Low light Digicam trick

[XJEEPER]

While on our chapter run last weekend, we visited the Paris Ice Cave (Idaho, not France :dunce: ) and I wanted to get some shots of the ice formations in the inner chamber, but the absense of light made metering with the digicam a problem.

After snapping a few poor quality shots, I figured out a way to trick the metering on a digi-cam so you can get better pictures in low-light situations.........I'd shine my flash light on the subject with one hand and let the camera adjust to "spot meter" the light spot, then take the picture. The difference in exposure and photo quality is amazing! I took some great shots in nearly zero light using this technique. I was surprised at how little if any digital manipulation was needed to compensate exposure by my photo program once the pictures were downloaded.

Give it a try and see if it works for you.

 

[xjblue]

So that's what you were doing for so long down there....
when you took the shot you still had the flashlight on the subject right?
This post is useless without pics :wave:

 

[Lincoln]

While on our chapter run last weekend, we visited the Paris Ice Cave (Idaho, not France

I didn't get a PM from you asking permission to cross the border.

 

[XJEEPER]

I didn't get a PM from you asking permission to cross the border.

It was a covert operation.......we crossed the border during a violent storm in the Richmond area.......ya'll were standin' in the fields watchin' the litnen'......... :gee:

 

[XJEEPER]

So that's what you were doing for so long down there....
when you took the shot you still had the flashlight on the subject right?
This post is useless without pics :wave:

Right....spotlight the subject while taking the photo......too bad we don't have any pictures of you on the receiving end of my water blaster........

 

[Lincoln]

It was a covert operation.......we crossed the border during a violent storm in the Richmond area.......ya'll were standin' in the fields watchin' the litnen'......... :gee:

Have to have a little fun somehow, don't I?

 

[XJEEPER]

Here you go
http://community.webshots.com/photo/165127736/165136878rQHWBL

This was shot in almost total darkness....on this one, I placed my flashlight behind the ice column to illuminate it, which allowed the digicam to meter for proper exposure.....not ideal, but pretty darn good for as dark as it was. All other shots from the cave's inner chamber were take using this technique.

 

[PhatXJ]

Cool stuff XJeeper, and even cooler that it was in Idaho!

I've actually done that trick before in a similar situation. My camera has a setting specificly for very low light and it works great, however if there is simply no light, it doesn't even know where to start with it's auto focus, so I use the flashlight trick like you did and it allows it to get an idea for where to start it's focus, then you let 'er rip and the pictures always turn out pretty good.

Cool pic!

 

[Ed in North Ga.]

that seems to be one of the big differences between the older an newer cameras. my old, old, kodak ez200 would take pics in almost zero light conditions- an amazeing feat. my kodak 3.2meg wouldnt take a low light if you held it up to a fire and zeroed in on the flames....sent that one back. My father in laws sony 4meg will shoot a single flash out, followed by the rangefinder, then shoot flashes like its the forth of july- that camera makes people run for cover and mothers hide their babys in terror....it eats batteries, but it`ll fill up an area with so much light its freaky. the only problem with his, is people wont stand still that long- most are diveing for cover after the strobe effect blinds them.

 

[cherokeekid95]

ok call me stupid but.... u said that shot was takin in almost no light, yet u said u "spotlight" the subject with ur flash light. that to me means u point the flash light at it right? so how is that darkness? and if u had a flashlight why not just point the flashlight at the subject and take the pic? i guess basicially i am confused as to what exactly u did to "trick" the camera

 

[xjblue]

ok call me stupid but.... u said that shot was takin in almost no light, yet u said u "spotlight" the subject with ur flash light. that to me means u point the flash light at it right? so how is that darkness? and if u had a flashlight why not just point the flashlight at the subject and take the pic? i guess basicially i am confused as to what exactly u did to "trick" the camera

It was almost no light for his photos before he used the flashlight, thats when he wasn't getting good shots. Then he used the flashlight not to trick the camera but as a trick to change the light conditions of the subject in the cave which resulted in good shots.

A before and after comparison might be interesting Jeff...

 

[cherokeekid95]

not to take away anything from him. but basically hes braggin that he used a flashlight to brighten a room?

 

[xjblue]

not to take away anything from him. but basically hes braggin that he used a flashlight to brighten a room?

Yup! you nailed it Kid










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