My Photography Blog

How to Make a Perfect Bokeh Photos

2019-02-10T07:13:00.000-08:00

In photography world, bokeh is a term used to describe the visual quality of a blur area outside the focal point which seems to separate the main subject from the background. Visually, our eyes are stunned when looking at photos with a main subject that is focused and sharp with a soft, crisp and beautiful background. The main subject is very prominent while the creamy blurry background strengthens the impression of dimension and depth. So how do we get bokeh photos every time?

Use Lenses with Large Aperture

Bokeh is determined by the lens, not the camera. The lens and optics in it determine the quality of the bokeh produced by the photo. So use a lens with the settings on the largest aperture. For DSLR and mirrorless cameras, you can use the aperture priority mode on the camera, then set the lens f number at the smallest number. On lenses with f / 2.8 specifications, for example, use f / 2.8, don't use f / 4. In the kit lens with f / 3.5 - 5.6 aperture range specifications, use at f / 3.5.

What is the effect of the settings above? basically by enlarging the aperture (using the smallest f), we narrow the focus space to become very thin, while the rest looks blurry and out of focus.

Bring the Distance Between the Lens and the Subject Photo

The closer you are to the main subject, the more background blur. Why can? because when the main subject is very close, the focus point of the lens gets closer and the sharp space gets thinner. Do you want to try the lens in your eyes? try placing your index finger in front of your face and try to focus your gaze on that finger. Then pull the index finger closer to the eye while staying focused, what happened to the backgorund behind him? the more motion blur is not!

Photo lenses work on the same principle. The closer the subject is to the lens, the more blur the background behind it.

Keep the Main Subject With Backgorund

When the subject of the photo is too close to the background that looks busy, the resulting bokeh will look ugly and busy. Why? because the background is still included in the subject's focus space that still looks sharp. The sharp space of the photo moves from focus to blur gradually, with gradations, not just jumping. So the more the background is made of the focal point, the softer and blurred the background.

Use the Longest Zoom

With the distance from the camera to the same photo subject, using the zoom lens on the longest side will automatically reduce the sharp space of the lens, thus making the background more blurry. So when you use a 18-135mm zoom lens, use it at 135mm. When using a 70-200mm lens, use it at 200mm and so on.

Use the Fastest Lens You Have

If you are obsessed with wanting the perfect bokeh, try shooting with a bokeh factory lens such as a 50mm f / 1.2 lens, or 85mm f / 1.4 or 135mm f / 2 or 70-200mm f / 2.8 when used at 200mm. If these lenses feel too exotic and not affordable, use a cheaper alternative: 50mm f / 1.8, 85mm f / 1.8 or old school manual lenses with similar specifications.

Tips for Saving Lenses and Cameras

2019-01-30T07:06:00.000-08:00

High and continuous humidity can damage electronic components and camera sensors, while mold can grow and develop in optical lenses. Once the fungus grows, the optical quality can be affected and we have to bother cleaning it. If the fungus is stuck to the outer surface, it's still easy, if the growth inside the lens element on the inside we will be very inconvenient. Don't forget, also read tips on storing the lens cap and back cover so that it doesn't easily disappear.

Cameras and lenses have mechanical components that need to move smoothly, did you know inside the lens or the camera is also oiled so that mechanical movement is smooth and not dragging? Now if you place the camera and lens in a very dry area (humidity is too low) then this risks mechanical functions can be dragged and disturbed.

What is the Ideal Humidity Number?

Figures around 40 - 50% RH (relative humidity, relative humidity) are ideal for cameras and lenses according to various articles. The safest rule is to check your lens and camera manual, look for the ideal operating range words, then check the recommended humidity range. Now for long-term storage, divide the number by two.

For example, the ideal operating humidity for the Canon 5D Mark II is 85% or lower. Then the ideal storage is around 35 to 45%.

Some of the Best Storage Methods

Here are some storage methods you can do to maintain the condition of the lens and the camera to remain optimal and excellent.

Buy a Special Dry Cabinet or Dry Box, a dry cabinet is a special cabinet that is designed to store electronic goods like the photo above. You can buy it at a camera shop or a large home appliance store. Depending on the specifications, we can adjust the humidity numbers in the storage space as desired.

Silica Gel and Airtight Box, For an inexpensive alternative you can use an airtight box that is commonly used to store and put some silica gel bags. You can also buy special silica gel with a color indicator to find out the water content in the gel as in the photo below. When the silica gel in the box is saturated with water, you can plug it into electricity to dry it again.

I recommend not buying a camera storage box that has a heating element, the risk of the element getting too hot is quite large. When the heater gets too hot, the sensor inside the camera can be affected by the sap.

Photography Tips | How to Hold the Camera

2019-01-20T06:56:00.000-08:00

One of the basic things that needs to be done properly in photography is how we hold the camera properly, especially when you are working with a fairly heavy DSLR camera. With good holding techniques, we can help stabilize and reduce shake so the photos are sharper.

The way you hold a camera or use a photographic device is really just a matter of individual taste, and there are no right and wrong words, but building a habit and determining the right attitude when shooting from the beginning will give you a lot of benefits in the future. At least you will be seen as a professional photographer when photographing, at least that's a good reason to try right? The following are some tips that you can do:

Hold the camera using your right hand by grasping the handle on the right side of the camera, and placing your thumb behind the camera, three fingers curled forward and the index finger resting on the shutter button.

Most digital cameras now have a handle that automatically guides where your three fingers should be. Hold your digital camera firmly but don't be too strong if you don't want to produce blurry photos. The position of the left hand can vary depending on the type of digital camera you have, if you use a DSLR camera, then your left hand should be under the camera with the aim of holding the camera load using your palm. The thumb and forefinger of the left hand are on the lens to make it easier to adjust the focus and focal length.

1. Hold the camera using two hands - Remember! Always take pictures by holding the camera using two hands. Sure, taking one hand seems like it will look cool, but not your photos. The use of one hand then most likely the energy expended to push the shutter button will be too large, the power of the grip grip is also greater and the horizon is tilted.

2. Bend your elbows closer to the sides of your body - Place your elbows close to your body when shooting, this will reduce camera shake and shake.

3. Spread your legs to increase stability - One important thing to remember when holding the camera is how you position. Don't stand with your feet closed, spread your legs the size of a shoulder bee so that you have a better balance when shooting.

4. Keep the camera close to your body when taking photos - Even though you take pictures using the LCD screen, try not to position the camera too far from your body. Always try to keep the camera close to the body, the ideal distance is as long as you can comfortably see what is displayed by the camera's LCD screen.

5. Make sure not to block the lens or flash - Friend before pressing the shutter button also must ensure that your fingers do not cover either the lens or the flash.

6. Regulate the Breath - Of course you've climbed the stairs right? and that effort causes your breath to be faster than before, and of course your body will move up and down more frequently as the breath we take quickly.

Privileges Kit Lens Which Is Often Underrated

2019-01-10T06:48:00.000-08:00

Kit lens is a lens that is sold in a package with a digital camera. Our average lens has a geeky look, the material may look frail with plastic, and the specifications may not make you proud, but the kit lens is the perfect option for those who are just starting out with an interest in photography and want to make peace with the budget.

Kit Lens Has 4 Classic Focal Lengths in 1 Lens

Even though it looks geeky, a kit lens has 4 classic focal lengths, in other words a kit lens can replace four prime / fixed lenses at once. The four classic focal lengths were: 28mm (wide-angle), 35mm (medium wide), 50mm (normal) and 85mm (portrait).

The focal length figures above are numbers for full frame cameras, the equivalent focal lengths for APSC cameras are 18mm, 23mm, 35mm and 56mm, respectively.

