Nocturnal photography tips

Posted on 7 February 2025 By Louise Bell

As the sun sets and the dust settles for the night, a whole other world that differs from when the sunlight shines appears. Nature becomes alive with incredible sightings and sounds, making it the perfect place to take some exceptional wildlife photography.

Unsplash/Warren

Are you looking to take your nature photography skills to the dark side? Take a look at a few things to remember to get the perfect shot you’re hoping for.

Do your research on the location

You’ll need a rough idea of how the landscape is laid out to plan what structures and sights you’ll shoot at night. Be sure to check which wildlife is prone to appearing in this environment when darkness appears so you can be on the lookout for these particular animals. If you’re visiting a national park, you’ll also need to check if overnight stays are allowed and if there are entry fees.

Plan to stay the night

Night photography is all about patience, so you’ll need to plan to spend the night in order to get the best photos on your trip. You’ll need to pack specific things if you’re planning a stayover on a mountain in order to have your best foot forward on your nocturnal journey.

Have the right equipment

Nothing is worse than preparing for a night filled with photography and realising you don’t have the right equipment for the shot you want. You’ll need to include a variety of items in your arsenal to come prepared:

  • Spare camera battery
  • Appropriate lens
  • Tripod 
  • Camera
  • Natural light filter (if light pollution is hindering the quality of the photos)

Go manual & shoot RAW

Manual mode is the best setting to use to maximise your chances of capturing the shot you were hoping for. Automatic mode will have your camera a tad confused, as there are a number of light exposure elements that will have this setting work a bit wonky. Shooting in RAW will also help you to have more information to work off of and balance the various elements strategically in post-production.

Be respectful of the wildlife

While noctourism is on the rise, you’ll need to respect your surroundings and the creatures you’ll encounter. Be sure to keep a respectable distance and not interfere too much with its nightly activities, as many of the creatures you’ll see predominately live their lives at night. Keep the flash to a minimum, or try not to use the flash function if the animal is looking directly at you.

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