The Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi/450D Companion

SPECIALTY SHOOTING

LOWLIGHT SHOOTING

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Low-Light Shooting

A lot of new shooters think that low light means shooting with the flash. And

while the flash can often yield good pictures in low light, with your Rebel XSi, you

have far more low-light options, thanks to its excellent high ISO capability. You

must use care when shooting in low light, but with a little practice you’ll prob-

ably find that there’s a whole world of subject matter that reveals itself when light

levels dim.

When to Use Flash in Low Light

Your flash works well when you have a subject that’s close to the camera and you

want it lit up very brightly, using a light source positioned where you’re standing.

But flash photos can often look weird or even outright bad. If you’re not careful

with your exposure, then your subject can look harshly-lit, while your background

may not be lit at all. We’ll discuss flash exposure in detail in the next chapter.

Another problem with flash shooting with the camera’s built-in flash is that it

washes out the natural light in your scene. Very often, when you’re out at night,

what might strike you about a particular scene are the unique colors that are cre-

ated under street lights or other lighting sources that appear only at night.

Finally, many times shooting a flash is inappropriate or simply not allowed. Con-

certs and performances, art galleries, or any situation where you don’t want t