How I Take Photos At Night - Street Photography

[@MacKintoshPhoto]

"Ignore the dark, look for the light" is what someone once told me. It simplified what I was looking for out on the street at night.

[@AngeloHinojosa]

One tip I have is to not be afraid of bumping up the ISO. Personally I’ll max out at 6400 but occasionally will go a little above.

[@instagramphotocritiques-ig6447]

Yeah do some tests to see where the most noise occurs. Great tip!

[@ArgentoRAWRz]

On 6400 it has noise for sure

[@edwardsmall3680]

Blurry is always worse than noisy IMO. Throw it into B&W and call it grain! But in all seriousness, when I started out I capped my X-T1 on auto at 3200 ISO. Despite my old 18-135mm having amazing OIS, there are blurry photos from a trip to Singapore in 2015 that I wish were noisy instead of blurry! Tl;Dr: Noise tolerable, Blurry intolerable

[@eliasali9383]

​@@ArgentoRAWRzdepends on the camera

[@paramidge8935]

Best bit of advice here is to underexpose. This Is often true in the day as well, it is much easier to pull details back from the shadows than try and rescue some vague and broken lines from blown highlights. In many scenes the exposure comp dial is constantly between my fingers. Just shoot when the tones and light sources look true. Sometimes you might need to blow the lights at night a bit in order to catch a candid and poignant subject when not necessarily in the best relation to the light; play it by eye, so to speak.

[@forneverarrow]

Underexpose at high ISO is a bad idea (at least on sensors smaller than FF) because you gonna have a lot of color noise recovering the shadows. I found it way better to increase the ISO and expose to about -1/3 to 0 EV on my APSC camera. The same is true for daylight. If you have deep blue sky you risk to clip the blue if you underexpose too much. The only cameras that can handle underexposed shots pretty well at night are the low megapixel FF , like the A7s.

[@ablesentry7070]

One very obvious tip for those with LCD screens: To hugely eliminate jitters, customise your screen to take a touch-screen shot. I use my left hand thumb as I hold the camera. Very stable.

[@granitfog]

I would suggest pressing the shutter a few heart beats after exhaling. During inhalation, blood storage increases in the lungs and reduces the volume pumped out by the heart, but during inhalation the heart rate increases slightly. When exhaling, the first one or two heart beats will pump out that volume of stored blood into peripheral circulation, causing a very slight "pulsating" of the body, and the heart rate slows down slightly. Thus, these two effects (volume of blood and breathing effect on heart rate), suggest the best moment to take a photo with reduced body shake related to blood volume and heart rate, is about 1 or 2 seconds after the end of exhalation but before the next inhalation.

[@jarredcannon]

I hope some people see this. You shouldn't be afraid of bumping up the ISO, but you should also underexpose rather than bump it too far. The reason being that you can recover more contrast, and thus perceived detail when raising the exposure in post as opposed to using a much higher ISO to compensate. When in doubt, underexpose

[@futureexperience]

hi Roman, good tips for holding the camera and stabilizing it while taking the shot in regards to shutter control. Surprised you didn't talk about using wider apertures like 1.4, 1.8, etc. to let in more light and that way allow for lower ISO and higher shutter speed. Additionally something that I've found is helpful is if you do have to bump your ISO a Denoise application like Topaz can help in post while editing to remove the noise.

[@dinomorphosis]

Great video with some sound advice. A couple other things to try if possible: 1. Use a Tabletop Tripod at night can be fun , challenging and offer you perspectives you may not have thought about before. 2. Try using a Digital camera with less Megapixels and an older sensor, especially for Fuji users. The X-E1, X10, Xpro1 and XT1 all have a grain that's very pleasing to look at when you bump up the ISO in heavily contrasted situations.

[@ImagesbyAsh]

Great video and really useful information. I love night photography but struggle with my Canon 70D. The tip about underexposing is something that I’ll try next time I’m out at night. Thanks Roman.👍🏽

[@innercityunit2112]

Just discovered your channel last night, watched the first one simply because I saw a Fujifilm X-T4, and what a great find!...Watched 3 vids, The legality of, and how to approach, street & travel photography in different countries, Different focusing techniques for street and a What's in my cam bag gear round up...Really enjoyed them, found that a lot of your thoughts and philosophies mirror my own in how I approach photography and a great delivery, easy to watch videos....Two X-T4's!..lucky boy....I'm saving at the minute to get hold of one, can't wait!!....New sub here.

