A low-light environment is one of the outdoor conditions that photography enthusiasts often encounter. It is also known as a low-light environment, which can produce good results, but it is often difficult to find the correct shooting skills.  Today, let’s learn some techniques and equipment for low-light photography.  

1. Selection of photographic equipment  

A low light environment often reduces the shutter speed, so the first thing to prepare is a stable tripod can, otherwise it is easy to produce jitter and blurred images;  As for the selection of PTZ collocation, it is recommended to match with the ball PTZ, because the ball PTZ is not only easy to shoot and drink fast control, for composition can also provide considerable help.  

In addition, the shutter release is also an indispensable auxiliary tool, because it can effectively avoid the instantaneous vibration caused by pressing the shutter, but also through the SHUTTER function of B to control the required exposure time, let you in the image creation can be more tempted, more hands-on;  As for the gradual dimmer part, it is used for exposure balancing.  

2. Low light photography technique

(1) Make good use of manual functions  

As both night scenes and morning and evening scenes are low-light and high-contrast scenes, out-of-focus situations often occur if AF is used for shooting. At this time, manual (MF) mode must be replaced in time to overcome the out-of-focus situation.  

Manual focus control mode is quite simple, as long as the switch MF mode after filming, aim the lens focal length infinity, then the focusing ring back a little bit can achieve focus, if readers don’t feel comfortable with it, suggest that can try to take an image, reuse local watch camera zoom function, so that can avoid the problem of image out-of-focus.  In addition, if your camera has built-in focus assist (a small dot in the viewfinder that lights up to indicate that it is in focus), you can also use this feature to confirm focusing.  

Based on experience, will be used in M manual exposure mode as the main mode of filming, because at night or twilight scene light source Is too miscellaneous, if the camera’s automatic interpretation alone to determine the aperture and shutter speed data, to be honest, or some inappropriate, so suggest that readers, with the permission of the ability it is best to start with the study of M,  This makes it easier to create the desired image effect.  

(2) Choose the appropriate exposure according to the subject  

Night photography must be based on the target of the correct use of exposure mode so that you can make the ideal image.  For one thing, if you just want to take a few night photos as a souvenir, you can use automatic exposure mode or P (Program). But if you want to take a charming image with hazy beauty, it is recommended to use aperture prior (AV), shutter prior (TV), or manual exposure mode (M), because it is better to pass through manual control.  Can make the image effect more different variation.  

(3) Determine the appropriate value according to the different manifestations  

Using the aperture size can also play a variety of changes in low light conditions, for example, small aperture, due to a wide focus range, so if used in the night shooting, it is easier to shoot a large area of clear image, but also to capture the single point of light emitted by the star effect; 

To light circle is bigger, because the focus range relatively becomes smaller, so the voice is very easy to pat forward fuzzy or behind the image, can make the image presents a unique kind of hazy feeling, especially against the background of light more floating out, but must pay attention to is that large aperture is not suitable for the big scene shooting, and suit to sketch or local photography,  In this way, its charm can be fully expressed.  

(4) slow shutter speed as the basis for the performance of photography idle  

In addition to the large aperture of shooting fun, using the slow shutter can create different visual effects, because of the slow shutter to capture moments of light and shadow line, so, on the issue of the night, the scene can be injected into a unique vitality, to play a homely scene, for example, take car rail is slow shutter technique of expression, although photography skill is not high, it can give the image a completely different feeling.  

For one thing, the photographer only needs to reduce the aperture to F11~F16, and control the shutter in 4 ~ 8 seconds, and then modify the shutter time according to the image taken. However, it should be noted that as the city nighttime light source is relatively complex, a gradual dimming lens can be used to assist the correction during shooting, to effectively avoid the occurrence of local over-dark or over-exposure of the image.  

(5) The night view from the top  

Look down at night at the will of amorous feelings, also is a pretty good view of the subject, take back as long as in city looking for a building by looking down on filming, can produce, but want to clap a perfect image can not imagine that simple, not only must consider in the process of filming indoor reflections of the light source, will also have to take hold appropriate clap back Angle,  That’s how the image works.  

3. Matters needing attention for low-light photography  

Candlelight shooting, it is best to be able to shoot in the evening, when the light, there is some brightness, the choice of scenery will be more, and the picture elements will be rich;  

Because it is shot in low light, relying only on the light of candles will cause a lot of details to be lost. If possible, it is suggested to find other light sources as an auxiliary when shooting.  For example, more candles, flashlights, reflectors, lamps, flashlights, and so on;  

For subjects like this, emotion is very important. The physical expression, emotional expression, and eye expression of models will directly affect the description of the theme.  

For details to stand out, try to choose light foreground, background, clothing.  Not only is it easy to show details, but it also has a reflective effect.  Shoot as quickly as possible, otherwise, the candles will burn out.