Shooting Nightscapes and Other Tips on Shooting in Low Light
Have you ever tried taking a picture with a nightscape in the background only to have the background come out dark and unrecognizable? This section describes how to shoot the subject and the background nightscape clearly.
Attention:
- It is advisable to use a tripod when shooting in a dark place. If you do not use a tripod, your shot is more likely to be out of focus.
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1. Try shooting with a nightscape as the background.
Shooting Mode : <Auto> (
) / Flash : [Flash On] (
)
Although there was an illuminated statue behind the subject, it was dark and unrecognizable. The built-in flash range of digital cameras is around 5 or 6 m, so the flash is effective for people nearby, but the flash does not reach the distant statue. For this reason, the distant statue becomes dark and unrecognizable if using the flash for shooting such a nightscape.
2. Try shooting in [Night Snapshot] mode (
) when shooting in a dark place.
Shooting Mode : [Night Snapshot] () / Flash : [Flash On] ()
In [Night Snapshot] mode (), the flash illuminates the nearby subject and the slow shutter speed captures the background. This makes it possible to shoot the subject proper brightness by using the flash, while the background can be shot with only available light.
The shutter speed slows down when shooting in dark places regardless of whether [Night Snapshot] mode () is used. Because of this, camera shake may occur if your camera has a function to compensate for camera shake.
Shooting Mode : [Night Snapshot] () / Flash : [Flash On] ()
It is advisable to use a tripod and self-timer to prevent a camera shake reliably. When using a tripod and self-timer, it is not necessary to touch the camera at all, so this makes it possible to prevent even the slightest camera shake, such as the vibration that occurs when you touch the shutter button. Please refer to the related information at the button of this page on how to set the self-timer.
There are some highly portable tripods, such as those shown below, that are convenient to carry around for this purpose.
There are also tools that make it possible to use a plastic bottle as a tripod, as shown below. These are even more compact and convenient to carry around than a tripod.