[@snapsbyfox]

Thank you! much appreciated

[@scottswank]

The stability comments around the 7 minute mark are great. I'll only add that when you shift your left hand to below the camera to support it, that you also want to press your elbows against your torso because your body shakes less than your arms & hands. (Same reason the viewfinder or taut neck strap help, your head & neck are more stable than your hands.) Cheers, and thanks for very nice video.

[@charliejg]

Thanks for another informative video Roman! You mentioned how the display and the actual image often don't match. I have wondered about how far to go with the brightness settings for the back display because with my old eyes I sometimes have difficulty seeing the display and have to use the EVF.

[@snapsbyfox]

I always keep it in the middle as I found it to be the most accurate. However I am very used to display vs real life on my camera. It's not something I would rely on as much if I just got the camera and didn't spend hours with it already

[@victorcarmelo8606]

I find a mini table top tripod helps when pushed against a wall, doorway etc.

[@snapsbyfox]

Great idea!

[@lukaskogler120]

Great video and awesome tips. My bonus tip would be to test the ISO of your camera take a picture with ISO 3200 or 6400 and try to get a usable picture in your editing program. That way you know exactly which ISO you can use.

[@winc06]

Hand rails, pillars, walls all give something solid to press the camera against to stabilize as well. It may involvd some squatting. You could get a half leather case or an L-bracket for night shooting if you are squeamish about scratching the camera.

[@snapsbyfox]

Yeah good idea!

[@ajblitzstein7628]

Great video,Roman! I don’t do a lot of nighttime stills but when I do I make sure my camera is not on auto-ISO. That way i’m not fighting with the camera to increase the ISO beyond what the scene calls for.

[@Just_Call_Me_Tim]

Hey, thanks for the input! I'll definitely keep this in mind. My new camera is due in tomorrow and I can't wait to get shooting. My phone has been pretty good to me so far, but I'm running out of options with it (not to mention the poor reach).

[@BlancGivre]

I know is annoying and cumbersome but using the old tripod (and the timer) is how I was able to get my best nighttime photos. Using the tripod in combination with the timer allows you to access insanely slower shutter speeds, preserving your precious ISO and allowing you the luxury of managing the depth of field a little. And, of course, it completely eliminates camera shake.

[@brianmorris6466]

I'm surprised to see no one else has mentioned this yet. The whole purpose of the two second timer is to eliminate camera shake due to pressing the shutter release while the camera is on a tripod. Using it while handheld is useless.

[@howardroark4227]

beautiful shots! and awesome tips! Subbed!

[@ANTOINE.3000]

Best teacher in the worlddddddddd

[@renekun1982]

Great video again! Thank a lot Roman!

[@Just_Call_Me_Tim]

"...you end up with a more realistic picture." That's literally what I'm aiming for with all of them! 😂 But, these tips are very useful and I'll be sure to keep them in mind. Thanks!

[@MrBanana94]

Absolutely helpful as always! Thanks Roman

[@snapsbyfox]

Cheers!

[@mikefoster6018]

I'm a big fan of Auto ISO during daytime. During nighttime, I like to slide my shutter speed dial (on my X-T5) to 60 or 125. My front command dial is set to toggle (with a quick press) between 1) moving my Exposure Compensation and 2) adjusting the chosen shutter speed up and down a bit. (For example, at 1/60 my front dial lets me vary it from 1/40 and 1/100). So I can can get plenty of useful control just with that one front dial, allowing me to get shots quickly at the best exposure. (Of course, also adjusting my aperture ring separately as needed).

[@btswilliam]

My tip would be to stop fighting Noise and embrace it if you are shooting for creative purposes. I personally love noise or even add extra grain with B&W photos for added texture and interest. I often go to 12800 ISO out of curiosity and play with it in post. This is extra applicable for those with older cameras and/ or does not have super fast lenses since I think noise will be always be present in your photos (unless you take long exposures).

[@snapsbyfox]

Yeah noise can be worked around if you know what you're doing. Also it will only improve as cameras improve

[@btswilliam]

@@snapsbyfox It’s an honour to have you reply to my comment haha. Just got back from my holiday from NY and your videos gave me plenty of valuable tips so thanks for everything that you do 🙏

[@Just_Call_Me_Tim]

I see this "noise" all the time and have for as long as I can remember. My eyes just kind of... suck, but I'm used to it (especially at night.. I'm about useless well before others run out of useful light).

[@R8135003]

Loving the this type of video, thank you for all the work. My tip, carry a mini tripod, you still can't beat it. Be lucky stay safe.

[@alanbuckley6679]

Some great images and sound advice 👍🏻

[@Bichitos4215]

The stabilizing tips are great especially when you don't want to set up the tripod every single time. Amazing video.

