A Photo Tip for Romantic February

Everyone looks beautiful by candlelight, but it's really hard to take a good photo by candlelight. I read Darren Rowse's Digital Photography School and asked him if I could share a few of his tips for taking photos by candlelight with you.

1. Turn off your flash: As Darren says, the warm glow of candlelight and the harsh light of the flash don't work well together.
2. Use a tripod: Candlelight is low light so you want to shoot at slower shutter speeds, which require holding the camera still. You might even consider using a remote shutter release since there's some vibration when you press the shutter on the camera.
3. Go heavier on the candles: This is sort of the same rule as wearing makeup on TV. Since you have little to work with, more candles will equal more light, which will give you more flexibility in your settings.

Darren suggests using natural reflectors such as "white tablecloths" and a simple uncluttered background, too. All told, there are 14 tips. Combined, I'm sure they'll help you make a romantic keepsake this Valentine's Day. For more of his tips, visit the web site.