Photo Tip Friday - Shooting in Low Light Pt. 2

Today's tip is about taking shots in dim lighting.

This week is PART 2 and we're going to cover photography in an indoor setting.
You can read PART 1 on outdoor photography in low lighting here. 


Taking photographs in low light can be challenging. 
So, here's a quick reminder.

Time Value        = how long the shutter is open to let light in
Aperture Value = what size the aperture (shutter) is: 
                                f/5.6 lets in more light
                                f/22 lets in less
ISO                     = "speed" or "sensitivity" of the film: 
                                100 ISO needs bright light - think SUN
                                1600 ISO needs less light - CANDLELIGHT 

Let's go over some photos. You'll notice I put the Time, Aperture Value (Av) and ISO on each photograph. This is to help you learn these terms so you can start to experiment on your own!


These first two shots were shot at 800 ISO which is a more "sensitive" speed of film. It doesn't need as much light. But because the stage lighting was so bright, ISO 800 allowed the picture to not be washed out. You can see the snowflakes on the wall. 

And this shot also employs the silhouette technique. I wanted to create the feeling of being there, right in the middle of the stage setup.

Notice that this shot has the same Tv, Av, and ISO. But it has a different feel to it. I angled the shot to make it more interesting. 

And notice that it's a little fuzzy. I was hand holding at 1/15 of a second. Remember that most people can hand hold a steady shot at only to 1/30th or 1/25th of a second. I wanted to show you that every shot I take is not crystal clear. But I like the feel of the photo. 

And, if I had checked the picture a bit closer on the camera, I probably would have moved up to 1600 and retaken the shot. But photography is dynamic and every learns as they go!



Now we get to shots taken during the performance of a Christmas show. Notice the ISO is 3200. I needed the "speed" or higher "sensitive" nature of a higher ISO. 

Why? Because I was sitting in a dark auditorium and wanted to make sure I stopped any motion from the people onstage. Especially of the soloist.

I zoomed in on the soloist and made sure I had the Christmas tree fully framed in the shot as well.





But in this photo, I used a wider angle on my lens to make you feel like you're sitting in the audience. You can see the silhouettes of the people in the next row. I also got the entire choir in the shot. Then, I framed it on the left side with the Christmas tree and above with the spot lights. 

It was a wonderful show. 




And here is one of my favorites. Flames are never the same twice. I used an ISO of 1600 and focused in closely on the flame. That resulted in everything else being black. 

So, I want you to play with your camera. 

Look and see if you have setting that says Av which is Aperture Value. Start at the lowest setting of 100 ISO and take a shot. Then, move on up....200, 400, 800, 1600 and maybe 3200. Just sit right where you are and see how it affects the pictures. 

Then, go somewhere dark and try the same thing. Adjust the Aperture Value and see what happens. 



As always, if you have a shot you're proud of, leave me a link and I'll be happy to drop by! Or, if you want me to discuss something in particular, leave me a comment. 

Hope this tip helps! 

Keep on clicking! 

Mary

Photo Tip Friday - Shooting in Low Light, Part 1

Welcome back!

Today's tip is about taking shots in dim lighting.

This week is part 1 and we're going to cover photography in an outdoor setting.
Next week, we'll cover indoor shots.

Taking photographs in low light can be challenging. I'm sure you've taken a shot outside which looked cool when you pulled out your camera. But once you took the shot, it was too dark to be worth much.

So then you turned on the flash.

Either it didn't help at all (because the subject matter was too far away) or it washed out the shot (because the subject matter was too close).

And, you came away disappointed. Well, let's try and remedy that.

A quick reminder.

Time Value        = how long the shutter is open to let light in
Aperture Value = what size the aperture (shutter) is: 
                                f/5.6 lets in more light, f/22 lets in less
ISO                     = "speed" of the film: sunlight uses 100 
                                                              candlelight uses 1600 or higher

Let's go over some photos. You'll notice I put the Time, Aperture Value (Av) and ISO on each photograph. This is to help you learn these terms so you can start to experiment on your own!

Mary Denman Photography

Here's a nice, warm fire. Flames are never the same in any picture. Writers say they dance for a reason.

The flash wouldn't have resulted in the warm red and orange tones you see here. So I held the camera for 1/4 of a second. If you look closely, it's not crystal clear. But for me for this shot, that's okay. This is a "family" shot.

Mary Denman Photography

We were sitting around the fire with our kids. And here's one of them now.

Notice the difference in the ISO I used? When I was focusing in tight on the flames in the shot above, I used a lower ISO of 200 because fire burns so bright.

But in the second shot, I used a faster ISO of 800.

Why? I had to take into account both the very intense light of the flames and the reflected light on his face.

ISO 200 in this shot would have washed out the flames and struggled to capture enough light to see his face.

How do I know this? Because I've washed out a few pictures....

But digital gives you a great chance to learn quickly!

Mary Denman Photography

Okay. I love storms. I've wanted to get a shot of lightning for quite a while. Last summer, we had a massive storm come through and I took this shot from my front door. On a tripod. Even so, I, my lens and my foyer ended up soaked. But it was worth it.  


This shot required a lot of patience. Lightning is so fast and bright, that you can't just "snap" a shot when you see it. Notice I left the shutter open for 4 seconds. Knowing I had to leave it open for so long, I made the Aperture f/22 which means the shutter opening is smaller and lets in less light. 

I played around until I found that ISO 1600 worked well. 

Mary's Cheat Sheet: Take more than one shot! 

Please know that I probably took 30 photos during that storm to get 4 or 5 that were really good. Digital is free for taking shots, so take plenty, sort out later! 

Mary Denman Photography

This is an urban, nighttime photograph. 

The sun had been below the horizon for a while. But the city lights and the spot lights on the falls made for a tricky picture situation. And, I wanted the water to be milky which meant I had to leave the shutter open longer.

I didn't have my tripod, so I used the rail of the bridge as my stabilizer. 

Mary Denman Photography

I even used the railing as my "tripod" to get this picture of the bridge itself. 

Notice the people on the bridge are a little blurry? That's because of how long the shutter was open. I like the sense of movement they bring to the photo. 





Remember for low light, outside shots, you'll need to play with your settings to get the right combination. Go outside tonight if you have time and play around with your camera. Experience is the best teacher. 

Then, when you want to know what to do when you see a gorgeous sunset, or fireworks, you'll be better prepared.

Hope this tip helps! 

Keep on clicking.

Mary