The art of low-light photography

Low-light photography is simultaneously one of the most exciting yet complex styles of photography — but who doesn’t like a challenge? Photography in low light can bring unique, ethereal dimensions to your shots, whether you’re capturing the city streets at night or mastering moody indoor portraits. So it’s well worth a try.

Let’s look more into this layered photography approach and discuss how you can get your camera and any available light to work with you (and not against you), no matter the time of day or the conditions.

What is low-light photography?

Low-light photography is the process of capturing images in dimly lit conditions, either indoors or outdoors. It’s often seen as a challenging photography style due to the lack of ambient light available. This style often means photographers must battle with underexposed images, blurry details, and luminance noise.

You may find that your fast shutter speed and low ISO camera settings work just fine during daytime photography, but you’ll get a bit of a wake-up call if you try doing the same in low-light conditions! 

This is because low-light photography requires a completely different approach, where balancing exposure and maintaining sharpness are key. With this in mind, having a few technical skills and techniques in your back pocket can work wonders. 

How to photograph in low light: Tips and tricks

Shooting in low light requires an advanced understanding of camera settings and external techniques. Once mastered, you can benefit from crisp, detailed images in low-light conditions.

Take a look at six low-light photography tips and night photography techniques below, including the best low-light photography settings to utilise.

1. Use a wide (also known as low) aperture: A wider aperture (like f/1.4 or f/2.8) will welcome more light into the sensor, brightening your images despite the lack of available illumination. The other benefit of this is that you can enjoy a shallow depth of field, adding a magical blurry bokeh effect to your shots.
   
   
2. Increase your ISO sparingly: With more ISO comes more noise, so be sure to raise your ISO settings carefully. This will allow you to brighten the shot without slowing down the shutter speed.
   
   
3. Stabilise your shot: If possible, try using a tripod or image-stabilised lenses — especially when using a slow shutter speed. In dark conditions, your camera will need more time to take in the light, making it extremely sensitive to even the smallest shakes and knocks. Conveniently, our FUJIFILM cameras use built-in In-Body Image Stabilisation (IBIS) technology to combat this.
   
   
4. Use manual focus: While handy, autofocus can sometimes struggle in low light conditions because it requires enough contrast to ‘lock in’ on a subject. Try manual focus instead for a sharp focus on any subjects or visual points of interest.
   
   
5. Shoot in RAW: It’s usual for low-light photos to need editing and adjustments, whether it’s to brighten shadow or to reduce noise. RAW file formats are best for working with during the post-processing stage, as they capture more detail than JPEG, giving you more to work with.
   
   
6. Experiment with available light sources: If you’re giving low-light photography a go, it’s time to rely on more than just your camera settings. Look around you, and use it as an opportunity to use light creatively. Street lights, neon signs, cafe table lamps, car headlights — the light is all around you if you just look for it. 

What is the best low-light camera?

After taking a look at how important camera settings and techniques are for low-light photography, it goes without saying that having the right camera by your side can make all the difference.

With a high dynamic range, stellar ISO performance that won’t impact quality, and integrated image stabilisation features to reduce unwanted noise, FUJIFILM mirrorless cameras like the FUJIFILM X-T5 and GFX100 II are top choices — trusted by professional photographers across the globe.

High-performance sensors

A large, high-resolution sensor can preserve the details sometimes lost in the shadows and highlights of low-light photography. 

The FUJIFILM X-T5 features a 40.2MP X-Trans CMOS HR sensor for stellar detail retention, and the FUJIFILM GFX100 II houses a 102MP large-format sensor designed to reduce noise.

High ISO performance with minimal noise

The FUJIFILM X-T5 and FUJIFILM GFX100 II both use advanced noise reduction algorithms to ensure that your shots remain clean, crisp, and detailed even when high ISO is used.

• X-T5: ISO 125-12,800 (expandable to 64-51,200)
• GFX100 II: ISO 80-12,800 (expandable to 40-102,400)

Advanced In-Body Image Stabilisation (IBIS)

As we discussed earlier, shooting handheld on a low shutter speed isn’t very forgiving when it comes to shakes and knocks. These camera models include IBIS technology, guaranteeing sharp images no matter your shutter speed. 

The X-T5 features up to seven stops of stabilisation, whereas the GFX100 II has up to eight stops of stabilisation.

Autofocus primed for low-light conditions

With highly sensitive AF systems, these two camera models are primed to work in challenging conditions, delivering sharp and well-focused images that surpass the usual expectation of autofocus. 

The X-T5 uses deep learning AI-powered autofocus that works even in complete darkness, and the GFX100 II uses enhanced phase-detection AF for intuitive and precise focusing. 

Are you ready to step into the night?

If you’re ready to put your low-light photography skills to action, you can hire a photography studio right here at the FUJIFILM House of Photography in Covent Garden.

For a more practical, hands-on experience, you may wish to join Mr Whisper in his London photography workshop, ‘Step into the Night’. Next scheduled for October 2025, you’ll be transported to the city’s darker side, where you’ll learn how to capture stunning night photography alongside one of the industry’s best.

Learn more about our upcoming photography workshops, photography courses, and photo walks today.