Frequently asked question for low light photography

For beginner students of photography, there is no big problem in the day when there is plenty of daylight, but if it is in the evening or partial environment, silenced hands often appeared, color, or flashing light guide to unnatural situation make the students quit, actually low light photography is not too difficult, there are nine common problems about low light photography, let’s learn together!

(Q1) under low light situation hand shaking appears, what should I do?

If you are holding a camera, you can use a large aperture of the lens, and then turn up the aperture (f / 1.4, for example) can effectively improve the shutter speed, so if it is not enough, you can also improve the ISO sensitivity which also have the same effect. But be careful large aperture will guide to low depth of field. While high ISO will increase in signal-to-noise, you should be careful to use! No matter which method you use, this is important to remember ghd "security shutter" rule, in this way, this photo don't blur for hand shake.

(Q2) how to set camera for low light photography?

There is no tripod...

Using aperture priority, turn up ISO to ISO 800-800 (depending on the light), adjust aperture (f / 1.4 5.6), press the shutter pay attention to whether or not the shutter speed to achieve the requirement of the "security shutter", if shutter not fast enough, please improve the ISO.

Have a tripod...

Use manual mode, keep the ISO low (such as ISO 100), according to the depth of field needs to adjust the aperture (the larger the aperture, the low depth of field), if the target body will not move, you can be at ease use the slow shutter speed to shoot.

(Q3) Should I save the RAW file?

Unless your memory card does not have the space, it is recommended that you shoot to save RAW file (using RAW + JPG option), so that you can use Photoshop or other software for nondestructive to modify the photos, and the tolerance of photos light condition will be bigger than JPG, even though some in the JPG file image or dead black place use RAW files also have the opportunity to save!

(Q4) can we take moving objects under low light?

Of cause, but there will be some difficulty. To make moving objects made clear images, you need a faster shutter speed, so you want to open the aperture to the largest, ISO will increase, but high ISO will make your photos signal-to-noise becomes obvious. Another approach is to use external flash as a fill light, so you ISO it doesn't need enhancing so much!

(Q5) How can we reduce the noise in the low light photos?

It is the best way to shoot using low ISO, but sometimes you must use a high ISO, you can shoot RAW file, and then adjust the Camera RAW interface in Photoshop "Noise Reduction" option, the result is also very good.

(Q6) How can I know whether the exposure of a photo is enough?

The first is that don't believe what you see in camera light from the darkness, because it's not accurate; But you can reference the photos of the Histogram, look at photos of information will have serious (dark) to the left or right (image), but also pay attention to the Histogram is just a reference, not absolutely right value and shape, so you will increase after taken more experience, when looking at the Histogram for the light from the darkness of want more be sure in heart.

(Q7) how to set the white balance?

Have no fixed set the white balance, as ever, but you can try the white balance adjustment to the "conform to the environmental light", for example, the yellow street lamps in the street can put the white balance set to "tungsten" or 2700-3300 K, of course, if you want to photos slants cold tone down K number, vice versa!

(Q8) when partial dark photos, I should first improve the ISO or use slow shutter to shoot?

The short answer is "slow shutter" first, because high ISO will increase in photo signal-to-noise, and reduce the sharpness of photos, but the slow shutter also should pay attention to is that when you hold the shutter is slower than the "safe shutter", and as the main body will move (like figure, for example), you can't put the shutter too slowly, so remember to promote ISO put in the end, though, but it is not absolutely, random strain.

(Q9) Why no response after pressing the shutter of camera when shooting?

Most likely because you failed to focus, so the camera won't start shooting, this situation is common in low light environment, where you need to have a light before transferred to manual focus,, or directly use manual focus, so that you should be able to successfully taken!

Low light photography is very interesting, because sometimes the light which cannot be saw by naked eye through the camera's long exposure will be revealed, and the light in the dark environment often will be full of emotional appeal.