In my neck of the woods sunset is at 7:12 p.m. For now anyway.
Whereas I don’t enjoy losing an hour of sleep when we spring ahead, there is something to be said about the extra hour of sunlight in the evening.
The later sunset, coupled with the record-breaking high temperatures we’ve been blessed with the past couple of weeks have made it look and feel a lot like summer in the middle of March.
Our neighborhood sure looks like summer. Kids are running around in shorts, parents are out sprucing up their yards and I’ve finally been able to start taking pictures at dusk again.
Sunrise and sunset usher in the “golden hours” in the world of photography. It’s the time of day which features the most exquisite natural lighting. Of course, those hours are fleeting and once the sun dips below the horizon you have to make adjustments accordingly if you still want to snap decent shots in the great outdoors.
My camera is particularly fickle when it comes to lighting, which is why I carry a mini tripod if I know I will be taking photos after the sun goes down. It is rare that a human can hold a camera steady enough in the dark in order to avoid fuzzy photos. Having a tripod allows you to place your camera on a solid surface whereby you don’t have to worry about shaking or rocking.
When taking pictures in low light situations, it also pays to switch to manual mode. To ensure that you get the best night shot possible, place your camera to manual mode once it is connected to the tripod. Also, remember to place the ISO to 400, open your aperture wider than you would during day shoots, and use a long exposure–longer than 10 seconds. Finally, I would resist using your LCD to frame night shots and instead employ the viewfinder.
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