How to Take Digital Photos Indoors

Automatic exposure works for most settings, but if your camera allows manual adjustment, overriding the automatic control helps in some lighting conditions.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Photo Printer
• Photographic Print Papers
• Personal Computers
• Digital Camera Memory Cards
• Digital Cameras
• Light Meter
• Image-editing Software
• Image-editing Software

1. Use automatic exposure for most indoor scenes.

2. Turn on lights indoors.

3. Override the automatic exposure system when the scene is much lighter or darker than middle gray.

4. Increase exposure to lighten a scene; decrease exposure to darken a scene.

5. Experiment with overriding automatic exposure for high-contrast scenes.

6. Use a light meter to determine the appropriate aperture setting and shutter speed.

7. Adjust aperture setting and shutter speed in small steps.

8. Shoot the picture and preview to evaluate settings. Adjust as necessary, and shoot again.

9. Use flash for distances up to 9 feet.

10. Aim flash away from the scene if possible. Angle the flash head so that it bounces light into the scene.

Tips & Warnings

• Avoid low-light situations when possible.
• Avoid using direct sunlight (through a window) for indoor scene lighting.
• If your camera does not allow manual adjustments, you may be able to compensate in image-editing software.
• When photographing people, position them away from the back wall.
• Do not shoot directly into bright light.
• Upgrade to an external flash unit to improve picture quality.

[archiesboy]

on 11/5/2009 Just a comment about light coming in through a window: This can be one of the best lighting sources you can get for indoor photography. Wait until the sun is past the window, or, hang a valence over the window in order to get a wonderful diffiuse light source.

on 11/22/2005 To shoot close-up subjects (from people to flowers), I'll take two types of photos. One with the camera flash on automatic, the second by turning off the automatic flash. I've been pleased many times at how nicely the subject is portrayed on both accounts. I love my digital, because I can view the results immediately. This comes in especially handy when people are blinking, or have their mouths open, as I take the photo. I can take both "insurance and assurance shots."

Here are common photographer tips for lighting subjects that I find easy and quick to do:

I place a very large white foam board near the subject, but out of camera view, to bounce light onto the darker side of the subject (a fill in). I use a floodlight for indoor shots. It adds light. Don't point it directly at your subject. Instead, bounce it off the ceiling for a soft light or off your white foam board.

on 1/15/2008 If your camera has a white balance setting, make sure to use it! Different types of indoor lighting often cause your photos to look off-color.