When we take photos in daily life, we will encounter low-light environments from time to time, such as in the evening, indoors, etc. In this kind of scene, it is not easy to take photos well.
Fortunately, the camera's functions and photographers' creativity are still very powerful. Many excellent photographers are good at using various functions and props of the camera and can also take good photos in low-light environments.
Today I have summarized a few of their experiences for you. Next time I encounter a low-light environment, you can try it:
1. Filling light
It is natural for filling light in a low-light environment, but the difficulty lies in how can reasonably fill light .
First of all, we need to have the corresponding fill light props . Due to the location and other conditions, the fill light props we can use are usually camera flash, mobile phone screen, flash and flashlight.
Let’s analyze these props one by one:
First of all, camera flash , which is divided into two types: camera-owned and external. The external fill light effect is much better than the one-owned, and there are various models to choose from. When we use it in a low-light environment, we should pay attention to keeping a suitable distance between the flash and the fill light and . The light brought by the flash is not uniform enough, the reflection, the red eyes of the characters will be more obvious, and the fill light effect will not be obvious when it is too far away;
Pay attention to the distance between the shooting subject and the background . The background and the subject will be illuminated too close, which is not conducive to the creation of light and shadow atmosphere. If it is too far away, the background will be completely dark and there will be no details;
can put a soft light mask on the flash to avoid the light and light being too straight, and achieve an effect similar to diffuse reflection, which is more conducive to uniform light. Putting on a transparent plastic bag or using cardboard and other reflections can also simply simulate this soft light effect.
Secondly, it uses mobile as a fill light prop, including screen and flash. We mainly need to pay attention to the position of fill light. The is relatively natural in the front light, the side light looks more three-dimensional, and the backlight is suitable for taking silhouettes.
At the same time, it is necessary to note that the fill light effect of the mobile phone is not strong, it can be closer to the subject, and we can also adjust the light color through the mobile phone screen.
Finally, there is a flashlight. The fill light effect of flashlight in photography is not easy to use. It is generally used as special effects prop , such as this astronomical photography:
2. Camera Settings
In a low-light environment, there is less light entering the camera. According to the " exposure three elements " we discussed before:
We can increase the light inlet of the camera by using large aperture , , to increase the sensitivity and to appropriately reduce the shutter speed , and can also increase the exposure compensation. The AV gear, TV gear, and M gear can all be adjusted quickly.
3. Auxiliary props
shooting in low-light environments often requires an tripod . It can help us stabilize the camera for a long time to achieve a longer shutter time, thereby ensuring a reasonable amount of light inlet. When using a tripod, TV is more convenient to adjust the shutter speed, so it is relatively more useful.
If you don’t have a tripod around you, you can also use a stable and clean small platform to act as a tripod.
4. Raw format
Adjust the photo format to Raw format mainly targets post-, which can provide greater tolerance for photos. If all the photos we take are underexposed, the Raw format will have greater room for saving.
5. Other points of attention
In low-light environment, the camera's autofocus will become very slow or even invalid, so we usually need to use manual focus: We can use mobile phones, flashlights, etc. to illuminate the subject and focus before completing the shooting;
In some cases, the low-light environment is deliberately done by us to seek an atmosphere. Sometimes the environment is dark but the subject is not dark, so we need to adjust it. Take a look at the metering mode to ensure the normal exposure of the subject. We can adjust the metering according to the bright range in the picture:
accounts for a small proportion (below 20%) - from the average central metering of to local metering , accounting for a smaller proportion (below 5%) - is converted to point metering . Of course, the specific data must be adjusted according to the scene in reality, personal experience and preferences. We just need to remember that when the light pair is relatively strong and the overall scene is dark, we can adjust the metering mode.
That’s all for today’s content ~