And currently the majority of kit lenses for APSC cameras sold have a range of 18-55mm. Another option is kit lenses with a range from width to near telephoto medium: 18–105mm or 18–135mm. Likewise, when you buy a full frame camera, the most commonly offered lens kit is 24-105mm.

Indeed, the kit lens will not offer a fierce opening, the largest at f / 3.5, but at least you get the basic functions of four (or more) lenses in one kit lens.

Small and Light

The kit lens that is most often sold in a package with an APSC camera is an 18–55mm lens. This lens does look plain, but keep in mind that it is also very light and petite.

For example, the Canon kit lens 18-55 f / 3.5-5.6 IS STM only weighs 200 grams and the maximum length is only 6 cm.

While similar lenses with semi-pro specifications, Canon 17-55mm f / 2.8 IS USM weighs 650 grams and a maximum length of 11 cm. Almost 2 times longer and 3 times heavier.

Same for Nikon. The Nikon 18-55mm f / 3.5-5.5.6 kit lens has a weight of 195 grams and a maximum length of 6cm. Compare with Nikon 17-55mm f / 2.8G DX which weighs 755 grams and a maximum length of 11cm.

If there is a long walk or going on a tour, the weight and size will be very grateful.

Kit Lens Has A Cheaper Filter

Lens filters are still useful, even though we live in a digital age. And for the filter applies this law: the greater the diameter of the filter the more expensive the price.

The basic kit lens as we mentioned above has a small physical size, automatically requires a smaller filter size as well.

Kit Lens Has a Good Minimum Focusing Distance

Minimum Focusing Disctance, as reviewed in this article, is a measure of the ability of the lens to capture objects that are close at hand. We don't expect to be able to match the capabilities of a macro lens, but the kit lens surprisingly has a better MFD compared to a more expensive lens.

The two lenses above (18–55mm f / 3.5–5.6 both from Canon and Nikon) have better close focus capability compared to the much more expensive 17–55mm f / 2.8 lens.

Nikon D7100 Review

2015-01-14T11:11:00.000-08:00

The Nikon D7100 is an update of the now three-year old Nikon D7000. Although the D7000 arrived at a time when many weren’t expecting it, as Nikon had the enthusiast DSLR market relatively well catered for with the D90 and D300/D300S, it proved incredibly popular with its match of features and form.

Nikon is looking to repeat the trick again with the D7100. Nikon has once again grouped together a host of features found across its DSLR stable and combined them with revisions, including the updated sensor, added video features and new auto-focus (AF) module among others.

Design

On first impressions, Nikon has chosen to maintain the enthusiast DSLR template adopted in the Nikon D7000. The Nikon D7100 feels solid, with a blend of magnesium alloy and polycarbonate creating a hardy yet lightweight shell. While it might not be as sturdy as say, the Nikon D800, the body more than matches the D7100’s enthusiast billing.

New additions and modifications to the Nikon D7100 include a new ‘i’ button on the rear of the camera, along with the relocation of the video record button to the model’s top plate. The top plate itself is essentially the very same as that found on the Nikon D600, bar the microphones on the camera’s top plate. The mode dial and the drive mode dials have the same locking button mechanism as the D600 – it’s a useful way to stop them being accidentally rotated, but they’re a pain to use.

Features

At the core of the Nikon D7100 sits a DX-format sensor with a resolution of 24.1MP, much like the Nikon D5200, although it’s important to point out that the two sensors are not the same. The sensor found here sees Nikon omit the anti-aliasing filter with a view towards better detail retention, although there can be issues with false colour patterning as a result of the aforementioned absence.

The sensor itself has exactly the same ISO sensitivity range as that found on the Nikon D7100, running from ISO 100-6400 and extendable to ISO 25,600. The sensor also supports full HD video capture at a resolution of 1920 x 1080 at up to 30fps, or up to 60fps if you’re prepared to shoot at standard HD resolution of 720p. A pair of on-board microphones adds stereo sound support, and there’s a mic socket to fit an external one, too. The camera applies a 1.5x crop factor to any attached lens – for example, a 50mm prime will turn in to a 75mm when attached. There’s also a 1.3x crop factor mode at a reduced 15.4MP (vs. 24.1MP native) for improved performance with attached lenses – with this mode active, said 50mm lens would behave like a 98mm optic, should you so wish.

Other new features include a new auto focus module, which has 51 AF points with 15 cross-type AF points – a boost from 39 and nine found in the D7000 – that promises to bring a better level of performance to the enthusiast. The Nikon D7100 also has the Expeed 3 imaging engine, the same as in the Nikon D4, which means it takes an impressive six frames per second.

There are a few completely new features that debut on the Nikon D7100, too. One of these is Spot White Balance, which lets you set the camera’s white balance for the whole scene from picking just one area of the scene. Another is the redesigned LCD screen that Nikon’s has been rolling out across its cameras of late, which the lacks the air gap found on previous models and promises clearer images.

Performance

The Nikon D7100 is clearly a very well thought out and put together DSLR. Its new screen is a major plus. It’s not just the larger-than-average 3.2in LCD screen, as well as the 1224k-dot resolution, but bright, vivid colours and outstanding viewing angles. It’s as clear as any DSLR screen going. The viewfinder is just as good, so you always get a clear idea of what you’re shooting and the end result.

As you’d hope for a harga kamera DSLR Nikon pitched at enthusiast photographers, the D7100 is pleasingly prompt and responsive in use. One flick of the power switch has the camera prepared and ready for image capture in an instant. The only real slowdown comes when shooting to Raw files to the memory card – a single image is no problem, but if you go to shoot a second file there is a slight delay before it’s displayed on the screen.

It’s also worth noting that the D7100 has a slightly limiting Raw burst depth of just six frames, despite having a Raw burst speed of 6fps. This means you’ll encounter slowdown when shooting a burst of images in just a second, and while you should be able to capture the image you need in that period, it’s far from desirable. But there is a workaround to achieve longer burst depths – select the lossy 12bit capture mode as opposed to the 14bit lossless mode, the depth can be extended to nine frames. There’s a workaround when it comes to speed, as well – if you’re happy to work in a 1.3x crop mode you’ll be able to manage a burst speed of 7fps.

Harga Nikon D7100 is available as a body only option. Should you wish to purchase the camera as a kit you’ll scoop the AF-S DX Nikkor 18-105mm F/3.5-5.6G ED VR. This lens offers near silent focusing, which is pleasing, while vibration reduction system is also visibly effective.

Nikon D7100 Review

Pros
Excellent LCD screen
Reliable and accurate auto white balance
Handles well

Cons
Locking buttons are fiddly
Slow processing times
Burst mode only so-so

source: http://www.trustedreviews.com/nikon-d7100-review

Nikon D610 Review

2015-01-13T11:00:00.000-08:00

The Nikon D610 follows relatively quickly on from its predecessor, the Nikon D600, with good reason. Despite the Nikon D600 being the most affordable full-frame DSLR of all time on launch, it has its flaws, the most noticeable of which was that after a certain number of shutter actuations – around 3000 shots – some users experienced the appearance of unusual dust and oil spots in the upper left portion of the frame.

These spots – it was claimed – were a result of a fault with the camera’s shutter mechanism and although Nikon did issue a service notice, the D600 was avoided by those in the know. So while the D610 does offer several new features, its role is more to the fix the tarnished reputation of its predecessor. Let’s take a closer look and see how it gets on.

Features

On the whole not a lot has changed, but this isn’t a bad thing as the Nikon D600 was an impressive high-end DSLR. The core feature of the Nikon D610 remains its full frame CMOS sensor. The sensor offers a resolution of 24.3MP in Nikon’s FX format, while it also supports Nikon’s 1.5x DX crop mode, and therefore offers native support to Nikon’s DX lenses.

