Ten Tips to Hand-Held Low-Light Photography: Fast Shutters, Stopped Down F-stops, and High ISOs

There are times in photography, when all you can do is your best. Even then, it may not be enough.

Take, for example, the Canon 7D. It is a marvel of a camera. Eight frames per second of DSLR heaven. The 7D is the flagship of Canon "crop-sensor" cameras, and is often considered a "prosumer" camera. With an 18 megapixel sensor and dual processors, the 7D is built to perform. Made of magnesium alloy, the 7D is also built to handle rugged conditions.

But the 7D has limitations.

In low-light conditions, the 7D struggles. Color rendition is of poor quality and the amount of grainy noise in the photo, is enough to notice from far away. Far-away subjects in low-light, are undefined and sometimes a bit contrastless.

So, how do 7D shooters adjust? Is it possible to offset the 7D's low-light capabilities? I believe so. And these next few tips will explain the way to use the 7D in tough light.

Tip 1:
Shoot black & white. Set the 7D to Monochrome, and what we see is the same grain, but without the color distortion. Use contrast editing to eliminate some of the noise and grain.

Tip 2:
Shoot superfast shutter speeds. The reason for this is that we want crisp photos. Shoot an ISO that can get fast shutters with reasonable apertures.

Tip 3:
When shooting in color, use the White Balance to help with proper exposure. Fluorescent indoor lighting is a situation where WB can be dialed in correctly, even though Auto WB is a decent option.

Tip 4:
Make use of any light source. Use it to frame and light your subject. Shooting outdoors at night, for example, would mean using streetlamps and such.

Tip 5:
Stopped down f-stops. What this means is, even if you are shooting a fast lens like the Canon EF 50mm f1.4, stopping down will have better focused images with greater depths of field, and in turn, better shots.

Tip 6:
Use contrast to create images that pop. In the skate photo above, a high ISO and fast shutter was combined with the parklamps and the contrasted scene. Look for these angles and opportunities.

Tip 7:
Most DSLRs have a custom mode. Use it to save the low-light settings that you like to shoot with. Take notes about grainy photos and how your camera settings affect noise. Use the Custom setting to instantly shoot in low-light.

Tip 8:
Don't be afraid to use super-high ISOs like 12,800 and higher. Fast shutters and correct apertures are more important.

Tip 9:
Photoshop or any editing software that can help with editing noise and color. Learn the post process, as editing is the icing on cake photos.

Tip 10:
Get out and shoot. Just go get some photos.

All photos COPYRIGHT Ronald Borst