Candle lit rope

I spent ages last night in the dark with only a length of rope and a

candle. Using the nikon D7000 in live view with manual focus I tried

various different combinations of ISO, shutter speed and aperture.

I found it hard to get a suitable exposure on the rope without over

exposing the candle. I chose this as the most pleasing capture but

would like to ask if there are any set guidelines for shooting in candle

light?

Please view larger.

Gareth.

Hi Gareth,

You are off to a good start, setting up shots and trying different settings.

I trust that you are keeping records of what you are doing.

I make a folder, and number my test shots, like 1, 2,3 etc. (quite original)

Then I use Word or Notebook to write comments on each setup. An alternate method is to use a voice recorder to keep notes.

Now when I go to the folder, I have notes and the EXIF data to compare to future setups using the same or different lens, and camera settings.

In general, when I know a source will be over exposed,  I shot to keep its level just below saturation. The rest of the scene will be much darker, but the dynamic range of your Nikon D7000 can allow you to develop the subjects that are under exposed in post processing. Usually, it is the "noise" that will limit you as to how far you can go, so becoming familiar with good noise control procedures is important.

You can use the "spot metering" on the Nikon D7000 to establish the best exposure on the brightest source in the image.

There are many factors, including lens type and quality, position of the source, the color of the light source, the subjects physical characteristics in the scene, that influence the outcome of your efforts.

Best Regards,  Mike

It's been a while since I shot anything lit by candles alone, but I seem to remember finding these settings useful: ISO 400, flash 1/3 power, aperture around 3.5. Don't know if it helps. I think the rope is beautifully lit, by the way :-)

A very nice original idea, Gareth!

With best regards,

Ruud.

Hi Mike, I don't keep a record of such, I am not disciplined enough! I do bring images up on the PC and look at the data that way, which reminds me I need to back up all my images just in case of a crash. Wouldn't want to lose everything!

Gareth

Hi Bo, thanks for the advice. I did consider flash but the wall behind was light coloured and I really wanted to keep it dark. I suppose a black background is the answer to that though.

Thank you for the confidence boost!

Regards

Gareth.

Rudd, thank you for the kind comment it is always a pleasure to have you visit.

Regards

gareth.

Hello Gareth

Have you tried to bracket the shot. Shoot one for the flame and then the next under exposed and the next over exposed. Then use one of those free HDR programs to bring them together. You can use these programs without getting the over the top effect. I also like the rope, it came out nice.

Thanks Jeff

Hi Jeff, thanks for the suggestion, I'm afraid HDR is a bit beyond me I am only just learning the basics of PSE but it is certainly something to think about.

Thank you for looking and the comments.

Best regards

Gareth.