Low Light Photography Question

[johnnyjohnson2043]

I just recently bought a Digital Rebel XS and have been reading every book I can find on the subject of photography. It’s an exciting and fascinating hobby and I have truly enjoyed myself so far but as I read more and more into the subject one image continues to haunt me from my point and shoot days. My girlfriend (now wife) visited Universal Orlando a few years back with an old school Nikon Coolpix (3.1MP) and captured some great memories. There, of course were some duds, as I knew little about photography at the time but one photo sticks in my mind. The attached pic is a shot taken at Universal’s CityWalk after dark. The first problem, obviously, is that I didn’t use a tripod therefore the horrible camera shake. That is an easy fix, however. My wife and I will be returning to Universal in June and I really want to recreate this picture. Any tips? The colors are amazing and I don’t want to lose the lighting. My first thought is that I need a faster shutter speed as to cut down on blur but then I realized that the background is also an important part of the picture so a smaller aperture might be wise. I read that in aperture priority I can fix the shutter speed to 1/200 with the flash on and was wondering if doing so would be wise. I realize that the flash might take away from the “natural” lighting of the setting. If I step back and zoom in is it possible to lose the effects of the flash? Is there a much simpler way and I am just thinking too much about it? Thanks for any tips you might be able to bring to the table.

[AB8ND]

In a case like this, I would get a good exposure for the background, trying to keep the shutter speed no slower than 1/15th. Put the camera on Tv 1/15th second note the f stop, you might want to set the ISO at 400 maybe 200 will do, shoot picture of the background, this is a good starting point, check the back to see if is what you want. Now set the camera on M with the shutter as above and the noted f stop, if you think the 1st pix was a bit off adjust either shutter or f stop to you liking. Now with the background set, turn on the flash and shoot the wife, you might need to use the flash compensation a little, but probably not. Even at this slow a shutter speed the flash will stop any motion on your subject and any blur on the background should blend in with the depth of field blur anyway. With an external flash set on manual this works very well.
Then again the easy way is to try setting camera on "night portrait", but you will need to hold steady or a tripod.

Jack

[Chris]

I would set the ISO to 1600, change to manual mode and set the aperature as open as possible (smallest number f stop) and then play with the shutter speed to get what you want

[johnnyjohnson2043]

I would set the ISO to 1600, change to manual mode and set the aperature as open as possible (smallest number f stop) and then play with the shutter speed to get what you want

I always worry about too much noise when using higher ISO's but I guess I can always edit it out. It would give me a little more leeway on the shutter speed, though. I will probably take a few test shots to determine what the best exposure might be. As for a wide open aperture, I don't want the depth of field to be too shallow as I was hoping for some background detail. I guess I will probably have to compromise, though; a smaller aperture for a higher shutter speed.

[Chris]

Or bring a tripod and ask your wife to stand very still

[bobbyz]

Camera in manual exposure mode. ISO at highest setting to get the ambient. Use flash for the subject. No Tv, Av thing.

[johnnyjohnson2043]

Obviously a tripod is imperative. I won't make that mistake again. As for manual exposure, I am going to have to become more familiar with the settings over the next couple of months. I guess I have been playing it safe by using Av or Tv. I'm not to familiar with M. Thanks for the replies everyone. I'll post the results later.

[IslandCrow]

I like AB8ND's suggestion (mainly because that's exactly what I was thinking). Also, I'm not sure you want the background detail as much as you might think. It sounds to me like it's the colors you're really after. That particular background is rather busy, and I think you need to decide who your real subject is. . .the background or your wife (yes, that's a trick question). I'd actually go with a wider aperature and let it soften the background. I'd also go with a lower ISO (200-400 as suggested by AB8ND) to keep the image of your wife nice and sharp in the photo. Of course, you'll want to play around with this before you actually get out there. It's not as tough as it probably sounds, but it's one of those things you really have to just do to fully understand.

[dj.kickz]

this might be a little above your experience level but I would gel the flash for whatever the ambient lightning is (halogen or florescent street lights) so that it doesn't mess up the color you're going for.

[johnnyjohnson2043]

I'll have to read up on that in the future. I'm probably not ready for that yet. Thanks for the help, though.

On a related note, can anyone tell me if those "trek-pods" or similar products are any good as an alternative to a tripod? I'm sure there is just no replacing a tripod in many cases but they do take a little more space.

[factorgrimm]

Remember, it's better to have a grainy and (reasonably) sharp shot than one that's blurry, or no shot at all!

ISO noise is something the photographer sees more than the viewer, in my opinion. With good composition and exposure the subject will capture the viewer more than the ISO noise.

[codearachnid]

in low light the best is to crank the up the iso shoot as wide open as possible. If you're walking around a lot - tripods are a pita - so look at a sturdy and portable monopod instead. Also if you want to get creative with a tripod you can paint with an external flash gun. Or drag the shutter and use an external flash source to brighten up/freeze your subject while still allowing the background to come through. Check out this link for more on dragging the shutter http://www.planetneil.com/tangents/flash-photography-techniques/3-dragging-the-shutter/

[jacuff]

Already suggested, but this is how I'd probably do it.

Camera in M. Camera on a tripod.
ISO somewhere between 100 and 400.
Aperture around f/4 or f/5.6 and focus on your wife.
Shutter speed should probably be in the ballpark of 1/15, 1/8, or even as long a 1". (Using evaluative metering, expose for ambient and maybe even drop it a stop. Adjust ISO and/or SS to get the needle to -1.)
Use a flash to light up your wife. When done properly, flash really helps to enhance the natural look and will not mess up the natural lighting as long as you expose for it properly. Flash will help to freeze any movement from your wife so you can get by with the lower shutter speeds.

Another method is to do it in two shots... both your camera on a tripod and not moving. Take a photo without your wife at ISO 100, no flash, and f/16. The take a photo with your wife at ISO 100, flash, and f/16. Using photoshop or some other editing program, layer the photos so that the picture of her taken with the flash is the bottom layer and the picture of the background is the top layer. Then erase away the top layer where see is standing to reveal her in the bottom layer. This is a little more advanced and doesn't get it in one shot, but still another alternative way of getting the shot.