The sensor is accompanied by Nikon’s EXPEED 3 image processing engine which promises some impressive speeds, as well as facilitating a native ISO range of 100-6400, which can be extended from ISO 50 to ISO 25,600.

The rear of the camera sees the retention of Nikon’s 3.2-inch, 921k-dot LCD screen which features auto-adjustment technology to suit the brightness to that of the surrounding conditions. In terms of AF performance, the Nikon D610 features the same pro-level 39-point AF system complete with 9 cross-type sensors and enhanced performance in low light conditions. The AF system also supports 3D focus tracking thanks to the D610’s Scene Recognition facility.

The Nikon D610 can also fit in with Nikon’s wireless flash system thanks to the built-in flash, with the added bonus of TTL or manual flash control. The need to relaunch the Nikon D600 in the form of the Nikon D610 does appear to be somewhat of a missed opportunity in some respects, most noticeably in the fact that the D610 still doesn’t feature Wi-fi functionality. If you’re looking to use Wi-fi on the Nikon D610, you’ll have to stump up for the Nikon WU-1b mobile Wi-fi adapter.

The main area the Nikon D610 has redressed is the camera’s shutter system. Thanks to the noted issues with the D600’s shutter mechanism, the D610 now features a whole new unit that, while also hopefully more reliable than the predecessor, also comes with some performance improvements.

Design

There’s very little to distinguish the D610 from its predecessor. Once again, as with the specification of the D610 being so similar to the D600 not being a bad thing, the same is true of the design as the D600 was both an attractive and harga kamera nikon. As you’d expect from an advanced DSLR such as the D610, the model sees a range of external controls dotted around the body of the camera offering direct access to key shooting functionality.

The dials themselves are well proportioned, offering a comfortable hold and a pleasing amount of resistance upon turning. The mode dial on the camera’s top plate is also well designed and is lacking in any unnecessary clutter. The mode dial is supplemented by an additional release mode dial that sits beneath it, with the pair both benefiting from a locking mechanism to guard against unwanted turning.

In terms of the camera’s construction, the Nikon D610 features both top and bottom plates constructed from magnesium alloy, offering solid build quality. The rest of the camera is constructed from poly-carbonate plastic, with the two materials combining to offer a decent level of weather sealing against the elements. The D610 feels solid in the hand thanks to a generous hand-grip that easily accommodates even larger hands without the little finger hanging off the end.

Performance

Apart from the purported dust spot / oil shutter mechanism issue, the D600 delivered an impressive level of performance that was sure to please any advanced photographer.

We tested out the Nikon D610 to well in advance of the 3,000 shot mark at which dust spots were previous noticed and when inspecting images at 100% magnification we can confidently note the absence of any oil or dust. It’s fair to say that the new shutter mechanism has solved that issue, but are the other benefits of the new mechanism up to scratch? While the D610 matches the claimed 6fps continuous shooting rate with ease, the ‘Quiet Continuous’ shooting mode is somewhat of a disappointment. Although it’s certainly quieter than before, it’s still audible and will be too loud for shooting close-up to wildlife, for example.

One slight disappointment with the camera’s performance is with AF speed in Live View mode. When trying to track moving subjects in Live View the AF speed really isn’t up to scratch and in general it really only excels when it comes to working with static subjects close-up.

AF performance in the traditional sense is a lot more impressive, with Nikon’s 3D Tracking AF system particularly catching the eye. If you want to fine tune the AF performance, the 29, 21 and 9-point Dynamic AF modes are also pleasing. Whichever mode you chose to utilise, the AF system locks on the subject in almost any lighting conditions and delivers a level of performance in keeping with the high-end proposition of the Harga Nikon D610.

Nikon D610 Review

Pros
First-class handling
Great performance from the sensor
Impressive AF performance

Cons
No native Wi-Fi
Too closely-grouped AF points

source: http://www.trustedreviews.com/nikon-d610-review

Nikon D5300 Review

2015-01-12T10:51:00.000-08:00

The Nikon D5200 was, and still is, a successful upper entry-level DSLR that offers an appealing combination of a solid imaging specification with good build quality at a price that keeps it in reach of entry-level upgraders. The D5300 looks to further expand the feature-set with the new addition of Wi-fi functionality, as well as a newly developed sensor and several other tweaks. With the D5200 impressing so much, the question is whether the D5300 improvements will be particularly keenly felt. Let’s take a closer look and see if we can find out.

Nikon D5300: Features

Although the Nikon D5300 does feature some eye-catching areas of improvement, it shares a lot its specification with its predecessor.

For example, it features the same 39-point AF system as seen in the D5200, a system that utilises the Multi-CAM 4800DX AF sensor module. This set-up incorporates nine cross-type AF points which, thanks to 3D focus tracking, should cope well with moving subjects. A further improvement could have been made via the adoption of the D7100’s 51-point AF system, although the 39-point AF system is certainly in line with competing DSLRs.

The D5300 also features the same EXPEED 4 image processing engine, although the lack of development here isn’t particularly surprising owing to the fact that the D5200 was one of the first Nikon DSLRs to feature the newly developed processor. As a result of it featuring the same processor, the D5300 maintains the same headline continuous shooting rate of 5fps.

The D5300 also relies upon Nikon’s trusty 2016-pixel metering set-up, which is paired with Nikon’s Scene Recognition System to ensure even exposures in a variety of shooting conditions. So far, so similar, although when you look towards the camera’s connectivity you’ll notice some major improvements. Where it was previously the case that you would have to purchase a separate adapter to give the D5200 Wi-Fi functionality, the D5300 now features an in-built Wi-Fi receiver. As a result you can wirelessly transfer images from the camera to a smartphone or tablet, as well as control the camera wirelessly using the free app.

The D5300's sensor is another area that sees improvements, as although it features the same 24.2MP resolution – as well as retaining the APS-C dimensions – the sensor itself sees the removal of its anti-alias filter. As a result, the D5300 should deliver even better levels of sharpness and clarity in comparison to its predecessor. This new sensor also features a larger ISO range, covering 100-12800 as opposed to 100-6400.

Finally, the Nikon D5300 features an improved LCD screen, which now measures in at 3.2-inches and boasts a resolution of 1037k-dots. One noticeable oversight, and one that could really count against it, is that the screen is still lacking in touchscreen functionality.

Design

On the whole the D5300 continues the design trend of the D5000 series, being slightly larger than the standard entry-level models yet smaller than the D7100, for example. It’s not a total doppelganger for its predecessor, however, as the D5300 feels slightly more compact than the D5200 thanks to a more angular body.

Thanks to the fact that the D5300 has a larger screen than the D5200 there’s less real estate on the back of the camera. As a result the buttons below the screen are a touch smaller than before, but this isn’t to the great detriment of the feel of the camera. In fact, Nikon has repositioned both the d-pad controls and the playback button to incorporate a new larger thumb rest, and as a result the camera actually handles better than before.

One feature that was absent on the D5200 and is still missing from the D5300 is a secondary command dial. Although more high-end Nikon models have this feature as standard, it’s possible that space constraints have led to its omission on the Nikon D5000 series to date. As a result, if you want to change secondary shooting controls, such as aperture in manual mode, you’ll have to make do with a combination of the exposure compensation button and the rear scroll dial.

Although this isn’t the most difficult combination, it would be much better if you had a secondary command dial and this is a feature that several competing models boast.

The D5300 feels solid in the hand thanks to good build quality, and despite not feeling any less robust than its predecessor it’s some 20g lighter.

