As New Year's Eve approaches, many of us will be desperate to photograph spectacular night time images of fireworks and celebrations.
Sadly, taking pictures in the dark is often harder than it looks. Photography experts have shared their top tips for capturing those special moments as 2023 begins in style.
A spokesperson for printers Parrot Print said: “Everyone celebrating the New Year, whether at a party or watching the fireworks or just spending time with loved ones at home, wants to capture that memory on camera - the last second of 2022 and the first memory of 2023.
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“Taking a photo on a phone in the dark can be difficult and often leaves us feeling like we can’t quite capture the beautiful moment in front of us.
“The good news is you don’t necessarily need a professional camera to take great pictures at night. A lot of smartphones these days have features to help us all take better pictures as long as you know where to look."
Here are Parrot Print’s best recommendations for creating that perfect New Year’s Instagram post.
1. Keep your phone stable
It doesn’t take much for a photo to appear blurry, especially if it’s taken at night so you’ll want to ensure your camera is as stable as possible. Parrot Print suggest either a handheld tripod or simply holding your phone with a tight grip in both hands.
2. Download long exposure apps
Professional photographers tend to use longer exposure when taking pictures at night. This slows the camera’s shutter speed and can capture blurring motions too whilst still getting a sharp and crisp image.
Although you can’t physically do this to your phone's camera settings, you can download an app to help. Popular examples include Easy Long Exposure Camera and Slow Shutter Cam.
3. The flash isn’t always the solution
A lot of people assume the flash is perfect for taking pictures in the dark. However, whilst this does do the trick sometimes, it’s not always the answer and can sometimes ruin the picture.
4. Use nightmode
The majority of the latest smartphones have night mode to help enhance the pictures we take. Night mode takes several frames and then combines different elements of each to create a crisper image.
This can be enabled on iPhone by going to Settings > Camera > Preserve Settings > Night Mode. Some Android phones, such as models from Samsung, also have a night mode feature.
5. Adjust the ISO
ISO determines how sensitive to light your camera is and essentially helps brighten or darken an image. Not all phones allow you to change the ISO but it is an option on some.
The higher the ISO, the brighter the image will be. On an iPhone, tapping the camera screen to focus and swiping up or down will automatically adjust the ISO.
If you would like to manually adjust the ISO, there are apps available such as Manual and Bacon Camera.
6. Make use of light around you
Depending on where you are and what you’re trying to capture you may be able to use the light around you. Making clever use of these light sources in a dark setting can create the perfect image.
7. Consider using editing apps
If you feel like you still can’t capture the perfect image then there is the option to use an editing app to enhance different elements of the picture to get the result you want.
Various editing apps such as Adobe Photoshop and AirBrush are available on most smartphones.
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