In the dark
Poor light can often ruin most photographs, and you may find yourself in
situations where poor light is your worst enemy. Either inside a building, a
tomb chamber, or even in a deep (and of course shored) trench. So how to
achieve the best results? There are several professional ways to achieve it,
but for this guide here is the simple solution.
For best results, set your camera to Manual mode, which is normally done by rotating the dial to M on the camera. Now you are able to alter and set the f-number and the shutter speed.
To let in the maximum amount of light you should select the smallest f-number available (f2.8 – f5.6) and then choose a low shutter speed. This setting will very much depend on the conditions and you may have to take several pictures to achieve the desired result. (one of the beauties of Digital Photography)
Try 2.5 seconds to start and then step up or down the shutter speed to find the best – experiment and find what works, you can afford to take the photos and also you will soon know just the right setting for the situation without thinking.
It is impossible to hold a camera still for this length of time so a tripod is
essential, however you can make a stable platform out of many other items.
A set of level legs or a bucket with a scarf or gloves used to balance the
camera will do just as well. Ensure you do not have the strap in the way and
also that none of the bucket or gloves get in the shot.
Unless you are completely in the dark, and can light the scene with a hand
held flash – turn OFF the flash. Cycle through your flash options until you
have a symbol that shows a lightning flash with a line through it – this ensures
that the flash will not operate.
If you are having difficulty in auto focusing you will have to set the camera to
Manual Focus. (you may have to read the instructions to see where to do
this, but often it is a switch between AF (Auto Focus) and MF (Manual Focus)
and then set it to infinity ( I ) or measure the distance and set it to the
relevant distance. (if your lens has manual settings marked on the barrel. A lot
of modern lenses don’t have them which is a pain)
To ensure you do not shake the camera when you press the shutter button,
put it on self-timer, with cameras often having a short and long timer – which
can also give you enough time to ‘escape’ from the shot as well. Or use an
infra-red remote control unit, if available
