The Nikon d750 is one of the more popular intermediate level DSLR camera bodies on the market from the Nikon range and its solid performance and functionality coupled with its very reasonable price tag has ensured that large numbers of photographers have chosen it as their camera body of choice. Due to the camera having such an excellent reputation amongst the photography community, the camera also constantly sees strong sales month in month out too ever expanding its already extensive customer base of photographers.
Just like every other popular camera body on the market with a huge user base, we often see a larger number of different questions asked about the Nikon d750 ranging from tips and tricks for the camera to the best camera accessories for it. For today’s article, we are going to be focusing in on one of the more frequently asked questions that we have been seeing over the last few months and that is based around helping you improve your Nikon d750 night photography image quality.
With the Nikon d750 being an intermediate level camera body, we know that many of our readers who use it have been involved in the photography space for some time now so many not need all of our tips, tricks, and suggestions below. That said though, we know that a number of entry level photographers also go with the Nikon d750 due to it offering such a high level of image quality relative to its price point so the majority of our tips below should be helpful for this section of our readers.
Consider A Free Night Photography Course
As we just mentioned, some of our readers who do use the Nikon d750 as their camera body of choice for their photography sessions are entry level photographers so if you do fall into this bracket then we would highly recommend taking advantage of the two month, no obligation Skillshare premium trial available to all Photography Paws readers. This allows you to enroll on the best nighttime photography course available that most people have to pay for without having to spend a single cent!
The course only takes just over one hour to complete and it is packed with excellent tips and tricks to help improve your performance as a night photographer. Even if you are an intermediate level photographer, the course is still recommended as it has some solid intermediate-level tips too while also having an excellent reputation amongst previous students as well as the wider photography community. As we mentioned, the majority of people have to pay for the course but Photography Paws readers don’t.
Get Yourself A Lens That Is Ideal For Night Photography
If you have been in the photography game for a while then chances are, you will have already invested in a solid little lens that is suitable for night photography but if you are newer to the game then you may still be using either of the kit lenses that come in the Nikon d750 bundles. Unfortunately, both of the main kit lens options are less than ideal for night photography so we usually recommend that our readers try to get their hands on something like the Rokinon 14mm as it is a cheap lens that is excellent for night photographer and offers outstanding image quality in low light for its price tag.
Although the Rokinon 14mm is an excellent night photography lens or your Nikon d750, it is also a great little lens for multiple other photography niches too making it the ideal option for anyone looking for a lens to add to their collection that can be used in pretty much any wide angle night going. On top of this, the Rokinon 14mm has managed to rightfully build an outstanding reputation for itself amongst the community due to being such a great little lens.
Invest In A Suitable Tripod
Again, just like our suggestion above for getting a decent night photography lens, if you are a more experienced photographer then there is a high chance that you already have a decent tripod for yourself. If you are newer to photography though and are yet to add a decent tripod to your collection of camera accessories then we would highly recommend the Manfrotto MT055CXPRO3 as we feel it is one of the best tripods ever made that offers some of the best professional level performance and functionality going while only having an intermediate level price tag.
That said though, if you are on a tight budget for your Nikon d750 camera accessories then something like the more budget friendly Zomei z699c can still make a solid addition to your collection of camera accessories and provide you with decent image stabilization. If you are using the kit lenses with your Nikon d750 and are holding it in your hands when capturing your photographs then we would highly recommend that you get a tripod as soon as possible as it will drastically improve the levels of image quality that you are able to capture with your camera at night.
Consider Getting Some Steel Wool
Different photographers use the Nikon d750 for a number of different night photography sub-niches doing a whole range of different things due to the versatility that the camera offers. If you are looking to be out and about capturing photographs of popular landmarks and locations in your local area that are often photographed or may look a little stale or boring then adding some steel wool to your kit can add that flash of excitement to the photograph that you capture with your Nikon d750.
The photograph of the bridge with the model swinging some steel wool above really helps to serve as a great example of this as without the steel wool being used in the photograph, it would be boring and difficult to see. The steel wool adds both light and movement to the photo and helps to bring it to life too naturally drawing the eye to it. Although the usage of steel wool for night photography is becoming more and more popular with each passing year, it is still a quick, easy, and cheap way that you are able to bring otherwise boring night photographs with your Nikon d750 to life.
Additionally, due to so many photographers getting large chunks of their business from their Instagram profile, having steel wool in some of your night photographs at well known locations are able to help your photographs stand out amongst the competition for the hashtag and help pull people to your page. This in turn can result in more likes and followers helping your social media accounts grow faster and potentially bring in some business.
Take Advantage Of The Landscape
Thankfully, most intermediate photographers that we see are taking advantage of the natural landscape for their Nikon d750 night photography but many of the entry level photographers using the d750 seem to be missing this opportunity. The image above shows how framing your photograph with mountains and trees in it can easily add an additional element to the image to add depth and create scale for the moon. There are an absolute ton of different ways that you are able to take advantage of this quick and easy trick to help add additional elements to your photographs or to make them stand out against what other photographers are capturing.
Trees, hills, mountains, bridges, statures, tall buildings, and pretty much anything else that stands out and is large enough to use can be a great addition to this type of photography. Depending on the phase of the moon or the visible stars in your location, this can really make for an epic looking nighttime photograph that really stands out. Even if you are hiking to your primary location for your photography session, keep an eye out for the landmarks that you pass as you can easily miss these opportunities.
Experiment With Manual Focus
We see a large number of intermediate photographers relying on their autofocus never mind the large number of entry-level photographers that we see making this same mistake for night photography. In our opinion, autofocus systems on even the latest lenses to be released onto the market are a pain to use when it comes to night photography and manual focus should be prioritized. Autofocus systems tend to struggle to work out what the main subject of the photograph is due to the poor lighting and then randomly focus in on different things.
Getting used to using your manual focus ring on your lens of choice helps to prevent this and ensures that you are able to quickly and easily focus your camera on the main subject of your photograph and frame it as required. Developing your manual focus skillset should be a priority anyway in all honesty as it can help you with a large number of different photography niches and it is not a difficult skill to develop.
Test Different Levels Of Exposure
It does seem to be common for photographers to have a habit of sticking with one type of exposure for their night time photography work and not really trying anything else but this is definitely a mistake and it holds you back. There are a ton of different whats that you are able to use exposure to your advantage and there are a large number of different tutorials on YouTube that you are able to use as a source of inspiration too. If you do think that you may only be sticking to the same one, two, or three exposure styles for your night photography sessions with your Nikon d750 then checking out some YouTube videos on different types of exposure can definitely be worth it.
Plan Your Night Photography Session
This final tip for improving your Nikon d750 night photography image quality is probably the most frequently underrated on our there and we see photographers of all levels of experience making it and that is failing to actually plan your night photography session before hand. In this day and age, there really is no need to be trying to wing it and just head out the door with your camera an hoping for the best, a minute or two on Google can tell you the weather, cloud cover, phase of the moon, visible stars and pretty much everything else you need to know for your session.
