Night Photography Unlocked - No More Dark or Blurry Photos!

Take beautiful photos that capture the magic of the night and avoid night photo traps. Use any camera from phone to SLR.

Created byNeil Creek

Last updated 3/2015

English

What you'll learn

To give you the tools and knowledge you need to take control over how your night photos look.
To give you the confidence to get good photos at night
To show you how to unlock the creative potential of night photography
To get you thinking about the huge creative potential of night photography beyond what you learn here, and set you up for more advanced techniques in the advanced course.

Course content

5 sections • 22 lectures • 4h 10m total length

Introduction4:03
The course introduction discusses the course goals, what you will learn, what you will need and who your instructor is. See if this course is right for you, and get excited about what we'll cover!
A Challenge And An Opportunity4:24
What is night photography and what makes it different from taking photos in the day? What kind of problems do you often encounter taking photos at night, and what creative potential is there?
Equipment8:34
Introduction to equipment. I'll show the cameras we intend to use through the course: a smartphone, compact camera, bridge camera, entry level DSLR and high end DSLR. I also address the importance of a tripod or camera support, as well as briefly mentioning additional lighting.

Settings Explained18:04
In this lecture we talk about the exposure triangle, how low light will challenge your camera and the effects on the photo of going to the limits of each of the points on the exposure triangle. We'll also explore the creative potential within these limits.
The Histogram15:00
This histogram is a powerful feedback tool used by photographers, both when taking photos and processing them afterwards. In this lecture I show you how to read the histogram to accelerate the learning process and help you take and process better photos.
Focus6:41
Getting accurate focus in low light when taking photos at night can be a big challenge! This lecture discusses different focusing methods and techniques to improve the speed and accuracy of focusing in low light.

The Smartphone5:28
Smart phones are not great cameras. They have lots of limitations, particularly at night. But almost everyone has one, and it goes almost everywhere with them. I will show you the pros and cons and how to get the most out of your smart phone camera at night.
The Compact Camera7:26
Compact cameras were the only digital camera most people owned until recently, and they are still everywhere. Handy but with basic capabilities, I’ll discuss the limitations of this type of camera when it comes to night photography, as well as strategies to best overcome them.
The Bridge Camera6:24
Somewhere between a compact and a DSLR, these are advanced small cameras with a lot more capabilities and control. Good high quality night photography can be taken with these cameras by taking advantage of the manual controls and better sensors. We will cover the pros and cons of using a bridge camera for night photography.
Entry Level DSLR7:50
Real serious and high quality night photography can be done with cheaper, simpler or older DSLRs. Here there is nothing really limiting your night photography except when you’re really pushing the limits. The manual controls and larger sensor are perfect for low light, but poorer high ISO performance can sometimes make the image suffer.
High End DSLR4:21
The best practical kind of night photography camera, that takes everything one step further with sensitivity, control and ease of use. Additionally, these cameras have video functions that can perform remarkably well in low light. The limits you have with this kind of camera are the limits of night photography. Some amazing potential can be unleashed, turning night into day.
Adding Your Own Light18:41
You might have your own light, such as a flash or video light. What issues are there when adding light to a night scene? I talk about balancing your light with the ambient light, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of these two light sources.

Introduction to Case Studies4:09
Here I introduce the second part of the course, in which I go through the complete process of a number of different kinds of night photography. This lecture explains the structure of the rest of the course and what to expect when watching the case studies.
About My Workflow16:27
This lecture is a brief overview of my processing workflow. Several of the following lectures will be processing the example photo shoots, so I think it’s a good idea to show you my basic workflow, so that you’re not left behind, and I don’t have to repeat basic concepts. I use Adobe Lightroom, but the concepts can be applied to any processing software.
City Skyline11:22
You can get the most breathtaking photos of the city at night. We’ll go on location and try a few different approaches to capturing vistas of the city skyline.
Processing City Skyline18:01
A walk through of the processing of selected photos from the cityscape shoot in processing software.
Casual Portrait23:05
Photographing people can be a challenge at the best of times, but photos by night in a dimly lit city street have a special kind of mood to them that you just can’t get in the daylight! Find out the best way to make the most of what light you have to capture beautiful, atmospheric images.
Processing Casual Portrait25:59
A walk through of the processing of selected photos from the casual portrait shoot in processing software.
Dusk Landscapes9:04
You’ll often hear photographers talk about ‘golden hour’, just before the sun sets. But have you heard about ‘blue hour’, the hour after it sets? This often forgotten time has huge potential for striking and different images of the landscape you won’t often see, as many other photographers are on their way home then!
Processing Dusk Landscapes11:42
A walk through of the processing of selected photos from the dusk landscapes shoot in processing software.
Fireworks18:16
This lecture is a sneak preview of the upcoming Advanced Night Photography course. The course is currently in production and should be available in early Q2 2014. I hope you will enjoy this free lecture and have fun taking better photos of fireworks!

Requirements

Any camera at all, from smart phone to high end digital SLR.
A serious desire to learn about and take control of your camera.
Optional: A tripod or additional light source. These will be covered in the lectures, but aren't essential.

Description

Stop taking blurry photos with night photography tips. Unlock the power of any camera at night. Exploit the creative possibilities that come when the sun goes down.

Photographing at night opens up a whole new world of possibilities. Typically, shooting at night means shooting in low light, which can be a real challenge. Endless blurry party photos on facebook, or faces nuked by flash are proof of that. But believe it or not, anyone can improve their night photos, and you don't necessarily need a fancy camera to do so. Just a few amazing night photography tips can do the trick for you. Not only that, but the creative possibilities you get after the sun goes down are huge! Not as many people take photos at night, so you have the opportunity to take unique, eye-catching photos that will wow your friends after taking this night photography tutorial.

What night photography tips will you learn?

● The main problems you face when taking photos at night.

● The camera settings you need to understand to take great night photos.

● How different types of cameras perform at night.

● Getting the most out of your camera.

● Getting creative with night photography.

● Processing photos taken at night.

Night Photography Unlocked - No More Dark or Blurry Photos!

What you'll learn

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Course content

Chapter 1: Intro to Night Photography3 lectures • 17min

Chapter 2: The Basics of Night Photography3 lectures • 40min

Chapter 3: The Gear6 lectures • 50min

Chapter 4: Taking Night Photos9 lectures • 2hr 18min

Chapter 5: The Next Steps1 lecture • 5min

Requirements

Description