Dim lighting photography
Take Great Pictures Without a Flash – Posterjack
It’s not always desirable to use a camera’s built-in flash, as doing so can create images that appear flat, unnatural, overexposed, and contain harsh and unwanted shadows. With that being said, photographing in low light situations without a flash can be a challenge if you don’t know what you’re doing and can result in photos that are too dark, blurry, or grainy. Lucky for you, there are several things you can do in order to get excellent shots in low light situations without the need for your camera’s flash.
1. Increase ISO SettingsAdjusting the ISO on your digital camera will determine how sensitive your camera’s image sensor is to light. For example, if you increase the ISO to 400 or 800, you will allow more light to reach the camera’s sensor than if the settings were at ISO 100 or 200. So then, why not have higher ISO settings all the time? A lower ISO will produce sharper images, and the higher the ISO, the more image noise (grain) will be present. For low light photography, try setting your ISO to 800 and adjust accordingly.
If you end up capturing a photo you love but it includes a lot of image noise, all is not lost! Try printing it on a product that has a unique and artistic feel to it, like a Wood Print or a Classic Silver Metal Print. Because your photo is printed directly onto the wood or brushed aluminum, the raw material your photo is printed on will show through in areas where the image includes white or low saturation, helping to soften the imperfections in the photo.
Related: How to Print Low Resolution Photos and Get Results You Love!
2. Use Slower Shutter SpeedsA longer exposure time will allow more light in. However, in order to get a crisp, clear photo in low light using a slow shutter speed and no flash, it is crucial you keep your camera as still as possible. Any sort of movement will result in blurry images, so be sure to follow tip #4 if you plan to use slower shutter speeds.
While ISO determines the speed of which light reaches your camera’s image sensor, the aperture determines how much light it allows in – because if this, a wide aperture (small f-stop number) can also help you capture decent low light photographs without the use of a flash.
4. Reduce Camera ShakeWhen dealing with slow shutter speeds, in order to get sharp photos in low light situations, it is imperative to eliminate camera shake entirely. You can do this by using a tripod and either setting your camera’s timer or using a shutter release cable. You can also eliminate camera shake by using your camera’s built-in stabilization features. Depending on your camera, this option may be found on the camera body or the camera lens. What brand of camera you use will also determine what the image stabilization features are called: Nikon is Vibration Reduction (VR), Canon is Image Stabilization (IS), Sony is SteadyShot INSIDE, and so on.
Low light photography doesn’t mean no light photography. To get as sharp of an image as possible without the use of a flash, try to incorporate as much light as you can. If your subject isn’t stationary, position it near the light source or, if possible, move the light towards your subject. Do not, however, position the light behind your subject if it’s the only source of light unless your goal is to create a silhouette.
6. Use a Faster Lens
If you’re shooting with a DSLR camera and are considering purchasing a new lens to help accommodate your low light photography, you’ll want to buy a fast lens. A fast lens is that which has a wide aperture—typically f/1.4, f/1.8, or f/2.8—and is great for low light photography because it enables the camera to take in more light. A wider aperture also allows for a faster shutter speed, resulting in minimal camera shake and sharper images.
7. Adjust the White Balance
Shooting in low light conditions can result in your photographs looking washed out, or lacking in detail and colour.
By customizing your digital camera’s white balance, you’re essentially telling your camera what white should look like in your image, so the camera can adjust accordingly to try to capture colours as accurately as possible. To prevent your images from having a yellow, orange, or blue shade to them, adjust the white balance to coordinate with the type of light you’re using.
8. Shoot in B&W
If you want to get great low light images without a flash but you really don’t feel like messing around with your camera’s white balance, you can capture your photos in black and white, which will do away with poor colour issues all together.
9. Shoot in RAW
Of course, shooting in RAW will create higher quality, sharper images than shooting in JPEG format, so if you can shoot in RAW, do it. Also, you’ll have more post-processing options if you shoot in RAW.
Related: The Ultimate Guide to Photo Enlargements
10.
