How to take better images in low light

Although great photos can be captured anytime and anywhere, it's the images captured during low-light conditions that often turn out to be especially impressive. These images offer a 'soothing' ambience that is often not found in day light shots. However, getting those perfect low light shots is not a cake walk.

And this is why we are here to help. In this article, we bring you some simple tips that you can follow to get those perfect shots even without proper lighting.

Shutter speed
It is important to understand how exposure works in order to take better photos in different lightning conditions. Shutter speed is also a part of exposure, and using faster shutter speeds increases the chances of sharper image reproduction. This is because the shutter is open for shorter period of time so less light reaches the sensor. However, in low-light conditions you show go for slower shutter speeds and adjust other parameters of exposure accordingly for better image reproduction.

Wider aperture
The next on the list is aperture. To capture more light you have to open the aperture (or the opening) of the camera's lens to its widest value, which is the smallest 'f-stop' number. Amateur photographers can use the aperture-priority mode found in most cameras and then select the smallest f-number the camera lens can reach. On other hand, at the time of using a smartphone, this can't be helped as smartphones cameras come with fixed apertures. For long exposure shots, make sure you have set a smaller aperture value to avoid blowing out the scene.

Increase ISO
Managing the ISO can turn out to be a bit tricky. That's because as the higher the ISO, the more digital noise will be captured in the image. A lower ISO value such as 100 means that the sensor is very sensitive to light and can be used in bright light conditions. On the other hand, in low light conditions you need to increase the ISO level to 800 or 1600 to make sure that the sensor is gathering enough light for proper exposure.

Shoot in RAW
A 'RAW image' is the photo produced by a camera before any post-processing is applied. A RAW image file captures far more details as compared to the compressed JPEG files that cameras produce. The images shot in RAW format can be processed in different ways as per the photographer's convenience. For instance, the user can bring more detailing to the underexposed areas of a photograph, which is essential for low light photography. Almost all popular DSLR cameras support RAW image capture.