[@snapsbyfox]

Cheers!

[@andyandhelenlouch1910]

Hi Roman, another excellent video and some great tips mentioned. I also love low light photography; it's the only benefit of shorter days as far as I'm concerned! I agree with the tips you make and also suggest the following; I sometimes use a monopod with small feet to help stabilise the camera. A bit more gear to carry and, as you note, only of use for stationery objects, although good light trails when trafic is in the shot! Take a bean bag to help steadying the camera and getting a better angle for some images. Also agree that try a high ISO. I use up to 10000 and they use noise reducing software (Topaz) before playing with Lightroom. I was amazed at how good it was although it does add time when post processing! Thanks again for your great tips and advice, love your style!! Andy

[@lausimon336]

Great advice especially how to use the neck strap , thankyou

[@sambuckingham3971]

I think when shooting in aperture priority or auto mode, the camera tends to adjust the exposure to mimic daylight. To avoid this, try adjusting the exposure to match the lighting you want to capture. For example, if you're taking a nighttime shot, make sure the exposure reflects that by adjusting it accordingly.

[@Anon54387]

Everyone, I''m sure, has at least one case of this. I once was photographing at a community event where they close the main street and have a big meal and have concession booths along the main street along with live music. I caught this one group of friends, and one in that group turned her back on the rest of the group. It had to be seen to appreciate, but it would have made for a great photo except that I missed the focus. It was a one off in the moment thing, so frustrating to miss something like that.

[@REMY.C.]

Start of the video with Instagram : Isn't that a beautiful and subliminal declaration to Eren: "- your night photography is just gorgeous mate!" ;-)

[@wilfs1196]

On my Fuji X-T4 ( & probably on my ex X-T3) I turn on Flicker Reduction. Not sure how well it works as I haven't tried it yet. Setting : go to camera icon, page 2 of 2 .3rd item on the list.

[@instagramphotocritiques-ig6447]

Cool video, thank you for sharing!

[@REMY.C.]

To those stabilizing tips (that I use) I'll add : If your camera allows it and if the light is good (no flickering) use the ELECTRONIC SHUTTER, it removes a lot of the mechanical shutter jitters. For the breathing, hold your breath when your lungs are empty, you're gonna be more relaxed and you can hold enough to compose and shoot. And don't move as soon as you hear (see) the shutter, give an extra second (it's a technique I use when I was young and shooting still targets and it helped). Oh and don't forget to breath back. One time I forgot and remembered only a week after, it was almost too late 😂

[@snapsbyfox]

Haha yeah not breathing back can ruin your day

[@wilfs1196]

Several Fujis have a Flicker reduction on/off setting in the menu, especially useful around flourescent lights & possibly some neon lighting.

[@TikkacanKut2]

Shoot in manually… if you hand held my lowest shutter I shoot at is 1/30s and iso between 800 to 1600.. aperture between 2.8 and 4. Less noise to deal with and still get great shots as you see it with your eyes on the camera screen but it also depends on the camera. Cause I use fast prime manually lense

[@FRDFX]

Well, that depens. When im shooting low light i kinda search for things to put on my xt4. Maybe a garbage can or even when i shoot in vertical i try to press the Camera against a Wall or anyting. Or a car maybe to stabilize it. Its helping. Thanks for the great Video, Roman. Greets from Germany ✌️

[@krawkovski]

This is gold.. thanks!

[@Mr.Stickyrice]

Thanks for the great insights

[@caypasha]

some amazing photos

[@paulasimson4939]

Really practical and helpful tips - thanks!

[@snapsbyfox]

Thank you!

[@spartalaun]

Great video!! Just so much to learn. Quick question: Do you shot with a mechanical shutter or with an electrical? Also what do you use on daytime? Thanks a lot!

[@headphoneboy]

Surprised you didn’t mention using collapsible travel tripods or mini/desktop tripod as an additional way to stabilize. Do you ever use this technique for low-light photography?

[@snapsbyfox]

Yeah that's a clear choice for city scapes or anything still life. This video is more about handheld and photography whilst walking around

[@paulc9139]

I'm going to try to find out where my Canon 50d sits with noise at night, and where it's useable , I'm going to a wedding in Sorento in a couple of months, it would be a shame not to try night time photography there, because of inexperience, I'd be happy with reasonable photographs, you never know it maybe my thing.

[@joshv5560]

What overlay or filter, effect, etc.. are you using for the 16mm film look for the "topic" cuts? Looks so clean and dope dude

[@jules_mac]

Great video, very helpful. Thanks :)

[@1kwords]

Good tips and nice video. I enjoyed this.

