Photography has everything to do with light. Low light photography is no different either. If you can use the low light situations to your advantage, you can create stunning photographs right out of nothing.
It’s definitely more challenging to shoot in low light than in daylight. But at the same time, low light photography also gives you a novel opportunity to be more creative with your technique.
Now, in this article, I have discussed the different techniques of appropriate low light photography in thorough detail for your reference. If you are a budding photographer having no prior idea of the subject, you may benefit tremendously from the below-mentioned points. So let’s begin without any further ado.
The different levels of low light
The first thing that you need to do is to know and recognize the different levels of light incorporated in low light photography. So here they are for your reference:
- Visible level: In simpler words, this level signifies “low light in daytime.” For example, photo shoot done in the shadows. Here’s an example for your reference.
- Low level light: This level includes the photographs taken during the sunrise or the sunset. Here’s another example for your reference.
- Darkness: This level includes photographs shot at night just like the one depicted below.
So that takes care of our discussion on the different levels of light incorporated in low level photography. We will move over to the tips and tricks now.
1. Crank up that ISO
“Higher ISO results in noisy images.”
The statement mentioned above is true to the best of my knowledge, but don’t let that fact stop you from cranking your ISO up, especially when low light photography is concerned. Shoot the photograph without worrying about the noise. A noisy photograph can be easily fixed with a post processing software at any later time.
2. Take the shot with a higher shutter speed
Low shutter speed results in blurry images. So naturally, it is advisable to do the opposite (unless you are thinking of using the blur to your advantage for creating artistic effects in your photograph).
Shoot with a higher shutter speed to get sharp low light photographs similar to this one portrayed below.
3. Use an off camera flash for low light portrait photography
Try not to use light in such a way that it hits your subject straight in the face. Instead, you should try and soften the effect by deflecting it from several angles.
If your flashlight hits the subject straight in his/her face, it’s going to create all those harsh shadows for bad. The advice, therefore, is to use an off camera flash to your advantage (i.e., bouncing the light off a wall or any other object to soften its intensity, on the whole).
4. Shoot in RAW
Low light photography should always be done in RAW. Shooting in RAW can help you recover a variety of detail from your photograph even if you mistakenly underexpose or overexpose the photograph at the time of your shoot.
Unfortunately, you won’t be getting these options while shooting in the JPEG file format.
5. Always use a tripod for the shoot (whenever possible)
If you want to reduce your camera shake for shooting low light photographs in the best possible manner, a tripod is an absolute must for you.
Set up your camera on the tripod, crank your ISO down, and shoot with a higher shutter speed. You will definitely see the benefits in no time.
6. And finally, use a larger aperture
A larger aperture (such as f/6) will allow more light to enter into the camera in comparison to a smaller one (such as f/8). Use it for shooting the perfect low light photographs to your benefit.
A few thumb rules to remember while shooting low light photographs:
- DO NOT zoom into your subject. Instead, get closer for the shot.
- Press the shutter of your camera as if it’s a sniper. Take a deep breath, hold it, and then click.
- Take multiple backup shots just in case.
- Press the shutter gently.
- And finally, go for a lens with a built-in image stabilization technology. Trust me; it does help.
So that completes the article for now then folks. Hope the list of tips and tricks mentioned above come in handy for you. Feel free to share your experience of photography, In the comments below.Happy shooting!
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Creative Photography
Digital Photography
Photography
Photography As Career
