Happy Chanuka! What a better opportunity than this, for experimenting with our cameras, and achieving artistic images.
Candlelit photos are breathtaking. There’s a special glow that captures atmosphere, that no artificial light can imitate. Yet, achieving those results aren’t easy, in such low light situations.
I’ve put together a few short tips so you can attempt them over the next few nights. (This can be achieved with absolutely any camera. Even a phone.)
Firstly and most importantly, switch off all ambient light in the room. THEN, switch off the flash feature on your camera. These two steps are the make it or break it factor. Any external light will kill the mood that the candlelight lends. (If you are struggling to turn the flash off, make sure your camera is not on an auto setting.)
Due to the very low level of light in the room at the time, your camera will need stability to create a sharp image. If you do not own a tripod, rest the camera on a firm surface, such as a table or chair, to avoid blurry results.
Obviously, the more candles alight, the brighter the glow will be. So while it might be a good idea to practise and do test shots the first few nights, aim to get those winner images the last night of chanuka, when all those candles are ablaze!
Make sure your background is plain and clean. Cluttered surroundings detract from the focus of the image. It may mean simply moving light furniture out of the way, or shooting from an alternate angle.
Sometimes, the candlelight alone will not be bright enough to achieve that bright light on the face. Consider adding a bedside lamp – coming from the same direction as the candles, pointed at the face, but position it out of the frame. Only include the Menorah and candles in the image.
Now this may seem obvious, but it needs mentioning. The subject has to be facing the candles directly. Even if you take a picture from the side. You will barely be able to make out the child’s features otherwise.
I have a professional grade camera: DSLR or Mirrorless. What should my settings be?
Switch your camera to manual mode. You’ll need a low shutter speed, higher ISO than usual, and an aperture just enough to get the subject fully in focus. My above images were taken on F2.0, ISO 800 and Shutter speed 1/80.
Get creative and play with angles. if you light at the window, step outside and take some shots from the outside in. (clean the window well first!) Try shooting from lower down, or higher up, and compare your results until you love what you achieve!
Shoot me a message if you have any questions, I’ll be glad to help!
A freilichen Chanuka!
