My secret for amazing low light Fujifilm portraits…

Summary

In this video, the photographer shares tips for capturing low light portraits, emphasizing the use of a crop sensor body like Fujifilm and embracing noise as inevitable. Key advice includes understanding your camera's capabilities, particularly Image Stabilization (IBIS), and experimenting with settings. The video showcases a winter storm photoshoot, highlighting the use of fast lenses, LED light sticks for additional lighting, and the importance of following the light and experimenting with colors for visual interest. The photographer encourages viewers to learn from their mistakes, embrace the challenges of low light photography, and find a photography buddy to enhance the learning experience.

Takeaways

• 📸 Embrace noise in low light photography as it's inevitable and can add character to your shots.
• 🤳 Use a camera with IBIS (In-Body Image Stabilization) to allow for slower shutter speeds and less noise.
• 🔧 Understand your camera's capabilities, especially how far you can push the ISO and shutter speed.
• 📷 Fujifilm APS-C sensors are capable of producing great low light portraits, proving full-frame isn't always necessary.
• 🔦 Utilize fast prime lenses with wide apertures (F1.2 to F0.95) to gather more light for cleaner images.
• 👥 Collaborate with a photography buddy to assist with holding lights and to learn from each other.
• 💡 Always follow the light and use warm-up shots to experiment with composition and lighting.
• 🎨 Use color theory to complement the scene's tone; for example, using warm tones against a cool, snowy backdrop.
• 📈 Learn from constructive criticism, especially from those with higher skill levels, to improve your photography.
• 🧳 Dress warmly and be prepared for the weather conditions when shooting in low light and challenging environments.

Q & A

What is the main challenge when shooting low light portraits on a crop sensor body?

The main challenge is capturing quality images without introducing noise, as crop sensor bodies are more prone to noise in low light conditions.

What is the photographer's attitude towards noise in low light photography?

The photographer embraces noise, considering it inevitable and suggesting that it can be a creative tool rather than something to avoid.

Why does the photographer recommend using a camera with In-Body Image Stabilization (IBIS) for low light photography?

IBIS allows for the use of slower shutter speeds to let in more light without introducing motion blur, which helps in reducing the need to increase ISO and thus minimize noise.

What type of lens is suggested for low light portrait photography?

A wide aperture lens, such as those ranging from F2.8 to F0.95, is recommended to gather more light and produce cleaner images.

Why is it beneficial to have a photography buddy during a low light photo session?

A photography buddy can help hold additional lights, allowing the photographer to focus on capturing the shot, and it also provides an opportunity to learn from each other and share tips.

What is the significance of the Fujifilm XS10 in the context of this photo shoot?

The Fujifilm XS10 was chosen for its quality sensor and built-in IBIS, which helps in low light conditions by allowing lower ISO settings and slower shutter speeds.

How does the photographer handle the issue of noise in post-processing?

The photographer suggests experimenting with the camera's RAW files to manipulate colors and light, which can help in hiding some of the noise.

What is the photographer's response to criticism about noisy images?

The photographer views noisy images as a learning opportunity and a way to develop creativity and technical skills, rather than a negative aspect of their work.

What is the importance of following the light when shooting low light portraits?

Following the light is crucial as it dictates the primary light source and influences the composition, focusing, and overall mood of the portraits.

How does the photographer use color theory in low light photography?

The photographer uses color theory to create complementary contrasts, such as using warm tones against a cool-toned background to convey the cold weather and add visual interest.

What advice does the photographer give for improving low light photography skills?

The photographer advises to experiment, make mistakes, and embrace the noise and darkness, as these experiences lead to growth and improvement in low light photography.

Outlines

00:00

📸 Embracing Noise in Low Light Photography

The speaker begins by addressing the challenges of capturing low light portraits, particularly with a crop sensor body. They share their experience and a key insight: embracing noise as an inevitable part of the process. The video aims to demonstrate techniques for shooting low light portraits, using the Fujifilm X-S10 with IBIS, which allows for slower shutter speeds and lower ISO settings to reduce noise. The speaker emphasizes the importance of understanding one's equipment and experimenting with settings to push the camera's capabilities. They also discuss the use of wide aperture lenses to gather more light and the practicality of using an RGB LED light stick for additional lighting. The value of having a photography buddy to assist with lighting and to learn from each other is highlighted.

