To celebrate the publication of my new book, Confessions of a Compact Camera Shooter (which is also great for entry-level SLR shooters), I will be posting some tips from the book over the next few weeks.
Here's tip #1: When shooting indoors in low light, you actually can get pro results with your compact camera . . . but you have to make pictures rather than simply take pictures.
Check out the images in the top row (from left to right):
- Boring flash shot with harsh shadows;
- Flash shot with flash bounced off the ceiling . . . an improvement;
- Fill flash shot. Ahhh, that's much better! Here's the technique:
• Mount your camera on a tripod;
• Set your camera on manual;
• Set the correct manual exposure;
• Attach an accessory flash and bounce the light from the flash off the ceiling.
• Oops: In my original post, I forgot to mention to turn on all the room lights. As you can see (by looking at the lights behind the model and by looking at the reflection in one of the pictures on the wall), the rooms lights are on.
In the bottom row of pictures, you can see that I actually used a Canon G10 and Canon 580 EX for the photos. I confess. :-)
I have since upgraded to the Canon G11, which offers improved image quality.
These pictures were taken at the Alexander Hamilton Hose in Croton-on-Hudson, NY, which is one of the sites we use for my Hudson River Photographic Workshops.
Hey, if you have a compact camera question, please post a comment here on my blog. I'll get to it ASAP.
Explore the Light,
Rick
P.S. For my professional work, I am currently using my Canon 5D Mark II and Canon 7D. For my gear recommendations, click here.