Exposure Cheat Sheet for Shooting Film at Night

Film photography image of neon lights at night - Nighttime Photography Cheat Sheet by Jen Golay on Shoot It With Film
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Written by Jen Golay

Are you afraid of the dark? Maybe you are when it comes to shooting film in the dark.

I know I was when I started shooting film. It can be intimidating and frustrating shooting film at night when the light is low. How do you meter? What about focusing?

And what if you make a mistake and you end up with a black frame or even a whole roll? Yikes!

If you’d like a quick guide to start shooting film at night, be sure to check out Five Tips for Shooting Film at Night. It’s a great place to start, and I definitely use all of the techniques Sara talks about.

I want to build on those techniques and give you a cheat sheet for shooting with your film camera in a variety of low-light and nighttime situations.

Film photography image of lights at night - Nighttime Photography Cheat Sheet by Jen Golay on Shoot It With Film

Night Photography: The Basics

You’re probably going to need a tripod for some situations. I don’t like to shoot handheld below 1/30th of a second unless I am using a camera with a leaf shutter.

I know that tripods can be a pain to haul around, but they are indispensable when using shutter speeds below 1/15th of a second.

You’re also probably going to need a cable shutter release or remote shutter release.

Depending on how fancy your camera is, these can be pretty cheap. An older manual film camera will probably take a manual “plunger” cable release.

Shutter releases can also be proprietary if you’re using a newer camera that uses electronic components. You’ll want to check your camera manual to see which shutter releases are compatible.

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Film photography image of lights at night - Nighttime Photography Cheat Sheet by Jen Golay on Shoot It With Film
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Film Choice for Night Photography

Your choice of film also makes a difference when shooting at night.

If you don’t want to worry about the color balance of your film when shooting artificial light, opt for black and white film. Choose a panchromatic film like Ilford HP5 if you want to capture as many light wavelengths as possible.

If you want color film color balanced for tungsten light, choose CineStill 800T.

If you want a film with greater latitude for exposure variations, choose Kodak Portra 400 or Kodak Tri-X. I have also found that Lomography 800 is great for shooting at night.

You may want to push your film one or two stops in development. I almost always do. But remember that pushing your film doesn’t add light or make a dark image brighter. What is does do is increase the contrast making the darks darker and the lights lighter.

You can learn more about pushing film here.

Film photography image of lights at night - Nighttime Photography Cheat Sheet by Jen Golay on Shoot It With Film

Generally speaking, you’re going to want to use a slow film—ISO 400 or lower. I know that sounds counterintuitive, but unless you need to freeze action or can’t use a tripod, a slower film is better.

You’ll have less grain, and you don’t need to worry about reciprocity failure as much.

That doesn’t mean that you can’t use Kodak TMAX P3200 to shoot in low-light situations. You absolutely can!

I love TMAX 3200, especially pushed, but just know that the grain will be quite prominent.

Film photography image of neon lights at night - Nighttime Photography Cheat Sheet by Jen Golay on Shoot It With Film

Using a Light Meter in Low-Light

You can use a light meter in low-light situations, but you might need to trick it and do some reciprocal exposure calculations to get a good exposure.

Set your camera meter or your handheld meter to spot meter. (Not all handheld meters have spot meter capabilities.) This will give you the most control over your exposure.

If your camera does not have a spot meter option (older manual cameras will not have a spot meter), you can spot meter with your feet.

Move as close as you can to the spot that you want to meter and fill as much of the frame in your viewfinder as you can with that area.

Determine your exposure and set your camera accordingly. Move back to where you want to frame your image. Ignore your meter and take the photo.

Film photography image of neon lights at night - Nighttime Photography Cheat Sheet by Jen Golay on Shoot It With Film
Film photography image of lights at night - Nighttime Photography Cheat Sheet by Jen Golay on Shoot It With Film

If there is not enough light to meter your frame when you set your ISO to box speed, you can use this trick to get the correct exposure.

Max out your ISO setting on your camera or meter. (On most film cameras that will be 1600. Some may go up to 3200.)

Meter your frame. Remember the rule of thumb to expose for the shadows and develop for the highlights.

