@Natgeo photo of the naked man orchid (Orchis Italica) looks exactly like its name. It even has little eyes. So startling that nature would mimic a human body so precisely. Photo by Javier Aznar Photography @javier_aznar_photography.
ISO (light sensitivity) used to be determined by the film that was put in your camera, but in digital photography it has become another tool – an adjustment that can be changed for every shot. ISO is one of the most important settings in low light conditions.
High ISO gives you the ability to shoot at faster speeds, but opens up the possibility of getting more noise (or graininess) in your fotos. Some cameras have the ability to set ISO really high, but going over 3200 isn’t recommended. Low ISO corresponds to slower shutter speeds but also provides for very crisp pictures, so use a low ISO of 200 or so when plenty of light is available.
Aperture (f-stop) is another light related setting. It determines how open your lens is and therefor, how much light it lets in. Using a lower f-stop like 1.2, opens the camera’s eye wider and enables it to bring in more light to the image being captured.
The last important setting for low-light conditions is shutter speed – how fast your picture will be shot. But remember, your choice of shutter speed selections will be largely determined by the ISO and aperture you choose.
Fenchel & Janisch videographers share great tips for low-light shooting in their DSLR Tutorial Series. Recap:
Check out Tom’s Guide for a bird’s eye view of the Nikon D3300 settings, how and when to use them.
Image Maven gives specific tips on choosing the right ISO setting for your lighting conditions.
StackExchange discussion on what aperture is and what different f stops are good for.
For people shots at a night gathering, I would personally recommend investing in a good external flash, and maybe a unipod.
In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the Museum of Fine Arts Boston is exhibiting a striking collection of Gordon Parks photographs that Life commissioned, but never ran. In its article What It Was Like to Be Black in 1950s America Slate writer Jordan G. Teicher tells us:
Gordon Parks hadn’t been to his hometown, Fort Scott, Kansas, in more than 20 years when he returned there in 1950 as a photojournalist on assignment for Life magazine. Growing up as the youngest of 15 children, Parks attended the Plaza School, an all-black grade school in the heavily segregated town. Now, as the first black man hired full-time by the magazine, Parks wanted to find and photograph all 11 of his classmates from grade school as a way of measuring the impact of school segregation. The photo essay he created, which was never published, is on display at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston in the exhibition, “Gordon Parks: Back to Fort Scott,” beginning Jan. 17.
