Halloween is one of my favorite times of the year. I like dressing up and seeing how others dress up too. It is important to me to document my Halloween happenings. However, Halloween means less daylight. As our days get shorter you will find yourself in low light situations that can be problematic for your camera. I’ve learned a lot about low light shooting via trial by error and necessity. So here are just a few suggestions on how to avoid the dark and/or blurry photos that are so common to low light photography.
- Night Mode: If you have a night setting on your camera, USE IT. Most cameras - point and shoot and DSLR - are armed with a night photography setting. This setting can be used in low light settings in doors and out. It is your best weapon against photos that are too dark. Be aware that this setting can lengthen the amount of time your shutter will stay open. Steady your camera by tucking your elbows into your body or use someone's shoulder (or head) if you don’t have a tripod.
- Flashed Out: When your flash goes off do you get the look that I like to call “flashed out”? Some on-board camera flashes are too powerful and wash out the color in your photo. Even use of an external flash can cause a “flashed out” effect. A diffuser is the best way to avoid this issue. I use a Gary Fong Lightsphere with my external flash and it works very well. Sometimes I don’t have my external flash and my on board is notorious for flashing things out. A simple inexpensive solution for this problem is a tissue or a piece of plain printer paper. Simply hold the paper about an inch away from the flash while taking your photo.
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