Finding Your Way In The Dark: A Guide To Seeing At Night
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One of the biggest challenges of night photography can be simply finding your way in the dark. In the age of astro-landscape photography, navigating in unfamiliar territory under a new moon can be difficult, and sometimes just plain dangerous. Choosing the right light source is critical to the comfort and success of your photographic outing, for finding your footing, for setting up and adjusting your camera, and also for not ruining the experience of those you are photographing with.
Death Valley National Park. Photographers using red lights for light painting, walking around and focusing. This behind-the-scenes shot was a happy accident!
Seeing at Night
It’s tempting to use the brightest light you have to see where you’re going. But it’s actually better to forego the light whenever possible and let your eyes adjust to the darkness. Doing so lets you see the overall environment rather than just a garishly illuminated swath of light surrounded by a sea of black.
Ten to 15 minutes is enough time for most people’s eyes to adapt in order to walk around by starlight without a light. You might be surprised to know that it’s possible to drive by the light of the full moon if your eyes are fully dark-adapted! It’s quite an experience to be able to see the entire landscape at night while driving with the lights off. I’m not suggesting that you try this yourself, but I’ve done it out in the desert many times. It just goes to show how little light is needed in order to see.
This past winter Chris Nicholson was able to drive in Everglades National Park without headlights—just the moonlight over the landscape was plenty to light the way. Photo by Chris Nicholson.
Do Unto Others …
Another consideration when working with other photographers is that your light may adversely affect your colleagues’ images. It’s easy to forget that your light is on and walk into someone else’s photo, leaving a trail of light where it isn’t wanted.
Or, if you are working in close proximity to others, shining a light on your camera to make adjustments before an exposure might accidentally light paint someone else’s foreground. Even the red lights on the back of some cameras or intervalometers can be enough to cause problems at high ISOs, and I recommend putting a piece of gaffer tape over them to prevent accidents. If you rely on the on camera or intervalometer light to help find your camera in the dark, make sure the light faces away from the scene you are photographing.
Night-Vision Tools
Some people will always need to use a light to get around, either due to low vision, balance issues or simply being afraid of the dark. That’s OK—I’m here to offer some solutions and guidelines for Finding Your Way In The Dark. (After all, I wrote the book on the subject!)
A time-lapse of a group of photographers at Olympic National Park. That’s a lot of light! Photo by Matt Hill.
Headlights
Many people use headlamps for hands-free convenience in the field, but after about the 7,000th time a student approached me to ask a question with their headlight shining in my face, I’ve banned them from my workshops.
Besides, a headlamp on your head has more or less the same effect as a headlight on your car–– it lights the path in front of you quite well, but you won’t see a thing outside the beam of the headlight. That makes it difficult to visualize your images, and to understand the terrain you have to work with.
If you do use a headlight (on your own outings), look for one with multiple brightness settings, a variable angle beam and a red light option. Our recommendation is the Coast FL75r. It has all of the features mentioned, and it’s rechargeable!
Red Lights
Another popular option (mentioned above) is to use a red light to help preserve night vision. Astronomers have long used red flashlights in the observatory or in the field for this purpose, and it does help to preserve dark adaptation.
However, there are a number of downsides to using a red light. The highly saturated color of red LED lights tends to “bleed” into photographs in ways that are not desirable. Using a red light to get from point A to B is fine on flat ground, but can be downright dangerous on uneven ground because the red light severely limits your depth perception, as Gabe and I were recently reminded of while scrambling over the rock formations in Joshua Tree National Park.
Notice how the red light “bleeds” into the area surrounding these photographers at Great Sand Dunes National Park. Photo by Matt Hill.
Multi-Brightness Lights
Many flashlights these days have a variety of brightness settings from dim to super bright. Variable brightness comes in handy, as different jobs require different intensities.
Unfortunately, most flashlights default to the brightest setting, meaning that you have to click through the various options to find the one you want, often blasting your retinas with 600 lumens in the process. If you do use a flashlight with multiple brightness options, look for one that remembers the last used setting when next you turn it on—or, even better, one that lets you program your favorite settings. (The FourSevens Quark lights do just that, but are temporarily unavailable as of this writing.)
Using an overly bright flashlight for focusing at Key’s Ranch in Joshua Tree National Park. This is a good way to knock out your dark adapted eyes for a good 20 minutes!
No Lights
If you have the luxury of time to wait for your eyes to dark adapt, you have good eyesight and you’re traveling on level ground, I suggest trying to work without a flashlight except for light painting. It can take some to get used to, but is really quite enjoyable once you do.
Of course, it helps to memorize the key buttons on your camera–– exposure controls, info, image review, live view and magnify. Some cameras—like the Nikon D500, D5 and D850—have illuminated buttons, and the Pentax K1 has onboard LED lights in a few locations to illuminate the camera controls. If we’re lucky, these features will become more common on future cameras.
Dim Lights
Perhaps the best option for most people is to find an exceptionally dim flashlight to use both for moving around and for adjusting your camera or finding things in your bag. I have found that a dim white light is just as good as a red light for preserving night vision, and is easier to work with.
Just as we adjust the brightness of our camera LCDs to match ambient light levels, we should do the same with our flashlights. The challenge is that flashlight manufacturers generally produce the brightest lights they can. There’s been a “lumen war” with flashlights that parallels the megapixel war between camera manufacturers. An easy solution that’s already in your pocket is to use the lock screen or home screen on your phone. It has an adjustable brightness level and should be adequate for most situations. A single AAA cell Mini Maglite is another option.
DIY Dim Lights
Regular readers of this blog will know that we are big fans of Coast flashlights, and since our first season, our workshop students have received free HP1 flashlights compliments of Coast. It’s a great little light, and quite bright for its size.
Last fall, I was having a conversation with our Coast representative about the difficulty of finding a light that was dim enough for the purposes mentioned above, and he told me about a new model we might be interested in, the G9. It’s tiny, uses a single AAA battery and has a relatively dim, fixed beam. He sent me a sample, and with a quick and easy hack it turns out to be perfectly suited for illuminating your camera or the inside of your bag without ruining your night vision. I’m pleased to say that this year, our workshop participants will all receive a Coast G9 flashlight.
