Photographing couples in the dark can be a daunting task.
A lot of photographers are afraid of it. Here are some of my secrets to capturing cinematic moments after the sun sets:
1. Don’t Be Afraid of ISO
A lot of photographers have been taught that the lower the ISO is, the better your photo will be. I disagree.
ISO was created to make it possible for us see in the dark. It’s a POWERFUL tool and we should use it more often!
Yes. You will see more grain. But grain is IN. Yes. Your photos won't be as sharp as something shot at 100 ISO. But who wants generic, clean cut images with no character anyway?
Most cameras that have been produced in the last 5 years can handle 3200 ISO pretty well. But experiment. You might like a higher ISO. The images here were well over 3200.
2. Flash is IN
Flash is trending. Every photographer under the sun (no pun intended) is using it because of the way It captures skin tones and moments of fun, reckless abandon.
A quick beginner tip to using flash:
- Adjust your exposure without your flash on.
- ISO is your friend so don’t be afraid of it.
- Turn on your flash and set it to TTL.
3. Experiment with Off Camera Flash.
I currently carry a "Godox XPro II" in my camera bag at all times. You can connect to as many speedlites as you like and it doesn’t take up a lot of room either.
You can also use an LED light as well but these usually don’t pack as much punch as a speedlite.
4. Shoot in RAW
Every professional photographer should be doing this in the first place but just in case you aren’t - CHANGE YOUR FILE FORMAT TODAY.
RAW files carry A LOT MORE information than your typical JPEG format.
This makes fixing your exposure in post production (editing) MUCH easier.
5. Use the light available.
You’ll almost always find a light source on hand.
Most movies will use this technique to keep the photos looking as realistic and nostalgic as possible.
When we took this photo, I had set up my car in the middle of the road. It was raining and I chucked on my high beams.
The way the light hit my couple genuinely felt more organic than any other light source I had available that night.
