• 05-26-2010, 06:19 AM
    tlowe773
    2 Attachment(s)
    Shooting in low-light environments
    Thank you in advance for your insight...

    I am a graphic designer with basic photography knowledge. My job is asking more and more that I shoot my own photography for cost saving purposes. I have a Canon 30D with a 28-135mm 3.5-5.6 lens and a 55mm 1.8 lens. Both have met my needs thus far but I am having one particular issue:

    I shoot a lot of events in low light environments. Due to the nature of the events (i.e. wealthy donors milling about that don't want to be disturbed), I don't want to use a flash. I usually shoot at a low aperture as to let in more light. My images are not crisp and clean, they have a soft edge and it get worse as I color correct (see image samples). Is there another lens I can purchase that would help alleviate this issue without having to use a flash?

    Any help you have to offer would be wonderful!
  • 05-26-2010, 10:30 AM
    drg
    Re: Shooting in low-light environments
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by tlowe773
    Thank you in advance for your insight...

    I am a graphic designer with basic photography knowledge. My job is asking more and more that I shoot my own photography for cost saving purposes. I have a Canon 30D with a 28-135mm 3.5-5.6 lens and a 55mm 1.8 lens. Both have met my needs thus far but I am having one particular issue:

    I shoot a lot of events in low light environments. Due to the nature of the events (i.e. wealthy donors milling about that don't want to be disturbed), I don't want to use a flash. I usually shoot at a low aperture as to let in more light. My images are not crisp and clean, they have a soft edge and it get worse as I color correct (see image samples). Is there another lens I can purchase that would help alleviate this issue without having to use a flash?

    Any help you have to offer would be wonderful!

    First welcome to Photography Review!

    These two image samples have several things going on that are not making them work the best. There's obviously White Balance problems because of that dreaded mixed light! So to start with shoot RAW and use Average White Balance to begin. If you need to use JPEG images right out of the camera for speed, at least take a custom WB reading. Select WB custom preset and set it via a white sheet of paper under the actual lighting conditions. That will provide a big improvement.

    You mention doing color correction; just what process are you following in PS? What you have is way to orange/yellow. Are you sharpening or altering the photo in other ways. Sharpening will be definitely required with a RAW based process and even camera JPEG's can benefit from the some sharpening. White Balance looks like the first big thing that needs to be addressed!

    Secondly, the Canon 30d has a tendency to underexpose by a 1/3 to 1/2 stop. So you can adjust that too. This type of lighting is also notorious as it may not be continuous. Fluorescent light will flicker and trick any camera metering, even with the proper settings. Thus the need to often overexpose compared to 'optimal' settings.

    Check the histogram display regularly for a good exposure when shooting in these artificial light conditions as your eyes will give a false indication as to light levels. The changes may not be noticed unless large. The camera however will 'see it'. The histogram will show you over/underexposure quite well.

    Third, the second image shows an aperture 1.4??? Neither of the lenses you list is capable of that so was there a different lens or is there possibly a malfunction?

    Based on the aperture and shutter speed, a much lower ISO could have been used successfully in the second image. A lower ISO would yield a better result due to less noise. A higher (smaller size) aperture would provide greater Depth of Field and better focus. . A wide open lens is not going to produce as sharp an image. That's just physics.

    Even with speakers waving their hands or the random motions that people in a social setting are prone to make, a shutter speed of 1/250th is more than enough. The image of the speaker at the podium with a 1/50th shutter is perfectly fine, it just need some 'adjustments'. Remember - Lower shutter speed, Smaller aperture. Too low a shutter however, and there can be 'shake' seen in the image.

    Both images do not have a color space set, it is uncalibrated. At least use sRGB for the web images to give reference. This is a post processing (i.e. in Adobe Photoshop) function even if the camera has set a color space it still can be 'stripped'. For prints you may need something different than sRGB but I won't dwell on that topic here.

    I've found that being the 'grip and grin' photog often requires using flash. A separate hot shoe mounted strobe with a diffuser (cap type or Gary Fong type) will not blind everyone but still provide enough fill to make a far superior image in 'bad light'. It might be saved for the posed photographs when the subjects will expect it. The built in on camera flash is only marginally effective and can cast some shadows with certain compositions or backgrounds.

    The lens selections you have should work well. Just remember to not shoot completely wide open for best focus and sharpness in the end product.

    What have I left out? Probably lots! Let us know what else we can offer to help. Again, welcome to PR!
  • 05-26-2010, 11:21 AM
    freygr
    Re: Shooting in low-light environments
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by tlowe773
    Thank you in advance for your insight...

    I am a graphic designer with basic photography knowledge. My job is asking more and more that I shoot my own photography for cost saving purposes. I have a Canon 30D with a 28-135mm 3.5-5.6 lens and a 55mm 1.8 lens. Both have met my needs thus far but I am having one particular issue:

    I shoot a lot of events in low light environments. Due to the nature of the events (i.e. wealthy donors milling about that don't want to be disturbed), I don't want to use a flash. I usually shoot at a low aperture as to let in more light. My images are not crisp and clean, they have a soft edge and it get worse as I color correct (see image samples). Is there another lens I can purchase that would help alleviate this issue without having to use a flash?

    Any help you have to offer would be wonderful!

    You second photo shows the effect of DOF, as to get the shutter speed up the lens in most likely wide open. If you are going to have to consider getting a camera with higher ISO settings to keep your Speed about 1/100 and F stop about F8.
  • 05-26-2010, 03:22 PM
    drg
    Re: Shooting in low-light environments
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by freygr
    You second photo shows the effect of DOF, as to get the shutter speed up the lens in most likely wide open. If you are going to have to consider getting a camera with higher ISO settings to keep your Speed about 1/100 and F stop about F8.

    The poster is shooting at 1250 ISO in the second photo already! That is not the major problem here! Yes, there is a Depth of Field and resulting focus issue but I still want to know where that F1.4 Aperture came from with either of those lenses!

    The problem with photo two is an incorrect exposure setting, including ISO to get the best results. 1/800th shutter and F1.4 is at 1250 ISO is the real problem. This could have been shot at 1/200th F5.6 and gotten better focus without reducing the ISO. Or the ISO rating could be reduced and this could have been shot at 1/80th and at least F5.6. Either would have produced a far better focus for both people. The WB still needs fixing.

    Higher ISO is not always the solution anyway and the old saw about " F8 and be there " is usable only with good light anyway. A much higher usable ISO than a 30d with 3200ISO (1600 in this camera works well) is going to cost more money and not really deliver much improvement for this type of photography. Light is the question here.

    One other comment about this kind shooting that highlights a potential problem with this camera and lens combo is autofocus. The Canon 30d may not always be focusing where you think it is and with a shallow DOF it can be a fooler at larger apertures. Definitely do not use the all points auto select AF mode in iffy light. Select the AF point you want to use, preferably the center one for its greater sensitivity and re-frame if needed. If anything use the A-DEP mode to let the camera calculate the greatest possible depth of field for the settings and exposure.
  • 05-28-2010, 11:46 AM
    freygr
    Re: Shooting in low-light environments
    Getting good results without flash can be a problem. I would never in low light try to shoot with the shutter at 1/800 of a second at F1.4, it there is sufficient light for that I would stop down three stops and decrease the shutter to 1/100th of a second and get back the DOF .

    The higher ISO in the new cameras are so good, with Canon or Nikon low light problems he is having are a non-issue, but for the WB.