The Coast G9 flashlight is a great choice for night photographers.
Now about that hack I mentioned: Unscrew the headpiece, place a bit of tissue or toilet paper behind the bezel, then screw the headpiece back on. The result is a soft, dim light that’s perfect for astro-landscape photography uses in dark sky environments. It’s also possible to add color-correcting gels while you have it open, if you prefer a warm light to the native daylight balance of the light. (Tim wrote a blog post about color-correcting flashlights last year.)
Most modern flashlights don’t allow you to add diffusion behind the bezel, but you could always reduce the brightness of a flashlight with tissue or neutral density filters taped to the front of the light; it’s just not as convenient.
In Conclusion
No matter how you light it, safety should be your first concern. If you need a brighter light to get around, by all means use one. Night photographers have been known to get themselves into questionable situations to get the shot, be it at the edge of a cliff, balanced on a rock ledge, or sneaking into condemned buildings full of broken glass and rusty metal.
Even if you’re sticking to level ground, being prepared with the right light for the situation will make your experience better in the end. Be safe, and be mindful of those around you when working with flashlights in group situations.
I challenge you to Seize The Night and Find Your Way In The Dark!
Lance Keimig is a partner and workshop leader with National Parks at Night. He has been photographing at night for 30 years, and is the author of Night Photography and Light Painting: Finding Your Way in the Dark (Focal Press, 2015). Learn more about his images and workshops at www.thenightskye.com.UPCOMING WORKSHOPS FROM NATIONAL PARKS AT NIGHT
Mar 19 Mar 19, 2026 – Mar 27, 2026 Lofoten Islands 2026 Mar 19, 2026 – Mar 27, 2026 Mar 19, 2026 – Mar 27, 2026 
Apr 26 Apr 26, 2026 – May 1, 2026 Rust & Ruinism 2026 Apr 26, 2026 – May 1, 2026 Apr 26, 2026 – May 1, 2026 
May 14 May 14, 2026 – May 17, 2026 Nightscaper Photo Conference 2026: Four Corners May 14, 2026 – May 17, 2026 May 14, 2026 – May 17, 2026 
Sep 27 Sep 27, 2026 – Oct 2, 2026 Cape Cod Intro to Night Photography 2026 Sep 27, 2026 – Oct 2, 2026 Sep 27, 2026 – Oct 2, 2026 
Nov 6 Nov 6, 2026 – Nov 8, 2026 Catskill Night Photography Retreat 2026 Nov 6, 2026 – Nov 8, 2026 Nov 6, 2026 – Nov 8, 2026 
Apr 5 Apr 5, 2027 – Apr 10, 2027 Rocky Mountain National Park Winter 2027 Apr 5, 2027 – Apr 10, 2027 Apr 5, 2027 – Apr 10, 2027 Newer PostHow to Stand Out in a Crowd (of other Night Photographers)Older PostThe Write Stuff: Sergey Churkin and the Light Painting World Alliance 
Season 11 Workshops 
Night Photography Gear Blog Show your support for National Parks at Night’s workshop programs: If you purchase gear via many of links in our blog posts, our program receives a small percentage of the sales. Thank you!
Click above to view all our blog posts from Day One, organized by topic.
All blog posts by date:
- January 2026
- Jan 3, 2026 A Winter Gathering: Announcing the Sixth Annual Night Photo Summit Jan 3, 2026
- December 2025
- Dec 27, 2025 Forever Chasing The Night: Our Favorite Photos of 2025 Dec 27, 2025
- Dec 20, 2025 The Nice List: Our 2025 Holiday Gift Guide Dec 20, 2025
- August 2025
- Aug 23, 2025 Cue Decade Two: Announcing Our 11th Season of Workshops and Tours Aug 23, 2025
- May 2025
- May 25, 2025 Fantastic Four Corners: Announcing the 2026 Nightscaper Conference May 25, 2025
- March 2025
- Mar 19, 2025 From Plane to Rain to Desert Moon: The Great Lunar Eclipse Chase of 2025 Mar 19, 2025
- Mar 11, 2025 Are You Ready for the Total Lunar Eclipse of 2025? Mar 11, 2025
- December 2024
- Dec 28, 2024 Dark Matters: Our Favorite Photos of 2024 Dec 28, 2024
- Dec 16, 2024 Take Five: Announcing the Fifth Annual Night Photo Summit Dec 16, 2024
- Dec 7, 2024 Winter Wishes: Our 2024 Holiday Gift Guide Dec 7, 2024
- October 2024
- Oct 5, 2024 Simply Stellar: Wrapping Up the 2024 Nightscaper Conference Oct 5, 2024
- August 2024
- Aug 31, 2024 Another Year, Another Journey: Announcing Our 10th Season of Workshops Aug 31, 2024
- April 2024
- Apr 13, 2024 Eleven Eclipses: Following Our Friends in the Path of Totality Apr 13, 2024
- Apr 6, 2024 From Beginning to End, How to Expose a Solar Eclipse Apr 6, 2024
- Apr 2, 2024 Black Hole Sun: Get Ready to Shoot the 2024 Eclipse with Our New E-Book Apr 2, 2024
- March 2024
- Mar 2, 2024 Shoot for the Stars with us in Kanab: Announcing the 2024 Nightscaper Conference Mar 2, 2024
- February 2024
- Feb 24, 2024 We're Going Live! Announcing 4 Online Courses for 2024 Feb 24, 2024
- January 2024
- Jan 20, 2024 Embracing Clouds in the Night Sky Jan 20, 2024
- Jan 14, 2024 Even More Words: Updates to the Night Photography Glossary Jan 14, 2024
