David Dasinger

Methods

This is just an overview of some of the techniques used to create these images. For more detailed information on how to get started with night photography on your own, see the resources below.

Most of my night images are taken about a 1/2 hour after the sun goes down, preferably close to the full moon. I prefer having the moon as the primary light source, building the composition and additional lighting around it.
Exposure times can vary considerably, but typically range from 2 to 7 minutes. Multiple exposures are sometimes composited to show star movement over longer periods of time.

While the shutter is open additional light can be added to the scene with a flash unit or a flashlight, with color provided by theatrical gels. I also employ a variety of materials to create special effects within the frame such as led lights, electroluminescent wire, burning steel wool, balloons, anything that might emit or alter light is worth trying.

I keep post processing to a minimum, adjusting white balance, exposure, cropping, dodging and burning - the tools of the traditional darkroom. I tend to keep the images honest, sometimes compositing multiple shots of the same setup, but not adding things from other photos or other Photoshop techniques. I have no problem with using those techniques to create art but it becomes something besides a photograph at that point.

Resources

Here are some folks I’ve learned from and besides the wealth of information they offer on the web I can recommend any and all of them for workshops.