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A decent shutter speed matched with good ISO sensitivity will produce very good low-light images.

If you're fed-up of finding that photos you've clicked in low-light are blurred or too dark, read on as WINDOWS explains how to overcome these problems and click like a pro.

If you own a camera, be it digital or an old-school film camera, you've no doubt experienced the frustration (at least once) of finding out that a picture you've clicked in low-light has come out looking like a black background or is so blurred that you can't actually see anything.

In low-light conditions these problems are caused by a number of factors ranging from insufficient light getting to the camera's image sensor, to incorrect settings in terms of ISO, aperture etc.

Thankfully, there are steps you can take to ensure you end-up with quality images in poor light but on the flip-side, it isn't as simple as putting your camera into a certain capture mode. Rather, you'll have to take a hands-on approach and shoot in manual mode where you have control over a number of your camera's settings.

In the past, you'd have to shop for a high-end SLR camera if you wanted access to settings such as ISO, shutter speed etc but today, even certain point-and-shoot models offer this flexibility, meaning there's a very good chance that you can finish with some great low-light photos. So, without further ado, lets get on the road to great low-light photos.

Step 1

An ISO speed of 100 was used on this photograph and as a result, it is free from noise.

When shooting in low-light conditions, one of the most important settings to keep an eye on is ISO. This is always specified as a number and indicates how sensitive a camera's sensor will be to light.

Generally, most cameras automatically select an ISO setting but this ideal only if you're shooting in bright conditions. In low-light, it's best to shoot after you've manually selected an ISO appropriate to the conditions you're shooting in.

Low ISO settings require more light entering the camera or else the pictures will appear dark. The benefit of shooting with a low ISO setting is that the images are free from visible noise (graininess). Higher ISO settings add more noise to a picture but produce brighter images when shooting with low ambient light.

The most common ISO settings offered are 50, 80, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600 and 3200. Shooting with an ISO of either 50-80, you can expect great, noise-free images in bright light. These settings produce great results when shooting close-ups, landscape or portrait images. ISO 100 is similar to 50 and 80 though it offers slightly more brightness with no real increase in visible noise.

ISO 200 offers higher still image sensitivity and is best used outdoors in overcast or cloudy conditions. It offers slightly reduced image quality with some visible noise. ISO 400 produces very noticeable noise and is best used for action shots (sports).

ISO 800, 1600 and higher are viable options when working with extremely poor light but unless these settings are used in tandem with modified shutter speeds, the images will likely be very disappointing and saturated with noise.

We recommend testing your camera to see how it handles very high ISO settings such as 800 and 1600 before taking photos that you intend to print or store to look at later.

Step 2

Another very important setting in photography when shooting in low-light is shutter speed. This defines the amount of time the camera's shutter will remain open and allow light to reach the digital image sensor. Shutter speed is generally measured in seconds, or fractions of seconds such as 1/2000 of a second or 1/125 of a second etc.

Using very high (fast) shutter speeds (1/500 of a second) generally give the effect of an object standing still. So, if you were to shoot a person running say, he would appear to be frozen in a running pose.

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