Low light photography has amazing and beautiful outcome!
Colors are richer in the early and late hours of the day, and subjects such as buildings that are dull and uninteresting during daytime take on an entirely new persona lit up at night. This article explains some basic photography techniques that will help you to take better pictures in low light situations.
ISO and Shutter Speed
It is tempting when shooting in low light to simply increase the ISO sensitivity on your camera or else use a faster film if you shoot with film. This may not always be the answer. Increasing ISO sensitivity decreases image quality.
You will find that grain begins to appear. An alternative is to set yourself to use slower shutter speeds. How much you are able to slow down your shutter speed without creating blurring due to camera shake depends on how steady your hand is.
Try leaning against a wall or post, holding your breath and squeezing down slowly on the trigger. This is a method I use quite often and I have found that results improve significantly with a bit of practice.
Use Tripods
Using a tripod can have both technical and creative benefits. A tripod stabilizes your camera producing a sharp image when a long exposure is needed.
It also enables you to reduce the ISO speed used to create a better quality image as discussed above. A tripod can also be used to create interesting effects should the scene contain moving objects.
Slow shutter speeds capture the motion of vehicles as they pass and the light trails from head and tail lights, adding life and energy to the scene.
For many low light situations, a tripod is an essential piece of equipment and the only way of coming away with a decent image. An alternative could be to rest your camera on a flat surface if one is available.
