Low Light PhotographyLesson 2
When most of us think of low light photography, our immediate thought is to use the flash.Flash certainly has its place, but 35mm (film) and SLR (Single Lens Reflex) Digital cameras as well as others have adjustments that allow more light to enter the lens which permits low light shots. In this lesson we will discuss the adjustments for the f stop. The f stop controls the aperture opening. We will also see how the shutter speed assists with low light photography shots like the one above. Using the f stop and shutter speed adjustments without adding flash often produces a photograph with more warmth and atmosphere.
F Stop Adjustments
In photography the aperture refers to the diameter of the aperture stop rather than the opening itself. Your adjustment to the aperture stop is what controls the size of the opening. The size of the opening determines how much light reaches the Digital Camera's sensor (or the film in a traditional camera).
The image on the left(Aperture 1) shows a large aperture opening on the top, and (Aperture 2) a small aperture on the bottom.
The diagram below demonstrates the f stop increments starting with a large opening allowing a lot of light to a small opening which permits much less light. The chart could continue to f32 which is a tiny opening allowing very little light.
Depth of Field
f/1.4 to f/4 allows a great deal of light to enter the camera. These settings make low light photography more of an option, but there is a price. Any motion in your subject or yourself will be magnified. To compensate, it is helpful to increase your shutter speed. A tripod will also be of great assistance! In the photo to the right, the flower is sharp while the background is blurred creating a shallow depth of field. This was accomplished by using an f/5.6 aperture and a fast shutter speed (90 and above). The result draws the viewers attention to the flower.
The photograph of the jonquil on the left was shot at f/32 which is a narrow aperture and with a slow shutter speed (30 and below). Note the increase in the depth of field (DOF) compared to the photo on the right.
The DOF is determined in part by the distance of the camera from the subject, and the f stop.
On this camera the adjustment will appear on the top screen just below the Shutter Speed dial. For example if the f stop dial is moved to f/16, then f/16 will appear on the screen. If you would like a much more detailed explanation of Shutter Speed with an vivid interactive demonstration, please CLICK ON the camera. On Wikipedia's Shutter Speed page, just hover over the waterfall and watch what happens! EXPERIMENT! Experimentation is very easy with a digital camera. You will see the results immediately!
CLICK HERE for Lesson 1 which describes the correct ISO adjustment to use for high speed photography or low light photography. We greatly appreciate your feedback, comments and questions. Just use the form on the bottom of this page to contact us. If you would like to be notified when the next update occurs, you can subscribe to this site at the top left corner of this page. Thank you for stopping in at Joyful Expressions Photography Art. We value your time, and will do our best to make your visit worthwhile. Warmly, Tom & Beth JOYFUL EXPRESSIONS PHOTOGRAPHY ART New! CommentsHave your say about what you just read! Leave me a comment in the box below. |
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