I finished up another dresser, which I mentioned when I posted the Driftwood Dresser. The weather is super dreary today (I’m actually kind of enjoying that is feels like fall), but it’s not so good for taking photos. I also did not feel like trying to come up with a new way to stage this dresser so I staged the exact same way I staged the Driftwood Dresser.
So, here’s my questions for you all. What can I do when there isn’t a whole lot of natural light to make photos less grainy. I normally shoot in the automatic setting with no flash. For these I did attempt shooting in manual mode (higher ISO, larger aperture and a longer shutter speed) which helped with getting enough light (I also edited them and bumped up the exposure, changed the white balance, etc). I really don’t know what I’m doing so those setting probably should be different, so if you have any tips, they would greatly appreciated. The sun should be back in the next few days (along with the 80 degree weather), and I will have a more detailed post with better photos in a bit.
Love the dresser, very cool knobs! And I think your photo looks great. Taking a photography class is definitely on my to-do list!
I'm definitely not an expert, but I am constantly trying to improve my photography skills as well. I've read that high ISO can lead to grainy photos, but it's a lot more complicated than that. Were you using a tripod? If you can use a tripod and capture more light with a longer exposure time (shutter speed) without having to go so high with your ISO, that might work better for you. If it's any consolation, I think your pictures are quite nice and I wouldn't have even noticed the grainy-ness if you hadn't pointed it out 😉
Thanks! A photography class is on my to do list as well!
I think a tripod would solve all your problems! Since you shoot indoors, you could get a cheap one, since you won't be dealing with wind and other environmental vibrations. Then you could always shoot with a very low ISO and long shutter speed in low-light conditions, without sacrificing image quality.
You might try experimenting with exposure compensation (when shooting in manual mode). BTW, I'm a big fan of your work and enjoy immensely your blog.
Love the black! Another beautiful furniture transformation.
Leslie
House on the Way
You could use a homemade light bounce with a trip-pod. You could get a smaller version of the car window reflective covering, cut it into a small square and use your flash. Place the reflective square right in front of your flash and have it tilted so it reflects toward the ceiling. Best to use a tripod and automatic timer with this since you will need atlas one of your hands, but I recently discovered this trick from a photographer friend who didn't want to invest in a pro light bouncer. Just a tip! 🙂