Technique LOW-LIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY
We speak to three professional photographers who thrive on low light conditions as they use it to their advantage to create atmospheric images in urban and rural spaces
Verity Milligan
Verity is a professional urban/landscape photographer based in Birmingham. She has worked on campaigns for international organisations, leads workshops for Light & Land and is an ambassador for LEE Filters. She’s happiest when outdoors at dawn. www.veritymilliganphotography.com
The blue hour
The blue hour is my preferred time of day for capturing urban scenes in low light. It occurs during what I refer to as ‘civil twilight,’ the brief period between sunset and the onset of darkness (or the reverse at sunrise). It’s a magical phase when the city awakens, and the soft ambient light blends with the artificial lights emanating from shops, office buildings, and homes. Photographs taken at this time lean towards the cooler spectrum, allowing the blues to contrast with the warmer oranges of the illuminated urban landscape. Civil twilight is fleeting, and once dusk transitions into night (or dawn becomes day), the mood shifts, resulting in a somewhat less impressive visual experience. I recommend exploring this time of the day, especially during the summer months where civil twilight can stretch out for hours into the night.
Weather
I love shooting in different weather, especially when I’m shooting low-light cityscapes. Some of my favourite photography outings have been pre-dawn in either the snow or the fog. Weather conditions such as these can transform something mundane into something extraordinary. In low light, fog gives the artificial lighting of the city an ethereal feel and the city’s transport seems to appear without warning and quickly dissipates to nothing. Images taken in low light during inclement weather have a certain timelessness to them, especially with the inclusion of some human elements walking in and out of frame. It’s not just inclement weather; the atmosphere and low light that comes after a bright, sunny day can be just as appealing, especially if there’s no cloud, revealing the gradients in the sky.
Supportive kit
Shooting in low light can be tricky, especially if you’re new to the process, but the rewards are often worth the early starts or late evenings. For more considered landscape images, I recommend using a tripod if possible. If that’s not an option, I used to adapt by using a bag of rice on static objects such as railings to steady the camera and ensure there is no camera shake. Using a tripod will mean you have more time to set up and consider the shot and will allow some creativity if you decide to use filters to enhance the look of the image.
Shoot handheld
Sometimes, when you’re shooting in the city, carrying and using
