weddings, Concerts, and Other Events

Weddings

The ceremony

The reception

Photographing Concerts and Events

Know your gear

Stage lighting

Metering modes and manual exposures

Capture the moment

At the Fair

Exposure considerations

Those great rides

Chapter 6: Shooting Sports

Sports Venue Lighting

Indoor lighting

Outdoor lighting

Freezing the action

The right shutter speed

Pushing the ISO

Know the sport

Study the sport

Time your shots

Chapter 7: The Nighttime sky

Sunrise and sunset

Setting the exposure correctly

Start early and stay late

Shoot the moon

Picking the right focal length

Exposure settings

Double exposures

Time-Lapse Photography

The gear you need

Picking the right subject and settings

Working out the math

Creating the movie

Star trails

What is stacking?

Ambient light

Putting it all together

Photographing Fireworks

Adjusting the exposure

Why manual focus is the way to go

Chapter 8: City Lights

Street Scenes

Safety first

Using different shutter speeds

Light trails

Capturing traffic flow

Move the camera

Use the zoom

Neon

Exposure considerations

HDR

Cityscapes

Location, location, location

The best time to shoot

Exposure concerns

Chapter 9: Light Painting

Light Painting Basics

Use light to show the subject

Use light to fill in dark areas

When the light is the subject

Lighting tools

The flash

Flashlights

Sparklers

Painting with light

Shooting in manual mode

The proper exposure

Playing with the light

Photographing people

Postproduction and image stacking

Abstract images

Light patterns

Chapter 10: Low-Light Landscapes

Photographing landscapes in low light

Exposure considerations

Moonlight as a main light source

Long exposures

Dealing with vibration

Flowing water

Turning night into day

Chapter 11: Digital Postproduction

Software Options

File types

JPEG

RAW

Picking the right format at the start

Noise reduction

Reducing noise in Adobe Photoshop Elements

Reducing noise in Adobe Lightroom

Noise reduction plug-ins

Adjusting the White Balance

Adjusting white balance in Elements

Adjusting white balance in Lightroom

Adjusting for Color and Exposure

Adjusting the lighting and color in Elements

Using layers, layer masks, and blend modes in Elements

Adjusting the color and exposure in Lightroom