Low Light Photography:

How can you take a photo in low light?

There are a number of things you can do.

Any one of these can increase your chances of getting a correct exposure in the trickiest situations.

Or by combining any or all you can achieve good results in lousy light conditions.

We have already covered the first three, so let's look at the other two.

 

Without flash, even low light shooting can still net useable results. In this case the conference room was lit by flourescent lights, the camera set at 800ISO, 1/25th of a second shutter speed, with a 200mm lens at apeture f2.8 and sitting on a monopod. click on the image to enlarge

Film Speeds:

Film is available in a wide variety of ISO speeds, for example, 25, 100, 400, 800, 1200, 3200.

So how does it affect the other variables (shutter speed and aperture)?

100 ISO film needs twice as much light as 200 ISO - 200 ISO film needs twice as much light as 400 ISO - 3200 ISO needs half as much light as 1600 ISO, etc.

Or in other words, 100 ISO is one stop slower than 200 ISO - 3200 ISO is one stop faster than 1600 ISO and so on.

Therefore if we had been shooting at 1/60 sec at f 2.4 on 100 ISO film and changed to 200 ISO we would now need less light to record an image. So we could increase our shutter speed to 1/125 sec OR our aperture to f3.5, but not both.

 

Flash Photography: is probably the greatest waster of film for the uneducated.

When light levels get too low for normal shutter speed/aperture combinations, it makes sense to simply introduce more light - artificially.

 

When can you use flash?

Anytime, day or night, inside or outside, darkness or sunshine.

 

When should you not use flash?

When the subject is too far away.

Generally speaking if the subject is more than five meters away (unless you have a powerful flash) you are wasting your time - or more importantly, your film.

How many times have you seen someone taking photos of fireworks with a flash? Is anyone brave enough to admit they too have been so silly?

The worst example is a sports venue.

When you look at an Olympic event on TV, you can see thousands of flashes going off in the giant stadium.

None of those photos will be properly exposed.

The worst thing is, most of those people don't know what went wrong when the film comes back from the shop with lots of black pictures (if the shop bothered printing them). Or perhaps there was such a long period between taking the photo and getting the film developed that they've even forgotten what was supposed to be on the film.

The only way to get a photo in the Olympic Stadium-type situation is to use your knowledge of photography. Use a slower shutter speed, wider aperture and faster film and a tripod too - but no flash.

It may also be wise not to use flash when it might upset or distract the subject, as in the conference setting above.

 

Built-in flash:

A built-in flash in a camera is very handy. However the range is very limited.

Built-in flash, when used within it's limitations will give good results because it is an integral part of the camera and therefore puts out as much light as the camera tells it to for the circumstances.

 

Off-camera flash:

Off-camera flashes come in many shapes and sizes, from small hot-shoe flashes to large, powerful free-standing units.

Flashes are normally connected to the camera by the shoe or a cable or can be 'slaved'.

Slaving means they are not physically connected to the camera. They go off by remote control, usually when they detect another flash, perhaps from the camera.

 

Using flash in low light:

Photography in low light is trickier than simply introducing a flash.

Yes, a flash will give you the light required to make the exposure. But it is a harsh light which introduces it's own set of problems;

 

Red-eye:

Red-eye is caused by the flash bouncing off the inside of the eyeball when the iris is wide open, and coming straight back to the camera.

To overcome this problem you could try one of three things.

 

Shadows:

Shadows can be very distracting and actually spoil an otherwise good photo.

Bouncing the flash off a nearby wall or ceiling will eliminate the problem, although new shadows may appear under eyebrows, noses, chins etc.

In this case, a second, lesser flash can fill or soften these new shadows.

You could also move the subject away from the background onto which the shadow is falling.

 

Flat light:

Flash is a harsh, flat light.

To overcome this problem - soften or bounce.

You can soften the harsh light by diffusing it through a cover on the flash.

Buy a special diffuser filter or make one. A simple white handkerchief or even tissue paper will do in a pinch.

As mentioned previously, beware of new shadows caused by bouncing.

The other thing to be cautious of is colour casting. The bounced light will be the same colour as the wall or ceiling when it hits the subject. So only bounce off white or near-white objects.

As I said, you can bounce off walls or ceilings but you can also use a reflector you introduce, such as a sheet of polyurethane or even a sheet of paper.

 

Range:

Flashes have very limited range.

The range is dictated mainly by the power of the unit.

There's very little you can do about range except buy a bigger flash.

A powerful flash could cost you more than your camera did. So assess whether you really need it.

 

In this image, the mid afternoon sun is shining from the left of picture. By using flash the lead man's face is properly lit on both sides. click on the image to enlarge

Using flash in daylight:

Flash can be used in daylight for various reasons.

Fill flash is used to "fill" shadows, especially in sunshine. For example, to light up a face shaded by a hat.

The exposure, in this case, is set the same as if no flash was going to be used.

The extra light from the flash is only lighting the dark areas, so it won't over expose the film.

It could also be used to make the subject stand out from a very dull background on a dull day. It can also be used to freeze action.

The actual flash is an extremely short burst of light, therefore anything illuminated by the flash is frozen as if a high shutter speed was used. This can be used to produce very artistic images.

It can be used to brighten up a face when the sun is behind the subject.

The myth that you have to have the sun behind the camera, is just that ... a myth. But care must be taken. (As usual, experimentation is necessary to understand what can be achieved.)

 

Trap for young players:

Flash Sync Speed. (Flash Synchronisation Speed)

Every camera has a flash sync speed and it varies from camera to camera.

If you take a photo using flash with a shutter speed higher than the flash sync speed, the shutter will have opened and closed before the flash fires, giving you an underexposed photo.

Or the shutter could be half way through it's cycle when the flash goes off, with the result that half (or other portion) of the picture is dark and half properly lit by the flash.

You can, however, choose any shutter speed slower than the flash sync speed.

Flash sync speed is normally marked in red on the shutter speed dial on top of your camera or, with automatic cameras, you may need to consult your manual.

Some cameras will simply not allow you to shoot faster than the sync speed.

 

 

Flash is is by far the hardest aspect of photography to master.