05:03

🌃 Mastering Low Light Portraits with Fujifilm

This paragraph delves into the speaker's personal journey with low light photography, using Fujifilm cameras like the XT2 and X-S10. They recount facing criticism for noisy images but argue that such challenges have honed their skills in lighting, composition, and post-processing. The speaker encourages viewers to embrace noise as a stepping stone to improvement. The discussion continues with practical advice on shooting low light portraits, such as following the light, warming up with initial shots, and experimenting with compositions. The importance of shooting in burst mode to capture the sharpest image is also mentioned. The speaker shares their settings, including ISO 1250 and a shutter speed of 1/60th of a second at F1.2 with the SevenArtisans 35mm F1.2 lens, and explains how the camera's IBIS feature aids in achieving sharp images in low light conditions.

10:04

🎨 Creative Low Light Photography in Harsh Weather

The final paragraph describes a shift in location to a pier at the harbor front, where the photographer had to rely more on an LED light stick due to the lack of ambient light installations. The photographer chose a warm yellow light to contrast the cool tones of the snowy environment, drawing from color theory to create a visually striking image. They discuss the influence of the Batman movies, particularly the Gotham aesthetic, on their choice of lighting and mood. The paragraph concludes with the photographer's ISO setting at 3200, acknowledging the presence of noise but appreciating the gritty outcome. The speaker advises viewers to seek constructive criticism from skilled individuals, to embrace mistakes as part of the learning process, and to enjoy the photography experience despite challenging conditions like a snowstorm.

Keywords

💡Low light portraits

Low light portraits refer to the photography technique of capturing images in conditions with minimal ambient light, which is challenging due to the potential for increased noise and the need for slower shutter speeds. In the video, the speaker discusses various strategies for shooting effective low light portraits, emphasizing the importance of embracing noise and utilizing available light sources.

💡Crop sensor body

A crop sensor body is a type of digital camera sensor that is smaller than a full-frame sensor, typically found in more affordable or compact cameras. The video mentions that while full-frame cameras may offer advantages in low light, the speaker has successfully captured low light portraits using a crop sensor body, highlighting the skill and technique can compensate for equipment limitations.

💡Noise

In photography, noise refers to the grainy, speckled appearance that can occur in images shot at high ISO settings or in low light conditions. The video encourages viewers to embrace noise as an inevitable part of low light photography, suggesting that it can add character to images and should not deter photographers from experimenting with their craft.

💡ISO

ISO in photography is a measure of the camera's sensitivity to light. A higher ISO allows the camera to capture more light but can introduce noise into the image. The video discusses the delicate balance of adjusting ISO to achieve the desired exposure without excessive noise, which is crucial in low light photography.

💡Shutter speed

Shutter speed is the length of time the camera's shutter is open, determining how much light reaches the sensor. In low light conditions, slower shutter speeds are often necessary to allow more light in, but this can introduce motion blur. The video mentions using Image Stabilization (IS) to counteract this, allowing for slower shutter speeds without blur.

💡Image Stabilization (IS)

Image Stabilization is a technology in cameras and lenses that compensates for camera shake, allowing for slower shutter speeds without introducing motion blur. The video highlights the advantage of having IS in low light photography, as it enables the photographer to use slower shutter speeds to capture more light without worrying about blur.

💡Aperture

Aperture refers to the opening in a camera lens that controls the amount of light that enters. A wider aperture (lower f-number) allows more light in, which is beneficial for low light photography. The video discusses the importance of using lenses with wide apertures to gather more light and achieve cleaner images in low light conditions.

💡Fujifilm

Fujifilm is a brand of cameras and photographic equipment. The video specifically mentions using a Fujifilm X-S10 camera for its sensor quality and built-in Image Stabilization, demonstrating the brand's suitability for the low light portrait photography discussed.

💡RGB LED light stick

An RGB LED light stick is a portable, multi-colored light source that photographers can use to supplement ambient light or create specific lighting effects. The video describes using an RGB LED light stick during the shoot to provide additional light when natural light was insufficient, showcasing its utility in low light photography.

💡Post-processing

Post-processing refers to the editing and manipulation of images after they have been captured. The video mentions that the Fujifilm's RAW format contains a lot of information, allowing for significant adjustments in post-processing to improve image quality, hide noise, and enhance colors, which is particularly important in low light photography.

