Tips for indoor low light shooting?

irlirishkev

Hi there,

Can anyone give me any tips or hints on how to take better shots when indoor with low lighting. I'm not talking dark.. just not very bright.
I was at a party a while back and was trying my best, but they all turned out, well, sh*te tbh..
I hate using a flash cos it takes away the ambience and colours that I'm trying to capture.
Pics were either too blurry (shutter open too long) or too noisy (ios 800 to 1000). Everyone expects great pics when you have a decent camera, but I'm too embarrassed to show these to anyone!

Nikon D80 with a Sigma DG28-300mm lens. That's all I have.

Thanks.

pixbyjohn

you really need a faster lens, an f1.8 or better still f1.4. Your Sigma is f3.5 at 28mm.

Fenster

Buy a flash gun. Honestly. Everything else is just a workaround that won't fix the problem.

5uspect

Bounced flash with a diffuser or gels should help you retain the soft light you're looking for.

squareballoon

A decent, directional flash with a diffuser won't comprise you too much. I have a Gary Fong diffuser on my speedlite 580ex and it's not a harsh flash type light at all.
They only thing I don't like about using a flash is that people are more aware that you're taking their photo.

DaireQuinlan

squareballoon wrote: »

A decent, directional flash with a diffuser won't comprise you too much. I have a Gary Fong diffuser on my speedlite 580ex and it's not a harsh flash type light at all.
They only thing I don't like about using a flash is that people are more aware that you're taking their photo.

Only afterwards though

irlirishkev

Thanks for the help guys..
I had a look at a few reviews of the Nikon 50mm f1.8. Got good write ups so went and got one. I couldn't afford the 1.4.
I'll probably bite the bullet and get a directional flash aswell..

pixbyjohn

I'll probably bite the bullet and get a directional flash aswell..

Flashes that suit your D80> SB600, SB800 or the really expensive SB900.

jjoconnor

irlirishkev wrote: »

Thanks for the help guys..
I had a look at a few reviews of the Nikon 50mm f1.8. Got good write ups so went and got one. I couldn't afford the 1.4.
I'll probably bite the bullet and get a directional flash aswell..

you should be fine with the 50mm 1.8. the d80 will take a higher 1600 iso as well if you're shooting at 1.8, and you'll also get a nicer DOF. you should probably stick the shutter speed somewhere between 1/50 & 1/250 and you'll have enough light coming in without getting blur.

problem with having a flash gun is it attracts attention and when people are aware you've a big camera it's harder to get sneaky, candid shots....

AnimalRights

irlirishkev wrote: »

I hate using a flash cos it takes away the ambience and colours that I'm trying to capture.

If you use a flash and then PP in it in PS or Lightroom you can get very suitable results where you can't tell flash was used.

Simplicius

AnimalRights wrote: »

If you use a flash and then PP in it in PS or Lightroom you can get very suitable results where you can't tell flash was used.

that shot had flash written all over it !

AnimalRights

I maybe should have meant it has none of that white bright sharp light, such as...

Borderfox

Still looks like loads of flash Janer!!

AnimalRights

Ok let's start again.
The difference between my 1st and 2nd picture is...

#2 you can see the flash ruin the picture on the guys face.
#1 For me doesn't have that harsh flash and captures a mood.

Now I've re-read the 1st post and by the replies obviously it's just pure ambiance they are on about.

irlirishkev

AnimalRights wrote: »

Now I've re-read the 1st post and by the replies obviously it's just pure ambiance they are on about.

That's pretty much it tbh.. nice warm indoor candids. Appreciate the posts though. It all counts :-)

democrates

It's all down to taste of course but I've been trying to master muted flash indoors for natural skin tones, otherwise even using tungsten wb it often turns out there's a mix of colour temps from the lights, eg smoking areas where street sodium mixes with pub lamps and you end up with muck (he said bitterly). Also for control though, I really like the first shot there AR that's exactly the look I'm chasing, been using a bounce but I'm still getting shine on sweaty faces, need to work out this diffusion properly!

That said we've also seen some great gig shots here without flash and with everything soaked in stage light coming through garish gels, a handy option when the smoke machine hampers flash...

Sleepy

Don't be afraid to really drop the shutter speed low. You can get lucky with slow shutter speeds at times.

irlirishkev

Sleepy wrote: »

Don't be afraid to really drop the shutter speed low. You can get lucky with slow shutter speeds at times.

True.. I have been lucky at times, but it's so annoying when you go to capture a moment and then only afterwards, see that it's blurry or fuzzy. I'd love to get it right every time (if that's possible!)

AnimalRights

democrates wrote: »

Also for control though, I really like the first shot there AR that's exactly the look I'm chasing, been using a bounce but I'm still getting shine on sweaty faces, need to work out this diffusion properly!

Yep this is the main problem I have, especially shooting energetic Punk Rock front men such as Paranoid Visions Deco Dachau. (I can fix most of this in Lightroom now though as I've switched from Canon's own DPP software)



Early shot b4 I learned to disguise flash.

Was thinking of telling him to slow down but the guy's been a lunatic for the last 30+ years.