How to shoot night photography: The gear and mindset that you need to capture great shots at night

 

 

Photographer Stuart Palley recently shared tips and tricks for night photography for TIME. This video should be of particular interest to photographers hoping to capture the Perseids meteor shower as Earth passes through the remnants of the Swift-Tuttle comet. You can read more about photographing meteor showers here.

Palley loves to photograph at night, to show areas in a different light. The video follows him in Iceland as he discusses the importance of preparation in night photography. "90% of it is preparation and 10% of it is the actual execution," he says. "The biggest thing when photographing at night is to be open minded." You can't control the weather, and sometimes it can change on a dime -- particularly in a climate like Iceland -- but you have to be willing to adapt to it and change your expectations. Perhaps what could be viewed as a challenge will give way to even better images than you expected.

Applications are big for Palley. He likes to use Dark Sky Finder and Photopills. Even supposing you have ideal conditions and the right apps, you'll still need the right photographic gear, too. A sturdy tripod and a full-frame camera or one with good high ISO capabilities are excellent places to start. You will want a fast lens as well; f/2.8 or faster is definitely preferred. To see the rest of his tips, including other gear you will want, light painting techniques and more, view the video below.

To see more of Stuart Palley's work, visit his website and follow him on Instagram.

(Seen via ISO 1200. Index image)