Photography can be a challenging affair even for a professional. One might have to shoot in bizarre situations even if one is not ready for it. One of these challenges could be shooting in low light areas because photography lighting matters a lot while shooting. Low light photo exercise can be extremely challenging because every single setting of your camera would need an alteration even if you are shooting the scene you did the same morning. This article will talk about all details to keep in mind regarding camera settings, techniques and extra gear needed to capture quality photos in low light availability. What are the different types of low light?
- Visible: such light is found in darker areas during the daytime. Shadows generated by tall trees and buildings can go up to – 2 stops of light as compared to great – lit areas.
- Dark: this implies the visibility of the darkest objects during night time.
- Low light: these signify the areas which are visible even after sunset although too dark to capture.
- Usage of high shutter speed: shutter speed influences the amount of light that can enter the camera lens. Less light will enter if the shutter speed is fast enough. As a thumb rule, an average person can click a blur-free, sharp image by setting the speed at a fraction of the focal length. However, a thing to keep in mind is that this rule applies only to a full frame photography camera. In case of a crop sensor, it is better to choose a speed of 1/45th second because of its magnifying effect. The need to increase the shutter speed will be drastic in case the subject is not stagnant.
- Going for a wide aperture: this will allow more light to enter the lens. Aperture is precisely the hole through which light passes in the photography camera. The wider the whole, the higher the light intake. For this step to be useful, you will have to give up on your standard kit lens because the maximum aperture in that would be around f/3.5. This won't let enough light in and deliver good results. You need a lens with a wide enough aperture for you to capture a great – exposed photo in low light. A wide aperture would develop a shallow depth of field. You cannot get around this without making the aperture narrow again and increasing the ISO or bringing your shutter speed down.
- Trying a high ISO: this will allow the right kind of exposure. This can be a bit tricky to manage on most of the cameras because a higher ISO will lead to more digital noise, which can be resentful. If you do not achieve the desired exposure level even after adjusting the shutter speed and aperture, you can raise the ISO. An important point to comprehend is that when you double the ISO, the amount of light that your camera can see also doubles.
- Use a fast lens: one of the physical features of the lens is its aperture. The choice of lens is crucial in case of the maximum achievable aperture. It is important to be aware of the fact that widening of the aperture will decrease the depth of field, making it difficult to focus. This is an amazing technique for shooting ideal low light situations, in manual and automatic modes alike.