Performance

The general level of performance, as you’d expect from a camera that inherits a lot of its functionality and specification from the Nikon D5200, is impressive. The focus system offers a good number of AF points which themselves offer a good range of coverage across the frame, something which can’t always be said of competing DSLRs. This level of coverage results in some impressive focusing speeds, although there is a slight tendency to slow in low lighting conditions. That being said, the 3D-tracking mode is a highlight, managing to maintain sharp images throughout a continuous burst of images.

One area in which AF performance is a touch disappointing is if you’re shooting in Live View. Owing to the fact that the D5300 relies upon contrast detect AF for live view, and thus has to flip the mirror out of the way to lock focus, the whole process is sluggish and somewhat disappointing.

In terms of shot-to-shot speed the D5300 delivers exactly the same level of performance as seen on the camera’s predecessor. The claimed maximum burst rate of 5fps can be achieved for an unlimited number of frames if you’re shooting just JPEG files, although if you choose to shoot Raw JPEG the burst depth is limited to six frames. The shot-to-shot delay is negligible in regular shooting, with the D5300 proving to be a fairly swift operator, in general.

It’s certainly welcome that Nikon has installed Wi-Fi connectivity to the D5300, doing away with the need to buy a mobile adapter that costs around £50. The Wi-Fi system, and accompanying app, is very well suited to reviewing and transferring images already captured on the camera. When reviewing images you’re given the option to store them to your device, as well as an option of different sizes at which you can save them.

Unfortunately, the wireless camera control aspect of the app is something of a letdown. Unlike some other manufacturer apps, the Nikon Wireless Mobile Utility app doesn’t allow for camera settings to be altered. Instead you have to with controlling autofocus and the shutter release, although for the rest of the functionality you have to physically adjust the harga kamera nikon.

Nikon D5300 Review

Pros

Built-in Wi-fi addition

Good build quality

Decent continuous shooting rate

Cons

Built-in 2.5mm mic socket

App performance is disappointing with Wi-Fi

Disappointing kit lens

Lacking in live view app previews

source: http://www.trustedreviews.com/nikon-d5300-review

Nikon D750 Review

2015-01-07T10:42:00.000-08:00

The Nikon D750 is a full-frame DSLR for the kind of photographer who wants a camera one step down from the pro models. You get the low-light flexibility that comes with a full-frame sensor, and some features generally left out of the top models – all without some of the extra cost of the top dogs.

At £1,799 body only, the Nikon D750 is an excellent choice for the buyer who doesn’t yet want, or need, the extra dynamic range and pro-level control offered by the £800 more expensive Nikon D810.

Design and Handling

The Nikon D750 is a large 24-megapixel DSLR. While we’re starting to see smaller full-frame interchangeable cameras introduced, like the Sony A7 and Sony A7R, this camera brings no radical changes to the shadows cast by Nikon’s FX DSLRs.

It is slightly smaller than the Nikon D610, though, as its 140.5 x 113 x 78mm body is a good 4mm slimmer. Construction sits somewhere between the plastic entry-level and mid-range Nikon DSLRs and the all-magnesium-alloy Nikon D810. The front part of the camera is plastic reinforced with carbon fibre, while the top plate and rear panel are magnesium alloy.

The thought here is to use the tougher material where the Nikon D750 is most likely to get bashed and scraped. It should work too – as with a lens attached the front of the camera should rarely be resting against anything but your hand.

Despite using a fair bit of plastic in its construction, though, the Nikon D750 is still quite heavy compared with lower-end models. It weighs 840g with the battery and memory card in tow, so if you’re planning on stepping up your camera hardware from a lesser model, you’ll have to step up with it.

The weight and relatively chunky frame are important elements in making a camera feel at-home with a serious piece of glass attached to it, though. As well as having the heft to convincing carry such cargo, the Nikon D750 also has an excellent, deep handgrip. It feels well balanced, and ready to take on the more serious FX and DX series lenses. Like the Nikon D610, the D750 will take two SD cards at once, and they can be set to record separately in RAW and JPG. This will make reviewing images a good deal less fiddly – or alternatively you can pool their storage for greater capacity.

Screen and Features

You’ll also see some features left out of Nikon’s real top-end models. What will be the draw for many is the Nikon D750’s 3.2-inch tilt screen: the Nikon D810’s screen is fixed. While not fully articulated, the Nikon D750’s tilting display will be extremely handy for video shooters, not to mention anyone shooting from well below eye level. Of course, the D750 is a bit of a heavyweight to start flinging around like a compact – it weighs more than four times as much as the Nikon 1 J4 CSC.

The Nikon D750’s screen is good, too. Like other recent Nikons it adopts the WRGB pixel structure for greater maximum brightness without sucking too much battery power. You can also tweak the colour calibration in the settings menu to your satisfaction. We were pretty happy with the Nikon D750’s screen performance off the bat, though. Contrast and colour are strong, and the 1,229k dot resolution is the same as you get with the Nikon D810. It’s not a touchscreen, but such a feature would likely feel out of place in a camera of this grade.

As well as having a tilt screen, the Nikon D750 is the very first full-frame Nikon DSLR to offer integrated Wi-Fi. It was left out of the D810 for reasons unknown, and before now you had to pay for a £45 adapter to get it in your Kamera DSLR Nikon.

Like other Wi-Fi cameras, this lets you transfer images to a phone easily, and remotely take pictures, using your phone as a virtual shutter button.

Controls

In having Wi-Fi and a tilting screen, the Nikon D750 actually benefits from being a somewhat mid-range model rather than a top one, and there are significant differences in its manual controls, compared to the D810.

The Nikon D750 keeps the standard mode dial, often left out of top-end cameras, and it sits to the left side of the top plate. Other controls are arranged around the rear display. This kind of control layout is very much that of an enthusiast model rather than a pro one. It’s more accessible for most people, but lacks a few quick-control buttons you get with the D810 that can shoot up speeding once you really get to grips with the camera.

Nikon D750 Review

Pros
Excellent AF performance
Great image quality
Solid handling

Cons
Misses some manual control features of the D810

source: http://www.trustedreviews.com/nikon-d750-review

Nikon D3300 Review

2015-01-06T10:32:00.000-08:00

It’s odd to think how quickly camera technology can pass from the realm of the pro to the amateur, from cutting-edge to passé. Once upon a time we were all astounded by the 24.5MP resolution of the Nikon D3X, a camera designed for professional photographers who were willing to spend £4200 on their gear. Four years later and some people might reasonably be disappointed that the entry-level £500 Nikon D3300 'only' carries the same 24.2MP resolution as its direct predecessor the Nikon D3200. How things change.

Despite the identical resolutions of the Nikon D3300 and D3200, there is one very important difference that impacts image quality. For the D3300, Nikon has removed the optical anti-aliasing filter. This is a filter installed in digital cameras to reduce occurrences of optical aberrations such as moiré patterning – unwanted artifacts appearing on images that feature repetitive detail patterns. While anti-aliasing filters reduce this effect, the cost is a loss in sharpness. Recently it has become a trendy move for camera manufacturers to remove the filters entirely in favour of optimal sharpness, relying on big megapixel counts to cope with any moiré-causing patterns.

The effect for a camera like the Nikon D3300 is that its high-resolution sensor is now able to capture every possible detail, putting it in the same league with more advanced (and more expensive) cameras. And with that, things get more interesting.

Nikon D3300 vs D3200: What's the difference?

The resolution may be the same as the D3200, but the D3300 has plenty of other improvements under the bonnet. Chief among these is the new Expeed 4 image-processing engine. Nikon’s fastest processor yet, it improves the D3300’s ISO sensitivity to an impressive maximum of 25,600 and its shooting rate to 5fps – not top of the league but very impressive for an entry-level camera. There are also a few new automatic flash modes, including an option for fill flash.

