How to shot good photos in low light.

[menonsudhir1234]

Hi - this is continuation of my yesterday thread on how to shot good photos in low light condition. I got some excellent advises, so I thought I will paste some images.

I often face problem with photography in low light condition (indoor) using my canon 30D. The focus most of the times is not correct. I focus on the person but person comes blurred, and something else is sharp. I tired with inbuilt flash as well as canon 220EX flash. Sharpness improves, but the subject becomes overexposed (Whitish), whereas the background still remains darker. So what exactly I need to do to get sharp and properly focused , and evenly balanced photos.

Below image taken with 30D + 220EX flash. No diffuser. (220EX has no tilt function)
Child is sharp but background is not well lit. (standard 18-55 kit lens)



below one taken with 30D + 220EX flash. Overall appears overexposed. Also presence of flash can be seen.(standard 18-55 kit lens)



Below one taken with 30D + 220EX flash but with cloth diffuser. (standard 18-55 kit lens)
Focussing is not sharp. also light is not filling. I dont think photo will turn good even if exposure moved to 1 or 2 stop up.




Here is a professional phtograph taken in out company event. Photo is well lit and balanced.
I know the camera was 40D though dont know what lens or flash.



So why my photogrpahs are not like this professional one. I can understand lens difference but I dont expect difference to be so high.

[calebk]

Do you think professionals only get better images because of better equipment? Sure it counts, but that's not all that counts. A good photographer has better technique, that will get him better photos.

[iRaphael]

you need to know how to diffuse your light if it is too harsh.

we all have to begin from somewhere. you can just DIY a flash diffuser or read more about flash techniques. tons of them on the canon website.

[wootsk]

Experience and technique thats all I can say, learn more by reading up and shoot more to gain experience. There are many solution to shooting in low light and different solution might gives so slight different result. Learn those solution is learn the technique while pratice more give you experience of your choice. I would recommand you to start with a diffuser or a bounce card or a lightsphere

[chikubang]

But since the head is fixed, it's really hard to experience different techniques of using the flash. Like bouncing the light using the ceiling....

[wootsk]

Fix head... I see, if you are having a tight budget, you can try tumax flash. If I am not wrong, cost around 200 bucks and performs well. Control is also quite easy. You can PM mchaint for more detail about the flash, he is a quite friendly guy and can teach you about how to use the flash after the deal if you ask him.

[catchlights]

why start another thread asking the same question?

How to get sharp focus in low light conditions using flash ?

didn't I've replied the same question earlier?

Originally Posted by catchlights My guess for #1 situration, you are shooting with AV mode without flash, low light means low shutter speed. so motion blur on your subject. #2 situation, you are still using Av mode or P mode with built in flash, and your subject is very close to you and background is far far away, hence overexposed on your subject and underexposed on background. can tell you what setting to use, or add this add that, or even buy what lens or flash ect.....but you still will not understand how things work. why don't go and pick up a basic photography book from National Library and start reading? anyway, read some of the replies and suggestions here, some are not workable, it wouldn't help you at all, and you will not know that if you don't understand the basic.

[solasido]

Hi Sudhir,

Bouncing the flash via wall/ceiling improve a lot ambient light for the pic.
But since you are using non-tilt-able flash then the only choice is only diffuser.

It is quite apparent that the event pic was taken using diffuser (we can see from the shadow, yet the boy's body is not over-lit).

Most important thing to get a nice pic is the lighting. Generally when there is sufficient light, the pic ambient will be good (the next will need to check the white balance to get proper color temperature).

[iRaphael]

if you can't change the angle of your flash, you have to soften it with a diffuser.

before i got my 580, i use a small sheet of A4 to cover my pop up flash. i just DIY-ed my own. i'm sure you can do it too with the 220.

[J-Chan]

if you're willing to DIY, a small mirror and some way of mounting it to direct the light upwards would work as well.. though you don't really have much flash power to work with on the 220EX..

[3in1c]

TS, how can a flash light up the entire house just by itself?

[chopper]

I'm a not a big fan of flash myself, but at certain situation, a reasonable flash can make a whole world of difference between a good pict vs a bad pict. For those who say equipment is not important may not be totally truthful to themself. It's true to certain extend. A same equipment on an good photographer and bad will make a hell of difference, and that's where the technique comes in. However, a good photographer stuck in a dim indoor event to shoot a range of faces in focus, without a reasonable good flash (or no flash), will be challenging. Of course a grainy protraiture capture is possible, but it limits your photos range.

My minimum requirement of flash should be: 1. Ability to Tilt (MUST), 2. reasonable powerful (Important), 3. Ability to Swirl (Good to have). The rest will be good for more advance user (eg. slave/master, multiple flash, sych speed, recycle speed etc.) Personally I think flash like 220 EX is not a great help, since it lack the 1. & 3. You can add mirror/diffuser etc, but after all these, I think it's easier just get a unit with ability to tilt minimally.

For those who are interested in flash photography, I find the following link invaluable, and can teach even a lot of Pro a thing or two about effective use of flash:

http://www.planetneil.com/tangents/f...looking-flash/

Hope this helps.

[chopper]

By the way, the photo you attached as 'professional one' doesn't look professional at all. It throw some ugly shadow around the people. A good flash photography should be natural to the extend when you look at the picture, you can't tell flash is being used.