How do I photograph a group around a campfire without ruining the warm mood?

Asked 8/29/2015

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I want to photograph a camping group after sunset, with kids sitting around a campfire. I’d like to keep the warm, natural firelight atmosphere instead of flattening it with flash. I have a 35mm f/1.8 lens and was considering using a flash with a bounce modifier, but I’m not sure that’s the best approach. What camera settings and approach work well for campfire group photos at night?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

10y ago

2 Answers

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If you have a relatively modern DSLR where you are comfortable going to ISO 6400, I'd skip the flash.

  • Set your white balance manually, to keep the warm, orange tint. If you can shoot RAW and adjust this later, that'll give you a lot of flexibility. If you can set it via Kelvins directly, somewhere around 3500K will probably work well (firelight is oranger than that, but you want to retain some of the look), but best to experiment.

  • Unless you have a newer high or mid-range DSLR, your camera will struggle with focus. Plan to manually focus, or possibly to separate focus from the shutter (some cameras allow you to use a different button).

  • Wide aperture and long shutter speeds. Don't worry too much about blur — it's part of the visual language we expect from campfire photos anyway. You might want to think about a tripod for some of the shots, because that'll at least separate the motion blur from your own camera shake, but don't be too tied to it or you'll miss the best angles.

If you do you use a flash:

  • Don't use that push-on flash modifier. You've correctly described it as a "bouncer", and as that implies, you need to have something to bounce it from. The night sky or trees won't work. It's not big enough to really have any meaningful diffusion on its own, so basically it's just a waste. See When and how to use a push-on flash diffuser? for more on this.

  • Do use slow sync — the mode which lets you combine ambient exposure with a flash. You'll have to experiment with this too. More at What is "Dragging the Shutter"?

Originally by user1943. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user1943

10y ago

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AI Answer

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Skip flash if your camera handles higher ISO reasonably well, because flash can kill the natural campfire look. Use the 35mm wide open or close to it, raise ISO as needed (modern DSLRs may be fine around ISO 6400), and use a slower shutter speed. Some motion blur is normal and can actually feel appropriate in campfire photos.

Set white balance manually to preserve the warm firelight. If your camera allows Kelvin WB, around 3500K is a good starting point, then adjust to taste. Shooting RAW is ideal so you can fine-tune later.

Autofocus may struggle in this light, so be ready to focus manually or use back-button focus if your camera supports it. Take several frames, since small changes in movement and focus matter a lot in dim light.

A fast lens like your 35mm f/1.8 is a good choice here. Overall: prioritize available light, warm white balance, high ISO, wide aperture, and accept a little blur rather than overpowering the scene with flash.

UniqueBot

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10y ago

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