It’s worth noting that there is plenty that remains the same from the previous model in the series. You’ve got an 11-point AF system, a 3-inch 921k-dot rear screen and a 420 pixel RGB sensor metering system, all things that D3200 users will find thoroughly familiar. The D3300 shoots images in JPEG and 12-bit Raw formats, and is capable of saving them to SD, SDHC or SDXC memory cards.

The D3300 also carries one big absence over from its predecessor: built-in Wi-Fi. While Nikon (finally) introduced built-in wi-fi with the D5300, the technology did not carry over to the D3300, which still relies on the separately available WU-1a adapter. It’s not a huge annoyance, just be aware that you’ll have to shell out an extra £40 or so if you want to use Wi-Fi on your D3300.

Elsewhere there are a number of other optional extras on the D3300. You can attach the Nikon GP-1 module to a socket on the side of the camera in order to geotag images. There are also a number of additional shooting modes: a Rangefinder Mode (finding which requires a little digging into the menus); Mirror Lock-Up, though only for sensor cleaning, not for shooting; Easy Panorama, which automatically stitches several images together; and Effects Mode, with visual filters such as high-key and Selective Colour.

To pair with the D3300, Nikon unveiled a new retractable kit lens, the F-S DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR II lens, an impressively sharp number with a minimum focus distance of 25cm (when manually focusing; 28cm with AF). As the camera lacks a built-in AF motor it requires AF-S lenses in order to be able to autofocus.

Nikon D3300 Review

Pros
Excellent value
Great performance for entry-level camera
High resolution at low price

Cons
High levels of image noise
Awkward manual focusing with kit lens
No built-in Wi-Fi

source: http://www.trustedreviews.com/nikon-d3300-review

Nikon D810 Review

2015-01-05T10:27:00.000-08:00

The Nikon D810 is the camera that replaces the classic D800 and D800E. It’s a full-frame 36.3-megapixel camera that offers some of the best images you can get from any DSLR. Nikon claims it produces the finest photos of any of its cameras, ever.

For serious and professional photographers, the £2,700 body-only asking price won’t seem as intimidating as it does to the rest of us. But it is a camera you’ll need to invest in lenses for to get the most out of. We can also understand existing owner of the Nikon D800 and D800E being slightly disappointed too. This is not an essential or dramatic upgrade, and it misses out on a few features that might seem like obvious no-brainer additions. It’s not a revelation, but the Nikon D810 remains a fantastic camera regardless, and one whose images are near-unbeatable.

Design and Handling

From a brief glance, or even an extended one, the Nikon D810 looks extremely similar to the D800. It’s a large DSLR, but one that has a conventional look, steering away from the much bulkier design of the Nikon D4S, Nikon’s flagship DSLR.

Construction quality is fantastic. The Nikon D810 is made using a magnesium alloy, giving it a much tougher feel than plastic-bodied low- and mid-range DSLRs.

Despite magnesium’s light weight, the D810 still weighs a hefty 830g. However, this heft is important as the body needs to be able to balance giant, heavy lenses rather than feeling as though it might collapse under their weight.

Nikon has not rocked the boat with the D810 design, but there are a few little changes here and there. The handgrip has changed a bit, offering greater contouring for your index finger on the front grip and a more pronounced thumb grip on the rear.

A note on low-pass filters

One of the biggest changes made by the Nikon D810 is something we can’t see so easily, though. In the last generation, Nikon released two versions of essentially the same camera.

The Nikon D800 has a low-pass filter, the Nikon D800E does not, and was released just a month later. Low-pass filters help avoid moire patterning, the rainbow effect seen at times when trying to resolve a high-contrast, tight pattern.

Nikon does not use a low-pass filter in the D810, and there’s no alternative model with one. As a result, the D810 is somewhat susceptible to moire noise, but is also exceptionally sharp. Low-pass filters have a slight blurring effect, and removing them from higher-end cameras has become something of a trend over the last couple of years.

Screen

Another important change is seen in the screen. Like the Nikon D800E, the D810 has a 3.2-inch display, but quality has been substantially improved.

Resolution has been increased from 921k dots to 1.23 million dots. However, the pixel structure has been altered significantly too. The Nikon D810 uses an RGBW screen rather than a standard RGB one. The final white sub-pixel is used to increase maximum brightness without consuming too much power.

So while this extra subpixel largely accounts for the increase in screen dots, it does help to significantly increase outdoors visibility, and we found image quality in general much improved. Contrast and colour fidelity are both better, making the display a much better judge of image quality than the D800’s one.

While we imagine most Nikon D810 photographers will use the viewfinder predominantly for shooting, there is a Live View mode that makes this display improvement useful for shooting rather than just looking back at images already captured.

There’s also a new feature for Live View, one that lets you zoom in on two different areas on-screen at the same time. You might, for example, want to look at the focal point and an area in a blurred background to check its quality while shooting.

The one limit of Live View is that when using it you’re restricted to contrast detection focusing, as the mirror has to be raised while using the mode, ruling-out being able to use phase detection.

It’ll do the trick for more casual daytime shooting, although the screen doesn’t flip out as it does on many lesser cameras. To be fair – you’d look pretty silly shooting selfies with the DSLR Nikon D810.

Nikon D810 Review

Pros
Fantastic image quality
Fast and accurate autofocus
Superb dynamic range

Cons
No inbuilt Wi-Fi
No 4K video capture
Not a huge upgrade over the D800E

source: http://www.trustedreviews.com/nikon-d810-review

How to Learn the Basics of Digital Photography

2014-07-19T13:00:00.000-07:00

Digital photography is a relatively new field of study which has exploded lately with the computer and cameras technological advances. There are several advantages of digital photography over conventional photography. One is that you don't need a film, so you can produce excellent pictures by trial and error without wasting resources. You also get immediate access to the pictures you just took through a computer. Then you can share them, do some editing, or even enhance them.

I am sure that even if you are a newbie, you have heard the term "megapixels". One megapixel is equal to one million pixels and it is a measure of the resolution of the images produced by a digital camera. The resolution determines the size and therefore quality of the pictures, so the higher the resolution, the better the images you get. This also increases the file size, so keep that in mind.

Taking good pictures with a digital camera is no different than taking good pictures with conventional film cameras. The only difference would be that you are producing photos digitally rather than in a film. If you are a new photographer, you need to use the automatic focus. This is good to take decent quality pictures, but advanced users can produce much better pictures using the manual focus. To use auto focus effectively, push the shutter half way and hold for a sec; once the image is focused, press it entirely too capture.

Another tip to create the best pictures is to avoid the use of the camera's flash as much as possible. Natural light is always better, so use it whenever possible. Sometimes cameras need more time to capture the light available when there isn't enough; this can create blurry images, so you might want to buy a tripod to avoid movement.

If you need to preserve batteries, use the viewfinder instead of the LCD screen. The LCD screen will be more accurate in displaying the picture you are taking, especially at a close range, but it will also drain your batteries faster. If you have spare batteries, then this shouldn't be a problem and you can use the LCD screen freely.

Unless you need large images, lower the resolution of the pictures in the camera settings. This can be done to reduce the space of the pictures take in your memory card and computer. Working with smaller images also accelerates the work flow in editing or enhancing images, because the computer won't be spending as much resources.

Use the tips mentioned above next time you want to take photographs with your digital camera. Many people just know how to press the shutter button and they don't take good pictures, or take pictures which are way too big for their needs. By having some basic knowledge in digital photography, you can improve the quality of your pictures and optimize your available resources.

A Beginner's Guide to Landscape Photography (From One Amateur to Another)

2014-07-12T07:35:00.000-07:00

If you're just starting out with taking pictures of nature's beauty, some beginner's tips from a fellow amateur may be helpful to you. Whether you are just having fun and enjoying the great outdoors or trying to develop as a photographer, there are some standard principles one must understand to achieve beautiful results. You don't need a $1.000 camera or special lenses - all you need is knowhow, and a little bit of passion.

