How to Shoot Great Indoor Pictures

Because of the cold weather and the rain, it would be ideal to take more indoor shots to avoid harsh elements for our precious camera and equipment as well as trying to avoid catching a cold. Shooting inside may not be as challenging as we think. In fact, it can be a lot easier and more manageable than shooting outdoors on a hot summer day. Here are great tips and tricks that you can use to get great indoor photographs:

• Avoid using pop-up flash – the first thing you have to know about indoor photography is that pop-up flashes cause harsh shadows. This can have an effect on your subjects as making their eyes widen, or getting blinded or even blinking.

• Use external flash – this is attached to your camera’s hot shoe. Just remember that if you aim it straight at your subject that you will have the same results as the pop-up flash. Try to bounce the light from the ceiling or nearby wall. Some external flashes even allow you to turn it around so it can aim directly at the wall behind you. For great portrait shots, you can invest in multiple flash units to give you better lighting options. A flash unit is usually mounted on your camera and replaces your fill-in flash. A second unit will act as the main light, which is usually positioned to the side of the model and the third unit can be used for back lighting.

• Familiarize yourself to use the triangle – as much as possible, try to use whatever available light you have for better opportunities for a great photograph. By understanding the exposure triangle, which are the shutter speed, ISO and aperture, you can use this to pinpoint what is the best available light source to produce your image. For example, if you are using a fast lens of 50mm, open the aperture wide such as f/1.4, your shutter speed should be two stops and the ISO is a stop higher. Then adjust one f/stop setting at a time until you obtain the exposure, depth of field and sharpness that you seek.

• Use a light scoop – if you are just starting out and are working on a budget, a light scoop can be quite an essential tool. You attach this to the top of the camera on the hot shoe. This enables the pop-up flash to work better. The light scoop uses a mirror to bounce the flash from the ceiling. The limitation of a light scoop is that you can just use it for small areas since it needs a surface to bounce back the light.

• Choose a great spot – look around your indoor area for the perfect spot which gives you the best possible lighting such as by the window or the doorway. Make sure the light is bright enough yet soft, and the walls are warm and of a neutral color that will not reflect or bounce the light. Take a few experimental shots to make the necessary adjustments before calling your subjects.