Shooting by candlelight

Posted by Gordon King on Dec 23, 2011 | 2 comments

When the possibility of photographing a candlelight vigil came up on the work schedule the other day I pulled rank and grabbed it.

I love covering these events.

First, they’re always emotional gatherings and by extension, make for emotional photos. And, as we all know, emotional photos are good photos.

Second, the light rocks. Candlelight has so much … character.

Third, it’s a technical challenge because there’s not much light. However, new digital cameras (my primary camera is a Canon 1D Mark IV for all you gearheads out there) and the RAW image format make this is relatively simple challenge. The ASA will be usually be somewhere between 1,600 and 3,200 ASA at 1/60th of a second or slower.

Holding the camera steady at such a slow shutter speed is a bit difficult but it helps to use a shorter, lighter, wide-angle  lens. If possible, I brace myself on something immobile to steady myself. If I do use my usual 70-200 mm lens I make sure the lens stabilization feature is turned on. And cut back on the caffeine!

Fourth, it’s also a challenge on a more personal level. Such vigils are usually held to remember the loss of a friend or loved one so it’s a very somber and personal time for them and I don’t want to disrupt attendees during such a time. For those people I will be shooting up close with a wide-angle lens, I try and introduce myself to some of them ahead of the event and explain what I’m doing so they’re aware of who I am and why I am taking photographs. And during the event I try and limit my photos of any  particular person so I don’t become a bother to them. After the vigil, as I’m getting cutline information, I thank people for letting me take their photo.

Two very nice people to whom I got close during the most recent vigil, using my 16-35 mm lens.

I like this photo because I am up close and a bit more intimate with them than in other photos and I like the fading sunlight in the background. The only problem is the subjects aren’t showing any emotion.

Still, this was going to my main photo until I saw, all the way across the gathering, two people on the edge between light and dark of the streetlights.

Their body language and somber expressions reflected perfectly the tenor of the vigil. Luckily they were standing very still and I was able to steady myself enough to use my 70-200mm lens and shoot at 1/25th of a second at 3200 ASA. This was our main front-page photo the next morning.

And as a bonus, the person they were there to remember was in the lead of the reporter’s story. I didn’t coordinate that with the reporter, it just happened to work out that way.

I got a very nice email from a reader complimenting me on the photo but she went on to write she would have cropped out the woman on the left. I left that person in the frame to show there were other people there. Because the two main subjects were large enough in the frame I thought leaving the other woman in the frame to add context didn’t diminish the focus on the two main subjects. I’d love to hear from anyone who wants to weigh in on this – should I have cropped out the woman on the left?

–Gordon King