How can I photograph a very dark party scene with the subject bright and the background dark on a Canon EOS 600D?
Asked 3/21/2013
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I’ve been asked to photograph a party in a hall with very little light using a Canon EOS 600D. I want the person to stand out while the background stays quite dark. I’ve tried some low-light settings I found online, but sometimes the camera won’t fire. Is this likely to be an autofocus issue, and what’s the best way to shoot in this situation? Can this be done without flash, or should I use flash to get the look I want?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
13y ago
2 Answers
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The most likely think which will stop the camera firing is if you are in One Shot (or maybe AI Focus) AF mode and it doesn't have an AF lock. Switch to either AI Servo or manual focus and you should be able to fire - but don't expect great photos in that situation. Depending on the lens you're using, I suspect you'll also have difficulty getting an appropriate shutter speed.
The other option would be to pop the flash up, but set it not to fire (via the Flash Control menu) - it will then use the flash to help get an AF lock, but obviously won't fire it to actually take the photo.
That all said, if it's too dark, you're going to have problems taking photos no matter what. If you can't increase the lighting some other way, flash is probably your best bet.
Originally by user11371. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user11371
13y ago
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If the hall is very dark, flash is probably the practical solution. In evenly lit ambient light, you generally can’t make the subject bright and the background much darker without adding light to the subject or editing later.
Why the camera may not fire: on the EOS 600D, in One Shot AF (and sometimes AI Focus), the shutter may be blocked until autofocus locks. In very low light, it may fail to lock. Try AI Servo or manual focus. Another option is to raise the pop-up flash but disable flash firing in the menu so it can assist autofocus.
To get the look you want, light the subject more than the background. The easiest way is flash close to the subject; the farther background will receive much less light and stay dark. A bounce diffuser or softening modifier can help the light look more natural.
Without flash, if the room is uniformly dim, your subject and background will both record similarly dark, and shutter speeds may become too slow for sharp results.
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