How to take great photos at night

With the right tools and a plan of action, anyone can capture the beauty of the moon and stars at night. Let professional photographer Keith Ladzinski show you how.

A “wolf moon” hovers over the frigid Sangre De Cristo Mountains at twilight, San Luis Valley, Colorado.
Story and photographs by Keith Ladzinski
November 14, 2025 NATONAL GEOGRAPHIC

When we look at the stars, it’s like staring into a campfire. There’s a hypnotic quality to it; our imagination starts to wander. Thoughts about how small we are in the vastness of space and emotions of wonder, excitement, and desire to explore all bubble up. With night photography, we can harness the backdrop of the infinite sky to create a sense of expanse, both in time and space.

I’ve been a professional photographer for 20 years, with some of my most beloved images taken at night. Here are my tips for taking great photographs at night.

Scout during the day

During the day, plan at the spot you plan to land at night. This is where you design your composition. A subject with a lot of negative space (like an old tree without leaves or a cliff line with a jagged cut) can frame the night sky beautifully. Use an app like PhotoPills which can help you see how the moon and stars will travel across the sky during your shoot.

Bring the right gear

Whether you’re shooting on a smartphone or high-end SLR, make sure you have a sturdy tripod, a headlamp (or any other lighting), and warmer clothing than needed in the day (especially in the desert). I also recommend a cable release wire to trigger the shutter remotely, so you don’t need to handle your camera especially during long exposures. Also, bring a lens warmer to prevent fog.

Don’t forget the moon

One of the best aspects of night photography is the ability to set up a scene from a sort of blank slate. Because it’s dark, you can customize your lighting. That’s why I prefer to shoot when the moon is only a sliver in the sky, or a new moon. The moon creates a lot of ambient light—think of it as a dim sun. When it’s more than a sliver, be sure to consider it in your composition.

Beware of over-editing

After a shoot, the best photographers will tweak white balance, lift shadows, bring highlights down, etc. But be careful not to overwork it. At the end of the day, your highest priority is making an image you like. If you’re feeling like it’s being pushed too hard in postproduction, then that’s a good opportunity for you to go out into the field and try it again and get it closer to your vision.

Glowing tents dot the grass around Les Cheserys Lake in the French Alps.

A grove of giant sequoia trees frame a towering white fir tree under starry skies in Sequoia National Park, California.

An aurora borealis bends across the sky in South East Greenland.

Grotto Geyser steams under star-filled skies at Midway Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park.

Arbol de Piedra (The Stone Tree), is a 20-foot-tall rock formation in Bolivia’s Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve.

An inverted crescent moon hanging high over the Kalahari desert at twilight, South Africa.