Knowing your camera

Whether you have a birthday-party-point-and-clicker or an expensive, high end camera, knowing the basics about it is key to taking beautiful photos. Before shooting, get to know your camera and its functions. Read the user manual and learn about the different controls and experiment with them until you become familiar. It may seem overwhelming at first, but the extra time and effort spent will definitely be worth it. All cameras have an automatic mode, but others have manual settings for you to play with. Auto is easy, the camera does everything for you - you just point and shoot. However, adjusting different manual settings can really help you get that outstanding shot. There are a few different settings you'll want to learn about in manual mode:

Aperture
A hole in the front of the lens that can be adjusted to let different amounts of light through when the shutter opens. Aperture is controlled by the F-stop.
Shutter speed
How quickly the shutter opens. A faster shutter speed captures no movement, "freezing" the subject (such as a windblown branch). A slower speed lets you capture movement, such as flowing water or moving clouds, using blur. Shutter speed, combined with aperture, determines the photo's exposure, or how dark or light the photo will be.
ISO speed
A measure of how fast the camera's digital "film" reacts to light. A low speed means that it reacts slower to light, and a high speed reacts faster. Different speeds are used for different lighting conditions. Generally, the lower the light, the faster speed you will want. Very high speeds are more prone to graininess.

Getting a little technical for you? Well, maybe just stick with automatic mode for now. There are, however, some features and settings you will want to take note of even when using auto. The first is knowing the difference between digital zoom and optical zoom. Your camera may have one or both of these modes. Optical zoom allows you to zoom in without losing quality, whereas with digital zoom your picture can become and muddy and pixelated as you zoom in.

For a good quality photo, I recommend avoiding using digital zoom altogether. The second setting you will want to consider is the image quality output settings, which can be adjusted in your camera's menu. I recommend putting these settings on high, or "fine" for all your photos. This will consume more space on your media card, but the quality is well worth it - especially if you plan on printing your photos.

Composition and the rule of thirds

Now that you know a bit more about your camera and its settings, there are some things you should know about composition, or how you arrange the elements in the photograph. A big mistake I see in amateur photographers is crookedness. When aiming the shot, always remember to keep the horizon line level and straight in your viewfinder. The second thing you'll want to remember is to avoid distracting objects in your photo, like telephone lines, trash, or other objects which can ruin the impact or distract the viewer from the focal point of the shot. Thirdly, it is a good idea for general landscape shooting to consider including elements from the foreground (near you), the middle, and the background (such as the sky or trees in the distance). This adds depth to your photo and creates the whole scene.

The key to getting a unique and eye-catching shot is to try different views and angles, such as getting low to the ground or up higher - to capture something in different ways than what most people see. The rule of thirds is an important principle when composing your shot as it adds visual interest and balance to a photo. The key is to imagine your divided into thirds horizontally and vertically, creating 9 equal parts, and aligning points of interest at the intersections of these lines. For example, a horizon line may sit at the line that divides the top two thirds in the composition. The sun may sit at the intersection of that dividing line, and the right or left vertical dividing line. I will provide a link to more info on this important visual concept at the end of the article.

Tips from one amateur to another

Over the time I've spent photographing the great outdoors, I've picked up a few general tips that I'd like to share. One very important thing to keep in mind when photographing is to keep a steady hand, especially when using a lower shutter speed or ISO speed (IE, low light conditions). Use a tripod if you have one. And because the human hand is naturally unsteady, I recommend taking several similar shots, in case the one you want ends up blurry. I suggest taking as many shots as possible to get the best one. The fewer shots you take, the less keepable photos you will end up with! Use many different angles and vantage points. For going places to photograph a sunset or sunrise, you may consider arriving 30 minutes to an hour early and staying 30 minutes to an hour late. Sometimes the best effects from these events can come when you least expect it!

Camera care

Always keep the lens clean and avoid touching it. If it becomes dirty or dusty, clean it gently with a soft, microfiber cloth - never your sleeve or a napkin, and never use chemicals. Be aware of your surroundings when photographing, and always use the wristband or neckband on the camera to avoid accidents. And last but not least, always remember to bring extra media cards and batteries, because you never know when you will need them!

The technical ins and outs of photography may seem a bit complex or overwhelming at first, but if you put a little time and effort familiarizing yourself with your camera and its settings, you will get the hang of it and be taking great quality photos sooner than you think. Even if you just rely on your camera's automatic mode, composition will be the "make-or-break" factor of your photo, so always remember to line up a good shot before you press that button. Best of luck with your future adventures in landscape photography!

Hue & Saturation and Channel Mixers in Black and White Photography

2014-07-09T07:16:00.000-07:00

So why do we need so many ways to convert a color image to black and white? Light users of Photoshop and non-photographers are not aware of this, but photographers, especially those who are seriously into black and white, know the one problem photographers faced even before digital technology: that some colors reproduce as almost the same tones (shades of gray) in black and white (B&W).

Take for example an image, which is a picture of a red tomato surrounded by green vegetables. When converted to 88W, both the red and the green colors have the same gray tones, diminishing the distinctiveness of the red tomato.

What photographers did when shooting with Black & White film was to use color filters over the lens, called contrast filters. Through a red filter, the red tomato turned out much lighter than the green vegetables. Through a green filter, the red tomato appeared darker while the green leaves appeared much lighter. The desired effect was easy to remember: a filter lightened its color and darkened its opposite color. Thus, we used a yellow or red filter to darken blue skies, a blue one to lighten them.

In digital photography, we can use Photoshop's 'Hue/Saturation' or 'Channel Mixer' commands to achieve the same result as contrast filters. They allow us to manipulate the colors in our RGB images to give us better control over the tones during conversion to B&W. Photoshop will sample the color and if it is a combination of the basic colors, will list down that color in the drop-down menu.

Hue & Saturation

Step 1: Open the file

Open the file to be converted into B&W. It may help if you do some tonal adjustments before converting the image to B&W.

Step 2: Duplicate the Image

It would also help to simultaneously view a color version of the image as you manipulate the colors in your image during conversion to B&W. To duplicates go to Image > Duplicate.

If necessary, reduce the windows so you can see both documents at the same time.

Step 3: Choose Hue/Saturation

At the bottom of the 'Layers' palette, choose the 'Create new adjustment layer' option and 'Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layer' from the drop-down menu.

Note: Choosing an adjustment layer rather than choosing the adjustment command (under the 'image' menu) gives you more flexibility.

Step 4: Desaturate the Image

In the Hue & Saturation dialog box, desaturate the image by moving the Saturation slider all the way to the left (-100). This removes all the colors in your image, making it monochromatic. I

Step 5: Adjust the Tones

Although the image is now monochromatic, you can still lighten or darken the Individual colors that make up the image, increasing their tonal separation.

Channel Mixer

Step 1: Open the file

Open the file to be converted to B&W. Sometimes it helps if you first adjust the contrast and brightness of the Image before conversion.

Step 2: Duplicate the Image

As In the first technique, it will help when manipulating the colors in your image during conversion if you have a color copy of the image for reference. To duplicate, go to image > Duplicate.

If necessary, reduce the window so you can see both documents at the same time.

Step 3: Choose Channel Mixer

At the bottom of the layers palette, click on the Create new adjustment layer icon and choose Channel Mixer Adjustment Layer.

Step 4: Desaturate the Image

In the Channel Mixers dialog box, click the Monochrome option to turn the color image into grayscale.

In this example, when we converted the Image into grayscale the red orchid lost its prominence.

Step 5: Adjust the Tones.

