The One Accessory You Didn’t Know You Needed for Night Photography

Most night photographers never seem to have this one accessory with them. But they should. We're talking small gear, huge impact. I'll go over nine great uses for this accessory too. And one reason may have saved someone's life!

What Should You Have in Your Backpack for Night Photography?

I'm sure you can produce a list: a DSLR or mirrorless camera, a lens with a wide aperture, a sturdy tripod, an intervalometer, associated cables, microfiber cloth, spare batteries, and water.

But there's something else that should be in there: the humble roll of gaffer's tape. It’s often overlooked, but I’ve seen this save a shoot, protect gear, and make life a whole lot easier. Here’s why you should always have it in your backpack when you’re out in the field doing any kind of night photography.

Why Gaffer’s Tape Is a Night Photographer's Best Friend

I also do recording engineering, recording my own music as well as other people's music. Previously, I had seen that film crews were using gaffer's tape. It was super sticky but peeled off without leaving sticky residue. Nice. Taking a cue from them, I began taping down my audio cables to the floor so people wouldn't trip over them, and everything would be nice and neat.

It only seemed natural that I would apply it to night photography.

Perhaps because of my background as a recording engineer, I use white or orange gaffer's tape most of the time. You'll see why.

9 Brilliant Ways to Use Gaffer’s Tape After Dark

1. Cover Stray Lights That Ruin Long Exposures

Why not use gaffer's tape to cover up the small red LEDs on intervalometers and other light sources? When using high ISO, these can be surprisingly obtrusive. But more than that, sometimes there are other light sources that glow profusely. If possible—and safe—you can use your gaffer's tape to stick a black garbage bag or cardboard onto something to stop a light source. I describe covering a light in more detail in my Fstoppers article about photographing Desert X.

2. Save the Day When Mounts Fail

If your tripod's ball head or Arca-Swiss plate breaks, all is not lost. Wind some gaffer's tape around your camera and your tripod. Just a few wraps of tape can stabilize things long enough to finish your shoot—no need to call it a night.

3. Save the Day When Remote Shutters or Intervalometers Fail

I've had intervalometers or remote shutter releases fail. When this occurs, it's not always practical to hold the shutter release button down, either. For example, if we're trying to do star trails, long multi-minute exposures, or light painting, we can't hold the shutter release button down (which would also introduce the possibility of shaking the camera and blurring the photo).

What we can do, however, is grab a pebble or something similar, then tape it firmly to the shutter button so it holds it in place.

4. Make Gear Visible Without Blinding Yourself

Most tripods are dark. Wrap a bright strip of white gaffer's tape around tripod legs or gear handles so you can spot them easier at night.That said, while that works, I've been using glow-in-the-dark tape and reflective tape more often in the past few years.

5. Add a Quick Weather Shield

Dusty high desert wind? Sudden drizzle? Tear off a couple of strips to attach a plastic bag or rain sleeve to your camera or other sensitive equipment and keep shooting.

6. Lock Down the Focus Ring

I first thought of using gaffer’s tape for this reason. After carefully setting your lens to infinity, a small piece keeps the focus ring from shifting while you compose or reframe. Without it, I’d almost certainly bump the ring.

7. Labeling Cables and More

I sometimes use gaffer's tape to differentiate between intervalometer cables that look alike in the dark. I also use it to label my chargers. If I'm in daylight, I don't need to differentiate so much. However, in the dark, I feel like this helps my workflow more.

8. Repair Your Clothing in the Field

If you’re traipsing around in the dark, you’re going to rip your clothes sooner or later. We explore abandoned buildings, wander through cactus and creosote, and inevitably tear fabric. Gaffer’s tape can keep a rip from getting worse until you can change.

9. I Sincerely Hope You NEVER Have To Use Gaffer’s Tape for THIS!

An acquaintance of mine was photographing at night in the remote desert by himself when he fell, badly injuring his leg. He was far from his car and didn't have a cell signal. He also realized that he couldn't bear weight on his leg. He used a light stand and created a leg splint, holding it together with—you guessed it—gaffer's tape. He managed to slither up a hill, then hobble back to his car. He then drove to the hospital to seek medical attention. Things could have gone considerably worse for him without gaffer's tape.

Pro Tips for Carrying Gaffer’s Tape in the Field

• You can reduce the size of the tape for your backpack as well. I keep some in my backpack by wrapping it around an expired AAA card. Cards in the shape of a credit card are perfect for winding 2-inch gaffer's tape. This way, you don't have to pack the entire roll.
• Some night photographers wrap their gaffer's tape around their tripod leg as well. This is also a great solution, one which I haven't done myself yet.
• Matte black blends into the dark; neon colors work well if you’ll use it mainly for visibility. I like visibility, so I mostly use white gaffer's tape.
• Remove tape from delicate surfaces as soon as you’re done. Heat and moisture can eventually soften the adhesive, making things a little stickier, although still not nearly as bad as many other kinds of tape. I have a bad habit of not removing gaffer's tape from some of my cables. In other words, listen to what I say, not what I do.

Final Thoughts

A roll of gaffer’s tape weighs almost nothing, costs less than ten dollars, and can save an entire night’s worth of work. Whether you’re out in the desert chasing the Milky Way or capturing star trails, this unsung accessory deserves a permanent spot in your backpack.

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