Low light photography
Low light photography, as the name suggests, is the practice of photography in low light conditions. Many photographers avoid low-light as it can be difficult to achieve properly exposed images, others cannot avoid it, and some welcome the challenge of crafting photographs in less than ideal light conditions. Whether photography in low light photography is something you love or hate, it is useful knowledge as you never know when you will need to take photos in a dark environment.
In this article, we will be discussing how to take great pictures in low light conditions, including low light portrait photography on a film camera, and how to take low light photos with iPhone and Android phone cameras. We will be discussing:
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- What you need to take good low light photos
- Low light photography settings
- Film camera settings for low light
- How to take low light photos on a phone
What you need to take good low light photos
Taking good low light photos is notoriously difficult, so it’s always a good idea to have a few tools at your disposal to help achieve the best picture possible.
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- A camera with a large sensor: The larger the sensor, the more sensitive the camera is to light, which is ideal for low light photography. Full-frame cameras typically have the largest sensors.
- A tripod: Without stability, it is hard to keep your images crisp in low light. Therefore, a tripod is a must for low-light photography to keep your photos sharp.
- AF Assist: In dark conditions, your camera can find it difficult to focus on your subject, but these days most digital cameras have an AF Assist which will help your camera to focus in dim lighting.
Low light photography settings
Here are the recommended settings for getting the best photos in low-light conditions.
Aperture for low light
When it comes to low light photography, you want to have a wide aperture, to allow as much light as possible into your camera. Your standard lens may not be suitable as they tend to max out at around f/3.5, so it is might be in your interest to buy a prime lens that can open to f/1.8 which helps to let more light in.
However, f/1.8 is extremely wide and creates a shallow depth of field. It is good to use if your subject is in the foreground, but if your subject is in the background, or there are multiple people in the photo, some subjects may be blurred out. Try f/8, and try stopping up and down to see which aperture you prefer the most.
ISO for low light
ISO is important for low light photography. If your exposure isn’t looking right, this indicates that you need to raise your ISO. The higher your camera’s ISO is, the better it can cope with low light photography. Again, the value will vary depending on how dark it is so it will require some experimentation, but avoid going above 1600 as this can cause too much noise.
Shutter speed for low light
To take sharp photos in low light, your shutter speed should be a fraction of your lens, so if you’re using a 50mm lens, select a shutter speed of 1/50 a second. If you’re using a 30mm lens, use a speed of 1/30. Depending on how dark it is, you may have to choose a slower shutter speed, but be aware that the slower the shutter speed the more likely it is that your images will come out blurry.
Film camera settings for low light
Film cameras are perfect for low light portrait photography, as they produce images with a very special aesthetic that some people prefer for the vintage look. Grainy film photos produce very charming and nostalgic portraits.
For this, you will need a 35mm, lens or a 50mm lens. A lens wider than 35mm can cause distortion, and longer than 50mm will need more shutter speed making the process convoluted, as you won’t be able to have the right aperture.
For this, you will need a wide aperture to let as much light in as possible. If you’re using a lens of 35mm, you should use f/1.4 and if you’re using 50mm you will need f/1.5. These are the ideal apertures because if you widen your aperture too much, the depth of field becomes too shallow, and you can lose focus.
A shutter speed of 1/60 is ideal for these exposure values. In terms of ISO, 6400 should work well.
How to take low light photos on a phone
Make the most out of your phone photography with our tips.
Best mobile phone cameras
To take good photos in low light you will need a camera with a large sensor, which most mobiles don’t have, making them impractical for low-light photography. If smartphone photography is important to you, you may want to consider investing in a mobile with a more sophisticated camera.
The iPhone cameras allow users to shoot in ‘night mode’ which is perfect for low light photography. How night mode works, is by shooting a bracket of exposures which the phone then automatically merges to create a photo with the best exposure possible. The Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max, in particular, has large sensors which are perfect for low-light conditions, as well as its sensor-shift OIS to help stabilise images.
The best Android phone for low light conditions is the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra. Like the iPhone 12 Pro Max, it also has a large sensor, good stabilisation in the form of OIS, and a night mode for shooting in low lighting. The S21 Ultra also allows users to shoot in RAW which is great for photo-editing.
Exposure
To balance the exposure on smartphone images, you simply have to tap on the brightest part of the image which then balances out the overall exposure and makes the colours more accurate.
However, tapping the brightest part of the screen will create a drop in brightness for your image, so it’s up to you to decide whether you prefer more detail and colour accuracy in your photo, or a lighter, brighter look.
Because tapping the screen also impacts the focus, you can try to rectify this by manually controlling the exposure using the sliding bar on the camera app. By using this, you can bring parts of your image into focus by tapping them, and then sliding the bar to set your optimal exposure and create the shot you desire with perfectly customised brightness and detail.
We hope you found our low light photography advice useful!
If you require a photographer who can shoot in low light conditions, book with Splento for an experienced, on-demand professional photographer, at an affordable rate. Contact us today to discuss your requirements further.
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