- the high detail and subtle changes between frames make compression difficult. Ask your subjects to wear clothes that don't have high contrast patterns or lots of details. Plain colors are best - bold stripes or checked patterns can do very odd things when resized and compressed. Be sure to have some light available so we can also see the performer and not just the fire moving in circles. Filming. Turn "Auto focus" off If filming fire at night you will find it better using "manual focus". This is because "auto focus" will have difficulty working out what to focus on and will make fuzzy what you want to be clear. Photo. Types of film When selecting the ISO (ASA) speed of the film consider the following. For still action photo's at faster shutter speeds use a high ISO 400+. This will create a picture which captures a moment in time with a short flame trail. Use ISO 1000 for very faster exposure times in low light. This will give a clear steady picture of any flames. For longer exposure times use a nomal ISO value 100 - 200 film even lower if you wish. Photo. Hold your camera steady Hold the camera steady. This will help to give sharper images. Use a tripod if you have one. Otherwise hold the camera against something that is steady, a garden table, a fence etc. Photo. Manual focus Sometimes autofocus does not work with fire at night. It fails to focus on