Post-ProcessingUsing photo editing software can help enhance your low light photography, but don’t expect miracles. You can post-process your images to reduce image noise caused from shooting with a high ISO, to convert to B&W, to adjust the contrast, brightness, shadows, highlights, sharpness, etc. Just keep in mind that if it’s a bad photo to begin with, you’re not going to be able to edit it to be something amazing.
11. Experiment and PractiseUnless you’re some sort of prodigy, you’re not likely to master low light photography immediately. Like anything, to become great at something, you need to experiment and practise. Start by shooting non-moving subjects (to reduce your chances of getting blurry images) and take all of the photography tips listed above into consideration. If something doesn’t work for you, try again with different camera settings. With a lot of practise and experimenting, you should become fairly comfortable shooting low light photos and will have crisp, clear shots—without the use of a flash—in no time.
Let’s See Your Low-Light Photos!
We would love to see how you’re working your low-light photography skills. Feel free to share your photos with us on Facebook or Instagram! If you’ve already turned your photos into Posterjack art, sharing your photos can win you $150 in free prints every month!
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- Matte vs. Glossy: Deciding Which is Best for Your Pictures
- HD Metal Prints vs. Canvas Prints
- Metal Prints vs. Acrylic Prints
- What is An Acrylic Print
- 7 Creative Ways to Include Canvas Prints in Your Decor
- Better Than Vinyl: Personalized Your Space With Peel & Stick Prints
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12 Best Techniques for Shooting Low Light Photography
By Nick ConstantA- A+
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I will never share your information. Low-light photography is unavoidable for photographers. It is not just relevant for shooting at dawn or dusk. Shooting inside can often provide a challenging environment for photographers. Like most elements in photography, it’s all about balance. A balance where you sacrifice as little quality as possible.
Today we will look at techniques to help shooting in low light. These range from camera settings to small steps you can take to improve your photographs.
The better you become at taking pictures in low light, the more confident you will feel on location or even on a job. Let’s dive in and have a look at 12 techniques for shooting low-light photography.
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1. Changing your ISO for Low Light Photography
A good rule of thumb is to photograph with as low of an ISO as possible. When shooting in low light, your first reaction should be to raise your ISO to a higher number. But a larger ISO will add noise to your images, especially in dark areas.
For older cameras, check to see how your camera can handle these larger ISO numbers online. Newer DSLRs can handle huge ISO numbers without much distortion to the image. Again, it’s all about balance. You will want to zoom into these dark areas to check that the noise doesn’t ruin the photo.
A helpful point to remember is that noise is better than blur. You can reduce the noise in the post-process, but blur will be a lot trickier.
2. Reduce Your Shutter Speed
The longer your shutter speed, the more light goes into your camera.
It seems simple enough, but when you extend your shutter speeds, you allow more camera shake. A rule of thumb when holding your camera is not to go lower than 1/125th of a second. This is due to the tiny movements your hand makes.
The simple solution for this is to use a tripod. When using a tripod, you can reduce the shutter speed as much as you like without worrying about losing sharpness. (As long as you have a nice, sturdy tripod!)
3. Use A Wider Aperture
Another quick in-camera setting change you can make in low-light photography is to change your aperture. A wider aperture in your lens will allow more light to pass through. Ideally, you want to pick as low of an f-number as possible.
Keep in mind that you are changing the depth of field of your photograph when adjusting the aperture. Changing the aperture could ruin this if you have a particular style that you need to stick to.
As I mentioned at the start, it’s all a balance. Especially between the top three tips I have given.
If you have a specific style you want to stick to, make sure this is not compromised through your actions. If not, use all 3 of these settings to control your environment as best as you can.
4. Add A Flash
Adding a flash is an obvious option, but it often gets overlooked. This could be due to the harsh light it produces, especially in very low-light settings. Harsh light produces a particular style that many photographers use to their advantage. But this technique will not help you if you have a specific image in mind. For instance, in a space where the subject is far from the lens.
Where style isn’t an issue, a flash can eliminate the need to compromise your camera settings. You will be able to photograph fast, sharp images. Just be wary of the shadows the flash creates.
5. Bring A Light In (Or Reflector)
If the room you are photographing in is too dark, see if you can bring a light into the room. Be careful though, bringing in another light source can create new shadows.
