Many new photographers will begin to see some success during daylight hours, only to find that their photos don’t get the same kind of results as soon as the light goes dim. Learning how to take photos in low light with a digital camera can be an exercise in frustration. These five tips will help you get better results so you can capture the image you’re after in any light.
Use a Flash
This may seem obvious, but it can be surprising how many people don’t think to set their camera’s flash to manual and to use it in low light situations. Other people may use the flash, but dislike the way it washes out the foreground. One trick that can help you get the look you’re after is to use that flash, but to drape a white paper tissue over it first. This will soften the glare and give you the light you want without the over-washing.
Get Steady
Low light and your camera’s flash are both pretty unforgiving when it comes to movement. While you may be able to get away with simply holding your camera in daylight, any amount of movement – even tiny amounts – can blur your low light photos. Use a tripod, or at least brace your elbows on a hard surface when photographing in low light situations.
Lower Your F-Stop
To get crisper photos in low light, you need to open your aperture up as wide as it will go, maximizing the amount of light coming in. To do this, you need to set the f-stop to as low a number as your lens or camera will allow.
Up Your ISO
Increasing the amount of light into your camera isn’t enough; you also need to raise your camera’s sensitivity to that light. You do this by increasing your ISO to at least 400, and preferably 800 for very low light scenarios. If your camera allows, you can sometimes go as high as 1,600 – but beware that this can sometimes result in a photo with a lot of grain or “noise” in it.
Shoot in Continuous
If you don’t have a tripod or another way to steady your camera, consider taking shots in continuous mode. When you depress and hold the shutter button once, you introduce less vibration, which means that you’re more likely to get a clear shot. By shooting in continuous mode, you can take a look at the several shots you got, and choose the sharpest one.
It’s OK to Get Dark
While it can be frustrating to start taking photos in low light, it can also be fun. Use these tips to maximize your photos, and learn to take great shots no matter what the situation.