Although the image is now monochrome, you can still lighten or darken the individual colors that make up the Image, increasing their tonal separation. Unlike in Hue/Saturation above, in Channel Mixer, you are presented only with Red, Green, and Blue sliders. Moving the Red slider to the right (increasing the percentage) tightens anything that has a red component in the Image (remember the rule of thumb of contrast filters). It will also lighten the overall image, as you are effectively increasing the intensity of light! To avoid overexposure, you have to keep the total of the three sliders within 100%.

The Lost Art of Black and White Photography

2014-07-06T07:06:00.000-07:00

Black and white photos seem to be a thing of the past. Many think color prints are the best because our eyes see in color. Black and white film also takes longer to develop and is a bit more costly. It can also be harder to find in your neighborhood store. Why bother then, right?

Black and white photos can be quite exciting. The tones of these two colors give a photo or portrait a most sophisticated feel at times and give new dimensions to every day items. Black and white can also give a luxurious and elegant feel to photos.

Take landscape shots, for example. A simple shot of a sand dune in color is, well, a sand dune. Take away the rich color and that dune suddenly seems forlorn and mysterious. The meadow behind your house will become a whole different place if shot without the full spectrum of color. Black and white can be a great way to add emotion to your shots you might not otherwise be able to capture.

Clouds can look dramatic and ominous in black and white. If you are shooting clouds in this manner, you should opt for a color filter. The color won't appear in the photo of course, but it will help bring out the dimensions and details of the clouds.

Next time you go see your favorite performer live, take a long a roll of black and white film. Though stage lighting and props make for wonderful color photographs, but the affects of black and white can be just as dramatic, if not more so. The same can be side for your next family picnic. Aim for non-posed shots of family members.

Professional photographers use black and white quite often and one great example of this is portraits. These can be in a studio or candid shots elsewhere. Any wedding photographer worth his or her salt will offer to take at least some of your wedding photos in black and white. They come out simply stunning!

With black and white film you won't need to worry about white balance but you will need to be more concerned with your lighting source. You will need a bit more light to capture your subject effectively. Try to keep subjects out of shadowed or low-lit areas. If you are shooting portraits indoors be sure to sufficiently light the subject to avoid harsh shadows.

When purchasing black and white go for a low speed film. These will produce the best shots. Lower speed shots can be magnified quit extensively before they begin to appear grainy or stretched out. If you will be in lowlight situations, go for a higher speed. Black and white comes in 35mm rolls just like your color film.

If you have a digital camera, there may be a black and white setting. You can also change your color shots into black and white with photo processing software like Picture It or Adobe Photoshop. A few simple clicks of your mouse can change the mood of your photo dramatically.

You may have to experiment with black and white film before you can capture the look you want, but the investment is worth it if you are looking for truly unique and unforgettable shots. Once you try it, you may find yourself using it more and more, and you will notice your family album has taken on a whole new and wonderful dimension.

Black and White Digital Photography Tips

2014-07-05T06:11:00.000-07:00

People enjoy making black and white digital photos because of their aesthetics and old-fashioned feel. There are two ways to make black and white photos - either shoot your imagery in black and white with your digital camera or use picture-editing software to convert a digital color photo into a black and white photo.

Here are digital photography tips for shooting black and white directly with a digital camera, if it comes with appropriate filters. You may find the setting labeled as "monochrome mode."

Your camera may offer different file formats to store your images. Many file formats process the image and alter colors, saturation, sharpness, etc. If you have 'raw' format available use it - unlike JPEG format, raw does not process the image. So you get the original image as is. You can control whatever post-processing you desire.
You can control the light sensitivity in a digital camera. The light sensitivity setting are given in ISO numbers such as ISO 100, ISO 200, etc. A high ISO number implies greater sensitivity to light. This is a good setting to capture digital photos in dim light. But high light sensitivity also results in more noise in the image. You must choose the ISO setting optimally for the imagery you want to photograph - neither too high nor too low.
You must set the shutter speed of your camera optimally. You need a high shutter speed to shoot moving objects like cars or trains.
The aperture settings on your digital camera determine the depth of focus you need. You can have one object in very sharp focus and allow everything in the backdrop to fade by controlling this.
While optical zoom will work well with good lenses, avoid using digital zoom as it cause loss of details and poor resolution in the captured photo.
Set your digital camera to shoot in maximum resolution to get subtleties and details if you have enough memory available.
If you are just getting started on using your digital camera, stick to the auto mode where the camera automatically adjusts the shutter speed, aperture and ISO settings depending on the scenery.
If you need to use a flash to improve lighting, position yourself so that you do not get light from it reflecting back into the camera due to shiny surfaces in the scenery.

If you do not have a sophisticated camera which can be fine tuned for black and white photography, simply take color photos and convert them to black and white using software like Adobe Photoshop. The software will simply strip out the color information (expressed in red, blue and green components) and leave only luminosity information in the image. You may find the following photography tips useful to get you started.

Capture the color image in raw format.
You can use the Image >> Adjustments >> Black and White setting to convert to convert your color photo to black and white.
You can alter the contrast, sharpness and brightness of the picture by playing with the Image >> Adjustments menu which allows you to alter the red, green and color components of the underlying image.

Practice makes perfect. So try different settings on the digital camera and learn what works best.

Photography Tips for Beginners - How to Take Full Length Portraits

2014-07-04T05:52:00.000-07:00

When you begin dabbling in the art of photography, many shots that seem simple actually turn out to be more complex than first thought. Some of these tricky shots include taking full length portraits. There are many things that can go wrong when taking full length portraits, such as missing heads and distorted faces, but luckily there are many photography tips for beginners that help resolve many of these common mistakes. By using these tips, you'll be able to take great full length portraits.

Lens Tips for Beginners

When taking full length portraits, you want to use a long lens. Never use a wide angle lens because it'll cause the image to look unnatural. By using a long lens when taking the portrait you'll be able to stand back from your subject, allowing you to capture the entire image while filling the frame. By doing do, you'll avoid cutting off the head and feet of your subject. An important lens tip for beginners is that the longer the lens is that you're using the more natural your subject will appear.

Focusing Tips for Beginners

When taking full length portraits, it's important to focus on the subject properly to capture the natural details of the subject and to avoid a fuzzy image. If using the correct lens, you want to focus on the subject's eyes. By focusing on the eyes and maintaining the background in the shot, you'll draw the focus of the image strictly to the subject and nowhere else.

Lighting Tips for Beginners

When you take full length portraits, you never want to use a straight flash because this will dull the portrait and cause unnatural shadows. What you want to do is bounce the flash off of a surface if natural lighting isn't available. Although natural lighting is always best to use, if it isn't possible, use a bounce flash to create a calm portrait with subtitle lighting.

If you're able to use natural lighting, such as outdoors, don't take the portrait during the afternoon hours. It's best to take the portrait during the morning or evening hours when the sunlight isn't as harsh. When outdoors, don't use a strong back lighting behind the subject because this will cause unwanted shadows to appear and the subject's eyes will be hidden.

Photo Composition for Beginners

The composition of the photo is essential for the final image of the subject. It's absolutely essential no body parts are cut off and no shadows distort the image. To produce the best photo composition possible, use the how to take full length portraits tips above and make sure you take the shot at the proper level. If you're taking a portrait of a child, take the image at the child's level. You don't want to tower over the child because the portrait will look unusual. Don't be afraid to kneel down or even lay down to get on the same level as your subject.

References: "Full Length Portraits" Practical Photography by John Freeman

Digital Photography - Tips for Better Photographs

2014-07-03T05:43:00.000-07:00

As digital cameras become more popular and allow people to take more photographs than ever before, we are constantly looking for a few simple tricks to make our photographs a little more interesting and to differentiate them from the hundreds of other similar photos out there. Whether you are taking them to sell, or just taking holiday snaps or pictures of family there are a few techniques we can all use to make our photographs a little less mundane and a little more wall worthy.

