How To Generate Better Nighttime Shots With Your Current Smartphone

Today smartphone cameras work far better than those in the past, but nighttime photography is still limited. Whether you’re taking pictures in a bar or outside at night, the camera on your phone cannot compete with a full-size camera.

However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that they cannot capture photos in the dark. A lot of new smartphones such as the Pixel 3 and the Galaxy S10 come with a dedicated night mode. Meanwhile, others offer a manual mode that lets you change elements before taking night shots, like the iPhone XS. All you need to do is be patient and dig into the camera app’s settings.

Adjust the exposure

The easiest trick to light up a dark scene is usually to adjust the exposure, which is offered in most Android phones and can be found in the viewfinder. Users just need to tap the screen and drag the exposure meter for locking the photo’s exposure.

Similarly, iPhone users just have to tap and hold your finger on the part of the frame that you want to focus to lock the exposure. Next, drag up and down their finger on the viewfinder window to made adjustment.

There isn’t a night mode on the iPhone, so the best thing to do is changing the exposure. It’s recommended that lower exposure will generate a better photo because it requires a faster shutter speed and the sensor won’t take in as much light.

Chase the light

Take advantage of any light available such as a color bulb, a candle, or a street lamp to generate a cool, abstract picture. In low-light conditions, darkness can become a backdrop to help you isolate objects and shapes, a perfect recipe to create a moody scene.

The rear flash on your phone can also help with shaping the scene. In case you worry about overexposure, you can place a paper sheet or a tissue over the light to diffuse it.

Learn to use night mode

Most common smartphones come with a built-in night mode in the camera app. This mode takes multiple exposures then combines the info from each of the shots to generate a well-lit photo with little noise.

Night mode is not on by default. On the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3a, for example, the camera app will suggest trying the Night Sight mode once it detects low light. Besides, you can access the feature manually by going to the camera app and tapping on “More” before selecting Night Sight.

If the environment is too dark to focus, you can use the built-in exposure lock available in the camera app, in the upper right-hand of the display. Then, shoot the photo by pressing the shutter button. However, in this mode, the shutter stays longer to capture everything possible so make sure you stay still. In addition, you can try out the three-second timer placed on the app interface’s left side so that you can make a composure before the photo’s taken. In case of other Android phones, if there is a night mode, it will pop up on the main interface in the camera app.

Stabilize the smartphone

When you use night mode, you should stand perfectly still while holding the phone to get a clear photo in the dark. You can also try putting the phone on a stable surface or use a smartphone tripod.

Use manual mode

In case your phone lacks the night mode, you can check the camera settings to find the manual one. For example, the LG G8 ThinQ has this mode, which lets you adjust the shutter speed, ISO, and exposure individually for composing a photo in low-light conditions. Shutter speed is the most important factor to consider in taking night shots. Keeping the shutter speed open longer means the camera sensors can capture more light.

To get the best pictures, it's recommended to switch to "Pro" or manual mode, along with using a tripod. In the manual mode, you will directly see the adjustments' results in the viewfinder.

On the iPhone, there are a few manual controls shown on its camera interface, but only the exposure and focus. If you want a long exposure photo, you can switch to Live Photo mode, which will help capture fireworks or neon lights at night.

If your smartphone doesn't have manual camera settings, you can try using third-party apps. Android users can turn to Camera MX or Footej Camera. Both of them let you change each element individually and preview the results before shooting the photo. Meanwhile, iPhone users can rely on apps like Moment - Pro Camera and Pro Camera, both with support for all features regarding photos and videos. These apps can also be used for shooting RAW photos, which is great in case of editing night shots.

Avoid other lenses

Adding several camera lenses on the rear is trending these days. So if your phone houses more than one camera, you need to make sure you are using the right one.

The iPhone X and iPhone XS house a telephoto and wide-angle lens although they both come with Optical Image Stabilization and are able to take night shots. However, the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+ have three cameras on the back, with one telephoto lens and one wide-angle lens, which means they have a smaller aperture and aren't able to take in as much light as the main lens.

Use an editing app

If none of those methods above works, you can turn to mobile apps such as Adobe Lightroom and Snapseed, both of which are available for Android and iOS users. They have support for the processing of RAW photos and noise reduction. But remember, the benefits you get from these apps may vary since the results still rely the most on the camera sensor on your smartphone.