From The Straits Times    |


Photo: SONY MOBILE. This photo was originally published on March 16, 2016.

Shooting in low light can be terribly frustrating. While using a flash is the quickest solution when it’s too dark, you won’t necessarily get the best results with one. Here are some tips from Sony on how you can still take great travel pictures when there isn’t much light.

1. Use a tripod whenever you can
Shooting in low light means you need longer exposure so that your camera sensor can capture all the light detail. Using a tripod will give you image stability and help eliminate any camera shakes that will risk ruining your photo. You can even use the built-in self-timer in your digital camera to trigger the shutter after you’ve pressed the shutter button, to avoid any possible shakes.

2. Bump up your camera’s ISO
ISO settings in your camera determine the sensors’ sensitivity to light. If you want to capture more light, you need to increase the camera ISO to make the sensor collect light faster. But the problem with most cameras is when you increase your ISO level, you introduce sensor noise which will make your final photo less sharp. Look for cameras that are built specifically to handle high ISO photography, so you can record images in detail, from shadows to highlights, with barely any noise.

3. Use a fast lens
The speed of a lens and how ‘fast’ it is refers to the maximum aperture of the lens. The larger the maximum aperture, the faster the lens. The Sony FE 55mm F1.8 lens has a 55mm focal length and large F1.8 maximum aperture that allows you to take very fast exposures in low light. In other words, you can shoot in low-light conditions while still getting sharpness and clarity.

4. Use an app
There are many apps out there in the market that work with your camera. For example, you can download Sony’s PlayMemories Camera Apps for low-light shooting directly onto your Wi-Fi compatible camera. One such app is Star Trail – it allows you to shoot a series of still images of the starry sky at intervals, then combines them into one movie.

This story was first published on www.silverkris.com.

See also: Why you should propose under the Northern Lights and how to get there, tips on taking stunning wedding portraits in Iceland, and five ways to get dreamy portraits even in bad weather.