- Jan 6, 2024 Ready for a Virtual Adventure? Announcing the 2024 Night Photo Summit! Jan 6, 2024
- December 2023
- Dec 30, 2023 Night Grooves: Our Favorite Photos of 2023 Dec 30, 2023
- Dec 23, 2023 Expand Your Universe: Two Night Photography Conferences Coming Your Way in 2024 Dec 23, 2023
- Dec 2, 2023 Seize the Season: Our 2023 Holiday Gift Guide Dec 2, 2023
- November 2023
- Nov 18, 2023 Guiding the Light: Our Friend Improves Luxli LED Panels Nov 18, 2023
- October 2023
- Oct 14, 2023 Seize the Night in Season 9: Announcing Our New Workshops and Tours Oct 14, 2023
- August 2023
- Aug 5, 2023 To 100 and Beyond: A Centuple Celebration of 8 Years of Workshops Aug 5, 2023
- June 2023
- Jun 17, 2023 The Night Photographer's Guide to Star Stacking (Part III) Jun 17, 2023
- May 2023
- May 27, 2023 Out of and Into the Dark: Wrapping Up Nightscaper 2023 May 27, 2023
- May 13, 2023 Five Questions: Nikon Z 8 for Night, Perseids, Aurora Apps and More May 13, 2023
- April 2023
- Apr 22, 2023 A Whole New Bag of Tricks: Check Out the Features in Adobe's Latest Update Apr 22, 2023
- Apr 18, 2023 Cutting Through the Noise: Lightroom Just Made Night Photography Better Apr 18, 2023
- Apr 1, 2023 Editing Auroras: How to Post-Process Your Northern Lights Photos Apr 1, 2023
- March 2023
- Mar 25, 2023 Spring Solar Storm Brings a Week of Amazing Auroras Mar 25, 2023
- January 2023
- Jan 14, 2023 The Night Photographer's Guide to Star Stacking (Part II) Jan 14, 2023
- Jan 7, 2023 Ready for Inspiration, Education and Fun? — Announcing the 3rd Annual Night Photo Summit Jan 7, 2023
- December 2022
- Dec 31, 2022 Hanging Ten: Our Favorite Photos of 2022 Dec 31, 2022
- Dec 24, 2022 Five Questions: Holiday Lights, Metal Prints, a Southern National Park and More Dec 24, 2022
- Dec 17, 2022 PhotoPills, National Parks at Night Partner for Two Masterclasses Dec 17, 2022
- November 2022
- Nov 26, 2022 Toys and Tinsel: Our 2022 Holiday Gift Guide Nov 26, 2022
- Nov 5, 2022 How I Got the Shot: Lunar Eclipse in a Sparkling Star Field Nov 5, 2022
- October 2022
- Oct 29, 2022 How to Access and Photograph Abandoned Places Oct 29, 2022
- September 2022
- Sep 24, 2022 Super Season 8: Announcing our 2023-24 Night Photography Workshops and Tours Sep 24, 2022
- August 2022
- Aug 27, 2022 The Night Photographer's Guide to Star Stacking (Part I) Aug 27, 2022
- Aug 20, 2022 Coming to Kanab? — Announcing the 2023 Nightscaper Photo Conference! Aug 20, 2022
- July 2022
- Jul 16, 2022 Returning to Scotland to Revisit Night Photographs of Yesteryear Jul 16, 2022
- Jul 9, 2022 Five Questions: Barns, Filters with Auroras, Star Trail Settings and More Jul 9, 2022
- June 2022
- Jun 25, 2022 How I Got the Shot: Puente Nuevo, Ronda at Night Jun 25, 2022
- Jun 18, 2022 New York Minutes: Our Day-to-Day as Reps of the Night at OPTIC 2022 Jun 18, 2022
- Jun 11, 2022 The Many Ways that PhotoPills Helps a Night Photographer Jun 11, 2022
- May 2022
- May 28, 2022 Wishing Upon Some Falling Stars: The Tau Herculids May (or May Not) be a Night of a Lifetime May 28, 2022
- May 15, 2022 Once in a Red Moon: Photographing the Lunar Eclipse May 15, 2022
- March 2022
- Mar 5, 2022 How I Got the Shot: Grosvenor Arch Milky Way Pano Mar 5, 2022
- February 2022
- Feb 5, 2022 Growing the Community: We Are Now Running the Nightscaper Conference Feb 5, 2022
- January 2022
- Jan 29, 2022 Words, Words and More Words: Announcing the Night Photography Glossary Jan 29, 2022
- Jan 22, 2022 Diggin' Gear: Announcing a Brand New Blog to Help Solve Your Night Photography Problems Jan 22, 2022
- Jan 8, 2022 Seize the Night, Online! — Announcing the Second Annual Night Photo Summit Jan 8, 2022
- December 2021
- Dec 31, 2021 10 Pictures, 10 Tales: Our Favorite Night Photos of 2021 Dec 31, 2021
- Dec 11, 2021 Five Questions: Aurora Noise, Portable Stools, Moving Lightroom and More Dec 11, 2021
- November 2021
- Nov 27, 2021 A Few Favorite Things: Our 2021 Night Photography Holiday Gift Guide Nov 27, 2021
- Nov 20, 2021 How I Got the Shot: Star Circles Over West Quoddy Head Lighthouse Nov 20, 2021
- Nov 6, 2021 How Lightroom's New Selection and Mask Tools Help the Night Photographer Nov 6, 2021
- October 2021
- Oct 23, 2021 From Shadows of the Past: 5 Photos of Ghost Towns at Night Oct 23, 2021
- September 2021
- Sep 11, 2021 Five Questions: Tripod Cleaning, Condensation, Auto ISO and more Sep 11, 2021
- August 2021
- Aug 28, 2021 27 Ways to Journey into Night: Announcing our Season 7 Workshops Aug 28, 2021
- Aug 7, 2021 B&H to Celebrate a Whole Week of Night, and We'll Be There! Aug 7, 2021
- July 2021
- Jul 17, 2021 Five Questions: Dark Skies, Light Stands, PCs and More Jul 17, 2021
- June 2021
- Jun 26, 2021 Good Reads for 2021: 11 New Books for the Night Photographer Jun 26, 2021
- Jun 5, 2021 Paradise at Night: All 5 Utah National Parks are Now Dark-Sky Certified Jun 5, 2021
