By Rachel Rebibo

31 August 2008

Shooting people at night can render truly exquisite images, depending on how it's done. With proper preparation and consideration for your model, you can evoke virtually any emotion by shooting at night... with significantly less money, time, and effort that shooting in the studio or on location during the day. Here are some of the most important points to maximize your night shooting:

1. Scout Your Location: This is a big one and doesn't mean just "walk around and find a location you like." Take into consideration what you will be shooting and where.

For example, these images were shot in Paris in December. The first consideration was obviously the comfort level of the model, considering the temperature and the general feeling of being in the street in lingerie. In this particular case, it also needed to be taken into account that in the city of Paris, any street that can be considered "recognizable" requires a permit. This means choosing a location that is far from police stations with little foot traffic, but still possesses that "Parisian Rue" quality. People will notice your flash, so it's a good idea to check your spot several nights in a row to see if it will be private enough to avoid disturbances, and in my case, possible fines.

2. Prepare Everything Ahead Of Time: Think about props and accessories, and be sure to discuss with your model. If you intend on using complicated poses or composition, test it out with your model during the day to get ideas before you shoot. This will help things move quicker in the dark. Trust me.

3. Test Everything Before You Shoot: Load your film, check your lenses, and meter EVERYTHING before you get started. Stopping to adjust in the middle will just make it easier for you to get caught, and the longer you take the less patient your model will be. You generally want to get in and out in less than 45 minutes if possible (this pretty much applies to big city shooters only), which means doing all of your calculations before instead of as you go.

4. Be Fast: This one seems obvious, but as photographers we tend to lose track of time. In my case, my model was generously posing half naked in winter, risking frost bite for the sake of art.

5. Use The Night To Your Advantage: Don't waste time with complicated lighting for street shooting by yourself. Save pick stands, generators, umbrellas, reflectors etc. for on-location shoots with a team because we don't use them in street shooting. One of the wonderful parts of shooting at night are the complex gray and black tones that darkness provides for you.

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