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Low light focusing
Focusing a digital camera in low light can be challenging, even if a camera has an autofocus assist lamp. But the main culprit of misfocused images is usually caused by low contrast, not low light.
Look for contrast
When having difficulty focusing in low-light, lock focus and exposure on something in the scene that has contrast. It should be of equal distance and lighting as the main subject. Point the camera's focus indicator on the area with contrast, depress the shutter-release button half-way and confirm focus. You may need to move the camera around a few times before achieving focus lock. Once focus is confirmed, reframe the scene and fully depress the shutter button. This technique works best when a camera is set to a single area focus mode.
Misfocus or blurred images?
Sometimes a photo that appears misfocused is actually blurred because of camera shake due to slow shutter speed. When lighting is low, the aperture opens wider to let in more light. The larger the aperture opening, the slower the shutter speed. Few people can hold a camera steady when shutter speeds are below 1/60th of a second, especially if the camera doesn't have image stabilization.
Increase shutter speed by increasing the light on the subject. Let more light into the room, turn on more lights or use the flash.
You can also increase camera sensitivity by using a higher ISO number. The downside is that higher ISO numbers can cause image noise, with a resulting loss of detail. Fortunately, noise can be reduced with noise reduction software.
Use a tripod or other support to keep the camera from moving. If not possible, hold the camera as steady as you can.
If your camera has a viewfinder, use it rather than the LCD to frame shots. Pressing the camera against your face helps minimize movement. If your camera doesn't have a viewfinder, learn how to frame a shot using the LCD.
