Shoot Better Low-Light Digital Photos

Indoor, low-light photography is not always as simple as point and shoot, even with the latest digital cameras. The following tips can help you take better indoor digital photographs in every kind of low-light situation.

Avoid Using the Flash When You Can

Although using a flash seems to be the obvious solution to low light digital photography, digital flash images have their downsides. Not only will a flash interfere with the setting, it also tends to flatten images, distort colors and wash out skin tones. This problem is especially apparent with the cheap, built-in flashes on most compact digital cameras.

The first thing pros will suggest is to increase your camera's ISO setting, or its "light sensitivity." Traditionally, high speed film (ISO 800 and higher) was better suited for low light photography. Unfortunately, higher ISOs on digital cameras tend to produce color noise - little specks of red green and blue scattered across your image.

Most point and shoot cameras, even those with manual controls, won't produce quality images above 400 ISO. The solution then is to use lower ISO settings, which however, requires long exposure times in low light situations.

Dealing with the Blur

Whether through the subject's movement or yours, long exposure times increase the chances of blurring the digital photograph. These techniques will help produce blur-free shots:

• Start with the largest aperture allowed by your digital camera. Use aperture-priority mode if you have one.
• Zoom out as much as possible if you have a zoom lens. More light will hit the photo sensor of your digital camera and exposure time will go down.
• If the exposure time is still greater than what you can handhold without shaking, use a tripod. Consider something small like the innovative Joby Gorillapod - a small, flexible tripod which will fit nicely in the average coat pocket. There are several sizes available, some of which probably won't fit in your pocket but still aren't as cumbersome as full-size tripod.
• Use the digital camera's timer function to reduce the shake that results from pressing the shutter button. Most digital cameras will have a two-second delay timer that works great, especially on long exposures.

If you have very steady hands, you can try holding the digital camera even on long exposures. Pick a solid stance with your legs slightly apart, and brace the digital camera against your face and hold your breath while you press the shutter. Be sure to zoom in on the resulting image on the preview screen of your digital camera to check for blurring!

Balancing Your Whites

The biggest challenge you face in low light situations is, obviously, the lighting. Chances are you will be shooting in artificial light. Light temperatures from incandescent bulbs or fluorescent overheads can cast yellow or blue tones over a scene. Sometimes, as in the case of incandescent light, this can have a nice warming effect, but it may not be what you are looking for at other times.

The solution is to adjust the white balance in your digital camera. Most digital cameras offer a variety of preset white balance settings which you can experiment with. If all else fails you may be able to customize your own settings. You can also change the white balance after the shooting using software if you shoot RAW images.

Killing Digital Photo Noise

There tends to be unacceptable levels of color noise in the finished digital photograph when using high ISO setting. There are ways to get rid of color noise after the fact using software. Adobe Photoshop features a noise filter that blends surrounding areas together. There are also dedicated software like Noise Ninja ($35-$80, depending on the license) that can provide much more pronounced improvements without blurring or other side effects.