The night seduces, hooks, has magic. Night photographs catch us and sometimes leave us with our mouths open and with the desire to go out and capture the darkness dressed in moonlight or colored lanterns. The possibilities are endless. Today I bring you a sample, so that you can be inspired and encouraged to capture the night and everything that it can give you. For a deeper dive into tips and tricks for night photography, do not miss this mega guide.
And if landscapes, night or day, are your thing, this article with all the tips for photographing landscapes is going to become one of your favorites.
1. The moon
Our beloved satellite, protagonist of legends, spells and romantic nights. From the werewolfOr until The endless story with her Daughter of the Moon, we find that the moon has an irresistible power of attraction. Photos of him too. Here you can see a blood moon, tinted red by an eclipse.
2. Eclipse sequence
And, speaking of eclipses… what about this sequence?
3. Aurora Borealis
And what about the northern lights as the protagonist of your landscape? Photographing it is in the mind of many photographers, seeing it and enjoying it in the mind of anyone who has seen at least one image. One of the most impressive natural spectacles that the night can give you.
4. Light painting
Mixing the urban landscape (or nature) with light painting is usually a very good idea. It is a way to add a context to light painting and to provide an unbeatable background.
5. Night photography with the human element
Because at night the human element is also a point in its favour, a way of showing the scale or getting the public to identify with it, among other reasons. Here’s an example.
6. Clouds
Clouds in a daytime sky add a dose of drama and interest to the photo. At night, except if you are going to photograph Star Trails, they can also be very interesting. Due to the long exposure or the color they acquire when artificial lights are reflected if they are low, among other aspects. Here is an example of clouds mixed with the skyscrapers in the city of Hong Kong.
7. Enlightened towns
A town lost in the mountains, or caressing the coast. Illuminated in the blackness of the night, as if it were a nest of fireflies. Isn’t that tempting?
8. Skyline or urban panorama
It is like the fingerprint of a city, its barcode. Probably the most recognizable or photographed angle of the big cities. At night or in the blue hour, with the buildings illuminated, as if they were stars in the sky, they are usually the object of desire of many photographers. Also yours?
9. Fireworks
With the night as a backdrop, the fireworks are another photographic spectacle. With a good location to photograph them in an interesting setting, you will have a photo with great visual impact.
10. Not suitable if you have vertigo
An overhead shot from a skyscraper can be impressive if you don’t suffer from vertigo. I imagine that the sensation of taking this photograph must be incredible. Too bad I don’t have any nearby, otherwise I was going to take a similar photo right now. No, I’m not afraid of heights 😉
11. Stars
Photographing a sky full of stars is within your reach if you have a camera with manual mode and a tripod. Yes that’s how it is. Well, and a little patience. But the result is usually hypnotic.
12. Black and white
Thanks to the movement of the earth and the long exposure you can capture the trail of the stars forming compositions like this in the sky. And in black and white, why not? Night photography can also be thought of in grayscale. Another tool to surprise the viewer.
13. milky way
And if you accompany the stars of the beautiful Milky Way, your photography can be amazing. A luminous target will be the only thing to add to the previous team to capture it. The result is worth it, don’t you think? And more if you add a sea that shines as much as the sky.
14. Night landscape
When you don’t need the moon, stars or any other astronomical element to achieve a great night photography. A beautiful landscape, a good composition and the magic of long exposure under the cover of night do the rest.
15. Urban
The small towns and nature have an undeniable charm, but we cannot ignore the possibilities of getting lost at night in a big city. The options are really tempting. Here an example.
16. Traffic Lines
One of the possibilities of cities at night is capturing the trails of light left by passing cars. And although it is not exclusive to cities, since a natural landscape can also give you an impressive background for this type of photo, we cannot deny that cities are a perfect place to practice and achieve great images of these beams of light.
17. Lightning
We have already said it many times, in bad weather… good photos. Capturing lightning at night can be dangerous if you don’t take the proper precautions. Our guest author Julien Leveau explains it very well in this article, with some tips that you cannot miss.
I hope that these 17 photographs have left a good taste in your mouth and, above all, that they have awakened the desire to go out and photograph at night, even if it means stealing hours of sleep.
Night photography can be imposing at first, but don’t let it scare you, it’s not as fierce as they make it out to be, it just requires a good tripod, your camera with manual controls and practice. Patience and practice. Are you going to miss it? I already knew not 😉
If you liked them, please share them. May the magic of the night enlighten us all ;). Thanks and see you soon.