Wednesday, October 05, 2005

taking shots in low light

Every once & awhile I'll get someone who asks me how I take such good shots in low light. Granted, I'm well aware I'm not the most prolific photographer out there, but for my little point & shoot, and my subjects often being rockstars going nuts on stage, I think I do all right. So, here's something for you all that I've been meaning to write up for awhile now...

Taking Photos in Low Light 101:

As you probably know, if you don't use the flash in low light conditions your digital camera tries to compensate for the lack of light & will try to keep the lens open longer. So, you need to up the ISO, so that it takes a faster shot....

Note: Most likely you'll have to put your camera on "Manual" to make these settings:

• Turn off the flash
• Set the ISO to 400 - this unfortunately will make your shots a little grainy (worse on some cameras than others), but in low light it's really your only choice if you don't want to use a flash.
• If you're shooting a stage (which I often am) it helps to take the exposure down, sometimes all the way to -2, otherwise the stage lights wash out the performers faces too much. Play with this setting as necessary.

THE KEY to it all is to look through the viewfinder to take the shot. People don't realize w/ digital cameras how you can *try* to be so still holding it out in front of you, but nothing beats holding it up to your face for ultimate stability. Your job is to hold the camera as still as possible so that the camera can figure out what it has to do & take shots as fast as possible under the circumstances. Slight movements make it "re-think" it's focus & light settings, and by the time you take your shot it's only added to all the movement that may already be taking place.

I also actually take a TON of shots to get a good one. Which explains my dwindling hard drive space! I put it on rapid fire (sequential shooting) and sometimes will come home from a show with 75 photos & only post ~15 of them. Thank god for digital cameras!

I can't stay enough about my kick ass little camera, either: Canon Powershot Elph SD500. Did you know it's viewfinder is digital? So if I'm zoomed in when I am looking through the viewfinder, I see what I'm really going to take! SO AWESOME!

If any of you have suggestions beyond what I've posted here, I'd love to hear them! Happy shooting (with your cameras, that is).