This changes how the room will look.
A good idea is to put your added light source near the primary light source. This keeps the shadows as similar as possible. Remember that different lights are different colors. Bringing another light in can cause clashing colors, so keep an eye out!
If you need a little more light, a reflector can go a long way. In low-light situations, try to identify where the primary light source is coming from. You can position a reflector to bounce that light back into the subject.
6. Use A Faster Lens
Fast lenses are a godsend when dealing with low-light photography. The extra stops of an aperture can change a setting enough from an unusable photo to a usable one.
Most fast lenses can go to f/2.8 and push wide apertures such as f/1.4. These extra stops mean more light gets into your lens. This gives you the option to increase the shutter speed. This reduces the chance of camera shake.
7. Stabilize Your Images
Modern lenses have image stabilization features that reduce camera shake.
Most big-name companies have lenses with this feature. And it’s a technology they are constantly improving. For Nikon users, look for lenses with VR (vibration reduction). For Canon users, look for lenses with IS (image stabilization).
This lens-based stabilization is a feature inside the lens that has a floating lens element. This element is electronically controlled and counteracts any camera shake. Image stabilization is useful in low-light situations. It will allow you to drop your shutter speed a considerable amount.
8. Shoot In RAW
If you haven’t started already, shooting in RAW will give you a lot more forgiveness in your photography. This fact applies to low-light photography as well.
In RAW files, the camera retains a lot more information than your standard JPEG. And having more information is most helpful in post-processing. The more information there is, the more you can make clear.
9. Edit in the Post-Process
Occasionally, you will push your settings as far as possible and your photograph will still be lacking.
Here you can use post-processing software to bring out the details. The software can give you a stop or two more light, but can only work if the information is there in the first place. This is why it is beneficial to shoot in RAW.
In post-processing, you will be able to control the light, shadows, and noise. Make sure you don’t push the image too far, as it will start to look unreal and ruin the image. I recommend Adobe Lightroom for adjustments like this. The program gives an easy approach to adjusting particular sections of an image.
10. Find the Focal Point
One of my most significant issues with low-light photography is when the autofocus starts to fail. If there isn’t enough detail for the autofocusing system to latch onto, you will hear your lens adjusting and readjusting. This is the lens attempting to find a focal point.
A helpful technique is to put the camera on a tripod and light the subject with an external light source. Even if it’s just a phone light.
With this small amount of light, your autofocus system should be able to find the focal point. You can switch the lens to the manual focus setting so the focal point won’t change.
11. Adjust the White Balance
Another element you want to be wary of is the light temperature of an image. If you are shooting in low light outdoors, you may notice the street lights giving off an orange color cast.
Adjusting your white balance setting to your appropriate environment will help the issue. This is also an element that you can adjust in post-processing.
12. Practice!
As I have mentioned, it is all about balance. There are a set of compromises you will be making when dealing with low-light photography. These compromises will only become clear to you when you try them out for yourself.
This is due to the many ways to approach low light without changing the style of images you want to take. So find out which compromises work best for you. And try out some others as they may come in handy one day!
Conclusion
Photographing in low light can be challenging but extremely rewarding.
You might think it could be better to wait until the next day before taking the picture. But if you are drawn to a particular light, then stick with it!
Now that you have these 12 low-light photography tips for the camera settings, you have a range to choose from. One (or more) of these tips will help you make the most of your low-light shooting environment while also sparking some new ideas.
So go out and get practicing! These skills will come in handy in a critical situation, I can almost guarantee it.
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Low Light Photography Tips
Low Light Photography Tips - Canon IrelandLIGHTING TECHNIQUES
Learn how to get the most out of your Canon camera and how to take stunning photos from dusk to dawn.
Twilight and dawn are magical times. At these moments, the holiday comes, the city changes the mood, offering endless opportunities for photography. But capturing all the details in low light is not easy, especially if you use a smartphone camera. nine0003
In low light, use the creative shooting modes of a DSLR, mirrorless camera, or advanced compact camera to capture sharpness and detail that would otherwise take much more effort.
