Photo Challenge: Taking Photos by Candlelight

Have you ever wanted to capture a beautiful candlelit scene, or perhaps a stunning close-up of your favorite candle? The results can be amazing and breathtaking. Candlelight is a golden light and can invoke a feeling of romance, serenity and warmth. Unfortunately candles don't put off a lot of light, which can make shooting a definite challenge. Here are a few tips to get you started:

Turn off Your Flash and the Lights - This might seem obvious, but it is very important. If you leave your flash or other lights on you will cancel out all the beautiful light from your candles.

Combat Slow Shutter Speeds - There is very little you can do to increase the light in the scene, so you will be working with a slow shutter speed, which can easily result in a blurry photo either from the camera or the subject moving. Here are some tips that can help:

• Use a tripod - Tripods are great for eliminating camera shake; just be careful that you move the camera as little as possible when pressing the shutter button. Also make sure your subject tries to stay as still as possible during the exposure.
  
  
• Increase your ISO - The higher the ISO, the faster the shutter speed you will be able to use. However there is a trade-off, because the higher the ISO the more grain you will have in your picture. I would set your ISO to at least 400, and no higher than 800. If you aren't enlarging the pictures, 800 should be fine.
  
  
• Choose a small aperture - Once again, the smaller your aperture, the faster your shutter speed will be. And again there is a trade-off; a smaller aperture will result in a smaller depth of field, so be sure to focus 1/3 of the way into the frame.

Composition -

• Keep the lights on - While you are setting up the shot, keep the lights on. Trust me; it is a lot easier when you can see what you are doing.
  
  
• Be aware of candle position - You will want to position the candles closer to the camera than the subject. This will prevent a silhouette effect. It also helps to have the candles at roughly the same height as the subject's face; otherwise you could get some harsh shadows. Also try moving the candles out of the shot altogether.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• IMove in close - If you are just shooting candles, move the camera closer. Try not to use your zoom too much because that can slow down the camera and the shutter speeds.

Just Experiment -

• Take three exposures - The camera tends to underexpose the shot if the candles are included, since it sees them as a bright spot. For each shot, I would suggest taking three exposures: one based on what the camera tells you is the correct exposure, one a stop up and one a stop down. You never know which one you will like better.
  
  
• Play around - Move the candles, move the subject, move the camera; just have fun and play. I promise you that while you may get a few not-so-great shots, you will get some great shots.

Taking photos by candlelight is definitely a challenge, but with a few tips and lots of practice you can be well on your way to taking amazing and dramatic candlelight photos.

Shop at the Scrapbook.com Superstore for all your Scrapbooking Supplies!
Enjoy 5-Star service, HUGE selection and LOW prices!
Click here to start shopping!