Before heading out for night photography, it is great to be prepared, so check out Part 1: Preparation if you missed it! This week’s tips are all about capturing light trails, a creative and dynamic way to capture the night and movement of lights. So here are some tips for capturing quality images of light movement in your night photography.
1) Find a Moving Subject with Lights - This is pretty obvious of course but light trails require moving lights through your frame. So look for a spot where you can capture the movement of cars, buses, a train, or any other moving light. The movement must be consistent, not stop and go!
2) Aperture - Choose a mid range aperture that allows you to achieve the desired depth of field somewhere between f/5.6 and f/11. This range is generally sharp and in the sweet spot for most lenses. Depending on your scene you may need to close down more for greater depth of field or you may need more light. In some cases you may want to close down to f/16 in order to create starbursts of street lamps or other lights in the scene.
3) Shutter Speed - A shutter speed of 10-20 seconds is usually the sweet spot that I find for most light trails. However, you may have to adjust this if the trails are blowing out or if the moving vehicle is moving particularly slow.
Captured from the foot bridge near Lincoln Park in Chicago during blue hour.
4) Histogram & Highlight Warning - Pay attention to your histogram and highlight warnings after you shoot to ensure you are capturing the detail in the dynamic range. This is particularly important in the highlights since those will be the focus of your scene.
5) Timing - Timing can be everything when it comes to light trails. Starting your exposure when the lights come into the frame and will move through it is critical to the success of light trail images. Set up your frame and base exposure and be ready to click the shutter when the movement begins. For example, if you are near a stoplight, wait for the light to turn green before you start your exposure. If you are shooting over a highway, wait until there is enough traffic to fill the frame with trails. Shooting in Chicago one time, I found that buses created interesting light trails, so I waited until I saw a bus coming along before starting the exposure.
The high light trails here are created by waiting for the bus to come along before starting my exposure. Captured on Michigan Avenue in Chicago.
6) Lighting - It might seem you need to wait until dark to shoot light trails but it doesn’t have to be completely dark. Lights will start coming on as sunset approaches. Blue hour can be a great time to shoot light trails with the warm lights contrasting with the deep blue sky.
7) Location - Pick a location where the light trails can be the main focus of the frame, or a strong supporting element, depending on your goal. Think about how the lines of the trails will lead through the frame to create a pleasing or intriguing scan path for the viewer.
8) Be Safe - Make sure to position yourself safely when shooting. If you are near traffic, be sure you are not risking your safety for the shot.
A bus turns the corner along Michigan Avenue in Chicago
Hope these tips help you have fun, be creative and find success shooting light trails!
Want to shoot light trails with a group of ladies in Chicago? Check out my Magic in Chicago Ladies Retreat and sign up for the Ladies Retreat newsletter for all the newest information.
Kristen Ryan is an award winning and published landscape and fine art photographer and educator residing in the Midwest suburbs of Chicago. All images are available for purchase in the Fine Art Store or by request. Kristen leads ladies landscape photography retreats in the Tetons, Chicago, and the Canadian Rockies, offers private mentoring and teaches an online landscape photography workshop, The World Around You. The next run of The World Around You begins August 17!