How to Catch Motion With Night Photography

Have you ever wondered how photographers capture the flashing headlights of cars on a freeway or the movement of stars in the night sky? Night photography requires patience and experimentation, however this long exposure technique can result in amazing images that capture a surreal picture of motion in a mysterious nighttime world. Read on to learn how to catch motion with night photography.

Things You'll Need

• Camera, preferably 35mm SLR (digital or film)
• Tripod
• Shutter Trigger
• Handheld Timer
• High speed film (for film camera)

Instructions

1. Gather your equipment. Night photography, particularly when your are trying to capture motion, requires a very long shutter speed, therefore it is pertinent that you bring along a tripod and a shutter trigger, so that you do not shake the camera while tripping the shutter. A handheld timer is also important.

2. Select your subject. Some of the most common are car lights and stars. Once you have mastered these, it will be easier to experiment with a wider array of subject matter.

3. Choose a location. Be sure that you are in a safe location, as carrying expensive photo equipment at night can make you an easy target. When trying to capture the motion of cars, be sure you are safely off the road. Also, catching the movement of stars requires little or no other light sources, so choose a dark location free from streetlights or cars.

4. Decide upon the length of time you will hold the shutter open for the first photograph. When trying to catch a moving objects, the shutter must be open long enough to catch the movement, but not so long that you overexpose the film. Start by opening the shutter for the very least amount of time you feel necessary, and add bit by bit, taking multiple photographs.

5. Shoot multiple images to capture the perfect photo. As a rule of thumb, the darker the subject, the more images you should shoot and the longer you should hold the shutter open. For car lights, start at 15 seconds and work your way up to 45 seconds in intervals of 15. For stars, begin with five minutes and work your way up to 40 minutes if you would like to capture the starlight tracking across the entire frame.

6. Work with only one or two subjects on each outing. Though night photography, particularly that of motion, requires patience and experimentation, it can yield truly beautiful and compelling imagery.