Rangefinder Magazine
September 2006

Urban Nighttime Portrait Sessions by Chung Chan
It’s a Lot Easier Than You Think

The precious moments following sunset afford photographers an opportunity to evoke moods impossible to elicit during daylight. Portrait sessions, particularly engagement sessions shot during twilight, capture a unique sense of intimacy. Imagine, for example, a daylight shot of a couple in a park versus a portrait of the same couple embracing under the moonlight.

Shooting subjects at night is not difficult; however, it does take practice, patience, the right equipment and a little bit of luck.

Camera

In the old days, we were limited to using grainy, high-ISO black-and-white film after sunset. With modern DSLRs, however, sunset no longer means an end to shooting. Most of today’s mature line of digital SLRs have the ability to capture images in very high ISO (up to 3200) with very little noise. Coupled with various image-stabilizing technologies (either on camera or in-lens), today’s camera systems enable the photographer to shoot long after sunset.

Of course, technology cannot completely replace proper technique. For nighttime photos, most cameras will tend to overexpose, as much of the scene is dark. Thus, keep reviewing your shots and expose accordingly.

I typically shoot at ISO 1600 or 3200 in AV mode. Most of my lenses are f/2.8; hence, the shutter speed will usually be around 1/15. At these settings, the chance of camera shake is extremely high. (And to top it off, I rarely bring a tripod along, since it hampers my freedom to move about.) To account for this I try to stand stiff and still, or lean against a nearby object for stability. Often times, I will shoot several consecutive shots, of which only one may be completely sharp.

At these shutter speeds, you must instruct your subjects to stand still. As a side effect to the slow shutter speed, moving vehicles and people will create light-streak effects, which may or may not be desireable. Remember, practice makes perfect.

Timing

Timing is one of the most important aspects of capturing nighttime images. Prior to the day of the shoot, pay careful attention to how the sky changes from sunset to twilight to nighttime. Observe the color of the sky. You may notice that at sunset the sky may contain brilliant reds and oranges.

Immediately after sunset, the sky becomes a dull grey. Then, for a period of 15–20 minutes during twilight, you will notice a rich, deep blue sky. This is the best time for taking photos. Afterwards, the sky will dim into a dark black/blue color, and it will stay that way for the rest of the night.

Taking photos beforehand will result in the sky being blown out, and taking photos afterward will result in a black sky. It is during the few precious minutes at twilight when the exposure of the sky will be approximately the same as the exposure of a typical street scene. Only then will the resulting photo yield a rich blue sky.

Location

Location is also an important factor to consider. Cityscapes with plenty of street lighting make for good backdrops. Be creative in finding light. Shopping areas will often have a good supply of lighted window displays. These make for perfect fill light at night.

The background lights play an important role because they provide tonal separation for your subjects.

Clothing

Your subject’s clothing can also affect the outcome of your nighttime portrait session. Encourage your subjects to wear light colors, which will help distinguish them from the background; this will also help the camera’s auto focus system as it provides more subject contrast for the auto focus to lock on to.

Artificial Lighting

The last topic for discussion may be the most important factor in achieving great nighttime portraits—the use of artificial lighting. Ideally, you would find a location with great background lighting and nearby lights to amply light your subjects.

However, more often than not, you will have to supplement the light. When most people think about external lighting for cameras, they usually think of a camera flash. For outdoor nighttime portraits, the camera flash is actually a very difficult tool to use. First, most camera flash units are hot-shoe mounted, meaning that the light will be flat. Bouncing the flash is not an option, as there is no ceiling. Second, the intensity and, more importantly, the spread of light coming from a camera flash is very difficult to control. Usually a camera flash will light up not just your subjects, but also areas around them, producing an undesirable result. If you can remove your flash from the camera, using wired or wireless techniques, then it will become a better lighting tool.

ALL photos copyright © chung chan

My favorite choice of light for nighttime portraits is a continuous light. This can come in many forms, from low-cost battery- powered flashlights (lanterns) to sophisticated, dimmable video-lighting systems.

I started off using cheap battery-powered flashlights to do my early nighttime portraits. The obvious advantage is the cost and portability. With just a few bucks, you are able to experiment all you want. The problem with these flashlights is that their light cannot be focused; hence, one has to be careful with blown-out spots. Plus, the battery life may be limited.

My current light is the ever-popular Lowel id- Light, along with a lead acid battery pack. With this dimmable and focus able video light, I can light up a precise area of a scene and see the exact lighting effect that will be reproduced. Coupled with the various available attachments (barn doors, filters, etc.), this becomes a very versatile piece of lighting equipment! The biggest drawback to using an external light is that it needs to be held by an assistant.

It is not really practical to mount these on a light stand when you need to roam around a city block. But once you overcome this, having an external light means there is almost no limit to when and where you can take nighttime portraits. Armed with these techniques, you can creatively explore the world of nighttime portraits and produce unique images for your clients.

Chung Chan is the principal photographer and owner of ChungPhoto, a photography studio based in the San Francisco Bay Area. He specializes in wedding photography and also runs a wedding album design business. Chung graduated from Stanford University, and his wedding work can be seen at www.chungphoto. com.