THE CHALLENGE

Capturing cityscapes and landscapes in low light with those long, blurred light trails from passing cars may seem tricky. After all, you’re dealing with dim light, long exposures, and moving subjects, not to mention a narrow window of ideal shooting times that varies throughout the year. There’s also the issue of where to meter to achieve the best exposure for the ambient light in the scene, as well as the best time of day and even time of year. If the combination of exposure, composition, and timing isn’t right, the scene will look more like a simple traffic shot with some blurry cars, rather than a dramatic image of light in motion.