{"id":1062,"date":"2010-05-12T09:26:00","date_gmt":"2010-05-11T21:26:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.kentyuphotography.com\/blog\/2010\/05\/shooting-under-low-light-condition.html"},"modified":"2012-02-29T12:37:47","modified_gmt":"2012-02-28T23:37:47","slug":"shooting-under-low-light-condition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kentyuphotography.com\/blog\/shooting-under-low-light-condition\/","title":{"rendered":"Shooting under low light condition"},"content":{"rendered":"<div align=\"justify\">How do I shoot better under low light? What are the techniques involved? <\/div>\n<div align=\"justify\">Three simple steps really:<\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>\n    <\/p>\n<div align=\"justify\">Choose your metering mode wisely, <\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n    <\/p>\n<div align=\"justify\">Watch your shutter speed and ISO, and <\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n    <\/p>\n<div align=\"justify\">Correct focus under low light.<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div align=\"justify\">When it comes to shooting indoor,&#160; typically you need to shoot above ISO 800+ to give you a reasonable shutter speed (see below).<\/div>\n<div align=\"justify\">Consider the below Exposure Value (EV) Chart, notice that typical indoor lighting has an EV of 6 \u2013 7. Outdoor lighting conditions start from EV 9, where EV 10 is the lighting condition during sunset and EV 15 being on a bright daylight.<\/div>\n<div align=\"justify\">&#160;<\/div>\n<table border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"87\"><strong>Exposure Value Chart<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"830\">&#160;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"87\">\n<div align=\"center\"><strong>EV<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"830\"><strong>TYPE OF LIGHTING SITUATION<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"87\">\n<div align=\"center\">-6<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"830\">Night, away from city lights, subject under starlight only.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"87\">\n<div align=\"center\">-5<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"830\">Night, away from city lights, subject under crescent moon.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"87\">\n<div align=\"center\">-4<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"830\">Night, away from city lights, subject under half moon. Meteors (during showers, with time exposure).<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"87\">\n<div align=\"center\">-3<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"830\">Night, away from city lights, subject under full moon.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"87\">\n<div align=\"center\">-2<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"830\">Night, away from city lights, snowscape under full moon.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"87\">\n<div align=\"center\">-1<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"830\">Subjects lit by dim ambient artificial light.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"87\">\n<div align=\"center\">0<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"830\">Subjects lit by dim ambient artificial light.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"87\">\n<div align=\"center\">1<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"830\">Distant view of lighted skyline.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"87\">\n<div align=\"center\">2<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"830\">Lightning (with time exposure). Total eclipse of moon.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"87\">\n<div align=\"center\">3<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"830\">Fireworks (with time exposure).<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"87\">\n<div align=\"center\">4<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"830\">Candle lit close-ups. Christmas lights, floodlit buildings, fountains, and monuments. Subjects under bright street lamps.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"87\">\n<div align=\"center\">5<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"830\">Night home interiors, average light. School or church auditoriums. Subjects lit by campfires or bonfires.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"87\">\n<div align=\"center\">6<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"830\">Brightly lit home interiors at night. Fairs, amusement parks.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"87\">\n<div align=\"center\">7<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"830\">Bottom of rainforest canopy. Brightly lighted nighttime streets. Indoor sports. Stage shows, circuses.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"87\">\n<div align=\"center\">8<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"830\">Las Vegas or Times Square at night. Store windows. Campfires, bonfires, burning buildings. Ice shows, football, baseball etc. at night. Interiors with bright florescent lights.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"87\">\n<div align=\"center\">9<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"830\">Landscapes, city skylines 10 minutes after sunset. Neon lights, spotlighted subjects.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"87\">\n<div align=\"center\">10<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"830\">Landscapes and skylines immediately after sunset. Crescent moon (long lens).<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"87\">\n<div align=\"center\">11<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"830\">Sunsets. Subjects in open shade.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"87\">\n<div align=\"center\">12<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"830\">Half moon (long lens). Subject in heavy overcast.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"87\">\n<div align=\"center\">13<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"830\">Gibbous moon (long lens). Subjects in cloudy-bright light (no shadows).<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"87\">\n<div align=\"center\">14<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"830\">Full moon (long lens). Subjects in weak, hazy sun.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"87\">\n<div align=\"center\">15<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"830\">Subjects in bright or hazy sun (Sunny f\/16 rule).<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"87\">\n<div align=\"center\">16<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"830\">Subjects in bright daylight on sand or snow.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"87\">\n<div align=\"center\">17<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"830\">Rarely encountered in nature. Some man made lighting.