The night is a fascinating subject to photograph. It requires a challenging mixture of creative and technical skills. It’s an art which can take a lifetime to master. But every step along the way is fun and enjoyable.

One of the questions I often get asked about night photography is: What’s the best way to avoid the stark, obvious flash lighting on people when you take photos at night?

Aside from the stark, obvious answer of don’t use flash lighting, there are several thing you can do to light people at night. If you are using an on-camera flash, you can angle it 45 degrees or straight up. This will help to soften the light somewhat. You could also put some masking tape or a tissue across the flash bulb to soften harsh flash lighting. Both of these methods will result in a more ambient atmosphere but you may lose some detail.

For a couple of days a month you can rely on moonlight to illuminate your subject. You may get some shadowing in the face but it will be soft and dramatic rather than deer-stuck-in-headlights. This is not such a reliable method however as candid, spur-of-the-moment  shoots invariably tend to fall on days when the moonlight is not good.

Using artificial light helps you to be in control of the situation. A flashlight is very handy because it doesn’t take up much room. You can get them various sizes and intensities and some even come with a beam that can be focused. Because the light is constant, instead of flashed, you’ll have more control over the lighting throughout the exposure.

If you are planning to light a very large area, then you will need several flashguns or even floodlights. Of course these are very bright lights, which kind of removes the fun of shooting in the dark. Flashguns can be used artistically however, to “paint” objects during long exposures.