But, oh! Those Summer Nights…
Here on the California coast, we contend with a marine layer of ocean haze that hugs the summer mornings like a blanket. Affectionately (or otherwise) called “May Grey”, “June Gloom”, or “Fogust”, this mist generally burns off by mid-afternoon, leaving an unencumbered view of the sunset over the ocean and (light pollution permitting) clear, warm nights full of stars, perfect for making nightscape images. Wherever you are in the world this summer, let nighttime be the right time to explore low-light photography. Whether your lens is turned on the Milky Way overhead or on the bustling nightlife of the city around you, the following Rocky Nook titles will offer insight into this challenging aspect of photography, allowing you to get the best images possible.
THE ENTHUSIAST’S GUIDE TO NIGHT AND LOW-LIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY
By Alan Hess
Photography needs light to capture images, but sometimes the amount or quality of that light is meager. To learn the necessary techniques that will help you make great photos when there isn’t much light, pick up The Enthusiast’s Guide to Night and Low-Light Photography. With 49 easy-to-employ methods and procedures designed to teach you how to get the pictures you want in a variety of nighttime and low-light situations, these lessons give you the necessary fundamentals to grow your skills and hone your style in delicate scenarios. For example, read on to learn how to capture the luminous glow of streetlamps:
Read an excerpt from The Enthusiast’s Guide to Night And Low-Light Photography here.
By Glenn Randall
For the photographer of night landscapes, Glenn Randall’s Dusk to Dawn is an absolute essential. Randall covers in extensive detail the critical skills for shooting the Milky Way, star trails, the Aurora, lunar eclipses, and meteor showers over a nighttime landscape. Beyond the specific tools and knowledge necessary for shooting these nocturnal phenomena, Randall also covers the how to successfully prep for a night shoot, including knowing your hiking route, getting your gear to your location, and finding the perfect time to shoot based on the location of the moon and stars. Dusk to Dawn also covers post-processing techniques to bring the details out of the dark for truly stunning visions of Earth at night. Read the following excerpt for an example on how to photograph moonlit landscapes.
Read an excerpt from Dusk to Dawn here.
By Thierry Legault
For the practiced photographer of the night sky looking to delve into the sophisticated, out-of-this-world photography of space, Thierry Legault’s Astrophotography gives a thorough and intensive look at photographing the final frontier. Beyond learning how to mount your camera and calculate your shoots for pinpoint accuracy, you’ll also learn how to make images of faint galaxies, nebulae details, and planetary and lunar structures. If outer space is where you’re aiming your camera this summer, Astrophotography has the information to help you create the best images possible. Read on for a sample of how to capture the deep night sky:
Read an excerpt from Astrophotography here.
CAMERA POCKET GUIDES by ROCKY NOOK
Concerned that you won’t be able to find what you need in the dark once you’ve embarked on your journey to better night and low-light images? Get your hands on one of Rocky Nook’s new Pocket Guides for assorted cameras. These quick reference guides are small and sturdy, giving you a reliable, lightweight way to check the buttons, dials, and settings of your camera. Available for the Sony A7 III, the Fujifilm X-T3, the Canon EOS R, the Nikon Z6, and the Nikon D500.
Check out the available Pocket Guides here.