When taking photos, there are always going to be times when the lighting is limited. You can’t always carry around an arsenal of lighting equipment to make sure that everything is working in your favor. There are many ways to use low lighting to your advantage though. Sometimes these photos look unique and original. When shooting in low light, there are many things you can do to make your images stand out.

First, try and position your subject so that they are in some type of light. Whether it be a street lamp, or even just a lamp. The light will help you focus, so it will keep your subject from being blurry and soft.

Along with that, you are going to want to adjust the settings on your camera for the lighting. Opening up the aperture will allow more of the light that is available into your camera. Using a slow shutter speed is also going to help when the lighting is less than perfect. It will allow more time for the light to get into the lens when you are taking a photo.

You may also need to use a higher ISO, but that can cause your images to look grainy, so if that can be avoided that might be in your best interest.

Something that people may not think about when shooting in a low lighting situation is focusing on an area that has contrast. These areas are where the light meets the darkness. Focusing here will help your camera focus and maybe even prevent the need of using a higher ISO.

Finally, in case you didn’t already think of this, just try adding more light to your image. This can be as simple as having someone come with you and holding a flashlight or using the light on their phone to provide a little bit more light to the scene. Using an external flash can also add more light, but if you are on a budget or simply do not have one, having friends that are willing to help you can come in handy.