[@snapsbyfox]

Cheers!

[@DA-yd2ny]

Great tutorial, Roman

[@Markeymarc321]

I would think that using spot metering at night and metering the bright areas of interest would help getting the correct exposure also.

[@hardtrailrider]

excellent suggestions.

[@stevenp291288]

Thank you for this video. What about photometry? Center weight? Average? Single point? Keep on the good work and hello from Quebec!

[@bcegerton]

Thanks for the tips Roman, not like you talking Nighttime Photography, I know it’s not your favourite time to go out shooting, I don’t know why as you’re clearly very good at it.

[@cmar6268]

Great video! Great tips!

[@Alexrocks1253]

What is the maximum ISO you'd use for Fuji cameras? On my Sony and Panasonic cameras, I personally push ISO up to 51200 if needed then use shutter speed after.

[@ccanales.b]

For night I prefer to shoot in black and white, then process in color. With that in mind I will always focus more in the shape than anything

[@snapsbyfox]

This also works on boring cloudy days when there is no colour

[@Chipop267]

Thank you! Good tips!

[@h.r.3061]

Great video as always! A question outside this topic: are you using film simulations?

[@snapsbyfox]

Cheers! nah, all my own editing. As for video I use Eterna with a little colour grade in Final Cut

[@duschbrauser]

Great video. What minimum shutter speed do you prefer when shooting people in the streets at night?

[@lsamoa]

Excellent advice, thank you! I tried using the 2 sec timer but my Canon RP flashes a red light during the countdown and I can't seem to find a way to switch it off (it's not the same as the AF red light which is already switched off). Anyone knows how to get rid of this, apart from gaffa taping the LED? Thanks!

[@gershonportnoy5589]

Great video, it's a kipper for sure🙏

[@abchappell01]

Excellent presentation. :)

[@nielsroos4416]

Great video, you should add that it also helps a lot to hold your breath

[@snapsbyfox]

Yeah good point!

[@francisenaje]

What camera are you using in the video?

[@Oske.images]

I prefer to shoot into darkness ( long exposure.) And light the scene myself. Or sometimes, wait till there's a full moon and let it light my subject. (If street shooting, I of course chase the lights too.)

[@just_eirik]

Speaking of pressing the shutter button and how it introduces a little bit of shaking to a photo, I really wish Fujifilm had soft shutter buttons like Nikon had on their DSLRs. (They probably have that on their mirrorless cameras too, I just don’t have experience with them)

[@tstana]

I so wish you would have covered "ye olde White Balance", a particularly challenging thing for me personally when shooting in color at night. Maybe there's another video in your list addressing this topic -- or do you just go Auto and cover it in "post"? I find AWB does not really cover it in most cases.

[@snapsbyfox]

always leave it in auto... never had a scenario where I had to set it to a specific one tbh

[@ahmedabdal-aziz8974]

What is the gear used on those fantastic night shots ?

[@sanjayp2683]

Zone focussing, iso 3200, prime lens

[@MrYuriosh]

R! Thx a lot for the video and tips. Could u recommend to use monopod for night street photo?

[@snapsbyfox]

For sure as long as you don’t mind carrying it around and looking obvious

[@anatorres2513]

Great video! Definitely will be using these tips. And I know it’s a long shot but I’d love to see a video on you night photography settings. Or it’s it the same? I’m new to night time photography and digital photography in general. Always shot film

[@snapsbyfox]

I will probably do one later on for sure

[@antwilkphotography]

Some great tips here!

[@snapsbyfox]

Cheers!

[@mahdiali6732]

Never thought of underexposing. Will try it. Thanks for the tips.

[@astrodoug]

Thank you!

[@DSMRVLOG]

I have been following you with your style of photography. I want to learn how to make business with streeet photography. please guide

[@amalieemmynoether992]

I went on a night photography adventure yesterday but couldn't find anything worth shooting 😟

[@scottswank]

I'm guessing you shoot raw at night. I'd love to hear what you do in post to recover darker areas,. Cheers.

[@peterjohnson1012]

Informative video! I might of missed this, but what part might a camera (eg. Fuji X-T4) with IBIS factor into this equation? I rarely shoot at night and usually use a table top tripod for me IBIS-less camera and mostly satisfied. Would using a camera with IBIS and no tripod be better as I might get passing/changing compositions? Not as much to fiddle with? Thanks!

[@snapsbyfox]

Cheers! In my experience I found it gives me a few usable stops. So I can easily shoot at 1/60 at longer focal lengths on lenses without OIS. On the XT3 I would have had to be lucky to get it all tack sharp. It is not necessary but a huge help if you have it.

