Master low-light photography #withGalaxy
Capture show-stopping nighttime pictures that do your scenery justice
Whether you’re camping with your kids or dancing the night away at your best friend’s wedding, there are plenty of times when you might want to reach for your smartphone to snap pictures at night. But have you ever noticed that the moment doesn’t always look as breathtaking on your phone as it looks in person? You might also wonder how to take pictures in low light with your mobile device. The good news is that with these tips and tricks, you’ll learn how to take low-light photos, shots of the night sky and great nighttime images in no time.
How to take pictures at night with your Galaxy phone
As for why it’s worth getting more photo-savvy in dim or dark settings? The resulting
images are striking, and it’s easy to learn. LA-based creative director, photographer
and designer Marilyn Hue says you can master low-light techniques right on the in camera settings on your phone.
"In low-light photography, we are able to see intense colors as well as fine detail that
our eyes cannot," Hue says. "Because a camera is not limited by ambient light, we can
observe the night like we have never seen before."
For the inside scoop, Hue takes us behind the scenes to show how she uses low light
in her work as a pro content creator for the likes of Skrillex and others.
How to take pictures at night
The inspiration to take a picture can come at any moment, so an expert’s best advice is to prep in advance. Before you head out to admire the city lights or to sleep under the stars, first take a few minutes to configure your phone for low-light photography by adjusting the camera mode to Night Mode.
"Taking low-light photos on the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G¹ is easy,” Marilyn says. “The Camera app offers Night Mode and once it's selected, all you have to do is point and shoot. Stunning nighttime photos are simply multiple frames being processed with an extra light capturing sensor."
Then if necessary, adjust the shutter speed and ISO settings. What are those, you ask? Let’s take a closer look.
Shutter speed
If you're wondering how to take pictures at night, start with shutter speed, which controls how long the camera captures light. The longer the shutter is open, the brighter the shot, which can illuminate an evening scene. Want to add a professional touch? Add a second light source to try Hue's technique using Pro Mode at a shutter speed of 30 seconds.
"A prominent foreground in a low-light photo can take your scene to the next level. My secret technique to achieve this is through Pro Mode and a flashlight," Marilyn explains. After setting up her shot, she shines the flashlight in the foreground. "In Pro Mode, I set the shutter speed to 8 seconds, ISO to 50, white balance to 4300, and focus to infinity. While Pro Mode processes the photo for a few seconds, I quickly shine my flashlight on the foreground. The S21 Ultra's powerful camera picks up that light and cleanly includes the foreground subject in the final photo."
Adjusting the shutter speed can also affect the blurriness or sharpness of an image. Why would you want to achieve a blurry look in your nighttime photos? The distortion can make for dramatic pictures of lights against a dark sky, such as the streaks of light created by moving cars on highways or city streets.
What's ISO?
ISO controls the camera sensor’s sensitivity to light and is another tool to help with how to take night-sky photos. What’s the simple trick to start? Turn the ISO up for better clarity in the dark. If you notice that your pictures come out a little grainier when you use a higher ISO setting, don’t panic. It’s totally normal — in fact, that graininess is common when using a high ISO and may give your images a bit of creative flair. But if that’s not the look you’re going for, consider leaving the ISO unchanged and adjust the shutter speed instead.
How to take pictures of stars and the moon
The stars, the sky and the planets — there are plenty of photo-worthy celestial objects out there. But you will need to adjust your settings manually to capture each unique subject’s true beauty. Want to know how to take pictures of the Milky Way, the moon and the stars? Here’s a quick guide:
• Constellations: Use a lower shutter speed and a high ISO.
• Planets: Choose a lower shutter speed and high ISO.
• Moon: Use a lower shutter speed and low ISO.
• Milky Way: A lower shutter speed and mid-range ISO.
These settings help accommodate for other factors that might brighten your photos. Can’t figure out how to take pictures of stars and space using the manual mode? Consider using your phone’s available camera modes to help capture a great deep-sky image.
Tips for taking photos at night with Samsung Galaxy devices
Activate Night mode for brilliant pictures
If you are wondering how to take photos in low light: rely on Night Mode, a setting that uses multi-frame processing to combine a series of images into one clear photo. The extra light captured by the camera sensors make photos brighter with greater detail. And Hue is a fan.
"The magic that captures your beautiful nighttime photo is the combination of multi-frame processing and extra light capturing camera sensors," she says. So now you can finally do those constellations justice or make that moon pop in the background of your family camping trip. Depending on the lighting, you may need to keep the camera still for several seconds — your Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G will let you know just how long.
Open your Camera app and select Night Mode in the More menu below the image frame. This automatically prevents the flash from activating, so you get true nighttime images. If you don’t use any other ideas in this guide, choosing Night Mode will drastically improve low-light shots.
How to save modes and custom configurations
Once you’ve figured out how to take night-sky photos, you will want to save your configuration for easy access the next time you use your Galaxy device. Here’s what you can do:
1. Open your Phone Settings by clicking the gear icon in the upper left of the screen.
2. Scroll down to “Settings to keep.”
3. Enable “Camera mode.’
4. Your phone will remember the last Camera mode, Night, and open preset for success. Now, get ready to take a memorable night image.
Try it yourself
After you skim Marilyn's 269,000-strong Instagram feed or her portfolio of bold, high-contrast editorial portraits, you will see the appeal of adding her low-light techniques to your repertoire of photography tricks.. Step up your nighttime photos and take low-light photographs that rival any daytime image. Retain the clarity, color and beauty of your surroundings with just a few simple tweaks. Or, let your smartphone do the work for you. either way, get out there and experiment to improve your night photography skills.
1Requires optimal 5G network connection, available in select markets. Check with your carrier for availability and details. Download and streaming speeds may vary based on content provider, server connection and other factors.
Ready for action?
Take to the night and capture your world with Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G.
Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