💡Bokeh

Bokeh is the aesthetic quality of the out-of-focus areas in an image, produced by a lens. The video discusses using background lights to create visually interesting bokeh effects, which can add depth and draw attention to the subject in low light portraits.

Highlights

Embrace noise in low light portraits as it's inevitable.

Use a crop sensor body effectively for low light photography.

Full frame cameras can clean up images but are not always necessary for good low light portraits.

In-body Image Stabilization (IBIS) allows for slower shutter speeds and less noise.

Understanding your camera's capabilities is crucial for pushing its limits in low light conditions.

Experiment with RAW files to manipulate colors and light, and to reduce noise.

Choose a lens with a wide aperture to gather more light.

Having an RGB LED light stick is beneficial for low light situations.

Collaborate with photography buddies to share tips and improve.

Don't be afraid of criticism; use it as a building block for improvement.

Follow the light and use warm-up shots to understand your surroundings.

Use the environment's lights to create visual interest in the background.

Shoot in burst mode to increase the chances of getting a sharp image.

Experiment with different ISO and shutter speed settings to find what works best for you.

Use color theory to complement the scene's mood with your lighting choices.

Don't be afraid to make mistakes and learn from them in low light photography.

Encourage viewers to go out and shoot, embracing the challenges of low light.

Transcripts

low light portraits is one of the

hardest things to capture especially on

a crop sensor body and I've been doing

this for years and if you're afraid of

noise being introduced into shot I'll

let you in a little secret embrace it

it's inevitable so instead of running

away from the noise embrace the noise

don't worry people will understand so in

today's video I'm going to show you how

I shoot low light portraits in hopes

that you can take what I share with you

guys and apply it on your next low light

photo session hey guys welcome back to

the channel and in today's video I want

to talk about this photo shoot that I

did last year February during a winter

storm it's been over a year since this

happened man time flies I was out with

Anthony my friend Jake who was filming

us and Rachel the model I wanted to make

this video since I have some of you guys

asking for low light portrait tips so

why don't we just get started and let's

just start off with the gear that I use

on this shoot since I use Fujifilm you

know it's going to be a crop sensor body

but you can use whatever camera you want

crop sensored full frame medium format

whatever floats your boat I've been

getting in great low light portraits

with an aps-c sensor for years it's

proof that you don't always need

full-frame cameras but full frame

cameras does help clean the image right

up but it's not necessary also if you

have a camera with Ibis that would be

clutch because you can use a slower

shutter speed to allow in more light

without introducing motion blur so why

would you want to do this for the fact

that you can lower the iso without

introducing noise it's a delicate

balance when it comes to this stuff

you've got to know when to push the iso

you've got to know when you can like

lower the shutter speed and one of the

ways you can lower the shutter speed is

if you have Ibis in the body or ois in

one of your lenses and that's probably

one of the reasons why my low light Fuji

portraits looks a bit cleaner than

everybody else it's because I know my

equipment it's very important when you

shoot with your gear to understand your

gear and experiment on how far you can

push your camera such as your Ibis

experiment with your raws and I can't

say the last part enough your Fuji Ross

has so much information inside so you

can do some serious pushing and pulling

to manipulate colors to manipulate light

and you can also hide some of those

noise away because of it so experiment

guys and again I chose the Fujifilm xs10

for this uh shoot because it has a nice

quality sensor to it and plus it has

Ibis although it's not weather sealed it

held up quite nice in this weather the

next option is the lens now since this

is a low light shoot you're going to

want to be shooting with a wide aperture

anything from F28 to F2 F 1.8 F 1.4 F

1.2 F 1.0 and F 0.95 all those lenses

are good but remember the wider the

aperture the more light will be gathered

to have a clean image otherwise you're

going to be introducing unwanted noise

and we don't want that so again choose

the right tool for the right jobs during

the shoot I was using the seven Artisans

35 millimeter F12 for the Fujifilm X

Mount but any fast prime lenses can do

whenever I go roam the city streets at

night time I always have an RGB LED

light stick on me just in case we don't

have enough light this is why it's

important to go with at least one other

photography buddy so they can help you

hold the light and then you can return

the favor that's what you're seeing in

this video I got my buddy Anthony

helping me out by holding the lights

while I snap some photos and then once I

was done it was his turn to snap some

photos so I was the one holding the

lights I highly encourage you guys to

find some photography buddies to shoot

with because it will make the experience

so much better you guys can learn off

each other you guys can share tips and

bounce ideas off each other and you guys

