Best Camera Settings for Travel Photography at Night
Do you wonder what settings you should use for travel photography? In the past have you taken a lot of images which have come out blurry, too dark, or too bright?
In this post, I will tell you the settings I often use when I am out and about exploring. Using these settings provide me with content for my blog, my Instagram, my social media profile, photographs that I often license through agencies, and also images that I sell for prints.
Taking pictures at night is probably my favourite type of travel photography.
I love the way images look after long exposure, especially when there is water involved.
Cameras that I recommend for TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY:
Settings:
Camera mode — Again I often use Aperture priority although many professional photographers shoot manual. I have always found that aperture priority gets a great exposure at night (using my Canon cameras).
Aperture — Between f/4-f/16 — When choosing your aperture note that a narrower aperture (such as F/16), will often create a large starburst from lights such as streetlights, whilst a wider aperture (such as f/4) will create a smaller or no starburst. When shooting cityscapes or objects that are quite far away, a wide aperture will probably be sufficient; But when shooting objects that are close, or where there are lots of objects at different distances, you need to be more aware of your depth of field.
Shutter speed — In aperture priority this would be set by the camera.
ISO — 100 — If your images are coming out underexposed, then consider increasing your ISO. But keep in mind that the higher you go, the more likely you will get noise,
Drive mode — Use a 2 or 10-second timer or a hand remote to avoid handshake from pressing the shutter button.
Focus type — I use manual focus for all my nights shots. You can use auto if you find it’s getting you sharp images though.
