Party Photopraghs - low lighting - getting the exposure right!

[elvis_y]

<p>Hi Everyone,<br>

My level : I am not a beginner or an expert - something inbetween!</p>

<p>I am pretty confident in clicking outdoors, potraits (you know, when people pose desperately), etc.., but when it comes to birthday parties, indoors celebrations esp. in low lights, I get a shakey hand! I could only get 20 decent clicks out of 50! The pics are either under/over exposed, ghosted, bad DoF (something I would not notice in the LCD), more flashy (incorrect white balance - making the picture more artificial, know what I mean? ). I like to take casual pictures like people taking to each other, etc.,</p>

<p>If I could take all the photos in the same settings, I would be fine. But, I play with the f-stop very often as I like to capture with selective focus - but the things is I am not getting all the pitures in the same ambience. </p>

<p>The way I find the correct exposure for situations like this:</p>

<p>These might sound hilarious for an expert :) Shoot three pics - one in programmed auto with 1000 iso, one pic in Aperture priority with f5.6, one in shutter priority at 1/200 - compare all there pics and arrive at a setting - and a couple of more test shots and then improvize.</p>

<p>Please find below my specific questions..</p>

<p>1. For instance, I get a correct exposure with a particular setting and then If I increase the f-number (smaller aperture), which is the best compensation - ISO or the Shutter speed ?<br>

2. Is it advisable to use manual mode always ?<br>

3. You've got any other tips for me ? </p>

<p>What I have: Nikon D90, 50mm prime 1.8D, 18-105 mm, NO EXTERNAL FLASH</p>

<p>Thanks,<br>

Elvis.</p>

<p> </p>

[lwg]

<p>I use aperture priority most of the time. If my shutter speed is too low I either increase the ISO or open the lens up more, in that order of priority.<br>

Figure out where you are happy with your camera as far as ISO goes. Make some prints at different settings. Or resize to your normal output size if you don't make prints. You will then know if you can use ISO 1600 (or what ever) and get results you like.<br>

I shoot raw and don't worry about the white balance until I import the images. If you are shooting JPG you should set the white balance and not rely on Auto. Auto on my Nikons doesn't work well indoors. Do some tests in the lighting you will be shooting in. Or use the preset white balance feature.</p>

[michael_madio]

<p>Shoot in aperture priority and adjust ISO to give you appropriate shutter speed.</p>

<p>Responses to your questions are as follows:</p>

<p>"1. For instance, I get a correct exposure with a particular setting and then If I increase the f-number (smaller aperture), which is the best compensation - ISO or the Shutter speed ?" ... increasing ISO gives noise and longer shutter speed gives motion blur. No free lunch ... pick your poison.</p>

<p>"2. Is it advisable to use manual mode always ?" ... depends. If using flash manual mode is probably the most consistent but without flash using aperture priority works well.</p>

<p>"3. You've got any other tips for me ?" ... practice and consider using flash.</p>

[lilly_w]

<p>Unless your conditions demand a big pop from the built-in flash, I would really tone it down (negative flash compensation) to avoid the bright 'POW' look that an unbridled flash typically gives. Read-up on blanced fill-flash. This will also mean shooting at/near wide-open, less DoF and a slower shttr spd. Consider using center-weighted metering w/ AE-L (<strong>A</strong>uto-<strong>E</strong>xposure <strong>L</strong>ock) in aperture priority if there's considerable contrast between subject and background. Center your subject in finder, lock exposure, compose, shoot. If the lighting is consistent, use manual exp mode. When using aperture priority and/or matrix metering with a high contrast background, exposure discrepancies and difficulties may arise.</p>

[derek_hofmann]

<p>Tape a CTO flash gel over your popup flash and set your camera's white balance to tungsten. This will make the light from your flash look more natural.<br>

Like Lilly said, also dial down the flash exposure compensation (flash brightness). This will make the photos look more natural while keeping the benefits of a flash (less blurring, etc.).</p>

[nathansanborn]

<p>I like to crank up the ISO (around 1600, even if it's noisy, the "grainy" look can be kinda cool IMHO), I use a 35 1.8 opened fairly wide (the normal lenght for DX at comfortable distances still has good depth of field even at faster apetures), and if those two things aren't enough I bounce a hotshoe mounted flash set -2 stops. I've gotten generally good results this way, your mileage may vary ;-)</p><div></div>

[lachaine]

<p>You need a faster lens. Oh, and exposure, in any situation, has absolutely NOTHING to do with what exposure mode your camera is in. It doesn't matter if it's aperture priority or shmaperture priority. It's all about the amount of light you need, and how it gets into the camera is irrelevant. It's just a glassed-over hole. In indoor lighting, you often have to come to a choice of what you want to sacrifice, a fast enough shutter speed to avoid blur of one kind, or a small enough aperture to avoid blur of another kind. When you can't get it the way you want at the highest ISO you're willing to tolerate is when you take out the flash.</p>

[john_tran14]

