Nighttime is the Right Time.
Nighttime photography is my favorite photography. Things look different at night. You can see things a night you can’t see in the daylight. But it is not without its unique challenges.
If you’ve ever been outside - by yourself - in the middle of the night - in the middle of nowhere - in total blackness - you know the feeling. Every rustle of the leaves sounds like sasquatch is just feet away. In realty, the likely source of your racing heart is a squirrel and your own imagination.
I include my camera settings for nighttime photography with each shot.
I took this on our dream vacation to French Polynesia. This was on the island of Moorea. We spent 3 nights there before flying on to Bora Bora. It is a panorama of 6 shots taken on June 7, 2021. Our over-the-water bungalow was the 3rd from the left.
(6) images @ f/2.8 | 15 seconds | ISO 640 | 24mm
Canyonlands National Park
Mesa Arch at Canyonlands was a fun shoot. I had to get up about around midnight and drive 40 minutes to the parking lot for Mesa Arch. Once there, I had to walk a little bit to get to this spot.
It was pitch black. Using my headlamp, I slowly and carefully made my way along the trail.
It took me a bit of time to find a shot I liked, but here it is. This isn’t my best editing work, but it also stays true to what I saw out there by myself.
Taken April 16, 2023, at 1:03am
f/2.8 | 20 seconds | ISO 6400 | 24mm
Craters of the Moon National Monument
We visited Craters of the Moon NM when we stayed in Wendell, Idaho. It took us about an hour and a half to get there. We drove through the monument and did some hiking. While walking the Devils Orchard trail, I couldn’t help but notice the dead trees. Dead, yes. But so much character.
We drove back to the camper in Wendell. But I couldn’t get my mind off the dead trees. I checked the forecast and the Milky Way app. It was then that I realized there would also be a meteor shower. That’s it…I simply had to go back.
So I drove the hour and a half BACK. I waited for my eyes to adjust and set up my camera.
f/2.8 | 20 seconds | ISO 5000 | 24mm
Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls is one of the most iconic places in America, indeed the world. We made the trip in the summer of 2021. Still in the COVID era, we weren’t able to cross into Canda. But that’s OK, we can see it from our porch. Here’s a view of Canada from Goat Island.
It’s not an exaggeration to say that the water rages. It moves so fast. The falls are lit each night with powerful flood lights that illuminate the cascading water in its entirety.
The red light on the fast-moving water during a long exposure creates a river of red falling into an abyss.
f/8 | 15 seconds | ISO 100 | 31mm
Laughrey High Bridge
This trestle is near Osgood, Indiana. I read about it online and went to shoot it one afternoon. As soon as I saw it in daylight, I knew I had to see it at night.
So I got up about midnight on May 8, 2021, to drive the 1:40 minutes from our house in Avon, Indiana to this bridge in the middle of nowhere. #WorthIt
f/2.8 | 20 seconds | ISO 5000 | 24mm
My First
There’s a place about 45 minutes from where we lived in Avon, Indiana, called Cataract Falls. Not only does it have the genuine covered bridge you see in this picture, but down river about 100 yards is a real nice waterfall. By volume, it’s the biggest waterfall in Indiana.
This is where I went to practice the nighttime photography tips I learned from YouTube. It’s also here where I saw the Milky Way for the first time. It takes a while for your eyes to adjust, but when they do, magic seems to appear out of celestial Aether.
I used 3 Lume cubes inside the bridge. The light you see out the left side is a passing car.
Our dentist in Danville, Indiana, had this printed on metal and it’s now hanging in their waiting room.
Taken at 1:36am on May 7, 2021.
f2.8 | 20 seconds | ISO 6400 | 24mm
Indiana Barn
Nothing says “Indiana” like an old barn with a basketball hoop. This is a little north of Danville. Susan and I were coming back from something - I don’t even remember what - and we saw this barn out in the middle of a field. I knew I had to shoot it.
I was able to track down the owner to get permission. So on April 2, 2021, I made the short drive, climbed the fence, and walked across a slightly muddy field to this spot. I set the camera up using the internal intervalometer and let it do its thing. I actually dove back home while the camera was shooting. A couple hours later, I went back to get it.
What you see here is a “star trail” image that consists of 335 pictures stacked together.
(335) * f/2.8 | 20 seconds | ISO 2500 | 24mm
Medal of Honor Memorial
Indianapolis is second only to Washington, DC when it comes to monument and memorials that honor those Americans who’ve served the United States of America.
One of those is the Medal of Honor Memorial located along the canal in the White River State Park. The glass panels list every recipient of the Medal of Honor.
Taken March 6, 2021
f/7.1 | 1/2 second | ISO 1000 | 24mm
Chandelier in Carlsbad Caverns
Carlsbad Caverns National Park is one of my favorite (Susan, not so much). It can be tough to photograph for several reasons. There’s the huge contrast in lighting. It’s a cave…pitch black. But there are also very bright lights. The two combined tested my ability.
There’s also the fact that the walkways for tourist are pretty small in places. Setting up a tripod must be done with courtesy.
f/7.1 | 1/5 seconds | ISO 1600 | 66mm