- May 2021
- May 15, 2021 Muses from the Past: Alfonso Garcia Sanchez and Post-War Madrid at Night May 15, 2021
- May 8, 2021 Buzz Off! … Or, Mitigating Mosquitos While Photographing on Spring and Summer Nights May 8, 2021
- May 1, 2021 Size Matters: Understanding Image Resolution, and Why and When to Boost It May 1, 2021
- April 2021
- Apr 24, 2021 In the Bag: Packing for a 3-Week Night Photography Trip Apr 24, 2021
- Apr 17, 2021 Five Questions: Super Resolution, Ghosts, Intervalometers and More Apr 17, 2021
- March 2021
- Mar 27, 2021 Pixel Perfect: 3 Workshops (1 Brand New!) for Leveling Up Your Processing Skills Mar 27, 2021
- Mar 20, 2021 Supersize Me: Adobe Brings Us High-Quality Quadruple Enlargements Mar 20, 2021
- Mar 13, 2021 Resharp Your Lens: How to Calibrate Infinity Focus on the Irix 15mm and 11mm Mar 13, 2021
- Mar 4, 2021 The Next Steps: 10 More Books to Round Out your Night Photography Library Mar 4, 2021
- February 2021
- Feb 27, 2021 Controlling Highlights in Urban and Suburban Night Photography Feb 27, 2021
- Feb 20, 2021 Three Days of Night: A Wrap-Up of the Very First Night Photo Summit Feb 20, 2021
- Feb 6, 2021 Yesterday's News, Today's Muse: Shooting Night Photography on Film Feb 6, 2021
- January 2021
- Jan 30, 2021 Muses From The Past: Train Photographers Jan 30, 2021
- Jan 23, 2021 Banding Together: The Tradition of Community Spirit in Night Photography Jan 23, 2021
- Jan 15, 2021 Announcing the First-Ever Online Night Photo Summit Jan 15, 2021
- Jan 2, 2021 12 Tasks for Ringing in a New Year for Night Photography Jan 2, 2021
- December 2020
- Dec 26, 2020 10 Silver Linings: Our Favorite Night Photographs of 2020 Dec 26, 2020
- Dec 19, 2020 Midwinter Musings: The Importance of the Solstice to the Night Photographer Dec 19, 2020
- Dec 12, 2020 How I Got the Shot: Milky Way and White Dome Geyser, Yellowstone Dec 12, 2020
- November 2020
- Nov 28, 2020 All That Glitters: Our 2020 Holiday Gift Guide Nov 28, 2020
- Nov 21, 2020 Five Questions: Meteor Shower in Death Valley, Leveling Bases, Coast Flashlights and More Nov 21, 2020
- Nov 6, 2020 How I Got the Shot: Moon Over Alabama Hills Nov 6, 2020
- October 2020
- Oct 31, 2020 Loving Luna: A Photo Essay Celebration of the Halloween Blue Moon Oct 31, 2020
- Oct 24, 2020 Five Questions: Star Trails Under Moonlight, Coma, Great Smoky Mountains and More Oct 24, 2020
- Oct 17, 2020 Going Gradual: A Guide to Low-level Landscape Lighting Oct 17, 2020
- Oct 3, 2020 How to Deal With Light Pollution, Part III: Creativity Oct 3, 2020
- September 2020
- Sep 26, 2020 How to Deal With Light Pollution, Part II: Post-Production Sep 26, 2020
- Sep 19, 2020 How to Deal With Light Pollution, Part I: Filters Sep 19, 2020
- Sep 12, 2020 Five Questions: Remote Setups, Induro Tripods, Acceptable Noise and More Sep 12, 2020
- Sep 5, 2020 On the Road Again: Announcing Our 2021-22 Workshops Sep 5, 2020
- August 2020
- Aug 29, 2020 To Contrast or Complement: How to Use Color in Light Painting Aug 29, 2020
- Aug 9, 2020 Keeping Our Galaxy Real: How Not To Overprocess the Milky Way Aug 9, 2020
- Aug 8, 2020 Shooting Downtown After Sundown—Light Painting in the Urban Environment Aug 8, 2020
- Aug 1, 2020 Five Questions: Coast Flashlights, Lightning, Custom Menus and More Aug 1, 2020
- July 2020
- Jul 25, 2020 Nights of the Comet: Our Photos and Experiences with NEOWISE Jul 25, 2020
- Jul 18, 2020 Capturing the Comet: How to Photograph the Night Surprise of NEOWISE Jul 18, 2020
- Jul 11, 2020 That’s a Wrap: Recapping Our Livestream Night Photography Shoot in Pittsburgh Jul 11, 2020
- June 2020
- Jun 20, 2020 Processing HDR Images for Urban Night Photography Jun 20, 2020
- Jun 13, 2020 10 Essential Books for the Night Photographer's Library Jun 13, 2020
- Jun 6, 2020 Three Legs to Stand On: Helping You Choose and Use Your Tripod Jun 6, 2020
- May 2020
- May 30, 2020 Live, in Front of an Online Audience: National Parks at Night! May 30, 2020
- May 23, 2020 Returning to Nature, Returning to the World: Where We’re Ready to Go May 23, 2020
- May 16, 2020 A Better Intervalometer: The Phottix Aion May 16, 2020
- May 9, 2020 Five Questions: Moonrises, Laowas, Acadia National Park and More May 9, 2020
- May 2, 2020 Best of Both Worlds—The Nikon D780 Combines the Advantages of the D750 and Z 6 May 2, 2020
- April 2020
- Apr 25, 2020 Great Balls of Fire, Part 3: How to Process a Meteor Shower Radiant Apr 25, 2020
- Apr 20, 2020 Great Balls of Fire, Part 2: How to Photograph a Meteor Shower Apr 20, 2020
- Apr 19, 2020 Great Balls of Fire, Part 1: Using PhotoPills to Scout Meteor Showers Apr 19, 2020
- Apr 4, 2020 Living Room Long Exposures: Seizing the Night at Home Apr 4, 2020
- March 2020
- Mar 28, 2020 Cleaning the Clutter: How to Get Your Lightroom Catalog in Tiptop Shape Mar 28, 2020
