DIY Photography

Your one stop shop for everything photo-video

Search

Submit A Story

night photography

How to double process a Milky Way image

From the middle of August, it is dark enough for night photography here in the southern parts of Norway. The milky way season lasts to approximately December this far north. I try to head out as often as I can when there is no moon and the forecast predicts a clear sky.

It is always a delight to see the milky way in-camera, but bringing it out in post can often be challenging. One of the key challenges is that the night sky requires quite a different approach than the ground.

When it is very dark I prefer to shoot a few extra very long exposures for the ground to make sure I have enough shadow detail to work with.

This landscape photographer paints stunning images with light

Mike Muizebelt is a Holland-based photographer, who among other things, is known for his diversity with subject matter. His most common subjects are animals and landscapes, and he is hitting it hard with light painting as well. To paint with light as Mike does requires both a fine-tuned technique and the right gear.

11 Secrets to up your night street photography game

I’m going to share with you 11 Secrets to up your night street photography game that I teach paying customers on our London Soho Night Street Photography workshops. Don’t worry if you’re coming to one I have many more secrets!

I love the way cities come to life at night with neon lights, the sound of laughter, street lights, reflection, shop windows, it’s a different world which I’ll equip you to not only shoot but shoot well. Before you ask, all of the images here are shot handheld on various Fujifilm cameras, mainly the XT3 with 35mm f1.4 lens which is their 50mm equivalent.

Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ Night Mode reviewed – nice work, but a bit too late

When it comes to adding a night mode camera, Samsung was late to the party. The Samsung Galaxy S9 and Samsung Galaxy S10 received that addition through an update last spring, whereas the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 came with a pre-configured Night Mode camera. Night Mode replaced Bright Mode which allowed you to take long exposures in low-light conditions. It was kinda automatic and you had no control whether to turn it on or not.

And this is my biggest issue with Bright Mode. It turned on automatically based on how dark it was. In other words, the software decided which mode to use in low light, not the photographer. Night Mode is a different story.

This photographer creates complex portraits painted with light

by 2 Comments

Light painting provides so many creative opportunities, and we’ve seen plenty of stunning images in this technique so far. French photographer Fabrice Wittner merged light painting with and stencils and created a series of complex and unusual portraits. They all look otherworldly and mystical – and they were all painted with light.

Behind the scenes and some tips for shooting video in the dark at high ISO

by 1 Comment

Shooting a wedding is a demanding task on its own. But add low light and no flash to the equation, and you get a bit more stress and challenge. In this video, Taylor Jackson takes you behind the scene of a wedding he had to shoot in very low light without the flash. He shows you his workflow but also shares a couple of great tips if you ever find yourself in a similar situation.

Google launches Pixel 4, a smartphone that lets you shoot the Milky Way

by Add Comment

Information about Google Pixel 4 has leaked quite a few times so far, and we were especially curious about its astrophotography capabilities. The phone is now officially out, along with its bigger cousin, Google Pixel 4 XL. Let’s see what they’re capable of and if the latest Pixel phone will make photographers happy.

Leaked photos show what Pixel 4’s “astrophotography mode” is capable of

by 5 Comments

Just like the previous models, the upcoming Google Pixel 4 smartphone will be aimed at photographers. In a recently leaked promo video, we saw that it will feature a dedicated “astrophotography mode.” But now, there are some sample photos that show us what exactly Pixel 4 is capable of when shooting in the dark. And I have to admit, it looks promising.

Google Pixel 4 will have a dedicated astrophotography mode, leaked video shows

by 7 Comments

The upcoming Google Pixel 4 smartphone will be aimed at photographers just like its predecessors. And this time, it looks like astrophotographers will have something to look forward to. According to a recently leaked promo video, the Pixel 4 will take good photos even in the dark, and it could even have a dedicated astrophotography mode.

How to optimise your night time street photography

by 2 Comments

Ah, the night. What a wonderful time to go out and do some street photography! As a photographer who got his start in the streets of Tokyo, it was inevitable that I would end up photographing mostly at night. To me, the city becomes its ‘true self’ when the sun sets, and the artificial lights come on and illuminate the metropolis. But let’s save my romanticism for another time.

I hope to share with you my methodology, some tips and tricks, for night street photography. First off, please don’t expect any magic tips or secrets. I keep my photographic approach pretty simple, but fundamentals used well lead to great photography!

Free Resources

Advanced lighting book

Learn photography

Recent Posts