Hi @namang, Great question. Many of us want nice images of family of friends during event like parties or recitals or even outdoors at cookouts when the sun is down. Using a camera's flash can be a problem, because everyone's complexion can get washed out or other parts of the image can be too bright.

Aperture Settings

If you have a digital camera with settings, try placing them on "manual". Then, for low light conditions, set your aperture (called the "f stop") to a low number like f2.8 or the lowest your camera will allow. A wide aperture lets more light into the camera when the shutter opens. Alternatively a tiny opening lets only a small amount of light into the camera which would be correct for a bright sunny day (an aperture setting of f22).

Shutter Speed

In addition to aperture settings, adjust the camera's shutter speed settings if you can. Slower shutter speed allows more light into the camera. Any low light conditions require slower shutter speeds. Experiment with your camera to find the right combination of shutter speed and aperture setting for the conditions you are in on any given day. As you become more familiar with your camera, you will be able to take better pictures in any light conditions.

Tri-pod vs. Hand Held

Try placing the camera on a stable surface (table, counter, mantle) or a tripod if you have slowed the shutter speeds and set the aperture for low light as hand holding in these conditions can result in blurry images.

Lenses

If your (digital SLR or SLR) camera takes separate lenses, you have the option of using a 'faster' lens with apertures like f1.8 or even lower which will allow for better low light photography.

It’s pretty much the same as any other discipline of photography – light being captured on a sensor & the same rules apply. The basics of photography are still very important – lets start with that. The larger the aperture (e.g. f1.8) the faster your shutter speed will be. The higher the ISO the more sensitive to light the sensor becomes & visa verse. This brings us right to the essence of low light photography, longer exposure times, so a tripod is (mostly) essential.

To get increased exposure times (longer shutter speeds) you will need to decrease the aperture (e.g. f22). The smaller the aperture the longer the exposure times become & the more depth of field your images will have. Simple! Just the basic of photography.

Read more: http://www.digital-photography-school.com/low-light-digital-photography#ixzz0z27UYqd8

Alternative Source:

Because low light photography requires settings not programmed into most consumer cameras, a camera with manual settings is preferable. Point-and-shoot cameras and automatic-only settings won’t allow you the control needed for unusual lighting conditions. For convenience, preset your camera settings before you go out on the shoot. If your camera offers automatic white balance, turn this function off to avoid washing out the rich hues that low-light settings naturally create. If possible, take the first photo before dark using auto-focus. You can then switch to manual focus, yet you’ll still have a focus setting to return to if your camera becomes confused by the lack of light.