A Shot in the Dark
Some may think that shooting in low light or after dark is not possible, but in many cases, the lack of light may allow you to create an artsy, vignetted scene bathed in pools of light. Following are six tips, and a couple cautions, for shooting video after the sun goes down.
Tip 1: Use a Wide-angle Lens Setting
You can get better shots in low light by using the short end of your lens. Depth of field (that is, the amount (or depth) of your shot that is in focus) and actual lens crispness is greater with wide angle focal lengths; as you zoom in, especially in low light, it may be very difficult to focus on your subject at all. It's much better to stay wide and move your camera closer. You may save yourself 2 or 3 f-stops of gain enhancement and have a clearer, less-grainy shot.
Tip 2: Avoid Zooming You will do well to not zoom for the same reason: As you increase the focal length (by zooming in), you greatly reduce the amount of light actually making it into the camera. Rather than zooming with the lens, maintain the wide focal setting and dolly the camera closer to your subject.
Tip 3: Focus Manually
Auto-focusing lenses are easily confused in dark shots, so disable the auto-focus feature of your camera and focus manually. You can usually zoom in, find your focus on the subject, then zoom out to your desired framing (in this case, the widest angle focal length possible) to begin your…
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