1. Use a wide aperture (small f-number) to capture all available light
Faster lenses allow more light to enter the image sensor, allowing you to shoot at faster shutter speeds while maintaining detail and without having to increase ISO, which is may cause digital noise to appear in the photograph. Taken on camera Canon EOS R6 with lens Canon RF 50mm F1.8 STM at 1/1250 sec, f/1.8 and ISO 1250. © Ejiro Dafe
If you have a manual camera, you can control its aperture in Aperture Priority (Av) mode.
Aperture allows you to adjust the amount of light that will enter the camera. In low-light conditions, you need to illuminate the subject as much as possible to get a good exposure and capture the details in the frame. To do this, use a wide aperture (small f-number). If the picture is still too dark (underexposure), using a slower shutter speed will also let in more light, but risk blurring the frame—see the section below for tips to help you capture sharp images. nine0003
However, the aperture setting affects more than just exposure. A wide aperture also results in a shallow depth of field, meaning that at small f-numbers, only a narrow portion of the scene will be in focus. This might be ideal for you if you shoot portraits in the wee hours and want to create an interesting blurred background, but if you want to capture the nuances of a cityscape at dusk, using a smaller aperture (larger f-number) will provide more depth of field, resulting in bringing most of the scene into focus.
To get a good exposure, you need to use a slower shutter speed. nine0003
Naturally, some lenses have a wider aperture than others and are called fast lenses. Among the excellent compact solutions for full-frame EOS R system mirrorless cameras such as the Canon EOS R6 and EOS RP, the Canon RF 35mm F1.8 MACRO IS STM lens is a great option for wide-angle shooting of city night views and other low-light scenes. The Canon RF 50mm F1.8 STM offers a more standard perspective (similar to what the human eye sees) and is ideal for spontaneous street photography at night, while the longer focal length Canon RF 85mm F2 MACRO IS STM is a great choice for portraiture in low light. nine0003
If you're working with a DSLR, the Canon EF 35mm f/2 IS USM lens helps you achieve natural perspective and effective handheld shooting with Image Stabilizer. The even faster aperture of the Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L II USM is exceptionally good in low light conditions. If you're using a DSLR with an APS-C sensor, such as the Canon EOS 850D, an EF-S lens such as the Canon EF-S 35mm f/2.
8 Macro IS STM is a great choice for shooting with a natural perspective. If you're looking for a natural but wider-angle perspective with an EOS M mirrorless camera like the EOS M50 Mark II, which also features an APS-C image sensor, check out the Canon EF-M 22mm f/2 STM pancake lens and fast lens Canon EF-M 32mm f/1.4 STM. nine0003
2. Increase the ISO value to increase the sensitivity to light
If you have set a wide aperture but your pictures still lack brightness, try increasing the ISO value. This increases the sensor's sensitivity to light, which is useful when shooting at night without a flash. The higher the ISO value, the higher the sensitivity. Canon's DSLR, mirrorless, and advanced compact cameras have larger image sensors, so they can shoot better images at higher ISOs than smaller-sensor cameras such as smartphones. nine0003
Full-frame CMOS image sensors in Canon mirrorless cameras such as the Canon EOS RP and EOS R6 produce exceptionally high quality images with little noise or graininess.
The APS-C image sensors in Canon's latest cameras are slightly smaller, but still deliver detailed, low-noise images even at very high ISOs, making them ideal for handheld shooting at night.
3. Take clear pictures
When shooting handheld in low light conditions, the image may be blurred. This usually happens when shooting with a camera with a slow shutter speed to capture light (shutter speed). Another benefit of using a wider aperture is that the more light that enters the lens, the faster the shutter speed can be used. This is important because the faster the shutter speed, the more dramatic movement you can capture without blurring. In good light, relatively still subjects can usually be shot at about 1/50th of a second, walking people require a slightly faster shutter speed of about 1/250th of a second, and even faster subjects should be photographed at 1/1000th of a second. or shorter. In low light conditions, a faster shutter speed is required. nine0003
In addition to subject movement, camera shake must be taken into account, and the longer the focal length, the more difficult it is to avoid camera shake when shooting handheld.
