Indoor and outdoor photography can be vastly different experiences where each of these two has its own requirements. The camera specifications that are required for these two can be very different. It’s, therefore, essential to note what suits you best. There are some elementary tips and tricks that can be valuable for anyone looking to take some beautiful pictures. Let’s first look at indoor photography and see what is required to ensure a pleasant, comfortable photography experience:
- Increase the ISO number: Lighting requirements for indoor photography can be very sophisticated. Especially when we consider the fact that the surroundings are pretty dark in the outer vicinity. So, to ensure that the photographs are sharp and without any blemishes, it’s imperative to increase the ISO number. Initially, it may be frightening to just ramp up the ISO number so suddenly, but it will surely not smudge your photographs with unnecessary light. So what can be considered the optimal ISO setting when capturing photos indoors? What experts recommend is an ISO number between 100 and 200 if a tripod is utilized, and when there is a reasonable level of brightness. But things get tricky when you are attempting to shoot with your hand. Here, the ISO number has to be increased to around 800 or 1000 or occasionally, even higher. When shooting in a typically gloomy day using both natural and artificial lightings, the suitable camera settings are Shutter speed: 1/20 Aperture: f/2.5 ISO: around 5000. Even if your camera is different and unique, most cameras in these modern days are accompanied by significant noise tolerance.
- Use artificial light provided indoors whenever possible: While it is indeed true that for most photographers natural lighting offers way more aesthetic appeal to the photos compared to artificial lighting, the use of artificial light can’t just be outright dismissed, especially when you are looking to take photos in an indoor environment away from the best source of the natural light-the Sun. Usually, the light sources provided in the studio can give you great results when you can’t avail the services of the Sun. Some of the common indoor light equipment are phone screens, lamps and torches.
Without natural light, it can be tough to get the level of focus that you desire. It is in such cases that the aforementioned artificial sources come in handy. In dark circumstances, the phone will have a tough time finding you even with the autofocus mode turned on. In these cases, a torch can be utilized to aid the phone in narrowing down on your face. Apart from enabling you to focus better, artificial light sources also add depth to the photos, and will also familiarize you with sundry lighting techniques.
- Choose the time of the day meticulously: It’s obvious to note that natural light tends to be quite inadequate when shooting at indoor locations and you would want to get as much sunlight to filter through the windows as possible. Therefore, the optimal times of the day have to be chosen prudently. Some of them are:
- Midday: When photos are captured outside the studio premises, the images can sometimes be very harsh and tainted. But the midday lighting can be the best if you want to take photos indoors. The subject to be captured can be positioned in front of a window for the best results.
- Twilight: Post sunset, the sky is coloured with a mild pink. When combined with various artificial lights, this period can become fitting for confounding silhouettes.
- Golden Hour: Most photographers might already be cognizant of the fascinating period of the day. This hour is usually located just after sunrise and just before sunset. During this period, the light is diffused in nature and can serve any photography genre.
- If you want to capture everything that spans a large area, opt for wide-angles or a panoramic setting: When you are looking to take images in an indoor setting, the amount of content that you capture with your camera can be curtailed through various restrictions. When you utilize a prime or zoom lens, you must be ready to just take a few, quick steps back. Only then can you be able to capture both the subject and the surroundings. But due to the room’s limited size, you could become claustrophobic, and you may be confined within a short space. In such cases, you must resort to a wide-angle lens. Sometimes, you may not be in a position to afford a wide-angle lens. In such scenarios, you can make panoramas instead. What a panorama entails is a bunch of different photos that are combined by stitching together with the aid of Photoshoping techniques. This is a reliable option for those photographers who look to create detailed, complex compositions that mirror medium format photos. These panoramas are also great options for those who relish the opportunity to take landscape-like pictures of indoor environments.
Tips for outdoor photography:
- Never choose all the focus points when you are taking portraits. You must instead pick one: Sometimes, photographers allow the autofocus option to select multiple focus points, but that only emasculates your photo by depriving it of a clear direction.
- Always choose to shoot wide open if you want to achieve a shallow depth of field: There are a multitude of reasons to invest in a swift lens that’s capable of wide aperture values, and one of the most popular and common reason is the shallow depth of field that it proffers. If you are proficient enough to shoot at f/2.8 or f/4, you must definitely opt for it. Some of the most scintillating natural light portraits are obtained when wide aperture values are employed, and it can be attributed to a smooth background blur called “bokeh”.
- You must always focus on the eyes: They are passageways to get to the soul and are some of the most striking features for any person. They must be given far more importance when capturing photos in an outdoor setting.
