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You just spent $500 on a fancy digital camera, why do the kids still look like pasty ghosts blowing out small nuclear exposions on top of a cake whose letter you can't read? The answer is that indoor, low light photography is not always as simple as point and shoot.
Using a flash is the most obvious solution to low light digital photography. But flash images have their downsides. Not only will a flash interfere with any social "moment" happening at the time -- don't be that guy popping flash photos during your friend's wedding ceremony -- it also tends to flatten images and distort colors and washout skin tones. This problem is especially true with the cheap built-in flashes on most compact digital cameras.
If not flash then what?
The first thing many photographers with a film background will suggest is to ratchet up the ISO or "light sensativity" setting. Traditionally high speed film (ISO 800 and higher) was better suited for low light photography. Unfortunately, where high speed film produced enlarged grain, which could often be used for artist effect, higher ISOs on digital cameras tend to just produce color noise -- little specks of red green and blue scattered across your image.
Most point and shoot cameras, even those with manual controls, won't produce quality images above 400 ISO. The solution then is to use lower ISO settings, but that means you'll be facing a new concern -- long exposures.
Since long exposure times increase the chance you'll blur the shot, whether through the subject's movement or yours, start with the largest aperture your camera allows. Use aperture-priority mode if you have one and set f-stop down to f/1.8 or the lowest availabl.
If the exposure time is still greater than what you can handhold, it's time to break out the tripod.
If you haven't made peace with being the person who totes a tripod to dinner, consider something like the [http://www.joby.com/products/gorillapod/ Gorilla Pod], a small, flexible tripod which will fit nicely in the average coat pocket. There are several sizes available some of which probably won't fit in your pocket, but still aren't a cumbersome as full-size tripod.
Alternately, if you have a surgeon's hands you can try hand-holding even long exposures. Pick a solid stance with your legs slightly apart (like two legs of a tripod) and brace the camera against your face. Hold your breath while you press the shutter and be sure to zoom in on the resulting image to check for blurring.
The next challenge you face in low light situations is the lighting. In most cases you'll be shooting in artificial light -- the chandelier above your dinner table for instance.
Light temperatures from incandescent bulbs or florescent overheads can cast yellow or blue tones over a scene. Some times this can have a nice warming effect (in the case of incandescent light), but other times it may not be what you're looking for.
The solution is to adjust the white balance in your camera. Most digital cameras offer a variety of preset white balance settings which you can experiment with. If all else fails you may be able to customize your own settings. Keep in mind that if you're shooting RAW images you can always change the white balance after the fact using software.
Earlier I mentioned that high ISO setting tend to create unacceptable levels of color noise. While that's true, there are some ways to get rid of color noise after the fact. Photoshop ships with a noise filter which will smooth your pixels by blending surrounding areas together.
Unfortunately, for all but the most basic situations, the results won't bowl you over. Dedicated software like [http://www.picturecode.com/ Noise Ninja] can produce much more dramatic improvements with very little blurring or other side effects. Noise Ninja will set you back between $35-$80 depending on what license is right for you. It isn't cheap but if you do a lot of low light photography it's a godsend.
Finally, after you've experimented a bit with ISOs, white balance and long exposures you'll probably start to notice that your camera's exposure meter isn't all that helpful in low light situations. Here's our general guide to exposure times (assuming the widest aperture possible). You'll need to experiment to see what works for you.
* Christmas lights: 1/4 to 3 seconds of exposure.
* Cityscapes: 2 to 30 seconds.
* For a night sky with star trails, use the formula: exposure = 600/focal length of the lens
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