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Archive for the ‘Tips & Techniques’ Category

The 7 Deadly Sins of Indoor Photography.

Jul 7, 2010 Tips & Techniques

1. Lack of Custom White Balance
2. On Camera Flash.
3. Composition is Everything.
4. Pay Attention to the Small Details.
5. Bounce the Flash.
6. Windows, Picture Frames, Mirrors and Glass Cabinets.
7. A Tripod is Your Friend.

Read more: http://www.lightstalking.com/indoor-photography.

Photography Lighting Facts.

Jul 6, 2010 Tips & Techniques

Here are some photography lighting facts you should know, snagged Popphoto.com.

1. The broader the light source, the softer the light.
2. The closer the light source, the softer the light.
3. Diffusion scatters light, essentially making the light source broader and therefore softer.
4. Bouncing light acts as diffusion.
5. The farther the light source, the more it falls off— gets dimmer on your subject.
6. Light falloff can be used to vary the relationship between the light on your subject and your background.
7. Frontlighting de-emphasizes texture; lighting from the side, above, or below emphasizes it.
8. Shadows create volume.
9. Backlight can be used as highly diffused lighting.
10. Light has color, even when it looks “white.”

Read more: http://www.popphoto.com/content/top-10-photography-lighting-facts-you-should-know?pnid=65977.

The Latest.

Jul 5, 2010 Tips & Techniques

I am browsing fro medical assisting school for a cousin, but I just had to share this.

The two main misconceptions that we most often have about equipment when we’re starting out in photography are:

* The latest, greatest gear results in better photos.
* The gear you have is not good enough because your images are not. In other words you blame the equipment.

A camera doesn’t take the photo, nor does any piece of photographic equipment. Photos are made by you – the photographer. Sure in some very rare cases you might have a technical issue with a camera body or a lens, but for most part that’s not the concern. Most of the essential photographic gear is better than good enough these days, it has been for the last five years or so (with the development of affordable digital SLRs), one just has to know how to use it to its full potential.

My advice here in short is – forget about chasing the latest, greatest stuff. Get out there with what you have, figure out how to get the most out of your equipment, learn when to use one lens over another, when to use a tripod and of course, learn about the basics of photography – setting the aperture, shutter speed and ISO. This might seem like the most obvious advice imaginable, but somehow so many aspiring photographers still think that it’s all about the equipment you have, there’s just nothing further from the truth.
Source: http://digital-photography-school.com/travel-photography-mistakes.

Don’t you agree? So true, most people do equate good photos with great gears. But that is not entirely true. A good photo really does lie on the one taking the pictures. You can say that this statement of mine comes with a little bit of bitterness on the side. Slightly true. Hee hee. Only because I cannot afford the latest and best gear out there even if I am dying to have them.

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Photographers.

Jun 1, 2010 Tips & Techniques

1. They find a niche and they stick with it.
2. They know their audience.
3. They work hard and often.
4. They have a plan.
5. They don’t wait for permission.
6. They never stop learning.
7. They move forward.

Read more: http://photofocus.com/2010/04/29/the-seven-habits-of-highly-effective-photographers/.

10 Simple Yet Effective Photography Tips.

Jun 1, 2010 Tips & Techniques

1. Move closer to your subject.
2. Take lots of pictures.
3. Get creative.
4. Rent equipment.
5. Use the camera’s flash.
6. Think of your camera like a painter’s canvas.
7. Study Pictures.
8. Learn to take a little criticism.
9. Get your pictures published.
10. Learn from your mistakes.

Read more: http://www.picturecorrect.com/tips/simple-effective-photography-tips/.

6 Keys to Shooting Great Group Photos.

May 29, 2010 Tips & Techniques

1. Small is better.
2. Planning a shot is essential.
3. Good location is vital.
4. Get in close.
5. Use the multiple shot feature on your camera.
6. Be happy.

Read more: http://digital-photography-school.com/6-keys-to-shooting-great-group-photos/.

7 Ways to Create Powerful Photos with Colour.

Feb 12, 2010 Tips & Techniques

1. Use Strong, Bold Colours.
2. Use Subtle, Pastel Colours.
3. Use One Colour Against a Neutral Background.
4. Let One Colour Dominate.
5. Colour Balance.
6. Colour Temperature.
7. Colour and Emotion.

Read more about the above tips at http://photo.tutsplus.com/articles/7-ways-to-create-powerful-photos-with-colour/.

Reducing Camera Noise.

Dec 17, 2009 Tips & Techniques

I came across these three simple Photoshop steps to reduce the camera noise in your photos. This can be very helpful as I do have quite a number of ‘noisy’ pictures since I am not so fond of using flash. Most of the time, I would rather use a higher ISO than use a flash. Anyway, for the steps.

Step 1
Duplicate the background layer. You can do this by simply dragging the background layer into the New Layer icon at the bottom of the Layers window.

Step 2
Change the Layer Blending Mode from ‘Normal’ to ‘Color’.

Step 3
Apply Gaussian Blur Filter from the Filter menu. The amount of blur will determine the amount of reduction. Be careful not to over-blur because adding too much blur will de-saturate the color information in your image.

You can read more about this at http://digital-photography-school.com/.

Better Night Photos With A Point And Shoot Camera.

Oct 11, 2009 Photography, Tips & Techniques, Tips & Tricks

I am learning a lot from DPS. This set of tips for taking night photos with a point and shoot camera is very informative. I rarely bring our DSLR and have our digicam instead. With this help, I can maximize the use of my digicam.

1. Use A Longer Shutter Speed
2. Try Different Shutter Speeds
3. Find Something Sturdy
4. Breath Easy And Squeeze
5. Fiddle With ISO
6. Use Noise Reduction If You Have It