Do not take the photo with these meter settings! Calculate the reciprocal exposure for the correct ISO of the film in your camera which would be box speed or one stop slower if you prefer to overexpose your film.

Film photography image of lights at night - Nighttime Photography Cheat Sheet by Jen Golay on Shoot It With Film

Bracketing

Bracketing is your friend.

The trick to low-light exposures is figuring out just how much of what is in the shadows you want to see.

Often, you can let your shadows go black because what you really want to see is what is lit. But if you aren’t sure what you’ll like best or how much light you think you’re going to need, bracket.

Bracketing is taking several shots of the same scene with different exposures.

A common way to bracket is to choose the exposure you think you need, take your shot, and then take a shot overexposed by one stop and a shot underexposed by one stop.

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Take notes. I know I say this a lot but taking exposure notes when you’re trying to discover what works best for you really saves a lot of time and headaches.

If you don’t want to take notes all the time, be sure you take notes when you bracket.

Film photography image of neon lights at night - Nighttime Photography Cheat Sheet by Jen Golay on Shoot It With Film

Focusing in Low-Light

Use manual focus when shooting in low-light situations.

Without bright light or contrasting lines, your autofocus will hunt and struggle to find something to focus on.

Your autofocus may work in some situations but be prepared to switch over to manual focus if it does not.

Film photography image of lights at night - Nighttime Photography Cheat Sheet by Jen Golay on Shoot It With Film

Exposure Cheat Sheet for Shooting Film at Night

I am going to give you starting point exposures for a lot of different low-light shooting situations.

Unless otherwise noted, they will be for films with an ISO of 400.

I think ISO 400 is a great place start when shooting at night. It’s a fairly fast film, so you can handhold some of these exposures, but its grain is not especially prominent.

Remember that if you want to use a different ISO, aperture, or shutter speed, you’ll need to calculate an equivalent exposure.

Note that not all of my illustration images were shot with ISO 400 film.

Film photography image of lights at night - Nighttime Photography Cheat Sheet by Jen Golay on Shoot It With Film

Warning: These exposures are just a starting point. Lighting situations are unique and vary. I am trusting you to use your meter and figure out what works best for you. Some experimentation may be required.

Star Trails

You’ll definitely need a tripod and cable release. I prefer a low ISO film. No metering is needed.

Open up your lens to its widest aperture, focus at infinity, and set your shutter speed to bulb.

Press the shutter button and lock it, then set a timer for at least 30 minutes. You can read more details for how to shoot star trails on color film here and star trails on black and white film here.

Starting Exposure: ISO 100, Aperture f/2.8, Shutter speed <30 minutes

Film photography image of stars at night - Nighttime Photography Cheat Sheet by Jen Golay on Shoot It With Film
Film photography image of lights at night - Nighttime Photography Cheat Sheet by Jen Golay on Shoot It With Film

Interiors

There is a lot of variation in lighting for interior images. Interiors lit only with incandescent light at night will be different from interiors lit with window light during the day.

Your light meter will be your best guide in these situations, but this is often a good starting point.

Starting Exposure: ISO 400, Aperture f/2, Shutter speed 1/30th

Film photography image of lights at night - Nighttime Photography Cheat Sheet by Jen Golay on Shoot It With Film
Film photography image of lights at night - Nighttime Photography Cheat Sheet by Jen Golay on Shoot It With Film
Film photography image of lights at night - Nighttime Photography Cheat Sheet by Jen Golay on Shoot It With Film

Candlelight

Again, there can be a lot of variation in candlelight. One candle versus ten candles will not give you the same exposure. But a closeup with a single candle will probably work with this exposure. Your light meter can help you finetune your exposure. A tripod or a leaf shutter will be needed for such a slow exposure.

Starting Exposure: ISO 400, Aperture f/2, Shutter speed 1/15th

Film photography image of lights at night - Nighttime Photography Cheat Sheet by Jen Golay on Shoot It With Film

Brightly Lit City Streets

City streets often have a lot more light than you might think. You could even stop down to f/4 and slow your shutter speed to 1/30th of a second and still get a good exposure.

Bracketing comes in handy with city streets. Sometimes it’s nice to have more detail in the shadows, and sometimes it’s nice to let the lights take center stage.

