Shooting in low light is something that’s extremely hard to do. With the exception of Nikon, many autofocus camera systems I’ve used don’t perform that well in this department. However, being a Blind Photographer has forced me to learn how to adapt and deliver only top quality images. Part of this comes form my training as a photojournalist. Here are tips on how to get the shots you want in hard to shoot situations like this without using a flash.
Focus Manually and Take Many Shots
I’ve written before about turning off autofocus, and I hold myself to that very seriously. One of my tactics is to focus on my subject, snap a photo, refocus jut a bit, snap a photo, refocus again, snap the photo and continue this process around two more times. After that I go through my shots and choose only the sharpest of the images. The reason why I do this is because my 5D Mk II’s low light focusing isn’t so great and nor is my 50mm F1.8 II’s. Additionally, I can’t always tell correctly when my subject is totally and perfectly in focus because of my vision.
My method of zooming in and focusing that Tim has referenced doesn’t work in the case of using a prime lens.
Shoot Wide
In the case of your zoom lenses, shooting wide can be in your advantage if the aperture changes throughout the zoom. This is where my method referenced above will work very well. It’s even better if you’re shooting with something like a 24-105mm F4 L or a 70-200mm F2.8 L. Not only will this allow for you to stay perfectly and completely still but it also means you can ditch the tripod. I’ve got some tips for shooting big cities at night while traveling light to supplement this.
Use Sharp Lenses with Wide Apertures
Wider apertures obviously allow you to shoot handheld at night because of their ability to let more light hit the sensor. In addition to this though, the sharper glass will allow you to get better and clearer images that your eyes may not be able to see through the viewfinder. That doesn’t mean you need to spend lots of cash though, as some prime lenses can be had for only around $100. It can be a much better alternative to your kit lens for the DSLR you just bought. The first shot in this posting was done with my 50mm.
Keep Your Eyes Focused and Your Mind Clear
This photo was featured by this blog before. The thing is that I knew exactly what I wanted and wasn’t going to stop until it was achieved by the camera. Sometimes it takes patience and a different combination of strategies but when you finally achieve the shot you want you’ll remember how you did it forever. Doing this requires you keeping a clear mind and focusing on exactly what you want. Focusing that hard puts my mind into a totally different mode and somehow or another, I see the world in a new light that allows me to achieve the shots that I want. So don’t let anything distract you from getting the shot.
For Portraits, Use Something for Fill Light
This is one of my protege’s, Alex. If this were shot without the light from her iPhone hitting her face, there would have been terrible shadows. So if you’re going to shoot photos in low light and don’t want to use flash, try to find something to provide fill light of some sort. Phones with their brightness turned up work well, so do street lamps positioned behind you as their light spills out onto the street.
What do you do to achieve your shots in low light?
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When shooting still subjects from a tripod, I crank my ISO all the way up to 3200 to reduce long shutter times. Once I get the shot framed and exposed the way I like as well as focused (manually through live view magnified 10x on the LCD), I reduce the ISO down to 100 and increase the shutter speed as many stops.
Chris,
Not only did I read the above article but I each of the links and read any data provided there as well. What a positively awesome wealth of information you have provided. It made me realize I was allowing my lazy side to take control of my photography with the autofocus option, which frustrated me when my images were not to the level I was used too shooting with a manual lens on my old film cameras.
Your article has enabled me to stand back, look at myself, and rethink the way I need to be shooting so that I can once again attain the style of imagery I crave to create as in the past, the difference being on a digital DSLR.
Thank you!
Photoelektric- I’ve never tried that method but it sounds reasonable. I don’t like shooting with tripods, they’re bad for NYC subway traffic.
Allan- I’m honored, humbled and flattered that I was able to do that. Thank you for telling me. If you’re ever in NYC, my email address is chrisgampat@photographybay.com. Let’s shoot together!
Finding this site has been amazing for me. I never invested in a decent camera because I figured my eyesight is bad enough that I wouldn’t be successful anyway. After reading the tips, tricks and stories here I realized that I could probably learn to do this after all, like I learn to do most other things… a little differently! Thanks for the info and encouragement and maybe once I learn to use my new Nikon I’ll be able to show off some fantastic shots too.
Thanks for tips, especially the use of manual focus plus taking several shots to ensure for a sharp one.
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