The rule of thumb is to start with the reciprocal of the focal length, so when using a 50mm lens, use a shutter speed of at least 1/50th of a second. or shorter; when using a 600mm lens, use 1/600 sec. etc. Using a lens with optical image stabilization allows you to use slower shutter speeds and still achieve the same level of clarity. nine0003
The Canon EOS R6 is equipped with Image Stabilization System (IBIS), which works in conjunction with Lens Stabilizer to produce ultra-clear handheld long exposure shots. You can also use the environment to reduce camera shake by leaning against a wall or placing the camera on a static surface. If you have a tripod, use it as it will give you the most freedom of action.
4. Get the most out of white balance
Adjusting white balance is a creative way to dramatically change the final look of images. Taken on a Canon EOS 7D (now succeeded by the Canon EOS 7D Mark II) with a Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM lens at 2.5 sec, f/11 and ISO100.
© Marcus Hawkins
In this version of the same photo, the white balance has been adjusted to give the rocks a more natural tint and the sky a deeper shade of blue. Taken on a Canon EOS 7D with a Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM lens at 21mm, 2.5 sec, f/11 and ISO100. © Marcus Hawkins
Auto white balance on Canon cameras delivers consistently accurate results when shooting in daylight, as well as decent results when shooting in low light. However, in low light, you can apply atmospheric visual effects to images using alternative white balance presets.
For example, when shooting cityscapes at dusk, the Incandescent white balance setting generally gives areas of the frame with artificial lighting a more neutral color temperature and deepens blue skies. If you want to bring out the warm undertone of artificial lighting, try switching to the Daylight white balance setting. nine0003
Many Canon cameras, including compact cameras such as the Canon PowerShot G5 X Mark II, support RAW shooting.
Select this option to change or adjust the white balance when processing images in your preferred RAW image processing program, such as Canon's powerful freeware Digital Photo Professional.
5. Light Effects
Mounting the camera on a tripod allows you to use slower shutter speeds and get enough light while maintaining excellent image quality. Of course, you will need help from the person being filmed, who will have to pose in a more static position, with minimal movement. Taken on a Canon EOS 850D with a Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM lens at 1/160 sec, f/2.8 and ISO100.
Slow shutter speeds are ideal for creating light streaks when shooting cars passing through the frame at night, turning ordinary compositions into incredible images. Taken on a Canon EOS R6 with a Canon RF 15-35mm F2.8L IS USM lens at 61 sec, f/16 and ISO400. © Lorenz Holder
You can always make night photos more dynamic by creating light streaks , the basis of which will be the rear lights of cars or the lights of fair carousels.
If you want to capture the movement of light in a photo, you will need a slow shutter speed of at least a few seconds, as well as mounting the camera on a tripod or stable surface. Experiment with different shutter speeds. Use the camera's self-timer or remote shooting to avoid camera shake when you press the shutter button. Many Canon cameras are equipped with Wi-Fi, allowing you to change settings and control the shutter from your smartphone using the Canon Camera Connect app. nine0003
6. Try burst mode
Burst (or continuous) shooting is ideal for capturing action scenes in low light, ensuring you always capture the perfect moment. Taken on a Canon EOS 7D Mark II with a Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM lens at 35mm, 1/1600 sec, f/8 and ISO3200. snapshots in a row at intervals of a fraction of a second. This is a useful feature for moving objects or very fast actions. If your camera has this feature, turn it on so you have a better chance of capturing action scenes in low light effectively.
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7. Best Cameras for Low Light Shooting
We have a wide range of cameras to suit every need and budget, ideal for shooting in low light, including the Canon EOS R6.
Canon EOS R6 is the ideal full-frame mirrorless camera for low light shooting
- High performance in-camera image stabilization
- Best-in-class autofocus system works in near-total darkness
- Impressive image quality at high ISO
Canon EOS RP is the best affordable mirrorless camera for night photography
- Full-frame image sensor for stunning low-light performance
- Improved AF in low light
- Competitive price for full frame mirrorless camera
The Canon EOS M50 Mark II is the perfect step forward for smartphone shooters
- Advantages of mirrorless cameras in a stylish and lightweight body with an APS-C format sensor
- Very low light AF down to -4EV and ISO 25600
- Special line of interchangeable compact lenses EF-M
Canon EOS 850D - new level of creative freedom, lightweight DSLR
- Lightweight 515g body ideal for outdoor night shooting
- 24.
