subject: Tips For Learning Low Light Photography [print this page] Tips For Learning Low Light Photography Tips For Learning Low Light Photography
At their most primary level, all photographs are simply light interacting with chemicals. Photography requires light in almost every situation, so the more light you have the better off you'll be. Unfortunately, there are plenty of situations in which photographers do not have the benefit of added light, and thus are forced to think on the fly. Here are some tips for how you can use your camera without a flash to get great results in low light environments.
Plan Ahead
If you're going somewhere where you think the light might be dim, plan to bring a tripod and some high speed film. And if you are lucky to have multiple cameras to use, make sure you choose one that offers the lowest F stop value.7 or 1.5 would be ideal for low-light situations.
Stay Steady
No matter how open your aperture is, you're going to need lower shutter speeds and a tripod whenever possible. Putting your camera on a tripod will keep your camera steady and will allow you to use even slower shutter speeds. If you don't have a tripod you can rest your arms or camera on any available surface.
Speed Up Your Film
400 ISO film is what many consider to be the industry standard, but a film that slow is going to be a liability in a low light situation. If you are shooting stationary objects, you may be able to get away with slow shutter speeds and slow film, but if you're planning on getting pictures of moving targets like people you're going to need to go with 800 or above. Just know that as a the film ISO increases, so does the level of graininess. Film speeds over 800 are going to show considerable quality loss in the grain.
Let it Blur
As photographers, we often teach ourselves that blur is bad and clear is good. If you want to let your subjects move around a bit go ahead as the deliberate use of motion blur can make a great image. You will likely not end up with sharply focused photographs but the interest of a blurry picture is often more interesting than a bunch of stationary objects.
Bracket Your Shots
Light meters and humans are unreliable. If you're in low light and aren't sure your pictures will turn out, try bracketing your shots by taking 3 photos each with different exposure times. Essentially, you'll shoot one photograph at the shutter speed you think is right, then shoot another with your speed turned to the value just below that, then another with the speed turned to the value just above. This serves as a bit of a safety net for your photographs. Besides, sometimes under or over exposing a photograph can turn out much better than what the light meter recommended.
Low light photography can be very challenging especially if you're going to shoot without using a flash. Equip yourself right, understand the nature of your film and camera, and consider every shot carefully. If you do all of these things, you won't be able to tell the difference between your low light photos and those shot during the day. Always focus on having fun while you shoot and don't worry too much about the end result and you'll end up learning to adapt to even the worst lighting environments.
