Freeman's book concentrates on the techical side of low-light digital photography aimed at the intermediate to advanced photographer. The bulk of the book is divided into two sections: hand held and locked down. Hand held shooting requires wide apertures and high ISO, while locked down shooting on a tripod depends on long exposures and low ISO. Each section discusses methods of mitigation at the point of capture (steadying techniques, what lenses and camera settings to use, and how to best apply flash, bracketing, image-stabilizing, and vibration reduction, tripod management) and then discusses digital post-processing (stacking, HDR-techniques, noise reduction) to increase the quality of what is captured. The book also discusses how to approach common low-light scenes, such as deep shade, twilight, moonlight, stormy weather, city lights, and nightclubs.

This classic book is aimed at beginner photographers that want to learn about taking pictures in low-light situations without getting bogged down with technical details. After a basic introduction discussing suitable cameras and accessories for low-light photography, metering and exposure, the bulk of the book describes proper technique when photographing low-light settings and subjects. It tells you how to take photographs in candlelight, in the twilight hour, or during sunrise or sunset. It also introduces special techniques, such as “painting with light”, and how to approach various low-light subjects, such as portraits, landscapes, fairgrounds, street life, buildings, carnivals, thunderstorms, and fireworks.