What are Scott Kivowitz's signature techniques for capturing nighttime photography?

Hi there! I’m Scott Wyden Kivowitz.

For night photography, one of my signature approaches is using simple tools to nail focus in the dark. In the camping video where I photographed a river at night, I used a red laser pointer aimed at the spot I wanted sharp, then focused the lens on that red dot. Once focus is locked, I switch to manual focus so the camera will not hunt in the dark.

From there I typically:

• Use a tripod and a remote or self-timer to avoid shake
• Start with a wide aperture and higher ISO, then lengthen shutter speed as needed
• Take a quick test shot, zoom in on the LCD, and refine focus and exposure

Would you like settings recommendations for a specific camera and scene (city, stars, water, etc.)?