Wherever you go, you’d see the flash of digital cameras. These are the new
toys of the millenium. People print pix, create digital albums, and upload to social networks. Visit Facebook and witness how the average user has created a virtual storybook of his daily life in pictures. It’s the next best thing to having an autobiography!
Photos taken in the daytime are no-brainers. They often come out perfect, especially in sunlight. It’s a different matter when you shoot in the evening. Low lighting affects the shot and there’s always a strong chance the picture would look underexposed or washed out. A pity, especially considering that a majority of outings and escapedes occur after dark.
Are you a late night goer who’s a shutterbug? Try these techniques.
- Set your flash to REAR FLASH if you must use it. Rear flash fires shortly before exposure ends, thereby illuminating the background without making the subject look like a frightened ghost.
- Invest in a flash diffuser. Diffusers further soften the glare of harsh flash and provide a more naturally skin tone.
- Bring a tripod or gorilla pod. Shots made in the dark require the aperture open a little longer than usual in order to take in more light. The light is necessary to compensate for the poor ambient lighting. If you fail to use a tripod, your arm or hands make cause camera shake. The shot can be easily ruined!
- Increase film speed by using the Shutter Priority. The faster the film speed, the less your shot will suffer from the dreaded shake. Daytime shots can do with 1/60. Night is a different story. You’ll need at least 1/150. If it’s really dark, go for 1/300.
- Increase your ISO. ISO determines light sensitivity. Standard ISO is 100. For nightshots, you may require 200 ISO or 400 ISO. Be warned that higher ISO can result in grainier shots though.
- And finally, if your shots still turn out horrid despite the careful camera tweaking, there’s always post processing. Adobe Photoshop is your friend! With a bit of tweaking, you can adjust gamma and brightness, thereby transforming a ruined shot into a perfect masterpience.
Are you ready to for the next great album?
