L is for Long night exposures

Many great photo opportunities occur after sunset, and DSLRs and CSCs are well-equipped to capture them. But because exposure metering systems are designed for brighter conditions, the best results will be obtained by switching to Manual mode (M on the main dial). For night scenes, set your ISO to its lowest value of 100 and frame up with your camera on a tripod. Use AF to focus on the scene, then switch to manual focus to lock the focus distance.

To establish the correct exposure, dial in an aperture of f/8 and a shutter speed of 8 sec. Take a test shot, and check the screen. If it’s too dark, increase the shutter speed to 16 sec and reshoot; if it’s too bright, decrease it to 4 sec. Once your exposure is spot on, nail the shot!