1MP APS-C image sensor delivers superior image quality - Classic DSLR ergonomics and optical viewfinder for easy composition tracking
Canon PowerShot G5 X Mark II - compact, elegant and highly technical camera
- Powerful built-in 5x zoom (24-120mm equivalent)
- Compact yet powerful image sensor type 1.0
- Numerous night shooting modes, including Starry Sky Portrait, Starry Sky, Star Trail, Star Time-Lapse Movie and Handheld Night Scene
Check out more low light tips* from Redline Challenge mentor Lorenz Holder.
Author: Matthew Richards
*Only available in some languages.
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Mirrorless cameras
EOS R6
Whatever you shoot, the EOS R6 lets you unleash your creativity in new ways.
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Mirrorless cameras
EOS RP
Compact, lightweight and easy to use full-frame mirrorless camera designed for travel and everyday shooting.
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Standard lens
RF 50mm F1.8 STM
Compact, quiet and lightweight 50mm RF prime lens with a wide f/1.8 aperture, perfect for bringing your creative ideas to life.
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RF lenses
RF 35mm F1.8 MACRO IS STM
A fast f/1.8 35mm macro lens with a wide-angle perspective, close focusing distance and Hybrid IS. nine0003
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Lenses for digital SLR cameras
EF-S 35mm f/2.8 Macro IS STM
Innovative macro lens with a minimum working distance of 3 cm and built-in Macro Lite illumination to illuminate subjects.
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Lenses for EOS M
EF-M 32mm f/1.4 STM
Take your EOS mirrorless camera to the next level with this premium standard lens.
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Taking good pictures in bad light
Landscape photographers work primarily with natural light, which presents several problems.
For starters, the most beautiful lighting conditions last no more than a few hours a day. There are times when the sunset hides in the cloudy sky, preventing you from seeing the landscape in all its glory. When the sky is gray or the sun is directly overhead, it's hard to find inspiration for high quality photography. In this article, I want to share with you some of the tips that I myself use when photographing in poor lighting conditions - something that every photographer acquires with experience at some point. nine0003
Looking for colors
The beauty of the setting and rising sun creates a landscape of rich colors - in other words, the lighting provides the scene with color. When the sky is overcast, natural light does not produce the hues needed for a color-rich photograph. Therefore, to create a colorful image, you need to find a bright object.
Cloudy sky gives soft and gentle light. Use this feature to look for muted colors that won't show up in the intense sunset light - soft purples or blues, for example.
These colors can be very faint to stand out against a sunrise or sunset, but a cloudy day will give them a chance to shine. nine0003
After a thunderstorm, you can also take beautiful pictures with deeply saturated colors. Even with the gloomiest skies, the forest will always look bright and green after the rain - a wonderful recipe for a landscape photographer. Don't forget to bring a polarizing filter!
Nikon D7000 + 50 mm F/1.4 @ 50 mm , 13, F/11.0 9000 9000 9000
I isolated details
at least a beautiful landscap. at dawn, some detail-oriented photos work well on cloudy days. nine0003
In part, this is because overcast skies are very uniform - photographs rarely benefit from a featureless blob flying from above. And while overcast skies still have texture in some cases, it's important to ask yourself if they help your composition. If the sky is boring, it won't add interest to your photo.
On a cloudy day my telephoto lens is almost always on camera. This provides an additional opportunity to photograph wildlife, as well as other subjects can look great on an overcast day. While I prefer landscape photography when the sky is gray, I still keep a close eye on other details that need to be isolated. nine0003
Nikon D800E + 105 mm F/2.8 @ 105 mm , ISO 100, 1.6, f/16.0 2 9000 9000
Close focus . days should be aware of another possibility - the world of macro photography.
