The majority of photographers today utilize a sophisticated point-and shoot camera for all their photography needs. And, like most, it is probably manufactured by Canon, Samsung and Sony and features many technical advances including a high megapixel count.
Although you have all these fabulous features, you may be puzzled, disappointed or frustrated at your inability to take a quality photo at night or in low-light such as indoors away from a window. You may have found that photos you take at night come out either blurry, horribly washed out by the flash, grainy/noisy, lacking in color, or all of the above.
The reason for this? Every camera is equipped with the capability to take quality, clear and concise photographs. However, it is extremely difficult for a camera to approximate what you actually see in poor lighting. The main reason for this problem is that a cameras shutter must stay open longer in order to expose the sensor to enough light to take the photograph. In addition, it is almost nearly impossible to hold a camera steady using only your hands. So, what are your options? Well, you could try utilizing the flash on the camera; however this tends to give an unnatural quality to your photos as well as giving the people in the photo an ugly complexion. You can also try using ISO; however, this feature has its own set of problematic tendencies.
So this is the problem...but what is the solution? Here are a couple of tips to improve your low-light photography:
1) Next time you buy a compact camera, ensure that it has some form of optical image stabilization. This technology, which most new cameras now have, incorporates a moving element inside the camera that compensates for camera shake, meaning that you can use lower shutter speeds and still get a sharp photo. This is a great feature and well-worth paying for.
2) Try turning off the flash and asking your subjects to remain very still. Have your subjects move nearer to you in low-light or simply play around with your cameras Night Mode setting in the menu. It is important to remember that in Night ode, you must remain very still.
3) If you are taking a photo of something thats not moving (a building for example), turn the flash off and brace the camera against something. A little table-top tripod is perfect for this (and small enough to carry around everywhere you go), but in a pinch you could use anything " the crook of a tree, a table, or a lamppost with a flat side (hold the camera firmly against it in the portrait position). Now your photo wont be affected by camera shake and you can snap away.
Although you have all these fabulous features, you may be puzzled, disappointed or frustrated at your inability to take a quality photo at night or in low-light such as indoors away from a window. You may have found that photos you take at night come out either blurry, horribly washed out by the flash, grainy/noisy, lacking in color, or all of the above.
The reason for this? Every camera is equipped with the capability to take quality, clear and concise photographs. However, it is extremely difficult for a camera to approximate what you actually see in poor lighting. The main reason for this problem is that a cameras shutter must stay open longer in order to expose the sensor to enough light to take the photograph. In addition, it is almost nearly impossible to hold a camera steady using only your hands. So, what are your options? Well, you could try utilizing the flash on the camera; however this tends to give an unnatural quality to your photos as well as giving the people in the photo an ugly complexion. You can also try using ISO; however, this feature has its own set of problematic tendencies.
So this is the problem...but what is the solution? Here are a couple of tips to improve your low-light photography:
1) Next time you buy a compact camera, ensure that it has some form of optical image stabilization. This technology, which most new cameras now have, incorporates a moving element inside the camera that compensates for camera shake, meaning that you can use lower shutter speeds and still get a sharp photo. This is a great feature and well-worth paying for.
2) Try turning off the flash and asking your subjects to remain very still. Have your subjects move nearer to you in low-light or simply play around with your cameras Night Mode setting in the menu. It is important to remember that in Night ode, you must remain very still.
3) If you are taking a photo of something thats not moving (a building for example), turn the flash off and brace the camera against something. A little table-top tripod is perfect for this (and small enough to carry around everywhere you go), but in a pinch you could use anything " the crook of a tree, a table, or a lamppost with a flat side (hold the camera firmly against it in the portrait position). Now your photo wont be affected by camera shake and you can snap away.
About the Author:
Tobias Sterling is a keen photography enthusiast who enjoys sharing his photography knowledge. You can find all his articles including Photography Beginners Basics and Photography Image Stabilization on Clivir.com
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