If you want to inject some colour and impact into your landscapes and cityscapes, one of the best ways is to wait until the sun goes down before you start shooting. That golden hour between sunset and darkness can produce some great photos. Even fairly dull cities can look more glamorous once the sun goes down and the lights go on, and there are endless opportunities for you to get creative with shutter speeds and special effects to wow your Flickr friends. At this time of year there’s also the added attraction of Christmas lights to shoot.

Shooting at dawn or dusk is pretty easy if you follow a few simple rules. You don’t even need a digital SLR – just a camera capable of exposure times of several seconds. That said, you will have more creative options if you use a DSLR or Compact System Camera, and get better image quality from their larger sensors.

How to Shoot Twilight

This Blackpool Pier image is a combination of two shots (pier and fireworks) taken minutes apart. Nikon D300s, 14-24mm, 8 seconds f/11 (both frames). ©Tim Gartside

  1. 1. Introduction
  2. 2. How to shoot Twilight - Settings
  3. 3. How to shoot Twilight - Towns & Cities
  4. 4. How to shoot Twilight - When to Find the Perfect Light
  5. 5. How to shoot Twilight - Shooting Fireworks
  6. 6. How to shoot Twilight - Capturing Reflections
  7. 7. How to shoot Twilight - Lights In Motion
  8. 8. How to shoot Twilight - Rural Landscapes
  9. 9. How to shoot Twilight - Using ND Grads
  10. 10. How to shoot Twilight - Useful Accessories
  11. 11. How to shoot Twilight - Hints & Tips
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