<p>Lowlight condition is naturally not good for photography the quality would be affected (compromised} one way or another. "Correct exposure" is more difficult (especially when flash is not used) because the scene is not equally lit. Some parts are much brighter than some other parts (and they have different light sources). So with each shot you have to redefine for yourself "What is the correct exposure?"</p>

[wogears]

<p><strong>Nathan: </strong>This is your histogram. Your histogram is your friend. Study it. The image you posted is radically underexposed.</p><div></div>

[jcoffin]

<p>Les: I think a lot here depends on what you want. Nathan's shot does a decent job of portraying a dark, somewhat moody atmosphere while maintaining sufficient detail in the parts that matter (e.g., faces) to qualify as a very reasonable exposure. If I were taking it, I'd probably try giving a touch more exposure, but not much more -- an exposure that produces what you'd normally think of as a reasonably balanced histogram isn't likely to look right for the subject matter at all. </p>

<p>At least in my experience, a pictures that shows what you'd normally think of as "proper" exposure looks almost nothing like the reality of a club, bar, or party. The light is usually low enough that even after your eyes adjust, it still looks and feels fairly dark. A picture that looks like it was taken in broad daylight matches neither the reality nor (at least my) perception of it.</p>

[dan_south]

Quick tips:

 

Make sure that the focus is where you wanti it to be. This is usually on someone's eye, not a forehead, collar bone,

breast, or worst of all, the wall in the back of the room. This seems like simple advice but it's easy to forget when

shooting moving people in the moment. Always focus on what is most important in your frame unless you want to create an abstract look.

 

If you are using flash your camera might be setting the shutter speed automatically to 1/30, 1/60 or another common

value. There are options to select that shutter speed (flash sync speed) in your custom settings flash menus. If its too low, eg. 1/15, see if you can boost it to 1/125.

 

Err on the side of shooting nearly wide open in Aperture Priority Mode until you improve your motion blur problem. For

now don't go higher than f/5.6.

 

Whether you use flash or not, your camera's meter can be fooled by objects that are very dark (dark clothing) or very light

(white shirts). Try boosting exposure compensation for light objects and lower it for dark objects. Be sure to remember to

set it back to zero for the next shot that doesn't require compensation.

 

Try shooting with a mid-level ISO setting. 800 is a good starting point for this type or affair, but anywhere from 400 to

3200 would be useful. Enable High ISO Noise Reduction when shooting at 400 or above.

 

Flash compensation. Keep it set ito zero for people who are 8-15 feet away. Dial it down about a stop then people are

closer.

 

If you are shooting Raw files you can use auto white balance and make changes later. If flash is your primary light

source, you can use the flash option, but if you blend flash and natural light, auto is probably your best bet.

 

You can use manual mode to blend flash and ambient light. Find a proper exposure WITHOUT flash using your

histogram or a gray card. Let's say it's 1/30 @ f/4 @ ISO 1600. As a starting point, decrease this exposure by two stops

in manual mode. In this case I would speed up the shutter by one stop and lower the ISO by one stop to create an

exposure that's two stops lower: 1/60 @ f/4 @ ISO 800. Let your flash in iTTL mode compensate for the two stop

difference. Your photos will contain some of the mood and color of the room, but the more powerful flash will help to

freeze motion. Fine tune by using flash compensation for light or dark clothing or the presence of light sources in the

frame (lamps). This is an alternative to shooting in A Mode and should be used as an option, not as a default.

 

Use histograms and blinking highlights displays to warn of errors, but not as Gospel. For instance, a light bulb in your frame will cause a blinking highlight and a spike on the right side of the histogram. That doesn't indicate a bad exposure, just an expected highlight.

 

Skin is a good indicator or proper exposure and white balance, as is white clothing. When these look right, you're probably close to the values that you want.

[nathansanborn]

<p>Les,<br>

Of course the histogram shows the image as dramatically underexposed.... it was a very dark scene, I prefer images taken at night to look as though they were taken at night. You may want a different look.</p>

[dan_south]

The histogram pictured above nearly reaches the right margin. That would suggest moderate underexposure only,

perhaps by about one stop. Shortly after exceeding the right margin, you're losing data.

 

Many great photographs contain an abundance of shadow. There is nothing wrong with exposing for the Rembrandt look as long as the highlights and midtones are managed properly.

[simon_hickie1]

<p>The problem with standard flash is hard shadows, unless the flash is diffused. Subject blur is also going to be an issue in available light with no flash. Either high ISO, plus f2 to f2.8 (with associated depth of field issues) or diffused external flash are the two main options.<br>

Remember (as an example), a 50mm lens on a D90 at f2.8 and a camera to subject distance of 2 meters will give you a depth of field of 0.2m (8 inches) with a possible subject height of 0.9m (3 feet, or top half of an adult body) in portrait orientation (0.6m in landscape mode - head and shoulders shot). <br>

Before buying anything, try downloading "Barnack" lens calculations software (free) and play with the numbers. I have created a spreadsheet which allows me to do the subject size, focal length and distance to subject calculations.</p>

[elvis_y]

<p>Thanks for your response guys!!<br>

Let me take comfortable time to read and analyse your response and then get back to you!</p>