Critical Tips for Low Light Photography

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Capturing pictures in low light can result in amazing images, or it can be an exercise in futility. Follow these critical low light photography tips for making amazing photos in various low light photography situations and avoid the frustration of some of the common issues.

As we examine our low light photography ideas, I’ll also show you some great low light photography gear and talk about some useful low light photography settings you can use for making your own great images.

The Joys of Low Light Photography

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Low light photography is a lot of fun. I enjoy the results and all the steps leading up to presenting the final image. I’m wagering a lot of you do, too.

For my definition of low light photography, I will exclude adding lights or a flash unit to brighten the scene. Instead, I see low light photography as capturing the scene with just me and my camera and some way to keep the camera still.

Using a flash or adding a light can be an easy solution that often alters what I see as the magic of a low light scene. In fact, unless it’s done really well, adding an external light source can completely change the feel of the final image.

That being said, there is nothing at all wrong with adding artificial light to a scene. But then, this becomes a discussion about lighting or flash use. For low light photography, I’m relying on capturing natural light.

Interestingly, if you’ve ever been on a movie set when they are shooting a “low light” scene, you’ll notice how much lighting gear is in use. Sometimes it’s more equipment than in a standard scene. The cinematographer, the guy in charge of the lighting configurations, may have some focused spots on one or two actors’ faces, and there are as many baffles and scrims as there are reflectors and lights.

Seeing how much effort it takes to mimic a naturally occurring low light scene for cinema gives me more appreciation for the natural light we see all around us, including in a low light photography situation, which is what we’re attempting to capture in our still images of low light scenes and situations.

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Camera Settings for Low Light Photography

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The optimum low light photography settings for our cameras are sometimes counterintuitive. We’re thinking, “open that lens aperture all the way,” and “use the fastest lens I have,” or “raise up the ISO so the settings fall into place.”

Those are all workable ideas, by the way. Sometimes that is the way to go. But, often, the wide-open aperture of a super fast lens doesn't give me enough focus depth. Or the higher ISO introduces too much noise.

So, I opt for a moderate lens aperture, often choosing the sweet spot aperture for the best optical performance. And while my newer cameras have excellent high ISO quality, I pull back a little to ensure my shadow areas don’t look noisy. Unless that’s the effect I’m trying to get, that is.

This means that the shutter speeds for proper exposure may be on the slow side. You can hold a camera at longer shutter speeds with proper technique and practice. If your camera has image stabilization technology, that can help out quite a bit. Play around with your camera with shake reduction turned on and turned off to see what your personal limits are.

Low Light Photography Gear Options

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Your low light photography gear choices can greatly affect what you can accomplish as a final image result. For best performance, you want to have as large a sensor as you can. The three most popular sensor sizes, MFT, APS-C, and Full Frame, all will produce wonderful images, but there is a definite performance difference with the larger Full Frame sensor holding the edge.

Another interesting fact is that a lower megapixel (MP) count is better for low light photography than a comparable-size sensor with a high pixel count. Both of these sensor qualities are due to individual pixel sizes. A 12MP Full Frame sensor has larger pixels than a 24MP MFT or APS-C sensor, making the first sensor better regarding low light performance.

Image stabilization features are great for many low light photography situations. Some newer mirrorless cameras have 5 to 7 stops of added stability, usable with virtually any lens. Put all of this together, and you can see that several cameras in the current lineup of Full Frame format mirrorless cameras from Canon, Nikon, Panasonic, and Sony are low light photography powerhouses.

If you’re already using other Full Frame cameras or APS-C and MFT format cameras, many also provide excellent low light performance. Really, any camera can be used for great low light photography when you use good technique or a camera mount of some type.

Since your shutter speeds can be on the slow side of the dial when shooting in low light, a portable stability device such as a monopod, a travel tripod, or the OctoPad camera mount becomes a valuable accessory.

OctoPad is a handy item that should be in your low light photography gear bag. It’s more compact than a travel tripod and steadier than a monopod. OctoPad is a compact, flat disk of heavy-duty, weighted material with a ball head attached to the top.

Underneath is a non-slip pad that allows your camera to be placed on the uneven surfaces we may find in low light photography, even if that surface is angled up to 45 degrees. It can hold a large camera still for the long shutter speeds we use in lower light levels. I have found that OctoPad is also a must-have accessory for videography.

Low Light Photography Creative Ideas

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Having good low light photography gear and implementing these low light photography tips will put you in a position to capture some great images. So, what should you photograph? Here are some ideas:

Night landscapes
Concerts, indoors and outdoors
Street lamp portraits
Bars and restaurants
Night cityscapes
Car photography
Boudoir and glamour
Libraries
Classic architecture
Window light portraits
Street scenes
Wildlife at dusk or dawn
Blue Hour and Golden Hour
Storms
Still life
Weddings and receptions
Sports events

Take any of these low light photography subject ideas and change them up by exposing them for high-key or low-key photography. Also, do any of these in black and white. You’ll enjoy the results and the process of getting those awesome low light photography images.

Low Light Photography FAQs

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Do I need specialized gear for low light photography?

No, any camera with adjustable settings can be used for low light photography. However, some cameras are better suited for low light imaging, such as larger sensor cameras and faster lenses.

If my shutter speeds for correct exposure are long, how can I capture clear and sharp low light images?

Some method for steadying the camera is optimal for low light photography. Built-in image stabilization can be used in many situations, or a small camera mount like a travel tripod, monopod, or OctoPad can be used.

Should I use the highest ISO my camera has?

The highest ISO settings on digital cameras may not be best because of the increased noise this causes, which can degrade the image. However, higher ISO settings than what is typically used for daylight scenes are a good idea.

Where can I find more tips and techniques for making great images?

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