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"87\">\n<div align=\"center\">18<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"830\">Rarely encountered in nature. Some man made lighting.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"87\">\n<div align=\"center\">19<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"830\">Rarely encountered in nature. Some man made lighting.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"87\">\n<div align=\"center\">20<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"830\">Rarely encountered in nature. Some man made lighting.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"87\">\n<div align=\"center\">21<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"830\">Rarely encountered in nature. Some man made lighting.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"87\">\n<div align=\"center\">22<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"830\">Extremely bright. Rarely encountered in nature.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"87\">\n<div align=\"center\">23<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"830\">Extremely bright. Rarely encountered in nature.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<div align=\"justify\">&#160;<\/div>\n<div align=\"justify\">Once you have a bit of understanding on the different EV lighting condition, you can use the second chart below to find out&#160; how your camera behalves based on the EV of the scene. For example: an EV of 6 (typical indoor lighting), the suggested camera setting is 1\/8s @ f\/2.8, 1\/4s @ f\/4 or equivalent.<\/div>\n<div align=\"justify\">The suggested shutter speed is of cause too slow, in which case you need to raise your ISO until you get a reasonable shutter speed (say 1\/60s). To get to a reasonable shutter speed say 1\/60s, there is a 3 stops difference (count 3 squares down to get from 1\/8s to 1\/60s), so the ISO needs to increase by 3 stops to ISO 800 (100-&gt;200-&gt;400-&gt;800). <\/div>\n<div align=\"justify\">&#160;<\/div>\n<div align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/-hAC8nuucXaQ\/S-kwf-gCfnI\/AAAAAAAAgEE\/CKztbaARq8A\/s800\/EV%252520Table.jpg\" \/> <\/div>\n<div align=\"justify\">&#160;<\/div>\n<div align=\"justify\">However, when you use a slower lens like f\/4, then you will need to use an even higher ISO (1600) or slower shutter speed (1\/30s). Typically, ISO 800 is the lowest ISO required to shoot indoor hand held.<\/div>\n<div align=\"justify\">In an even lower lighting condition, like in a dimly lit restaurant, you will need to use a very high ISO and\/or a very slow shutter speed. This is where your fast lenses and Full Frame camera (FX) pay off :D. Ultimately, the setting for shooting under low light condition is a compromise between <\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>\n    <\/p>\n<div align=\"justify\">the highest ISO you are willing to accept, <\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n    <\/p>\n<div align=\"justify\">your slowest hand held shutter speed w\/o camera shake, and<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n    <\/p>\n<div align=\"justify\">the largest aperture you want to use <\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div align=\"justify\">Different metering modes (spot, center-weighted and matrix) can also affect the camera settings since it changes the way the camera determines the exposure (EV). I won\u2019t go over them here, but they are well explained in <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Metering_mode\" target=\"_blank\">Metering Mode \u2013 Wiki<\/a>.<\/div>\n<div align=\"center\">&#160;<\/div>\n<div align=\"center\">Here are some images taken recently at a candle lit restaurant<\/div>\n<div align=\"center\">Camera: Nikon D700<\/div>\n<div align=\"center\">Lens: Nikon 24-70mm f\/2.8<\/div>\n<div align=\"center\">Spot metering<\/div>\n<div align=\"center\">&#160;<\/div>\n<div align=\"center\"><a title=\"Candle Light by Kent Photography, on Flickr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/kentkc\/4607292257\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Candle Light\" src=\"http:\/\/farm2.static.flickr.com\/1338\/4607292257_eb3a61985b_o.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<div align=\"center\">&#160;<\/div>\n<div align=\"center\">Matrix metering, ISO 3200, f\/2.8<\/div>\n<div align=\"center\">&#160;<\/div>\n<div align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/lh6.ggpht.com\/_hBHN-xn5gSU\/S-kZ4eRH-4I\/AAAAAAAAYq8\/1trosL0dybM\/s800\/_ND18234.jpg\" \/><\/div>\n<div align=\"center\">&#160;<\/div>\n<div align=\"center\">Center-weighted&#160; metering, ISO 1600, f.2,8<\/div>\n<div align=\"center\">&#160;<\/div>\n<div align=\"center\"><a title=\"Model: Grace by Kent Photography, on Flickr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/kentkc\/4583057021\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Model: Grace\" src=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3319\/4583057021_eaccae77e8_o.jpg\" height=\"640\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<div align=\"center\">&#160;<\/div>\n<div align=\"center\">Matrix metering, ISO 3200, f\/2.8<\/div>\n<div align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/lh3.ggpht.com\/_hBHN-xn5gSU\/S-kUbRBMR6I\/AAAAAAAAYqo\/etXhS9ky-F8\/s800\/2010-05-03%20Grace%20Birthday_PG002.jpg\" \/><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How do I shoot better under low light? What are the techniques involved? Three simple steps really: Choose your metering mode wisely, Watch your shutter speed and ISO, and Correct focus under low light. When it comes to shooting indoor,&#160; typically you need to shoot above ISO 800+ to give &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3998,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[56],"tags":[153],"class_list":["post-1062","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-techniques","tag-iso"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kentyuphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1062","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kentyuphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kentyuphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kentyuphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kentyuphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1062"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.kentyuphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1062\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3463,"href":"https:\/\/www.kentyuphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1062\/revisions\/3463"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kentyuphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3998"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kentyuphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1062"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kentyuphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1062"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kentyuphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1062"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}