Sometimes the world begins to look a little flat when we use our camera flash or shoot outside in evenly lit conditions. Natural light coming through windows can add mystique and drama to your photographs. Other benefits of indoor photography include the usually pleasant climate and the lack of need to slather on sunscreen or wear a hat.
Mundane Scenes Get a Boost from Natural Light
Miyako Hotel Cafe, L.A.
Downtown Chicago
Union Station L.A.
On his 77th birthday when American Film comedian Harold Lloyd was asked his age, he said “I am just turning forty and taking my time about it.”
How to Avoid Noisy pictures and Camera Shake
You may not think of photographs as noisy, but they can be noisier than a group of unruly children. Lack of detail and a grainy gritty look are common.
The Problem of Noise:
Gritty looking low detail photos are common in low light digital photography. How sensitive your camera is to light and how it records it on your camera sensor is partly determined by your ISO setting. Low numberssuch as 80 or 100 ISO, record a lot of detail and little noise. Higher ISO settings such as 800 record less detail and more noise (grain). Since the higher settings allow more light to fall on your camera sensor in low-light conditions, they are generally more ideal. In some cases, such as at a rock concert, you may like the noise and lack of detail, but chances are you’ll want to remove at least some of it in a photo editing program like Photoshop.
Use a tripod like in Andre Kertesz’s 1926 photograph below and you’ll avoid the noise problem because a steady camera can record long exposures and make everything sharp.
Paris, 1926 by Andre Kertesz
The highly lit window photo below gives just enough detail about the inside.
Old Chicago Restaurant
The Problem of Camera Shake
Use these techniques indoors to avoid camera shake and undesirable blurry images:
Hold your camera with both hands and press your elbows into your body
Relax and then hold your breath
If possible, set your camera to take several pictures at once (continuous) to increase chances of a sharp one
Set your automatic timer to two seconds so there is less movement when the camera fires
Possible Manual Control Settings for Indoors:
1) Set aperture (f-stop) for the widest possible opening (lowest number); 2) Set shutter speed to 1/100 sec. or higher; 3) Set ISO to 800 or higher (not too high); and 4) Use exposure compensation to underexpose 1/3 to 1 stops so you record more detail; 5) Brighten it up later in a photo editing program
Tips for Portraits: Use a Window as a soft box
Position your subject in front of a window so that part of them is in the shadows (profile)
Narrow the light coming in by adjusting the curtains and shades
Set your camera f stop on a small number such as f 1.8, 4.5, etc. (wide lens opening) in order to allow more light to reach the sensor and to blur the background.
A Story about Jack London’s Portrait
When Jack London had his portrait made by noted San Francisco Photographer Arnold Genthe, London began the encounter with praise for the photographic art of his friend. “You must have a wonderful camera…it must be the best camera in the world”…Genthe then used his standard studio camera to make what has since become a classic picture of Jack London. When the sitting was finished, Genthe couldn’t contain himself. “I have read your books, Jack, and I think they are important works of art. You must have a wonderful typewriter.”
More photo tips next Friday on shooting the outside from the inside
When Jack London had his portrait made by noted San Francisco Photographer Arnold Genthe, London began the encounter with praise for the photographic art of his friend. “You must have a wonderful camera…it must be the best camera in the world”…Genthe then used his standard studio camera to make what has since become a classic picture of Jack London. When the sitting was finished, Genthe couldn’t contain himself. “I have read your books, Jack, and I think they are important works of art. You must have a wonderful typewriter.”