- Mar 7, 2020 How I Got the Shot: Ubehebe Crater at Death Valley National Park Mar 7, 2020
- February 2020
- Feb 29, 2020 Five Field Tips to Make Night Photography Go a Little Smoother Feb 29, 2020
- Feb 22, 2020 How I Got the Shot: Time-Lapse at the Owens Valley Radio Observatory Feb 22, 2020
- Feb 15, 2020 Five Ways That Lightroom’s New Update Eases the Processing of Night Photos Feb 15, 2020
- Feb 1, 2020 Bombs, Bobbies and an ISO of 2: The Challenges of Early Night Photography Feb 1, 2020
- January 2020
- Jan 26, 2020 Five Questions: Flashlight Filters, Night Photography with Film, Adobe Bridge and More Jan 26, 2020
- Jan 18, 2020 When the Pen is Mightier: Using a Graphic Tablet For Spot-Editing Jan 18, 2020
- Jan 11, 2020 Parks and Nights 2020: Fee-Free Days, Supermoons, Meteor Showers and More Jan 11, 2020
- Jan 4, 2020 New Year’s Revolutions: Six Steps to Shaking Up Your Night Photography in 2020 Jan 4, 2020
- December 2019
- Dec 31, 2019 Two From the Road: Our Favorite National Park Night Photographs of 2019 Dec 31, 2019
- Dec 21, 2019 Seizing the Season: How to Photograph Holiday Lights Dec 21, 2019
- Dec 12, 2019 Getting the Best Star Points for Astro Landscapes: How to Test Lenses for Coma Dec 12, 2019
- November 2019
- Nov 30, 2019 Walking in a Photo Wonderland: Our 2019 Holiday Gift Guide Nov 30, 2019
- Nov 23, 2019 Level Up With Light Painting: Correcting the Color of Your Flashlight (Part III) Nov 23, 2019
- Nov 8, 2019 Putting Pictures to Paper: How Printing Can Make You a Better Photographer Nov 8, 2019
- October 2019
- Oct 31, 2019 Photographing Phantoms: How to Capture Ghosts and Spirits in Night Images Oct 31, 2019
- Oct 19, 2019 A Grave Collection: Five Nighttime Photos of Cemeteries Oct 19, 2019
- Oct 12, 2019 Five Questions: Sony, Z Options, Flying Objects, Third-Party Software and More Oct 12, 2019
- September 2019
- Sep 28, 2019 The Z 6 is the Best Camera for Night Photography Sep 28, 2019
- Sep 21, 2019 How I Got the Shot: Star Trails and Tufa Spires at Trona Pinnacles Sep 21, 2019
- Sep 7, 2019 The Simmer Dim: Photographing in Twilight that Lasts Till Morning Sep 7, 2019
- August 2019
- Aug 31, 2019 How to Plan, Shoot and Edit a Milky Way Arch Panorama (Part II) Aug 31, 2019
- Aug 24, 2019 How to Plan, Shoot and Edit a Milky Way Arch Panorama (Part I) Aug 24, 2019
- Aug 17, 2019 Seizing a World of Nights: Announcing Our 2020 Workshops and Tours Aug 17, 2019
- Aug 11, 2019 Sometimes it Takes Two Takes: How Revisiting Locations Can Improve Your Night Photos Aug 11, 2019
- July 2019
- Jul 27, 2019 How I Got the Shot: Dueling Dinos in Borrego Springs Jul 27, 2019
- Jul 20, 2019 Oreos and More: 16 Ways to Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Moon Landing Jul 20, 2019
- Jul 13, 2019 Five Questions: Very Large Files, Pollution Filters, Fuji lenses and More Jul 13, 2019
- Jul 6, 2019 Sliding Into Sharper Skies: Lightroom Brings Texture to Night Photography Jul 6, 2019
- June 2019
- Jun 29, 2019 A Star Trek: Reporting Back from our Time at the Grand Canyon Night Sky Festival Jun 29, 2019
- Jun 22, 2019 Lost and Found in the California Desert: A Tripod and Ball Head Find Their Way Home Jun 22, 2019
- Jun 15, 2019 Photo Management for the Road Warrior: A Lightroom Travel Workflow Jun 15, 2019
- Jun 8, 2019 Celebrating Darkness: The National Park Night Sky Festivals of 2019 Jun 8, 2019
- Jun 1, 2019 Nights, Camera, Action! 5 Videos from Gabe and B&H to Help You Photograph the Dark Jun 1, 2019
- May 2019
- May 25, 2019 Drifting Away to Summer Nights: 3 Events in 3 States May 25, 2019
- May 18, 2019 Processing Star Point Images with the Help of Starry Landscape Stacker May 18, 2019
- May 4, 2019 How I Got the Shot: Light Painting and Star Trails at Devils Tower May 4, 2019
- April 2019
- Apr 20, 2019 The Color of Night: The Proliferation of LEDs and its Effects on How We Photograph Apr 20, 2019
- Apr 13, 2019 NPF: The New Rule for Shooting the Sharpest Stars in the Sky Apr 13, 2019
- Apr 6, 2019 How I Got The Shot: Star Trails Over the Amphitheater, Bryce Canyon National Park Apr 6, 2019
- March 2019
- Mar 30, 2019 Five Questions: Great Smoky Mountains, Zion, Bryce, Black and White Printing, and More Mar 30, 2019
- Mar 16, 2019 How I Got the Shot: Stars and a Rock in Lassen Volcanic Mar 16, 2019
- Mar 9, 2019 Wonders of Workflow: How Consistency Will Improve Your Night Photography Mar 9, 2019
- February 2019
- Feb 24, 2019 How to Make Your Lightroom Rendering Look Like Your Camera Preview Feb 24, 2019
- Feb 16, 2019 How to tell the Difference Between Planes, Satellites and Meteors Feb 16, 2019
- Feb 9, 2019 Five Questions: Light Painting Headlights, Moonrises and Sunsets, Auroras and More Feb 9, 2019
- Feb 2, 2019 How I Got the Shot: Lighthouse Beams at Fire Island Feb 2, 2019
- January 2019
