With newer cameras, a better signal to noise ratio, in plain language, means you can get respectable images in almost pitch darkness.
I took these shots in a very dark mud and straw hut in Mexico. The light level was so low that it took a few seconds to adjust to the darkness. There was no artificial light and the only light was from a small window to the left of the kitchen. At an ISO of 400, my first image was a disaster–
Initial image as soon as I walked into the hut.
![Initial image as soon as I walked into the hut.](http://www.ajoyprabhu.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/IMG_0797-1024x682.jpg)
Cranked up the ISO to 800. Still not good enough (notice the lady’s hands).
![Crakened up the ISO to about 800.](http://www.ajoyprabhu.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/IMG_0795-1024x682.jpg)
The last image is what I wanted to show anyway– the tortillas.
![ISO 12,000 and using the outside light as much as possible.](http://www.ajoyprabhu.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/IMG_0798-1024x682.jpg)
The maker’s hands in the background completes the story for me. It reflects what I consider my personal style of photography, up close and to the point.