Can you shoot low ISO film at night?

Although low ISO film stocks shine in bright conditions, they can still be used at night time with a few caveats and reminders. Since low ISO film stocks such as ISO 200 and lower are less sensitive to light, shooting them at night time can result in grain and noise in your images.

To make the most out of low ISO film stocks at night, here are a few reminders:

1. Control your camera settings

To avoid underexposure when shooting with low ISO film, you can change your camera settings to a longer shutter speed such as 1/125 or more, or a wider aperture such as f/1.4 to f/2.8, in order to let more light in.

2. Use a tripod and a light meter

When shooting at night, you can avoid motion blur and keep your camera steady by using a tripod for your camera. Meanwhile, using a light meter to calculate the proper exposure required for your shot will make sure you don’t underexpose your images. As a rule, details are easier to bring back during post-process if an image is overexposed a little.

3. Make use of bright light sources

Shooting slow films can still yield wonderful results given the right scenarios and exposure. If you’re shooting in an urban setting, you can make use of bright light sources such as building and car lights, street lights and neon signs, to brighten up your subjects or compose your image.

Of course, you can also use a flash to light up your image in night time photography.