What's new

2016 Photography general discussion, questions, tips and SHARING

FarrahJobling

FarrahJobling

FarrahJobling
Joined
Dec 17, 2012
Messages
6,974
I totally dropped the ball in 2015 - so sorry- but based on last year's thread, there's interest in more photography discussion. YAY =)

The purpose of this group is to discuss photography techniques, ask/answer questions and to share tips and photos. If you are looking to specifically ask for constructive criticism, please post your photo in THIS thread. Please do not ask for or offer constructive criticism in this thread.
 
Last edited:
Yay! Thanks for starting this up again. I think I can help keep it going this year. I will make sure to check the Photography Pad often.
 
It's that time of year in the Northern Hemisphere - Short days and low light. Even here, in CO, where we get 300 days of sunshine, the light isn't great indoors in the winter. So....What to do???

LOW LIGHT TIPS

1- Use a flash. My camera doesn't have an onboard flash, and if I have to, I'll use my external flash or studio lights. BUT....this is my LAST resort. I'm not so fond of the "flashy" look

2- Lower your Shutter Speed. If you're using a tripod, GREAT...if not, it can be tricky to avoid camera shake. I try to remember to keep my SS at 2x my focal length....For example- using a 50mm lens, I try to avoid going slower than 1/100

3- Open your aperture wider. A lower f/stop means a larger opening to let light in. This is limited to the capabilities of the lenses (Many lenses only open to f/3.5 or maybe f/2.8) The drawback here is that your depth of field if more shallow as you open your aperture wider. My widest aperture is f/1.2, but yet, for casual candids, I don't want such a narrow DOF, so I'll only use f/1.2 for special effects or single person portraits.

4- Increase your ISO. I would rather shoot at ISO 800 or higher than use a flash. The drawback is that your photos will have more grain to them...but eh...maybe that's just part of the style ;)

I usually try to use a combination of the last 3 tips. I typically shoot everyday type shots indoors in the winter at ISO800, F/4.0-6.3, and SS1/100....of course, that's a general statement and I adjust depending on the ambient light. Play around with your settings to find out what works best for you =)
 
I typically just bump up my ISO. I can usually get a decent shot at a 1/50 SS if I'm careful, but beyond that I run the risk of blurry shots
 
The risk of blur depend on your subject, too: if you try to photograph an active kid you'll have blur at 1/50, but for still life it's still perfectly fine (as long as your camera is stead). And I agree with you about the ISO: it's worth bumping it. The key to avoid grain is to expose correctly: you'll have less grain with a 1600ISO shot that you got "right" in camera than a 400ISO that you have to correct heavily in post-production.
 
That's awesome! I love all the motion in the tail, but it's still so crisp!
 
That's what I thought about the lighting. Indoor sports are hard enough, but horses... Gasp! LOL You did a great job!!
 
Back
Top