As you can see from Figure 5-8, there is no such thing
as the ???one perfect exposure??? in a night photograph. Increasing the exposure means longer light
trails and brighter points of light. Eventually, too much exposure time will lead to obviously
overexposed images and perhaps digital noise (which I discuss in the next section). But for the
most part, the exposure you choose is a matter of personal taste.
114 How to Do Everything: Digital Camera
Sensors and Noise
Night photography is a little trickier with a digital camera than with a film SLR. Don??™t get me
wrong??”film has its own problems. Reciprocity failure, for instance, is a phenomenon that
affects 35mm film. What it means is that film reacts somewhat unpredictably during very long
exposures, such as at night. Film is designed to be exposed to light for a fraction of a second;
so if you leave the shutter open for 10 seconds, the reliable relationship between the aperture
Take Your First Night Shots
So, you??™re ready to take your first pictures at night. I recommend that you choose an
interesting locale to begin with. Go downtown, where there are lots of neon store lights and
cars with headlights on. Alternately, try a local carnival or fairground. The idea is to find a
location that has lots of interesting lights and motion.
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