Overcast skies provide soft shadows, allowing you to see the true colors and hues of a subject at close range. Some macro photographers prefer to use a flash, of course, but clouds can also provide great light. nine0003
Colors in a macro scene are usually more saturated than at a distance due to the small amount of atmospheric haze between the lens and the subject.
Take advantage of this and look for bright objects to photograph - the macro world is full of colors.
Often you will find drops of water after a rainstorm. The geometric patterns of water droplets can be very pretty and are the perfect subject for an overcast day.
Nikon D 800 E + 105 mm F /2.8 @ 105 mm, ISO 400, 1/200, F /6.3 9000 9000 9000
BIGHT BAND BODEN the key issue is that your photos will lose their uniqueness. This problem is easy to solve - use a neutral density filter.
This filter is a tinted glass plate that allows you to use long exposures (several seconds) even during the day. nine0003
Of course, this filter is not applicable in every scene; for a set, in fact, it will have no effect. But when you have moving objects - clouds, water, people - a long exposure can produce a completely different image regardless of the light.
Long exposures also tend to bring out colors that are hard to see with the naked eye. If you set your camera to a slow shutter speed in the wee hours, even on overcast days, you will be pleasantly surprised by the amount of color in your photos. nine0003
Nikon D800E + 24 mm F/1.4 @ 24 mm , ISO 100, 30, f/4.0 2 9000
to on 9006 black - white
When a color in a scene is gray, I usually remove it. I don't want to downplay the importance of black and white photography - I often find it more effective and poetic than color photography - but many of my best monochrome images look boring in color. nine0003
Under cloudy skies, contrasting monochrome photographs still convey a sense of drama and beauty that would be impossible with the dull colors of overcast lighting. In part, this is because black and white photography is inherently surreal.
People love landscape photography that shows the world in an unusual way - more beautiful than they see every day. Sunsets certainly fit that bill, showing the landscape in colors rarely seen. Monochrome photography doesn't have the same brightness, but high-contrast black and white photos can stand out just as much as their saturated counterparts. nine0003
Perhaps this is the reason why contrasting black and white photography remains popular in the world of fine art. These photographs are simple in nature, but can be just as eye-catching as they are in color.
Nikon D800E + 24 mm F/1.4 @ 24 mm , ISO 100, 1/10, f/11.0 9000
SELLEMENTION SELLEMI All of these methods have been suggested for gloomy days. However, landscape photography also dreads the complete opposite—hard sunlight at noon. nine0003
This light is not as gloomy as overcast, but can be just as distressing.
On the one hand, it's hard to avoid harsh shadows and bright highlights, which turns the photo into a contrasting mess. On the other hand, in the middle of the day, the lighting is not particularly unique - only a few people will be delighted with the landscape in its most familiar form.
Although this is not to say that you should avoid taking pictures when the sun is directly overhead. You should only use the strength of direct rays as an advantage. nine0003
Personally, my first instinct is to find a shadow, which can lead to a very interesting composition. This technique can be tricky for large landscapes, but it works well for detail-oriented shots or cityscapes - shadows can add a unique touch to a scene.
Remember that you want to retain as much highlight detail as possible, even at the expense of darkening the shadows. Try lowering the exposure compensation - many famous street photos were taken in the middle of the day, with most of the image almost black. nine0003
Nikon D7000 + 17-55 mm F/2.
8 @ 38 mm , ISO 100, 1/320, f/8.0
At some point, every photographer finds himself in an amazing place, but with inappropriate lighting conditions. Although everyone wants to photograph a scene with beautiful light, only a few can wait days or weeks to capture it in the best possible way.
Of course, a gray day can be a great opportunity to process photos or wander around in search of new places. Indeed, many landscape photographers look for their new "treasures" when the light is dim. But many people, especially travel photographers, don't have the time to plan their shoot so far in advance. However, while good lighting is by definition better than gray light, photographers still have the ability to capture great shots when conditions aren't ideal. nine0003
The bottom line is that you need to recognize the lighting conditions in the scene and aim your shots to take full advantage of that light. During the midday sun, look for shadows to compose your composition.
