Wedding reception — first dance in low light
A couple dancing in a warmly lit hall with string lights behind them.
Camera
Not specified
Lens
Not specified
Focal length
50 mm
Aperture
f/2
Shutter speed
1/125 s
ISO
1600
Focus
Continuous eye AF
White balance
Auto
Flash
Not used
Tripod
Not used
Why does this photo look like this?
Receptions are dark, and people keep moving. A wide aperture plus a high ISO buys the shutter speed you need to keep faces sharp.
Look at this
The faces are sharp while the string lights become soft glowing dots. The warm colour of the room has been kept instead of corrected away.
What would change with different settings
Slower than 1/125 s and dancing hands blur. A narrower aperture would force ISO 6400 or more.
What happens if you change the settings?
1/125 s · f/2 · ISO 1600
Always check your exposure and adjust settings according to the actual lighting and movement.
These are starting settings, not universal rules.
Always check your exposure and adjust settings according to the actual lighting and movement.