Pro-tips!

Photo by Paul Octavious!

One of our favorite surprises after opening was just how many people found our mugs and decor Instagram-worthy. But, we also noticed a problem: while the bar’s darkness lends itself to great ambience, it isn’t so great for mobile phone photography! Enter Anjali Pinto, our resident photographer. She says doesn’t always need the big, professional photo set-up — and insists that you don’t, either! We asked her for some pro-tips on taking great photos in the low light of Three Dots and a Dash:

Photographing in a dark bar is a challenge, especially if you’ve already guzzled down a Zombie Punch and you want to Instagram your next drink of choice. Here’s a few tips and tricks to live by the next time you want to make a stand-out memory from a blurry evening.  

LIGHT THE WAY.There are multiple sources of interesting light already available to you in Three Dots and a Dash. Notice those adorable sandscape candles in the center of your table or the track lighting on the main wood wall that illuminates from below?  Position your cocktail near one of these sources of available light to create a photo that matches the atmosphere. 

CONTROL EXPOSURE.Download an app that lets you choose an exposure point. Camera + and VSCOcam both allow you to separate focal and exposure points on your iPhone when taking a picture. With this detail, you can click on the darkest part of your image and the iPhone will compensate by brightening up the overall picture.  

PHONE A FRIEND.On-camera flash is less than ideal for making a beautiful picture. When your flash is directed from the same angle as your lens, objects in photos tend to look one-dimensional. But, an indirect source of light can make all the difference. Have a friend sit next to you and use the flashlight feature on their phone to light your picture.  If you want a dramatic back-lit photo of your skull glass, have a friend’s phone pumped up to full brightness and rest its illuminated screen on the back of the glass.