can grow faster than you would if you

were to do this all by yourself if you

want to know what light stick I'm using

go check out the links down in the

description below there's something I

have to talk to you about like I'm being

serious I've been told by so many people

online that they cannot shoot low light

with an aps-c camera so if they can't

you can't right that's how Society works

if I can't do it I'm going to make sure

you can't do it too well low light

portrait it has been my thing for a

while now and throughout all that time I

was using my Fujifilm cameras starting

with the xt2 and I've gotten plenty of

good shots with it and so what if

there's noise in the shot and so what if

it's slightly soft or out of focus there

would be a few people sometimes that

would chime in on my low light shots in

one of those fujif film Facebook groups

telling me that the image is noisy or I

miss Focus or the image is kind of soft

and all I'm thinking is so what thank

you for the feedback but so freaking

what I honestly don't care about your

opinion until you can show me your own

low light shots you're in no position to

talk to me because I'm out here having

fun doing what I love the noisy photos

actually helps Flex my creativity

muscles I'm out here learning about

lighting learning how to direct models

learning composition learning

storytelling learning how to pose

learning how to better communicate with

the subject learning how to operate my

cameras learning how far I can push the

limits on my camera learning how to

post-process a noisy image these are all

skills that I've learned because I went

out and took some noisy images so my

question is do you want to be the person

who complains about the noise image or

do you want to be the person who took

that noisy image I've gotten my fair

share of criticism when it comes to my

noisy images don't let it phase you

because the amount of that I've

learned through my noisy images made me

a better photographer it made me a

better editor and I'm a better person

overall because of it so embrace the

noise don't be upset when people are

on your images these are

building blocks that will make you great

uh thank you for letting me go on this

tangent and back to the show

so let's start off with the most

important rule guys and you guys should

probably know this by now rule number

one to low light portraits or any

photography at all is follow the light

Anthony suggested that we hit up this

art installation because it has some

cool lights at the harbor front so

that's what we did as you can see here

this big block of light is what we use

as our key light or the main light

whatever you want to call it this was

our primary light source and once you

find that light source what you want to

do is do your warm-up shots and

experiment with the composition shooting

photos like this you're fairly limited

to what your background looks like

because the key light is stuck you can't

move that main light source around like

you would your own studio lights so it's

important to angle the model in a way to

avoid any distractions from the

background and this is why I always say

it's important to do your warm-up shots

so you can get a feel of what's around

the surrounding areas uh when you you

know when you take a photograph and I

like taking 10 to 15 minutes just to

shoot and getting a feel of the person's

strength when it comes to posing and

what I look for in the background is to

look for more lights in the distance

from Apartments to business buildings

the shops on the ground floor and the

traffic like when shooting low light

stuff these things that I'm looking for

adds visual interest they are part of

the bokeh in the background I can also

use those lights and manipulate them

even further and post by changing the

colors around and because I'm shooting

at F12 those lights will become

pokeballs in the background thus

creating visual interest for the viewers

what I like about this art installation

is that it changes colors so we were

working with different colors different

temperatures at any given moment which

does add a bit of pressure because we

don't know when it's changing and if you

like a certain color that the art

installation was emitting you're going

to have to wait a full cycle before it

returns back to that color that you like

but I was working with the color red for

a minute and I didn't like this color as

you can see in these photos the color

red I find is just too powerful I'm not

a fan of red as a key light maybe as an

accent or a rim light or like or a hair

is fine but Reds just sort of makes you

lose focus on the human subject and it

kind of it kind of makes them look

otherworldly demonic but then the light

installation does change color and we

get something like this where the LED

lights is bright and it seemed like it's

a cool white light this is where you're

able to see the person's face and the

eyes a bit better and shooting portraits

is all about making connections with the

eyes the eyes are the windows to the

sole and then once we got warmed up a

bit we were able to hit our stride and

in some of these shots right here that I

took with Rachel my ISO was at ISO 1250

and my shutter speed was at 1 60th of a

second while shooting it at wide open at

F12 with the seven Artisans 35

millimeter F12 ISO 1250 is an ISO number

that I'm comfortable at and for the

shutter speed most people would want to

try to shoot this at 1 over 250th of a