You can easily handhold your camera for city street images at night.

Starting Exposure: ISO 400, Aperture f/2-f/4, Shutter speed 1/60th-1/30th

Film photography image of neon lights at night - Nighttime Photography Cheat Sheet by Jen Golay on Shoot It With Film
Film photography image of lights at night - Nighttime Photography Cheat Sheet by Jen Golay on Shoot It With Film
Film photography image of neon lights at night - Nighttime Photography Cheat Sheet by Jen Golay on Shoot It With Film
Film photography image of lights at night - Nighttime Photography Cheat Sheet by Jen Golay on Shoot It With Film

Christmas Lights

Christmas lights are also often a lot brighter than you might think. Similar to city streets, you may be able to stop down a bit.

Bracketing is also good with Christmas lights to help you decide the look you prefer. You can handhold your camera for Christmas light images.

Starting Exposure: ISO 400, Aperture f/2-f/4, Shutter speed 1/60th-1/30th

Film photography image of Christmas lights at night - Nighttime Photography Cheat Sheet by Jen Golay on Shoot It With Film
Film photography image of Christmas lights at night - Nighttime Photography Cheat Sheet by Jen Golay on Shoot It With Film
Film photography image of Christmas lights at night - Nighttime Photography Cheat Sheet by Jen Golay on Shoot It With Film

Neon Signs

Neon signs are lots of fun to capture, especially when they are unique or clever. Neon signs are actually a very bright light source, so you can stop down a bit and even use a faster shutter speed.

Don’t forget to pay attention to reflections. Neon lights often hang in windows, so you may have to adjust the angle or the distance you’re shooting from to avoid finding yourself in the final image.

I haven’t tried it, but you may be able to use a polarizing filter to minimize reflections in the glass. Don’t forget to compensate your exposure for the loss of light that a polarizing filter will create. You’ll need to add 1-2 stops of light to your exposure.

Starting Exposure: ISO 400, Aperture f/4, Shutter speed 1/125th

Film photography image of neon lights at night - Nighttime Photography Cheat Sheet by Jen Golay on Shoot It With Film
Film photography image of neon lights at night - Nighttime Photography Cheat Sheet by Jen Golay on Shoot It With Film
Film photography image of neon lights at night - Nighttime Photography Cheat Sheet by Jen Golay on Shoot It With Film

Shop Windows

Shop windows at night are also fun to photograph. Some small businesses can be really creative with their street marketing. They are always especially fun during Christmas and other holidays.

Again, your light meter will be your best guide for your exposure here since some shop windows are brighter than others, but this is probably a good starting point. You’ll need to pay attention to reflections here as well.

Starting Exposure: ISO 400, Aperture f/4, Shutter speed 1/60th

Film photography image of lights at night - Nighttime Photography Cheat Sheet by Jen Golay on Shoot It With Film
Film photography image of lights at night - Nighttime Photography Cheat Sheet by Jen Golay on Shoot It With Film
Film photography image of neon lights at night - Nighttime Photography Cheat Sheet by Jen Golay on Shoot It With Film
Film photography image of lights at night - Nighttime Photography Cheat Sheet by Jen Golay on Shoot It With Film

Skylines

Skylines are great images to capture, especially when you’re traveling. Every city has its own signature skyline, and they are especially beautiful at night.

Depending on how close or far you are from the skyline, you may need to vary your aperture. The closer you are, the greater the depth of field will be required. You won’t want any of those famous building not as crisp as the others.

A tripod will probably be necessary for these images.

Starting Exposure: ISO 400, Aperture f/2.8, Shutter speed 1 second

Film photography image of lights at night - Nighttime Photography Cheat Sheet by Jen Golay on Shoot It With Film
Film photography image of lights at night - Nighttime Photography Cheat Sheet by Jen Golay on Shoot It With Film
Film photography image of lights at night - Nighttime Photography Cheat Sheet by Jen Golay on Shoot It With Film

Fireworks

Fireworks are a fun challenge to capture on film. Since a longer exposure is a must, you’ll need to get out your tripod and cable release.

Try to anticipate the fireworks by counting the seconds between the launch and the explosion on a couple of the first few fireworks.

