 Fred S. MacKenzie |
Campfire Photography I enjoy camping with my boys (4 and 5). At night, I let them roast marshmallows on the campfire. What settings should I shoot this on for it to turn out? I generally shoot Fuji ISO 200 ... but, of course, any recommendations would be appreciated.
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Bob Cammarata |
At ISO 200, your boys will need to sit pretty close to the fire - as close as they can without being uncomfortable. Use your in-camera meter to get a reading off their reflected light ... not the light from the fire. A shutter speed of at least 1/30 second will work hand-held if you are steady and can squeeze the shutter with very little movement. 1/15 sec or slower would be better, but would require a tripod and instructions to your subjects to remain perfectly still. These guidelines should allow for an aperture setting with acceptable depth of field. The flames will over-expose a little, but you will be able to capture your subjects in the glow of the firelight and maintain detail. Try to compose the shot with only a small portion of the flames in view. This will focus the attention on your sons enjoying a night of camping rather than just a shot of a campfire with a few dark silhouettes. It's also wise to bracket these types of exposures over and under in 1/2 stops to be sure.
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Fred S. MacKenzie |
Thanks
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Maria Melnyk |
This will be easier with 800-speed film. You could also add a little bit of fill flash, but very little, and you could set up the fill so it comes from the same side of the boys' faces as the fire. Either use a radio slave where your camera would trigger the flash, or have a very long cord connecting it.
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