Introduction to Night Photography
A course by Adrián MeloPhotographer
A course by Adrián Melo, Photographer
Learn techniques to take photographs at night, in the blue hour and with light painting
Sometimes photography allows you to reach places you simply can't see with the naked eye. Photographer Adrián Melo has been capturing the magic of unique spaces in Argentina for years, either in broad daylight or in complete darkness; when our eyes fail to visualize all the elements that surround us.
In this course, Adrián will explain how to create the different types of night photography, depending on the time of day and light conditions. You will explore your creativity by taking photos with longer exposure times than those used in daytime shots and you will see the possibilities of light painting .
What will you learn in this online course?
14 lessons & 12 downloads
What are we going to do
1 minute, 29 seconds
materials
2 minutes, 6 seconds
Manual focus
6 minutes, 4 seconds
Choose locations
4 minutes, 34 seconds
Blue Hour Photography
2 minutes, 58 seconds
Nighttime Photography
1 minute, 48 seconds
What's included in this course?
You will start by getting to know Adrian. He will explain how he started in photography and how he developed his skills. He will also show you his influences: photographers he admires and those who inspire his work.
You will discover the equipment and materials you will need to take night photography and make a light painting . Then, you will learn to how to manually focus using the hyperfocal table.
Choosing the location is essential when you take night photography or during the blue hour and you will learn everything you need to consider.
You will also learn how to take urban photographs during blue hour, that time just before nightfall. Using the app Photophills you will understand the exact duration in order to take photos without using a tripod. You will also learn what ISO values are needed so that you use the necessary speed and your photos come out perfectly focused.
When the first stars come out, you must use a tripod. Your teacher will guide you so that you can photograph an urban landscape, focusing and framing correctly in the middle of the night.
Ready to take a photo at night? Leave the city behind and learn to use the hyperfocal table on your phone in order to take fully focused, landscape photos at night. Then, you will learn to take long exposure photographs, normally taken in light-contaminated environments. You can capture stars or landscapes lit by the moon.
Finally, you will learn the technique of light painting. Grab an item of your choice, and while keeping your camera completely still on the tripod, take a long exposure photo focusing on that element while "painting" it with a flashlight. Once the photographs are taken, you can optimize and retouch them in Adobe Photoshop. Get ready for amazing results!
What is this course's project?
You will take photographs in the blue hour and in the middle of the night, as well as in urban and rural landscapes. You should also choose the right location to practise the light painting technique.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
For photography enthusiasts, students and experienced photographers.
Requirements and materials
Basic knowledge of operating of a camera in manual mode is required; an understanding of terms such as exposure time, diaphragm, ISO and white balance is important.
As for materials you will need a tripod, a flashlight and a computer with Adobe Photoshop software installed to be able to carry out postproduction.
Reviews
- 4 months ago
La información presentada es interesante y está bien organizada, pero me hubiera gustado un enfoque más profundo y práctico. En particular, las salidas de campo me parecieron poco desarrolladas y falto más detalles y herramientas aplicables. Como introducción funciona, aunque personalmente esperaba obtener más aprendizajes.
- 8 months ago
The course was decent and offered an interesting insight into his working process. However, I felt it lacked creativity and in-depth exploration. The technical aspects are covered, but only on a surface level. In addition, the focus on drone lighting may not be relevant or appealing to everyone.
- 1 year ago
Este señor nos ha mostrado como trabaja, lo cual es interesante, pero creo que como docente no llega a contactar, el sabe muy bien lo que está haciendo, lo explica y ya. Sin duda gran profesional, pero que no llega a contactar con quien recibe el curso, al menos es mi impresión. También muestra una aplicación de pago, en la explicación no queda claro, al menos para mi, el tema de la hiperfocal y el porque hay que enforcar a un punto relativamente próximo cuando queremos sacar el infinito.
- 2 years ago
Labelling as beginner is a joke It might be ok to give you tips if you know what you're doing, but the first lesson on actually taking photos is the guy using a paid app to see what settings he needs, and then him taking some pictures - no showing how to set the camera up Next is much the same, but adds a torch to light the subject If you're looking for an explanation of what f stop, iso or shutter speed to use, you'd be better off playing with your camera and seeing what results you get
- 2 years ago
buen docente. Curso básico mas para entender el concepto.
He has hosted and organized talks with the best photographers in the country to promote this form of expression and enhance the interest in photography, with the unconditional support of Nikon Argentina.
Content
- U1
Introduction
- Presentation
- Influences
- What are we going to do
- U2
Necessary equipment
- materials
- Manual focus
- Choose locations
- U3
Blue hour cityscape
- Blue Hour Photography
- Nighttime Photography
- U4
Rural night landscape
- Star photography
- U5
Long exposure + Light painting
- Tractor light painting photography
- Light painting photography with drone
- U6
Postproduction
- Photo editing in blue and night time
- Star photo editing
- Light painting photo editing
- FP
Final project
- Introduction to night photography
What to expect from a Domestika course
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FAQs
You’ll learn how to capture and edit night photos, light painting techniques using flashlights and drones, handling RAW/JPG formats, noise reduction, perspective and horizon correction, plus advanced editing in Camera Raw and Photoshop.
The course is designed for photographers with basic prior knowledge, especially camera handling. It’s ideal for intermediate level, but motivated beginners can follow along if they want to dive deeper into night photography.
You’ll need a DSLR or mirrorless camera, tripod, flashlights or LED lights, optionally a drone for light painting, and access to software like Photoshop and Camera Raw for editing.
Techniques taught include noise reduction, perspective and horizon correction, haze and object removal, color temperature adjustment, photo stacking, star editing, and managing light pollution.
You’ll learn to use the clone tool and other advanced Photoshop features to erase elements and refine your night photo compositions.
The drone is optional and used for advanced light painting techniques. You can complete the course and practice most of the content with just a camera and flashlights.
Adjustments in Camera Raw and Photoshop are used to smooth out grain caused by high ISO settings, enhancing sharpness and giving your images a professional look.