Indoor Low-Light Portraits - How to get more keepers with a compact camera
Indoor Low-Light Portraits – How to get more keepers with a compact camera
Indoor Low-Light Portraits – How to get more keepers with a compact camera 09 December 2009 Low light has always been the bane of photography and with only a compact camera in hand when you attend your evening parties or that special date, capturing those special moments beautifully is not an easy task.
1. The first thing that you should remember to do before any shot is to assess your subject and the surrounding.
Taking photos of your subject beautifully may be the main aim of your image with the background merely a byproduct. In those cases, it would be a good idea to position your subject where there is optimum light so that you could shoot easier. You would be surprised how many shots go awry simply because the subject is a mere 2 feet further away from a light source and for no good reason. Conversely, if you could bring light to your subject, you could try that too. I've often asked the waiter to bring me another candle while I take photos of my date during a candlelit dinner. I usually manage to avoid using flash altogether because of the extra light from the additional candle.
2. Flash is not required, you don't have to use it unless you need to.
Quite often, the first thing people assume they need in dim conditions is to use flash. Well, you may be right but often times, they may be a way of achieving a more pleasing effect without it, especially considering the quality of flash in compact cameras. However, if you need to use it, there are a few tricks that will make it much better such as using a piece of translucent paper to cover the flash to soften the lighting. Thi
s would give you a softer distribution for better effect. Using the camera's red-eye reduction feature is also highly recommended.
3. Check for reflections… unless you are going for the affect.
How many times have you taken a photo with your flash bouncing back at you from a reflective surface? Sometimes, it's just the flash but you could be completely captured as well. How much a disaster these additions may make to your photo may vary but part of good photography is to manage as much of what goes on within your frame as you could. So it's not there for effect, try to avoid getting it in view or by varying your angles slightly. Keeping your subject away from the ways would also avoid shadows being casted on your background. It usually only takes minor adjustments to solve these things and you'd be closer to exactly what you what from the photo.
4. High ISO is not standard for low-light… only use it if you need to.
How many times have you seen people tell you that you need to turn up the ISO for low-light photography? Seeing people turn up their ISO settings to 1600 or 3200 and then complaining about the noise is a very scary occurrence. Basically, you should always try to keep your ISO as low as possible. If you can get away with shooting at ISO 200 or 400 then don't bother turning it up anymore. Sure, long shutter times will make your images softer but it's better than noise. Either way, it's always a good idea to experiment until you've got the right balance for your requirements.
5. Steadiness above all else… Image Stabilisation may not be good enough, use a Tripod.
Steadiness is the most important factor when it comes to low-light photography. Your camera's image stabilisation is likely to be working flat out every time you take a shot but it may not be enough. What you really need to do is keep your camera absolutely steady for your shot. A tripod or even a table-top/mini tripod would do. You could even just sit your camera on a table if it doesn't interfere with your composition. You should even consider using the timer setting on your compact. Some models offer a 2 seconds timer specifically to help you avoid capturing the shakes when you press the shutter.
With these tips in mind, you can be sure that you'll be getting the most out of your compact. While most of the tips do not vary with the performance of the compact camera, if you are planning to shoot lots of low-light shots, getting a camera with better noise reduction and large aperture lens would help you go a long way. Happy shooting everyone!
3. Check for reflections… unless you are going for the affect.
4. High ISO is not standard for low-light… only use it if you need to.
