Comments on: How To Take Sharp Photos In Low Light Without A Flash

By: learningthelight

learningthelight — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 11:22:07 +0000

Hi Eddie, thanks a lot for your lovely message; you're too kind! I'd love to see the photo you talk about in your comment, feel free to share it on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/learningthelight if you want. All the best for your photography, and thanks again for your comment!

By: Eddie Harper

Eddie Harper — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 10:23:59 +0000

Hi, Alan: Glad to see that we’re on the same page because I just complained to one of the salesmen at B&H that the discontinuance of the Canon T1i was a grave mistake! I’ve read two of your pages so far and am elated that they have been written in simple laymen’s terms without bandying about technical words that weigh down the articles and confuse the reader. I was especially pleased to see that I am on the right track because I recently took pictures of my best friend with her five month old son and wanted to use ambient lighting. I didn’t feel that there was enough light and learned from reading a book by the great Jane Bown that she would move her subjects closer to an available light source. The same advice you gave in this article. So I moved the mother and whimpering baby to the apartment window and the resulting image was precious. Keep up the good work and please keep writing and sharing your knowledge with us!

By: learningthelight

learningthelight — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 11:17:56 +0000

Hi Uday. What kind of outdoor subjects will you be shooting? Nightscapes? People?

By: Uday

Uday — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 07:05:14 +0000

Hi Alan,
I just bought the 550D and it is indeed an amazing camera. Just need your advise on what will be the best setting to take night outdoor photos with low light. I have 02 lenses. 18-55 and 75-300. Since I am very new to this cameras I am mostly takig photos on AUTO MODE

By: learningthelight

learningthelight — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 10:52:57 +0000

Hi Christina. Sorry, I think i'm a bit too late to get back to you on this one; I hope the event went well! Share some pics on our Facebook page if you get a chance!

By: learningthelight

learningthelight — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 10:48:55 +0000

Hi Jason, thanks for your comment and kind words! By artifacts, what exactly are you meaning? If it’s the bokeh that you’re not liking, then using smaller apertures/higher f-numbers would make the background of your shot more in focus, yes, but that does also mean you’ll have to use slower shutter speeds/higher ISOs to make sure your shot is still sharp…

By: Christina

Christina — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 16:01:46 +0000

I take a lot of senior pictures and mostly all are outdoors. I was contacted to do a Christmas party for a huge new station. I am excited yet nervous. I went to the location to check it out. It is surrounded by windows and it will be dark outside. I am setting up next to a fire place and Christmas tree. I really wanna do a good job. The pics will be of two individuals at a time standing together (couples). I have a nikon d80 and I do have an external flash. The event is this weekend. I need suggestions on what settings to use. Please Please help.

By: Jason

Jason — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 22:01:32 +0000

Fantastic, simplified article that has given me greater insight into shooting in low light conditions. I was recently taking shots of my children surrounded by Christmas tree lights, but my settings/lenses continued to produce background artifacts associated with the lights. Lower aperture settings seemed to produce stronger “spots” of artifact, with my lowest available aperture being f/2.8. As I closed the aperture, the light spots diminished, but began losing sharpness with slower shutter speeds. Is this problem common and can it be corrected? Any help and direction would be greatly appreciated.

By: learningthelight

learningthelight — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 19:11:28 +0000

Hi Bill, thanks for your comment, and best of luck with the upcoming wedding. I’ve done a few weddings, and they’re challengin but very rewarding situations. You’re right that the wide, full open aperture will create a shallow depth of field, yes – and that lenses, when they’re wide open, are softer than when they’re stopped down. You would only use f/1.8 if a. you specifically wanted a very shallow depth of field or b. the light is SO low that you need the f/1.8 just to get a shot with a quick enough shutter speed. It’d better to get a slightly softer shot than no shot at all, though, so i wouldn’t worry at all if you do need the f/1.8. It depends on how good your camera is at handling the higher ISOs too.

For groups, try to do it outside, or use bounce flash inside, as you’re right – if their faces are different depths away from the lens, a very wide aperture will result in some faces being out of focus. Good luck for the wedding, it’d be great if you wanted to share some shots afterwards on our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/learningthelight

By: Bill M.

Bill M. — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 18:30:04 +0000

I think I understand about using aperture at full open, but won’t that create a very shallow depth of field, especially if you have two or three faces or heads at slightly different depths from lens? I have committed to a wedding this weekend and lighting in church is not good. Trying hard not to use flash. Ok, so lowest f/stop on my 50MM f/1.8, higher ISO (guessing 800 to start, ideally 1/100 shutter speed. Am I sacrificing sharpness and depth of field to get the shot? Trying to understand.
Sorry, but another site advised not to use any lens wide open because the sharpest image will be 1-2 stops closed. Arghhh!!