Tips for Capturing Great Low-Light Photos

Don’t you long for that gorgeous photo of your little one gazing up at the Christmas tree with a rainbow of lights twinkling in the background, a soft glow dancing on your little ones cheeks? It’s a photo of pure joy, but it can also be a tricky shot to get just right. This is because when they room is bright enough to take the photo without a flash, the lights on the tree disappear into the background. Conversely, when the tree lights are glittering, it can be too dark to take a clear picture.

Since I can’t be there to capture the essence of this magical moment for you, I hope that the following tips help you capture this memory on your own with your digital camera.

• Use your camera settings. Digital cameras often offer a selection of pre-determined settings, but most cameras allow you to adjust the settings on your own as well. Learn how to do the following on your camera to achieve a better low-light image.

1. Adjust the exposure time. This will help you control how much light the camera lets in. Between ¼ and three seconds should work for capturing the glow of your holiday lights.
2. Increase the ISO setting. The higher this number, the more light will be captured by the camera’s sensor. The more natural light that is captured, the better your photo
3. Turn off “automatic white balance” on your camera. With this setting off, your photo will have a richer set of colors.

• Eliminate movement as much as possible. Digital cameras often come with “steady shot” capability. This is a great help, but in a low-light setting, you need to be even more careful about wiggling the camera so that the photo doesn’t come out blurry.

1. The fact is a human hand can only remain totally still for 1/60th of a second. So, use a tripod. If you don’t have one, set the camera on a solid surface when taking your picture.
2. Set the timer so that you don’t have to press the shutter button. This way, you won’t inadvertently move the camera when snapping the picture.
3. Ask your subject(s) to remain still. (I realize that this can be tricky for the little ones, but the less they move, the less blurry the image will be. Perhaps you could bribe them with a candy cane?

• A word about flash. I recommend that you turn off your flash. The unnatural light that this produces will wash out the tree lights that you want to include in the photo. If you find that you need additional lighting, it’s better to turn on the room lights and use those to light the room.

• Practice, practice, practice. Yes, your mother was right! Practice does get you closer to perfect, so it’s OK if you take 100 photos of your Christmas tree. In fact, I read a fabulous quote that I still try to remember on Anthony Peyper’s site (http://digital-photography-school.com/blog/low-light-digital-photography/): “don’t be afraid to take bad pictures. Without bad pictures, how could you possibly recognize your best ones?”

Great holiday memories often happen by accident, but great holiday photos can be created with attention to lighting, a still environment, and lots of trial and error. Have fun with the photos and enjoy the holiday season!

Kim's work is on display in her gallery at http://www.KimCrenshaw.com.