5 Misunderstood Tips for Shooting Film at Night

These are the top 5 tips you need to know to start creating better photos on film at night. Night photography on film is notoriously difficult, because of the physical nature of film. If you have every struggled with underexposed negatives, this guide will help you take better photos every time.

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[jessekorson]

I honestly like the photos that are "mistakes" just as much as the corrected ones. Both are super cool.

[NathanTrimbach]

This is a great video but I do have one correction at 2:36. This is partially true. Adjusting for 2 stops is because most data sheets recommend using an 80A or 80B filter which takes away 2 stops of light hence the need to adjust the ISO by 2 stops. If you don't use the filter then you don't need to change the ISO.

[BryHong]

2 stops of ISO adjustment for shooting under tungsten light? That would only be true if you are using a blue filter on the lens to compensate for the color shift. If you're planning on adjusting the color balance in post you really don't need to compensate like that at all.

[joshk]

my quick and dirty trick with a built in light meter is to just aim the camera at the darker area and set the shutter speed, then frame my shot and take the photo.

[jerodkillick]

Great Vancouver shots! Some great advice. I love shooting Delta 3200 and Portra 800. Many cheers fellow Vancouverite!

[Sol_The_Intutive]

I’m slowly getting back into photography and was so curious on how to navigate bar/night club lighting. Film is so underrated so this was definitely helpful

[henriquemariotto]

I love that my Olympus OM2 SP has a spot meter built into the meter. Very helpful.
Great tips man!

[SpeakersAsylum]

3:39 I love this little market by english bay. One of my personal fav places to shoot at always, for some reason.

[TheChicoRios]

Very nice tips! I had already seen some of these tips, but the Reciprocity Failure calculation was completely new for me. Thanks a lot for sharing your knowledge :D

[VirtualGuth]

Thanks for this. I enjoyed many of your images that you shared in this nicely done video.

[Xottapchenko]

I was so scared I couldn’t take pictures at night on B&W Fomapan film because due to work I can only go photo hunting at darker hours. Thank you!

[henryrogers]

Great video and tips! Thanks. Question. If for nighttime photography I set my Kodak Tri-X 400 35mm box speed to 200 or even 100 for one photo, can I changed my ASA back to the box speed of my film (400) or (200) depending on if it’s night or day, and the given lighting situation, for all subsequent shots on the roll of film? I heard that once you set your ASA to a certain value, it has to stay at that value for the entire roll of film? Is that true or not? I shoot with a Nikon F (1972 model year).

[TheFuse]

There is also Kodak 500t, the motion picture film

[elwrongo]

Night Recipe - ISO100, 15 seconds F8 or 11. Portra

[VariTimo]

I just shoot wide open (f2 or faster) at what I can hold handheld shake free (1/60th) and get the shot with pretty much any film. Of course you need faster film when it gets super dark.

[ZhaliaNovantaquattro]

So I have to adjust the iso on the camera (mine is completely manual and doesn't read the iso code)?

[pierrecrampagne]

Avec les films lumière du jour, et un certain savoir faire ( loi de la réciprocité )pour le bon temps de pose. Avez vous pensé au film type lumière artificielle, qui est vraiment très bien pour les sujets nocturnes.

[hukumongdu]

meter for highlight, then add stop or two. Unless you are shooting longer exposures like 5 seconds or more, I was able to get away with just adding a second or half a second more to my 2-3 second exposures.

[joachimelz-fianda]

Thanks a lot for the formula to increase the exposure time for the Schwarzschild effect

[matta]

I still don't understand how when I look at sample night photos of say Cinestill 800t, I see lots of shots with moving subjects, people, cars, etc. And no blur, and no flash. How? Even some other youtubers walking around at night and snapping without a tripod. I'm missing something.