1- Stable Tripod

A good Tripod is the most important piece of gear for long exposure during night photography.

2- Exposure

I use long exposures to capture bursting street lights trailing light of trains, cars, etc.. 10, 20 or 30 seconds in general will give you trailing lights, milky “water”, etc..

The longer the shutter speed the more light you capture. Adjust as you go.

3- Lenses

The choice of Lenses will vary depending on the distance that you are shooting from. Generally a wide angle lens is a good start. I am using a Sony 16-35 mm 2.8 GM so I can zoom in or out depending of situation.

4- ND Filter

Make the Children as comfortable as possible and make them fill at home by entering into their world. Don’t be afraid to get down on your knees to address them at eye level.

5- Keep Changing your Composition

Keep changing the angle that you are shooting from, keep changing your composition. Don’t hesitate to turnaround, look at your surrounding and be creative. Look for lines that connect to the subject that you are photographing.

6- ISO

Avoid cranking up your ISO especially when using a fast lens. Adjust your shutter speed, lower your F stop and remember the lower ISO the lesser the noise.

7- Check your Viewfinder

Make all the changes possible to get the best results in camera. That will boost your confidence (instant gratification) and most importantly save you tons of time processing the images.

8- Have Fun

Night photography can be intimidating at first. Don’t go alone; it is safer and more fun.
There is no crowd to deal with. There are less people in general depending on where you are shooting. You have more time to be more creative. So get out there and have Fun!