[@peterreber7671]

Great tips.

[@michaelschmitt5413]

Thanks. I don't do anything special. I rely on high ISO mostly. I do lean on things a bit when I can.

[@snapsbyfox]

High iso is always a good option too

[@neilcole3406]

Good stuff!

[@ethanperez4774]

What are good built-in film simulations on fuji for nighttime photography?

[@ethanperez4774]

I only have an xt200 if that helps.

[@lewis7394]

Is it just assumed that you would keep the aperature wide open at night? Like with the 56mm just shoot everything at 1.2?

[@lewis7394]

Anyone? Im genuinely curious

[@richardyeung6562]

Good tips 👍

[@bobsykes]

How do I shoot at night? Not very well… These are hood tips, especially the last one about exposure compensation. Thanks!

[@pepsimac]

Those example street shots are so sharp. Is that also the 1.4 prime? Do you shoot at 1.4?

[@snapsbyfox]

Cheers! yes and yes

[@snapsbyfox]

Cheers! yes and yes

[@bosamuelsson5814]

If I understa d, snott towards the light, with”long” shutter speed, stabile camera und underexponera?

[@snapsbyfox]

Sorry not sure if this made sense… But if I understand correctly, yeah

[@giacomo_formisano]

woooow really userful thanks

[@snapsbyfox]

Cheers!

[@giacomo_formisano]

@@snapsbyfox thanks

[@anuviljakainen9374]

Hi Roman, great video as always. I do check every day if you have posted something new, you definitely are one of my favourite you tubers, as you explain everything so clearly. By the way, did I understand right that you will be off to Lisbon soon? If you will organize a photo walk, I would love to join. I am based in Malaga, southern Spain, but I´ll just hop into to car and drive over there :-)

[@Sumpguard]

Roman I love your channel and work. I’ve been using an iPhone as my main camera for the past 10 years. I’m thinking of buying the XT4, with the 33mm prime to get my skills back on track.

[@Anon54387]

Find good light. I did that and the police were called on me. In retrospect, I see why it looked suspicious. I saw this bank of lights on top of a block wall by the railroad tracks and thought that'll light up the train nicely as it passes by. So I crouch by this block wall waiting for the train and a nearby homeowner sees me crouching there and, not illogically, thinks I'm up to no good. So the police come and question me and check to see if I had any arrest warrants (which I did not) and let me go on my way. I did ask them, when they first talked to me, if I had to leave. Technically one isn't supposed to trespass on railroad property and post 9/11 it's more of an issue. I figured if they got the idea I wasn't giving them attitude they might let me continue to photograph and, in the end, they did. I had to wait about 5 minutes until their dispatcher verified I had no warrants out. They also asked me if I'd been in trouble with the law which, other than a few speeding tickets, I haven't. That 5 minutes, though, seemed like an hour.

[@leeinnes7127]

Thanks for this Roman. My previous effrts sucked and some of this will help I'm sure. As a new shooter, night street photography is by far my favourite type of photogrpapy. Perhaps I don't feel so conscience walking around carrying a camera, because other people don't realise. I now have a used X-H1, 33mm f1.4 and am waiting for delivery of a used 18mm f1.4 & 90mm f2. I'm looking forward to seeing what images I can create. Good luck on your travels, can't wait to follow your journey.

[@snapsbyfox]

Cheers!

[@scalingserfdom2899]

Where did you manage to source a used 18mm?

[@leeinnes7127]

@@scalingserfdom2899 In the UK there is an online used camera company called MPB. With them, you can set up email alerts to tell you when something you want comes in. Good luck if you're after one. I've used mine and I think it could become my most used lens.

[@scalingserfdom2899]

@@leeinnes7127 thanks I'll check them out. I bought the 33mm from e-infinity. They also have the 18mm for 699 but wouldn't mind used if it was cheaper

[@johnnyd8792]

What camera was used to shoot the lowlight b-roll?

[@snapsbyfox]

Same one.. fuji XT4 and the f1.4 primes

[@johnnyd8792]

@@snapsbyfox it looks really good. I thought it was on a full frame

[@shawarma3636]

A good tip for taking pictures at night is wait for it or get dark 📸

[@EkibenExpress]

As a Canadian, you sound just like Tom Hardy

[@nh-ss5pw]

Thumbs up 👍👍

[@SipitTV]

I was waiting for "using a tripod".

[@csafterhours4223]

One of the best night tutorials I’ve seen

[@astrodoug]

So far I've been shooting pretty poorly! ;-)

[@DanSussman]

Thanks!

[@snapsbyfox]

Thank you!!!