Digital Night Photography - Long Exposure Time

SUMMARY: A long shutter exposure can aid in taking clear, crisp night photos with your digital camera.

One of the main tricks to taking good photos at night with your digital camera is taking long exposures of a subject. The long exposure time is needed to compensate for the low light; the longer the exposure, the longer your camera absorbs the scarcely available light. While a sunny day with plentiful illumination may only require a camera shutter to remain open for 1/250th or 1/125th of a second for clear, crisp photos, low-light conditions may require decreased shutter speeds of 1/15th of a second or longer.

Check your digital camera manual for instructions on changing the shutter speed - it is usually the "S" in the "PASM" or "ASM" camera setting modes. Note that longer exposure times may necessitate a tripod or other stabilization device, else your photos will turn out blurry due to "camera shake".

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