I've gotta do a candlelight shoot...Anyone got any suggestions ? iso settings , other important settings that work best ?

in low light, you need to shoot with a tripod, remote cable release and mirror lock (if available)..  you'll probably need to use a high ISO so enable noise reduction if you have an option for it..

I don't have a release remote , but can I use the self timer instead ?

A wireless remote will work....make sure your camera is less flash and battery grip if you have one. The lighter the better. Try ISO 640 or so.......turn on your long exposure......... and shoot in apeture priority. you should be able figure the ISO and aperture setting within a few test shots.

You need to take an exposure reading off the models face and don't rely on the overall average reading from cameras built in meter.

Shooting in RAW may help as well to retain maximum flexability when post processing. This will also help in adjusting the color balance to get your effect.

Don't forget to have the model(s) hold very, very still. On a D70 I would rather have a longer expos than the high ISO. JMHO however I would not go higher than 400 on a D70 for that shot. And like someone else already said, shoot the series in RAW. WB should be around 1500k however on a D70 you will need to do a manual white balance setting to get that close, shoot RAW and you can ajust it later during posting.

generally it is much easier to simulate a low light shot with much higher light levels and then taking them down via shutter or aperture.  it all depends on the mood you want though.

with things like candle light and other things requiring a longer exposure time or higher iso, you tend to loose a great deal of contrast....by the light magically 'filling' itself into all areas, so if you need lots of contrast, try doing ti with higher levels and maintain a shutter speed that will still capture the candle...like 1/60th

I read this once but have never attempted it but the article said to increase the quantity of light obviously be as close to the light source as possible and use something very reflective under and behind the light source to magnify its effect, such as aluminum foil.

This is how I would do it.  Read the model's face, then lock the reading (depends on how dark and what the shutter speed is, I would use lowest ISO possible)  Set the camera on self timing (if you don't have a wireless trigger).  Set the camera on tripod (compose the image), then press the shutter, let go your hand and then wait.

I like using the camera on daylite balance so you keep that candel warm tone. Eric

Set up some burning candles ahead of time and practice, see what works best for you. Others have already identified the essentials - fast lens, slow shutter, high ISO, tripod and try the various settings until you find one you are comfortable with. You may find that the candles will be overexposed if you are trying to get a good exposure on the model, or she will be dark if the candles are correct, depending on where they are in relation to her and how many you use.

Try to make sure you are not near an air vent and try not to create a localized breese by moving quickly. The less the flame 'dances' the less likely you are to get odd (and unpredictable) light patterns.

https://www.modelmayhem.com/pic.php?pid=1494000

The above shot was on 100-ISO B&W film, using f2 and I from memory 1/60th. As you can see there are a lot of candles, which is no doubt why it still worked with such a low ISO. I think you could probably get away with a higher ISO on digital and also using a fast lens, I suppose it depends how many candles you're going to be using.

What did you have in mind?

I shoot studio candle light shots every year at my halloween event
ISO 100 F11 & F16 for 10-30 seconds on a Rebel XT with good results.

The remote trigger and mirror lock up is the best way to avoid camera shake,
But I opted to pin the camera on a solid surface to mute vibrations while using the on camera shutter release.

Testing is easy on a digital so it would make sense to find out want works prior to a critical shoot.



Halloween 2005 - candlelight only

Hmmmmm, you all do it differently than I do.  In my view, shooting in candlelight makes it almost impossible to get the subject cleanly in focus because, even with a tripod, the model isn't standing perfectly still.

Here is the way that I do it.  Bring in your studio strobes, just as for any shoot.  Set them up at very low power so you need a fairly wide aperature.  You are going to have to make some creative decisions in terms of depth of field, but generally speaking, the shallow depth of field with give the slight out of focus effect you would expect from a candle light shoot.

Once you get the strobes metered properly for your subject (and bear in mind you may want to adjust white balance to get the low light effect or slightly underexpose), then it is timme to tackle the candles.  Meter the candles as if you were shooting aperature priority.  What I am saying is fix the f-stop for whatever you used for the strobes.  All you want to do is to adjust the shutter speed.  Pick the correct shutter speed to get the candles exposed, creatively, as you want them.  You will find that the camera will be using a fairly low shutter speed.

Put the camera on sticks and then fire a few test images.  The model is going to be properly lit (based on your creative decisions), but more importantly, she will be sharp and in focus with no motion blur (remember, no matter what the the shutter speed is set at, the strobe fires quickly and she is metered for the strobe).  So your subject will be sharp.   But the candles will be exposed properly since you have metered the shutter for the ambient light.

You have great latitude to make this work incredibly since you can control the light using barn doors, snoots, grid or spots, to put the strobes only where you need them.   You can light the room with candlelight but still get enough added light on the subject to have her pop and be perfectly in focus.

While I occassionally will shoot in candlelight only, I almost always use strobes so I can control the image and the ambiance.  It only needs to look like a candlelight shot to the viewer.  What you do to make it happen properly is the magic of the craft!