TOP TEN TIPS FOR INDOOR PHOTOS WITH A DSLR
Let’s take these photo tips down point by point.
- Remember, a photograph, a good photograph and the yardsticks to judge it by have remained the same sine the dawn of photography and even before that in the painters’ world. Composition and lighting make a good photograph, be it an SLR, a compact or a D-SLR. Keeping this in mind lets try and look at what else we can do to make an indoor photograph an acceptable one.
- If it’s a portrait you are shooting indoors, there is no better lighting than a large window. Try and shoot at the early morning or evening hours where the sun isn’t too high, and position your model near a window. The results are spectacular, and as good as, if not better than a large studio soft box.
- Try and avoid a straight-on camera flash, which would make harsh shadows and give flat lighting.
- If possible, use a fill flash, away and complimenting the key light, in this case the window. This helps avoid over contrasting exposures.
- If you own a portable flash unit, position it high up face down to give a little hair light for a portrait.
- When shooting indoors, without a flash it is imperative to know where to take an exposure reading. Judge by eye, an area that is not too dark and not too bright in the room, and take your exposure reading from that area. This will avoid dark shadows, or burnt out windows, in most cases. Of course, if you are shooting a portrait, the exposure reading HAS to be taken from the face, no compromises on that.
- When shooting indoors, what most people do is use an on camera flash, which gives a very flat and unnatural effect. Try and use a flash with and adjustable head; bounce the flash off the ceiling to give a diffused lighting to the subject.
- If you are going to be shooting for the sake of showcasing interiors, try and avoid a flash or window light altogether. Turn on all the lights and lamps in the room, unless one is extraordinarily bright, and take an exposure reading from the usual middle gray area. This will give a great ambience or atmosphere to the image.
- While shooting still life indoors, avoid flash lighting and use a tripod. Meaning, take an ambient light reading and use a tripod with the shutter on ‘B’. This will, as above, give a feel to the photograph that a flat on flash can never do.
- About ISO settings, remember, if its still life you are shooting, use the lowest ISO setting, the smallest aperture, and the longest possible exposure to get great image quality. With a live subject, you will have to compromise image quality by using a high ISO setting.
See the image below, shot solely with window light.