second or one over 500 of a second to

get a sharp image but we can't do that

in low light portraits if you want to

use those shutter speeds you can but by

doing that you're going to need to

increase that ISO and we all know that

increasing the iso means you're going to

increase the chances of noise coming in

so we don't want that but thankfully the

xs10 has Ibis and this helps because I

can lower my shutter speed which allows

in more light and the Ibis will

counteract any shakiness coming from my

hands and again these are my settings

and what I'm comfortable with I'm pretty

sure I can lower my ISO even more and my

shutter speed even lower to keep the

noise down but sometimes when the

environment is working against you you

don't have time to slow down and think

the weather was cold we were getting wet

there was a snowstorm happening so it

was just best for me to just have these

settings down and not worry about it at

all the art installation for the most

part was giving a consistent light

source even though it changes colors

every couple of minutes but the

Luminosity does not change so my

settings didn't change as much as well

but again I highly recommend you guys

experiment with your camera and

experiment with your shutter speed and

with the iso that you're comfortable in

using some of you guys may have said

your hands than me so you guys can use a

slower shutter speed probably something

like a 1 over 50th of a second and in

doing so you can lower your ISO so much

more and it'll help improve your overall

image quality another tip that I have

for you when shooting in low light is to

shoot and burst if you can that way not

only do you have options but what I

usually do is hope that one of those

burst shots that I took gets into Focus

because it's usually the first few that

are slightly soft and then the mid to

towards the end part of the burst are

where I have the keepers and these are

the shots that are in Focus or slightly

in focus and I'll take it

[Music]

and afterwards we walked to a different

location exploring the harbor front in

Toronto and we found this little pier

the pier had a good composition as I saw

a leading line composition in my head

but at this location there weren't any

light installations so we were going to

be relying on my LED light stick a lot

more I could have chose any color that I

wanted but I ended up choosing a warmish

yellow color I had an idea in my head

the snow was falling a lot so it added

texture in the background which I think

is dope it was so cold I was just

thinking in my head that I would use the

a cool tone mixed with the snow falling

falling down to convey how cold the

weather was that evening this is where

my minimal knowledge of color theory

came into Play If I decided that the

scene is set up to be a cool tone dark

image the complementary color to cool

tones is warm tones so like I said

earlier I chose a warmish yellow color

to use as a key light and then I got

something like this

[Music]

foreign

[Music]

it was giving Gotham Vibes which is

awesome because I love the Batman movies

The Dark Knight is one of my favorite

superhero movies of all time and I just

love whenever filmmakers try to show the

city of Gotham it's always shrouded in

darkness and with clouds and just it

rains all the freaking time so I wanted

to give a little Flair to it of my own I

shot this at ISO 3200 so you can see

some noise and some grittiness here but

I like the way it turned out I like the

images even though there's noise I still

find it to be acceptable so them

haters I get that constructive criticism

is a thing and I'll listen to criticism

any day but I also recommend that you

get constructive criticism from people

that you feel are better than you skill

level wise that way it's going to be

someone you respect someone that you

feel knows what they're talking about

why are you going to take constructive

criticism from a person whose images are

always crooked it doesn't make sense

I'm not saying ignore ignore the other

folks completely but don't take what

they say with that much weight but then

again if there is a general consensus

that agrees with the criticism that's

when you should take that constructive

criticism into consideration but other

than that if you think your photos look

dope that's all that matters someone

else out there will share the same

feelings for the photo even if there are

some who don't like it the only way to

get good at low light is to experiment

and make mistakes guys don't be afraid

to up and if you do up and

then get the images that you would like

don't worry there will be plenty more

opportunities to come in the future so

make as much mistakes as you can embrace

the noise embrace the darkness and the

Shadows don't be afraid of the noise

it's bound to happen people will

understand go out and shoot with a buddy

have him or her hold on to the lights

and just go out and have fun and dress

warmly and don't go out and shoot during

the snowstorm that was really dumb on my

part my question to you guys is do you

guys find low light photography hard let

me know in the comments section below if

you find this video helpful or valuable

do me a favor and subscribe to my

channel I would clearly appreciate that

if you are interested in the LED lights

or any of the gear that I mentioned in

this uh photo shoot links to them are

down in the description below as always

my name is Tung and I'll see you in the

next video

I love you

goodbye