- Jan 26, 2019 Moon Shots: What We Learned from Photographing the 2019 Lunar Eclipse Jan 26, 2019
- Jan 12, 2019 Muses from the Past: A. Aubrey Bodine, Baltimore’s Photographer Laureate Jan 12, 2019
- Jan 5, 2019 The First Steps to Processing Milky Way Images in Lightroom Jan 5, 2019
- December 2018
- Dec 30, 2018 Tales of Two Photos: Our Favorite Pairs of Images from 2018 Dec 30, 2018
- Dec 23, 2018 Finishing What We All Started: Wrapping Our 2018 Workshops Dec 23, 2018
- Dec 15, 2018 Prepping an Image in Lightroom for the Printer or the Lab Dec 15, 2018
- Dec 8, 2018 Make Printing Part of Your Process Dec 8, 2018
- Dec 1, 2018 The Iceball Cometh: Getting Ready for Comet Wirtanen with Astronomer Tyler Nordgren Dec 1, 2018
- November 2018
- Nov 25, 2018 How to Be Merry and Bright at Night: Our 2018 Holiday Gift Guide Nov 25, 2018
- Nov 17, 2018 How I Got the Shot: Milky Way and Planets in Lassen Volcanic Nov 17, 2018
- Nov 10, 2018 Long Nights on Long Island: Wrapping our First Summit Nov 10, 2018
- Nov 10, 2018 Our Students' Work, From the Redwood Forests to the Gulf Stream Waters Nov 10, 2018
- Nov 3, 2018 Five Questions: Yes, Light Painting is Allowed in National Parks, and More Nov 3, 2018
- October 2018
- Oct 27, 2018 Working in (and with) the Dead of Night—Photographing in Cemeteries Oct 27, 2018
- Oct 20, 2018 (No, We’re Not Crazy) Why You Should Use a Circular Polarizer at Night Oct 20, 2018
- Oct 13, 2018 Our First Night Photography Summit and More — We’re On the Road Again! Oct 13, 2018
- Oct 2, 2018 Celebrating the National Trails System Birthday with a Walk to an Arch Oct 2, 2018
- September 2018
- Sep 22, 2018 Our Art in the Parks: NPAN Student Exhibits to Open at Biscayne & Redwood Sep 22, 2018
- Sep 15, 2018 Control the Color Monster: Making the Move to Manual White Balance Sep 15, 2018
- Sep 8, 2018 How I Got the Shot: Car and Star Trails in Great Smoky Mountains National Park Sep 8, 2018
- Sep 1, 2018 Muses from the Past: The Night Photographs of Jessie Tarbox Beals Sep 1, 2018
- August 2018
- Aug 25, 2018 Oh, the Places We’ll Go—15 Destinations for Epic Night Adventures in 2019 Aug 25, 2018
- Aug 18, 2018 4 Ways to Remove Airplanes from Star Stacks Aug 18, 2018
- July 2018
- Jul 28, 2018 Five Questions: Flashlights, Big Bend, Fireflies and More Jul 28, 2018
- Jul 21, 2018 Filling in the Shadows: Light Painting Before and After Jul 21, 2018
- Jul 14, 2018 Lightroom for the Night Photographer: Learning to Master Local Adjustments (Part II) Jul 14, 2018
- Jul 7, 2018 Up Next: National Parks at Night on YouTube Jul 7, 2018
- June 2018
- Jun 30, 2018 Tips for Packing for a Night Photography Trip Jun 30, 2018
- Jun 22, 2018 So Far, So Awesome! Recapping Our First Workshops of 2018 Jun 22, 2018
- Jun 16, 2018 Light Painting in Moonlight—Using the Moon as Key Light, or Using it as Fill Jun 16, 2018
- Jun 9, 2018 Staying Sharp: 8 Ways to Focus in the Dark Jun 9, 2018
- May 2018
- May 26, 2018 How I Got the Shot: Lake McDonald in Glacier National Park May 26, 2018
- May 19, 2018 How to Stand Out in a Crowd (of other Night Photographers) May 19, 2018
- May 12, 2018 Finding Your Way in the Dark: A Guide to Seeing at Night May 12, 2018
- May 5, 2018 The Write Stuff: Sergey Churkin and the Light Painting World Alliance May 5, 2018
- April 2018
- Apr 28, 2018 The Night Photography Mindset: Seeing Beyond the Milky Way Apr 28, 2018
- Apr 21, 2018 Five Questions: Moon Lenses, Smoky Summer Landscapes, Noise Tests and More Apr 21, 2018
- Apr 14, 2018 How Lightroom Classic CC 7.3's New Features Help the Night Photographer Apr 14, 2018
- Apr 7, 2018 How I Got the Shot: Waterfall and Clements Mountain in Glacier National Park Apr 7, 2018
- Apr 1, 2018 The Night Photography Game-Changer: Day for Night Filters Now Available Apr 1, 2018
- March 2018
- Mar 24, 2018 Shooting for the Moon: How to Photograph Earth's Little Cousin Mar 24, 2018
- Mar 17, 2018 How I Got the Shot: Heather Whatever at Rockaway Beach Mar 17, 2018
- Mar 10, 2018 Advanced Light Painting: Balancing Ambient and Added Light to Achieve Your Objective Mar 10, 2018
- Mar 3, 2018 Lightroom for the Night Photographer: Learning to Master Local Adjustments (Part I) Mar 3, 2018
- February 2018
- Feb 17, 2018 Muses from the Past: The Night Photographs of Volkmar Kurt Wentzel Feb 17, 2018
- Feb 10, 2018 A Guide to Light Writing Tools Feb 10, 2018
- Feb 3, 2018 Five Questions: Meteor Showers, Pano Stitching, and Lots and Lots of Gear Feb 3, 2018
- January 2018
- Jan 27, 2018 Dehaze: The Night Photographer's Secret Weapon Jan 27, 2018
- Jan 20, 2018 Own Your Settings Jan 20, 2018
- Jan 13, 2018 Nikon Night Photography Showdown: The D850 Compared to Its Cousins Jan 13, 2018
- Jan 6, 2018 Meteors and Eclipses and Comets, Oh My!—The Celestial Events of 2018 Jan 6, 2018
- December 2017