Don’t be afraid to do double or triple exposures when shooting fireworks. Just be sure you know how your double or multiple exposure feature works on your camera before heading out into the dark.

You can also just use your bulb shutter speed. Remember that when you use B, your shutter stays open for as long as you hold the shutter button down on your cable release.

Starting Exposure: ISO 400, Aperture f/2.8, Shutter speed 1/30th – 1/60th

Film photography image of fireworks at night - Nighttime Photography Cheat Sheet by Jen Golay on Shoot It With Film
Film photography image of fireworks at night - Nighttime Photography Cheat Sheet by Jen Golay on Shoot It With Film

Floodlit Buildings and Monuments

Sometimes famous buildings or monuments are more beautiful at night than they are during the day, so don’t be afraid to capture them on film after the sun goes down.

Like skylines, you may need to adjust your aperture to make sure the whole building is in focus if it has distinguishable dimensions.

Starting Exposure: ISO 400, Aperture f/2, Shutter speed 1/15th

Film photography image of lights at night - Nighttime Photography Cheat Sheet by Jen Golay on Shoot It With Film
Film photography image of lights at night - Nighttime Photography Cheat Sheet by Jen Golay on Shoot It With Film
Film photography image of lights at night - Nighttime Photography Cheat Sheet by Jen Golay on Shoot It With Film
Film photography image of lights at night - Nighttime Photography Cheat Sheet by Jen Golay on Shoot It With Film

The Nighttime Photography Cheat Sheet

Lighting SituationISOApertureShutter Speed
Star Trails100f/2.8<30 minutes
Interiors400f/21/30
Candlelight400f/21/15
City Streets400f/21/60
Christmas Lights400f/21/30
Neon Signs400f/41/125
Shop Windows400f/41/60
Skylines400f/2.81 second
Fireworks400f/2.81/30 – 1/60
Floodlit Buildings400f/21/15
Film photography image of neon lights at night - Nighttime Photography Cheat Sheet by Jen Golay on Shoot It With Film

Final Thoughts

I know it can be scary in the dark with your film camera, but I hope these tips and cheat sheet will help you overcome your fear and get out there and give it a shot.

There is more light on at night than you think! Remember that these are just starting points and your lighting situations and experiences may vary.

I’d love to hear how it goes if you take your camera out after dark!

Film photography image of lights at night - Nighttime Photography Cheat Sheet by Jen Golay on Shoot It With Film

Thank you so much, Jen! Jen is a regular contributor here at Shoot It With Film, and you can check out her other articles here, including 15 Must-Have Film Photography Accessories and What is the Sunny 16 Rule and Why Should You Learn It?.

You can also check out more of Jen’s work on Instagram.

Leave your questions about the Sunny 16 Rule below in the comments!

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Jen Golay

Jen Golay is a senior portrait and travel film photographer and a regular contributor for Shoot It With Film. Find her other articles here, such as How To Shoot Kodak Gold 200 and Olympus Pen F Half-Frame Film Camera Review.

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Blog Comments

The author presents wonderful photos, and I don’t doubt that night film exposures can work with sufficient practice, trial and error. For me, even though I enjoy film photography, I think night photos work better on digital with its immediate review, correction and confirmation. I do not want to wait to get negatives back from the lab to see how close to the mark I’ve come. I wonder whether there are any advantages to film images at night in the author’s opinion. Thanks.

Hi Gary! Thanks for you comment! I wouldn’t say that there are any inherent advantages to film at night versus digital. But I would say that if you are successful with digital images at night, you’ll probably be successful with film images at night.

Last night I was in the city with my Olympus OM10 50mm f1.8 and the remainder of a roll of Fuji Colour 400 and another roll of Kodak Select B&W 400 both rolls were decades expired and I was intimidated! Even advice from the boys at the Leica store didn’t calm me down. I wish I had these articles with me then.

Hi Bradley! I’m so glad you found the article helpful and encouraging! I think you could definitely get some amazing images with your 50mm 1.8 lens. You might have been wise to avoid night photos with very expired film since it needs more exposure. I hope you let us know how it goes when you give night photography a shot.

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