Nighttime lighting can be a tricky thing, especially when you don’t have a tripod handy to help with shaky-hand syndrome. The alternative is to set up your camera to the proper settings manually, by adjusting the aperture and shutter speed, so you can achieve both light and sharpness. However this might be a bit intimidating for the photographer that’s just starting out.
What’s another alternative? Check your camera for predetermined settings for certain shooting situations that automatically choose the right aperture, shutter, and ISO for you. The Samsung NX mini has a bunch of these types of features under its SMART MODE, including: Macro, Landscape, Food, Action Freeze, Silhouette, Waterfall, Light Trace, and more.
While roaming the Spanish streets of Cadiz, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the Parties and Indoor SMART MODE was just what I needed to get crisp clear shots that accentuated the street lights. This setting is perfectly adjusted for low-light situations, and made my time snapshotting a lot easier.
SMART MODE scenes are really convenient and can also inspire future photo sessions. Also, play around with different modes that you think may not match. Waterfall mode can give an ethereal feel to ocean waves slowly crashing on the beach. Food mode can give a pop of color and a blurred background that can be great for a still life shot. By exploring with different SMART MODES you can save time worrying about adjusting your camera and have fun clicking away.
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