- Dec 30, 2017 10 For 2017: Breaking Down Our Favorite Images of the Year Dec 30, 2017
- Dec 23, 2017 It's a Wrap! Recapping The Second Half of Our Second Year Dec 23, 2017
- Dec 16, 2017 How We Got the Shot: Wildrose Charcoal Kilns of Death Valley National Park Dec 16, 2017
- Dec 9, 2017 Happy Birthdays: 4 Parks and More Celebrating Milestone Anniversaries in 2018 Dec 9, 2017
- November 2017
- Nov 18, 2017 'Tis Once Again the Season: Our 2nd Annual Holiday Gift Guide Nov 18, 2017
- Nov 11, 2017 A Day of Night: Talking Stars and Light Painting at the B&H Event Space Nov 11, 2017
- Nov 4, 2017 Faces, Darkness, Experimentation and Time: How To Create Stellar Night Portraits Nov 4, 2017
- October 2017
- Oct 28, 2017 How the New Lightroom Range Mask Feature Helps Night Photographers Oct 28, 2017
- Oct 21, 2017 A Look Through the Years—How Night Photography has Changed, and How it Hasn't Oct 21, 2017
- Oct 16, 2017 Conferences, Clubs and Excursions, Oh My! Come Join Us for an Event This Fall Oct 16, 2017
- Oct 7, 2017 Northern Exposure: 8 Illuminating tips for Photographing Auroras Oct 7, 2017
- September 2017
- Sep 30, 2017 How to Master Color at Night with the Luxli Viola Sep 30, 2017
- Sep 16, 2017 Leveling Up by Layering Light: How to Paint with Short Exposures Sep 16, 2017
- Sep 9, 2017 How We Got the Shot: Light Painting the Upright Stone in Iceland Sep 9, 2017
- Sep 2, 2017 Finishing Touches: 3 Killer Post-Production Tips for Night Photography Sep 2, 2017
- August 2017
- Aug 26, 2017 Eclipse Lessons: What We Learned from Our Day in the Sun Aug 26, 2017
- Aug 17, 2017 2018 Night Photography Workshops: From Sea to Shining Sea Aug 17, 2017
- Aug 12, 2017 Out of the Blue: The Importance of Twilight to the Night Photographer Aug 12, 2017
- Aug 5, 2017 Beyond the Milky Way: There’s More to Night Photography Than the Trendy Aug 5, 2017
- July 2017
- Jul 29, 2017 Night in Day: How are you Preparing for and Shooting the Eclipse? Jul 29, 2017
- Jul 22, 2017 Tech Support: 10 Apps that Will Power Up Your Night Photography Jul 22, 2017
- Jul 15, 2017 Five Questions: Pixelstick Portraits, Motorized Mounts, Devils Tower and More Jul 15, 2017
- Jul 10, 2017 Voices For the Wilderness: Public Comments on National Monuments Due Today Jul 10, 2017
- Jul 8, 2017 How to Choose the Right White Balance for Night Skies Jul 8, 2017
- Jul 1, 2017 12 Things Other Than Fireworks to Photograph on the Fourth of July Jul 1, 2017
- June 2017
- Jun 24, 2017 How I Got The Shot: Star Stacks and Sea Stacks in Olympic National Park Jun 24, 2017
- Jun 17, 2017 Which Moon Phases are Best for Different Kinds of Night Photography? Jun 17, 2017
- Jun 10, 2017 Recapping Our 1st Workshops of 2017: Joshua Tree, Cuyahoga Valley and Cape Cod Jun 10, 2017
- Jun 3, 2017 Safety First: Know Your Wildlife Before You Head Into the Wild Jun 3, 2017
- May 2017
- May 27, 2017 Collaborate & Create: Making Better Night Photographs by Working Together May 27, 2017
- May 20, 2017 Tools for Illuminating the Night: Building a Light Painting and Writing Kit May 20, 2017
- May 13, 2017 Muses from the Past—Lighting and Night Photography of the Vargas Brothers May 13, 2017
- May 6, 2017 Five Questions: Offering Answers on Gear, Techniques and Etiquette May 6, 2017
- April 2017
- Apr 29, 2017 How We Got the Shot: Teamwork at Desert Queen Ranch in Joshua Tree NP Apr 29, 2017
- Apr 22, 2017 How I Got the Shot: Bryce Canyon National Park with Chris and Gabe Apr 22, 2017
- Apr 15, 2017 What’s the Longest Usable Shutter Speed for Astro-landscape? (Part II) Apr 15, 2017
- Apr 8, 2017 The Right Angle: Creating Texture and Shape When Light Painting Apr 8, 2017
- Apr 1, 2017 Expose to the Left: How to Really Maximize Image Quality at Night Apr 1, 2017
- March 2017
- Mar 25, 2017 How I Got the Shot: Walkway to the Stars at Dry Tortugas National Park Mar 25, 2017
- Mar 18, 2017 Keep the Noise Down (Part II): Examining Your High ISO Test Photographs Mar 18, 2017
- Mar 11, 2017 How I Got the Shot: Ryan Ranch Ruins in Joshua Tree National Park Mar 11, 2017
- Mar 4, 2017 Sharing the Experience(s): Celestial Celebrations (And More) in the National Parks Mar 4, 2017
- February 2017
- Feb 25, 2017 Keep the Noise Down (Part I): How to Take an ISO Test with your Camera Feb 25, 2017
- Feb 18, 2017 Capturing Clouds of Light: How to Photograph the Aurora Borealis Feb 18, 2017
- Feb 11, 2017 Level Up With Light Painting: Correcting the Color of Your Flashlight (Part II) Feb 11, 2017
- Feb 4, 2017 Game-Changer: The Best New Piece of Gear for Night Photographers Feb 4, 2017
- January 2017
- Jan 28, 2017 More Parks in the Dark: Rounding Out Our 2017 Workshop Schedule Jan 28, 2017
- Jan 21, 2017 What's the Longest Usable Shutter Speed for Astro-Landscape? (Part I) Jan 21, 2017
- Jan 14, 2017 Remote Question: Wireless or Wired Intervalometers for Camera Triggering? Jan 14, 2017
