Portraits after dark: Tips for creating great nighttime portraits.
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Hello again!
I’m excited to talk about this topic and the shoot that inspired it, so let’s set the scene.
It’s December. School is out for the semester, and there are Christmas lights throughout the city. I want to experiment with the lights and the colors, but I don’t think the twinkle lights will be enough for my max f/4 lens. What to do, what to do…
Then, I had a thought. I could use my external flash. It would certainly give me the light I needed, but would it be the right vibe? Then I thought, I have a little cube light, which gives me a whole spectrum of colors to play with.
So I ask my best friend to model for me and tell her, “hey let’s go play with Christmas lights in the dark!” and of course, she’s down.
Here were the results:
I love how the images turned out and I am excited to try out other creative ideas. Have you ever tried a photoshoot in the dark? What were your results? Here are a few tips that may help you if you want to try your own nighttime shoot.
Tips for after dark portraits.
Use the equipment you have.
Even if you don’t have a fast lens (wide aperture) you can still accomplish some pretty cool photos! Like I mentioned above, my max aperture was f/4 and I stayed there the whole time while changing my shutter speed and ISO settings. It helps to find a lens that has image stabilization (or vibration reduction), better yet, a lot of camera bodies offer IBIS (In Body Image Stabilization). So look at your gear and see if you already have these features. The important thing is to get out there and practice with the gear you have and see how far you can push it!
Use available light
Although the sun is gone, there is always light out there. All you have to do is go out and find it. For this particular shoot, it was during the holidays, so there were lights all around. The important thing is to play around with it and see what you can come up with. Some other options for available night time light sources are neon lights of businesses, street lights, car headlights, or flashlights.
Use on-camera or off-camera flash.
I know, I know. Artificial light is scary. There are so many options to choose from and then the buttons, a new list of settings to understand, the radio channels, the light power, etc., etc. That’s the beauty of experimental shoots. There is no pressure! So go get you a speedlight/ transmitter combo and start playing! I have the Godox V860IIs + X1 trigger and I have been extremely happy with them.
I strongly suggest to go ahead and buy a compatible trigger with whatever speedlight you choose. I have been in several situations where I have needed the extra light, but didn’t necessarily need it coming from on top of the camera. When you buy a transmitter, you can put the flash anywhere around your subject while the transmitter on your camera triggers the flash to fire. This opens up many different lighting options.
Check Amazon or B&H Photo when you go to buy!
Buy a light cube.
There are tons of options on Amazon for these multi-colored/variable temperature light cubes. That’s how I got my subject to be that blue color in the second photo posted above. The light I use has a full HSL (Hue, Saturation, Luminance) spectrum to choose from for colors, as well as wide color temperature range for more neutral light. The one that I have experience with is the Pixel G1s RGB Video Light. I’ve used it several times and have been very happy with the results. It gives an extra pop of color or just a continuous light boost when you don’t want to use flash. I love it!
Play with motion blur and grain.
When you are shooting in the dark, it can be very difficult to get something in crisp focus or detail, so you can end up with a lot of imperfect photos. Don’t always fight against imperfections, take advantage of them! We all try to go for the crystal clear image that makes everyone go, “ooh ahh, it’s so tack sharp!”. Don’t be afraid to incorporate the movement that goes into taking these photos. Showing motion blur by slowing down your shutter or bumping up your ISO to add a little extra grain can give variety to the photos you deliver and can help tell the story you are trying to capture during your shoot.
And if none of that works…
You can always hire me to take portraits for you! ;)
I hope some of these tips are helpful or inspiring for you and your next creative shoot. I’m excited to continue experimenting. Have you done any creative shoots lately? Let me know what you did and how you made it happen!
Thanks for reading, and until next time!
Leah