Low Light Photography: 6 Essential Tips for Beginners

Low Light Photography Tips

While the internet often highlights the magical moments of the golden hour and newborns enveloped in an angelic glow, much of life's most significant moments happen in less-than-ideal lighting conditions.  From the harsh midday sun where kids discover the world to intimate evening routines under dim household lights, meaningful moments rarely wait for perfect lighting.

For example, photographing my friend Mandi's twins meeting their new baby brother WASN'T under the ideal glow of daylight but in the fluorescent lights of a hospital at night.  It wasn’t the light I hoped for, but the emotions and intimacy captured were even more meaningful.

Join me as we explore practical tips and techniques for mastering low-light photography and learn how to adjust your camera settings effectively to ensure you capture the true essence of each moment, no matter the lighting conditions.

Tip 1: Embrace Higher ISO Settings

Does the idea of turning up your ISO make you uneasy?  You're not alone—many photographers hesitate to push their ISO settings. 

Since the twins were super active and moved around a lot during my friend's hospital session, I adjusted my ISO between 2500 and 6400 to keep up with their movements.  This allowed me to maintain a fast shutter speed and wide aperture to capture fleeting moments under challenging conditions.

While it's true that higher ISO settings can degrade image quality, the alternative might mean missing the shot entirely.  In my view, capturing the moment trumps perfect image quality, and tools like Lightroom can minimize noise introduced by higher ISO settings, ensuring that you still end up with usable, beautiful photos.

Tip 2: Use a Faster Lens

When the light is low, every bit of brightness counts.  That's why using a lens with a wider aperture, often referred to as a 'faster' lens, can be a game changer.  Lenses that open up to f/1.4, f/1.8, or f/2.8 let in significantly MORE LIGHT than your typical kit lens, which might only open to f/3.5 or smaller.  This extra light can make the difference between a sharp, well-exposed shot and one that's blurry or too dark due to a slow shutter speed.

While these lenses can be pricier, the versatility and quality they add to your low-light photography are well worth the cost.  Whether capturing a quiet indoor event or shooting in the dim light of dusk, a faster lens will be your best friend.

Tip 3: Shoot in RAW for Maximum Control

Don't let your camera make permanent decisions for you—shoot in RAW!  While JPEG files are convenient, they compress and process your images in-camera, sometimes at the cost of precious detail and flexibility, especially in low-light conditions.

The RAW format, on the other hand, captures all data from the sensor, providing the flexibility to adjust exposure and white balance significantly in post-processing.  RAW files offer control over your images in low light, where perfecting shadows and highlights is critical.

Tip 4: Pay Attention to White Balance

Dealing with white balance can be a hassle, but it's crucial, especially in difficult lighting conditions. 

If you're comfortable correcting white balance in post-processing, shooting in auto white balance (WB) might be sufficient—many cameras perform quite well in auto mode.

However, consider setting your white balance manually using the Kelvin scale for more consistent results across your entire shoot.  This approach gives you complete control over the white balance, ensuring uniformity throughout your photos and reducing the need for corrections later on.

Tip 5: Consider Black & White for Dramatic Impact

In low-light photography, the presence of color can sometimes obscure the emotions or details you are trying to capture.  This was particularly true during my hospital photoshoot with Mandi's twins and their new baby brother, where converting images to black and white significantly heightened the emotional impact, eliminating the distraction of inconsistent lighting colors.

Black and white photography does more than remove color—it can enhance narrative depth by focusing on contrasts, light, and shadows, making it a fantastic tool for deepening the emotional resonance of a scene.  Additionally, it helps to manage high ISO noise, which tends to be less pronounced in black and white.

If you're dealing with challenging lighting and conflicting colors, consider if black and white could better convey the story you want to tell.

Tip 6: Edit With Your Light in Mind

I often describe my editing style as an "enhanced vintage version of real life"—a notion that surely should exist!  Even though I have a fondness for specific tones and color schemes, adapting these to the lighting conditions of the photo is crucial.  For example, maintaining a light and airy style in a dark, artificially lit hospital room would be nearly impossible.

For my dimly lit hospital session, I was so excited to use the Pretty Presets Bella Baby Newborn Preset Collection, and they turned out great.  In particular, I used the Pat-a-Cake preset + contrast for my color edits and the Hushabye preset for the black and white photos.  These presets matched my style beautifully and handled the challenging hospital lighting superbly, making most adjustments nearly effortless with one click.  I only needed to fine-tune exposure and shadows, and add a bit of grain to perfect the images.

Conclusion

We all would love to live in a world where the light is always perfect, like those images on the internet, but real life is far more complex and rewarding. 

These tips should help you feel more confident and creative in low-light situations, ensuring you keep shooting and capturing those irreplaceable moments, even when the lighting conditions aren't ideal.

Do you have any questions or comments about Low Light Photography?  Leave us a comment below - we would love to hear from you!  And PLEASE SHARE this post using the social sharing buttons (we really appreciate it)!