What is low-light photography and how to take good photos in low-light environment?

One of the most popular topics in photography is landscape photography. We can all see the beautiful scenery, which provides us with opportunities to exert our creativity. The nature of light plays a decisive role in taking landscape photos.

First, the scenery at dusk is probably the most popular and photographed in landscape photography. Let's elaborate on it here. It is much more convenient to take pictures of the scenery at the end of the day than at dawn. First of all, you can reach the shooting location during the day; Secondly, you can correctly predict what kind of light there may be.

Sometimes, there will be some excellent light on cloudy nights. The drooping sunset poked its head out under the clouds and became the main interest point of the picture.

20mm lens shutter 1 sec aperture F/22 ISO 100

According to your experience, arrive at the shooting location as soon as possible, even if you are very familiar with the environment there. It is worthwhile to spend an hour looking at every potential shooting position before the light becomes wonderful, but you should also keep accepting the realistic idea. Because the light can get extremely bad, sometimes it is necessary to change the shooting plan quickly.

20mm lens shutter 4-second aperture F/ 16 ISO 100

Facing the dying sky, make a beautiful silhouette of the bridge.

Shooting the sunset will cause a little doubt. Although the light money at the edge of the sun will be attractive, you will encounter the problem of high contrast. Let the sun hide behind thin clouds or change the angle of view slightly, so that the sun is blocked by trees or other distant objects. The normal shooting method of digital camera is long-distance exposure, but in this case, the contrast will be very large, so the exposure should be balanced with a medium gray gradient lens, otherwise the sky will look pale.

The characteristics of the scenery depend on your choice, but I usually find that when it is too old and about to set at dusk, shooting the edge away from the sun will definitely get the best effect, not only the contrast is within an acceptable range, but also the eastern sky will show exquisite colors.

At home, don't always take it for granted that there will be no vivid light when the sky is overcast. If you find that there is a moment when the sun rises, it is worthwhile to get to the shooting location. Sunset usually breaks through dark clouds and gives off beautiful and dramatic light.

Most scenery is suitable for shooting with a small aperture. This can ensure that everything from the foreground to the horizon is very clear. Of course, this means that you have to use a lower shutter speed and a tripod.

Secondly, the scenery at dawn usually needs to get up early to get to the shooting location in time, especially in summer. This is not attractive to everyone, but if you are not afraid of trouble, you will get surprising results. If you want to get good results, be sure to check the weather forecast of the previous day.

The sun came out and outlined a beautiful cliff on the distant horizon. In this case, you only have a few minutes to shoot, before the sun rises high and the whole scene is displayed for one hundred days.

70-200mm zoom lens shutter 2-second barrel F/ 13 ISO 100

This photo was taken with his back to the sun that just appeared on the horizon. At this wonderful time of the day, the color of the sky facing the sun will be particularly attractive, and even an inconspicuous road sign will become very attractive under such gorgeous light.

50 mm lens shutter 2 second aperture F/ 18 ISO 100

Third, the scenery in low light It is generally believed that landscape photography in low light only refers to the time after sunset and before sunrise, but there are countless scenic shooting places, even at noon, the light will be greatly weakened. The most obvious example of this situation is in the Woods. I usually go for a walk in the nearby Woods. Although there was no problem shooting at the edge of the forest, when I started to go deep into the bushes, the light became so bad that I couldn't shoot with my camera. Ironically, this situation will be worse in summer, especially under deciduous trees, because dense leaves will block most of the light.

Many photographers underestimate the faint light in the dense forest, even at noon, especially when the sky is cloudy.

105mm zoom lens shutter1/2s aperture F/ 16 ISO 100.

One of the charms of running water photography is that it can record what the eyes can't catch. Cameras can show us a world that is too slow to recognize. This is very obvious when shooting running water for a long time.

When shooting in the evening after sunset, the light in the sky and the sea was just right. Although exposed for 2 seconds, the flowing tide still retains many details.

20 mm lens shutter 2 second aperture F/22 ISO 100

Shooting the reflection in the water may rarely be more exciting than shooting the vivid mirror image formed by still water. When this happens, we should make full use of this opportunity. Such examples are most likely to be found around famous buildings. More and more countries are promoting their traditional culture in an all-round way, and usually decorate places that are of great concern or historical significance with lights, even if they are only lit at night for a period of time. Try to get there before the lights come on, so that you can have enough time to find available still water.

The urban environment provides an excellent opportunity to shoot reflections. For example, the lights in commercial places such as shops will stay on for a long time after customers leave. If it rains, try to find a smooth surface like a sidewalk or square, which can usually provide something worth shooting. Pools are even worse because they form irregular shapes. Don't care too much about passers-by, they are usually helpful to the picture. If exposure time of 15 second or longer is needed, they are unlikely to take photos. Many urban buildings will be surrounded by decorative ponds or fountains, which provide a good reflection source in weak light.

20 mm lens shutter 5 second aperture F/22 ISO 100

Although there was a breeze in the morning, the water soon calmed down when the sun rose.