Night photography settings your camera wants you to use

3 key night photography settings every photographer should use

Night photography settings every photographer should use: shoot wide

Shoot wide
Keep the aperture setting as wide as possible. If you don't have a fast prime lens (such as 24mm or 35mm f/1.4) then f/4 is a good compromise. Make sure you test your lens in the daytime to see how sharply it performs with the aperture wide open.

Night photography settings every photographer should use: boost the ISO

Boost the ISO
Make the camera sensitive to low light by selecting a much higher ISO than normal. If you're shooting in moonlight, the value doesn't need to be any greater than ISO 1600, but choose ISO 3200 for dark, starry skies with little illumination.

Night photography settings every photographer should use: customise your shutter speed

Customise shutter speed
Make sure the shutter speed is no longer than 30 secs. If it is, star trails will start to form and the stars will lose their definition. Make use of your DSLR's self timer or a cable release to ensure that your hands are off the camera when the shutter fires.

PAGE 1: Options for night photography settings
PAGE 2: 3 key night photography settings every photographer should use
PAGE 3: Control your colours
PAGE 4: Final tips for your night photography shoot

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