Tips for taking pictures in low light (++++karma)

Perma

Perma

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is it possible to do without strobes or making your iso really high (which lowers the image quality)? I'm talking about like someone sitting by a window with only a small amount of sunlight coming through the window and nowhere else. anything will be appreciated. thanks
 
tripod, shoot wide open, open up that shutter and have them hold really really still. The only other thing I'd suggest is make sure you're on a really low iso (50-100) otherwise the long shutter speed can generate a lot of noise (your camera might have a solution, check the manual to see if there is a noise reduction setting for long exposures). Pretty straightforward, just click, review, repeat.
 
The only thing to watch out for when you do a long shutter near a window is that the window might become overblown - this can sometimes work to your advantage for a nice effect, depending on the the angle to the window.
Do you not want to use strobes or do you not have any? Using any sort of soft light on the person's face can help, even if it is a desk lamp (although the light from the window will be bluish and the lamp will be yellow...). Worst comes to worst you can tweak in post-production.
The optimal way to do it (if you had access to lighting and such) would be to use a low key light on the face with a blue filter on it (and probably a diffuser like a sheet of "tough spun"). The blue filter would make it all look like the light was from the window.
 
yes that would work but im looking for those crisp portraits, the ones where it looks like it was shot like 1/125 of a second
 
gotta get that light in there somewhere, and the only options are really
more lightslower shutterwider aperturemore sensitive film/sensor or bring it out in the darkroom or photoshop
you could get a lens with a really wide aperture, but remember that kills your DOF too.
 
if you're having problems with the picture being blurry, just make sure the camera doesn't move, using a tripod or a flat surface and holding it steady.
 
I normally shoot manually at increase the exposure (and the ISO). As long as you hold the camera steady (get a tripod or find something similar) you can produce good (and atmospheric) shots. I certainly prefer to shoot without flash and use natural light where possible.
 
1. tripod and long exposure, obviously if you're shooting a person, and their alive, they'll probably be moving, which will blur if its too long.

2. use a reflector or two or three. bounce that light back in there!

3. maybe put the ISO up a little bit. (400-800)

4. shoot RAW and photoshop the hell out of it.
 
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