Who won't kill to leave their house past 10 now? The late night drive, McD till 3am & good old times! If you're lucky enough to see night time ever again, snap your perfect shots with these 5 cool hacks. 

1- Movements

If you're downtown with moving cars, bikes, buses, etc, use them as your props! With a few attempts & the right timing, you'll get your shot. Here's how:

- Set your shutter speed to 1 second. Hold your phone steady. As a high-speed subject moves past, focus on the background & capture!

Watch this. 

Source: Instagram

But, if you own an iPhone, you got it easier! 

- With 'Live Mode' switched on, take a set of photos of the vehicle!

- Choose your favourite image & swipe up. Under 'Effects', select 'Long Exposure. Same result, no sweat!

This hack works for daytime shoot too. 

See how to do it here.

2- The Underworld

This one works if there's a reflective surface beneath with a clear perspective of your view. Maybe, a puddle of rainwater reflecting the night sky, a car hood reflecting the fairy lights hanging above, etc. 

Source: Instagram

What you need to do is just flip your phone upside down closer to the ground, focus on the reflection & capture that shot.

Now, your photo has a wider reflection & a mysterious vibe.  

Watch a fast tutorial here.

3- Light Contour

You can find this lighting right outside your house. I'm talking about the street lamp. 

Source: Instagram

Here's how to add contour to your self-portraits with it:

- Set your camera on portrait mode & turn on the flash. 

- Position the lamp right behind your model's head & snap. 

Check out the trick on Tiktok.

4- Contrast Control

Source: Instagram

No way you can resist a picture with those pretty fairy lights dangling in a park. But, don't do this amateur error: putting the lights close to your position. That only adds way too much contrast. 

Instead, move them forward towards the camera for a more even & beautiful lighting. 

Learn this hack here.

5- Back To Basics

Source: Instagram

Fact: You don't have the best lighting for a night shoot, unless you got the pro stuff! 

So, quit beating yourself up if your shot comes out too grainy or dull. If it's not too bad, grainy is an aesthetic itself. 

But, if it's you still can't stand the noise, just edit the image into black & white, plus make it brighter. Quite classic, no?

You don't take a photograph. You make it.  - Ansel Adams