A niche of people who like to photograph the world at night has a sub-niche, which expands into hours of photography for a single image. This area of photography is called “long exposure night photography” and requires a photographer with a lot of patience. If you can master this area of photography, the results captured will leave your audience in awe. Let us look at the equipment that can help you master this realm of photography:

1. Camera:  You can photograph these images with almost any camera, but the better the camera’s sensor, the better your results will be. I would recommend a camera that allows for multiple batteries and/or is capable of an external connection. A good choice for this type of photography would be Nikon’s D3s, which runs around $5000.00 on bhphotovideo.com.
2. External Power Supply:  An external power supply gives your camera a longer life than conventional batteries. The best power supplies that I have found are made by the Quantum Company. For the Nikon D3s, I would recommend the Quantum Turbo 3 ($657.00 on bhphotovideo.com).
3. Tripod:  Long exposure at night requires a very sturdy tripod. Sturdy in the photography game will usually mean two things; heavy and expensive. I have found the Davis & Sanford Maxi-60hd Tripod ($949.95 on bhphotovideo.com) to be excellent for this type of work.
4. Remote Shutter Release:  A remote shutter release is instrumental in taking long exposure photographs without having to hold onto the button. RPS Lighting’s RSRT06N10 ($100.00 on bhphotovideo.com) is an excellent choice and will allow you to activate the BULB function of your digital camera without disturbing the camera.

The equipment above will get you started, but you still might need a few pointers before heading out to your spot for the night.

1. Be early:  Being early allows you to get your gear setup without having to stumble around the dark. Typically the darker the area you go to, the better your long exposure night photos will be.
2. Charge your batteries:  Having the shutter open for a long period will drain your batteries relatively quickly. If you make sure your batteries are fully charged before going out to shoot, you will be able to get more images.
3. Think one not 100:  Long exposure night photography is not about capturing hundreds of photos, but more about capturing a single great picture. The longer your shutter is open, the more information you will collect, and you never know what you will capture.
4. Try painting:  With your shutter open, feel free to experiment with “painting with light.” Painting with light is the use of a light source to create your scene during a long exposure photograph. The darker it is outside, the better your painting will look and the less you will be scene.
5. Low ISO:  Your camera lens will be open for a long time so you will want to use a lower ISO setting. If you use a higher ISO setting, your image will reach its proper exposure faster and will be very noisy.

Utilizing the equipment and tips listed above, you should have no problem taking long exposure night photography and creating superb images.