- Jan 7, 2017 Level Up With Light Painting: Correcting the Color of Your Flashlight (Part I) Jan 7, 2017
- December 2016
- Dec 31, 2016 A Year of Shooting in the Dark: Reflecting on Our Fave Photos of 2016 Dec 31, 2016
- Dec 27, 2016 Casting Out Shadows: When HDR is the Right Choice for a Night Scene Dec 27, 2016
- Dec 20, 2016 Be Out in the Cold: Why Winter is Great for Night Photography Dec 20, 2016
- Dec 13, 2016 Any Time of Year, A Great Idea: Giving Back to America's Best Idea Dec 13, 2016
- Dec 6, 2016 Recapping Our Final Workshops of 2016: Arches and Death Valley Dec 6, 2016
- November 2016
- Nov 29, 2016 'Tis the Season to be Gifting: Our Guide for Night Photographers Nov 29, 2016
- Nov 15, 2016 No Legs to Stand on: How to Take Night Photos Without a Tripod Nov 15, 2016
- Nov 8, 2016 Level Up: Re-Editing Your Night Photography Images (Video) Nov 8, 2016
- Nov 1, 2016 How I Got the Shot: Under the Bridge in Cuyahoga Valley National Park Nov 1, 2016
- October 2016
- Oct 25, 2016 Recapping Our 1st Three Workshops: Acadia, Zion & Crater Lake Oct 25, 2016
- Oct 18, 2016 Happy Birthday to NPAN. Thank You for an Amazing First Year! Oct 18, 2016
- Oct 4, 2016 Muses from the Past—the Night Photos of Burdekin and Morrison Oct 4, 2016
- September 2016
- Sep 27, 2016 Staying Invisible While Light Painting—The Art of not Being Seen Sep 27, 2016
- Sep 20, 2016 Night Photography Week Recap: Our Adventures With CreativeLive Sep 20, 2016
- Sep 12, 2016 Our 2017 Workshops: Introducing the Passport Series and Adventure Series Sep 12, 2016
- Sep 6, 2016 A Giant Sleeps Tonight: The Night Photography World Loses a Pioneer Sep 6, 2016
- August 2016
- Aug 30, 2016 Park Ranger and Photographer Jacob W. Frank Takes On The Night Aug 30, 2016
- Aug 23, 2016 NPAN's Very First Video: 10 Photo Scouting Tips for National Parks Aug 23, 2016
- Aug 16, 2016 Mastering the Intervalometer for Night Photography and Long Exposures Aug 16, 2016
- Aug 9, 2016 NPAN to Teach 'Night Photography Week' with CreativeLive 9/12-16 Aug 9, 2016
- July 2016
- Jul 16, 2016 Talks & Walks: Visit us at two great NYC conferences this October! Jul 16, 2016
- Jul 12, 2016 Finding Your Focal Length: Use Metadata To Divulge Your Tendencies Jul 12, 2016
- Jul 5, 2016 How to Get Creative in National Parks without Being an Asshat Jul 5, 2016
- Jul 1, 2016 Holiday Special: Tips for Getting the Most Explosive Fireworks Photos Jul 1, 2016
- June 2016
- Jun 28, 2016 VIDEO: Night Visions of National Parks at OPTIC 2016 Imaging Conference Jun 28, 2016
- Jun 21, 2016 Revisiting Locations Can Lead to Seeing with New Eyes, Boosting Creativity Jun 21, 2016
- Jun 14, 2016 A Guide to Getting Started With the Art of Light Painting — Part II Jun 14, 2016
- Jun 7, 2016 A Guide to Getting Started With the Art of Light Painting — Part I Jun 7, 2016
- May 2016
- May 24, 2016 National Parks To Celebrate Night Skies With Upcoming Festivals May 24, 2016
- May 17, 2016 Finding Our Parks: How We Participated in National Parks Week May 17, 2016
- May 3, 2016 NPAN to Lecture at B&H OPTIC Conference June 5-8 in NYC May 3, 2016
- April 2016
- Apr 26, 2016 Capture or Create: How Are You Approaching Your Photography? Apr 26, 2016
- Apr 19, 2016 Eight Reasons Night Photographers are Awesome Apr 19, 2016
- Apr 12, 2016 International Dark Sky Week Highlights A Precious Commodity Apr 12, 2016
- Apr 5, 2016 Save Time by Using High ISO Testing to Set Up Your Night Shots Apr 5, 2016
- March 2016
- Mar 22, 2016 NPAN + Nikon + B&H + Brooklyn Bridge = Epic Day of Night Photography! Mar 22, 2016
- Mar 15, 2016 Photographic Foreknowledge: Planning Your Shots in National Parks Mar 15, 2016
- Mar 10, 2016 National Parks at Night’s First Official Event is Going to be EPIC! Mar 10, 2016
- Mar 8, 2016 Experimenting with Uncommon Light Sources in Night Photography Mar 8, 2016
- Mar 1, 2016 Use Hyperfocal Distance to Maximize Depth of Field at Night Mar 1, 2016
- February 2016
- Feb 23, 2016 Astronomer Tyler Nordgren Discusses Night Skies of the National Parks Feb 23, 2016
- Feb 22, 2016 New NPAN eBook Offers 20 Tips for Photographing in the Dark Feb 22, 2016
- Feb 16, 2016 Testing Your Camera’s Tolerance For Long-Exposure Noise Feb 16, 2016
- Feb 11, 2016 Talking National Parks and More on the Out of Chicago Podcast Feb 11, 2016
- Feb 9, 2016 The Shot I did not Get, and What I Learned from not Getting It Feb 9, 2016
- Feb 2, 2016 ETTR in the Dark: Does 'Expose to the Right' Apply at Night? Feb 2, 2016
- January 2016
- Jan 26, 2016 National Park Service Centennial Rife With Events for Photographers Jan 26, 2016
- Jan 19, 2016 Welcome to the National Parks at Night Blog Jan 19, 2016
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Tag » How To Find Your Way In The Dark
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