Changing the level can often help you create a more interesting photograph. If the subject is low to the ground then you can try getting low and taking the picture from their level. Particularly if you are shooting animals then this can be a great way to change it up and make those photographs or your family pet a little more interesting. If you're subject is a little taller then try making the photograph more interesting by standing on a chair or ladder to get a little higher. This can make a photograph of a group of people a little more interesting.

The background also has a lot to do with what you see in a photo. Try and photograph something against a plain background instead of a complicated one. You can also try and get close to the subject so the focus softens the background. This technique draws more attention to the subject of the photograph and takes it away from the background - a great technique if your subject is interesting but is being over-powered by a loud or complex background.

You can also try moving the subject away from the center of the photograph. This makes the eye move away from the center of the photograph as well and makes it a more interesting photograph. If you move the subject about a third of the way left, right, up or down then you can sometimes create a stunning visual with the use of only an average subject. This is a technique called the rule of thirds and you can read more about it all over the web.

If you're looking for a few more tips you can check out our Guide to Digital Photography which has some extra tips on taking great shots as well as some ideas about where and what you can shoot to create some of your original artwork to spice up your living space.

5 Insightful Tips Only an “Old” Professional Photographer Would Know

2014-07-02T05:39:00.000-07:00

You could search online for tips and advice on photography. But you'll probably see the same "helpful" hints from site to site. Here are a few of mine. Some I learned but only after YEARS in the business. So hopefully I'm saving you valuable time in trial and error. These are helpful photography tips I don't hear many others talk about, but maybe they should.

NEVER Buy New

Don't fall prey to the "I NEED the latest in technology" school of thought. Some of the greatest photos were taken with simple film cameras. Just earlier today, I bought an old version of Adobe Lightroom for post processing photos. It originally retailed for $300. I got mine for $18! Sure it's Version 1, but I usually don't need those advance tools featured in the later, pricier versions. Nothing wrong with manipulating photos but I mainly cover events. So I shoot "as is". I've learned to keep things simple. That's Tip 1½. This keeps costs down. All my gear is used. Since I shoot "as is" I don't need the latest in gadgetry. The iMac I'm composing this article on, $1200 new but I bought mine recently for $400 at a local Goodwill!

Make a Lists

How organized you are is in direct proportion to how successful you'll become. Make lists: from a daily "to do" list to a list of shots you plan to do on your shoot to a list of what you need to do to prepare for each shoot like cleaning your equipment, replacing batteries, formatting memory cards, etc. And perform those tasks the same way every time. That's Tip 2 ½. It's like an athlete training for the performance. It'll become routine and eventually you won't need to refer to a list. This is invaluable, especially on important, STRESSFUL shoots. It's one less thing to worry about.

Think Like an Art Director

Magazines don't show up somewhere with a crew and start shooting. They're carefully planned out. Put some thought into your photo making. At least have a list of shots you'd like to do. I always have some game plan, theme or concept. I'll research online for photos that inspire me. I then gather them onto a page or two and bring the print outs on shoots. They're nice to reference to, especially when working with newer models.

Carry a Camera Phone

At least, carry a note pad. You never know when that next great idea will come to you. I've taken pictures of mall mannequins, billboards and items on store shelves because they gave me an idea for a photo.

Be Stealthy

As an event photographer, I like to "blend in" with the crowd. I wear black but anything dark and solid will do...no patterns, stripes, etc. If it's not a wedding where I need 2 cameras, I prefer using a backpack. It's one less thing that calls attention to you. Because of my "stealthiness", I've shot in locations other have been booted from. I think it's because I try NOT to look like a professional photographer. But being nice and cordial to security helps too!

Digital Photography Tips and Pointers for the Beginner (The Delete Button Is Nothing to Fear)

2014-07-01T05:20:00.000-07:00

It's fun and easy to take digital photographs-- there's an opinion for you. It is really easy to aim a camera or cell phone and shoot a picture worthy of posting somewhere online, but to do it in a way that makes someone else say, "wow, excellent shot, wish I could do that," is much harder. I have been taking pictures for a long time and I have learned a lot as I've gone along on this journey with my camera, yet I still manage to take nearly as many duds as delights. But that is what the delete button is for, to eliminate those horrible shots forever.

My secret to getting that interesting and beautiful shot? I place myself in the correct spot to get the angle I want and then I aim at my subject, focus, stop breathing to avoid shaking the camera and deliberately move the view-finder a bit to the right or left. This puts the subject slightly off-center and creates a new focal point.

The shakiness factor can be overcome by using a tripod, but I personally find this to be less spontaneous and much less convenient than carrying around just a camera. Besides, it can take several minutes to set up the tripod properly and adjust everything to the right height. By that time, your once-in-a-lifetime hummingbird closeup is long gone. Professional photographers tend to take a while to set up their photos. They set the tripod just so and wait for the perfect light, and perfect cloud formations. If a blue jay gets in the way of the shot, it's the red velvet on the cake, as long as it doesn't spoil the planned scene. I hold my breath while taking the shot for the simple reason that breathing creates movement and movement is fatal to capturing clear photos with a digital camera. For shots that aren't going anywhere, such as still lifes or portraits, the tripod is the way to go.

I'm here to say that sometimes it's the unplanned that adds to the amateur photographer's chances of creating that ideal shot.

I look around and see what is happening. If there is anything at all going on in view of my camera, there's a potential picture there. One prime example is the day that I walked outside without the camera and had to tip-toe back inside to get it when I discovered a winter tree covered with sparrows, looking for all the world like chirping leaves. Lucky for me, the birds stayed put while I did that and for several minutes thereafter while I clicked pictures. These things happen and the digital photographer needs to be prepared at all times.

To me, it's important to shoot the kinds of pictures that interest me the most.

If 5,000 pictures of Fluffy the cat in various appealing poses is what I'm into then so be it. Fluffy is what I'll focus on if it works for me and if it doesn't, then I'll find a new subject to shoot or choose a new angle on the old one. However, new angles should be kept as simple as possible just in case Fluffy doesn't like suddenly having a camera lens shoved up her nose and reacts with a clawed demonstration of her feelings. I find that it is easy to go too far with the dramatic "art" shots.

My rule is this: If I want a sideways picture, I turn the camera all the way on its side. If I want it horizontal rather than vertical, I leave the camera in its normal position. I don't go for halfway in between.

Overdoing the artsy angles can make it hard to tell what was supposed to be the theme of the picture. Was it the ocean or that half deflated beach ball on the shore? Was it the little girl in a sandy diaper wailing her eyes out because she has a sandy diaper or the big dog apparently trying to "water" the dogwood tree? It can be difficult to tell if the photographer was drunk and lying in a fetal position at the time the picture was taken or if he just likes photos that appear to be almost sideways and close to the horizon.

No fuss, no cuss is what I say.

To sum up, keep it simple and learn the basics of your camera, the ins and outs of digital photography and just have fun with it before you start getting overly creative. Just allow yourself the opportunity to be a poor photographer while you're learning the ropes. That's what the delete button is for and a good digital photographer is one who isn't afraid to use it. Have fun and click away.

Tips for Taking Autumn Pictures

2014-06-29T05:58:00.000-07:00

During the autumn season connect with nature by taking your camera outdoors and capture natures beauty in an unique image. There are many great, vivid colors of autumn that offer the perfect shot for wonderful images. These vivid colors can, however, cause difficulty when adding contrast to an image. The natural colors of autumn often cause a picture to look dull if it is not correctly done. Use these tips to take the best autumn pictures.

Camera Settings
The key to great autumn pictures is choosing the correct settings on the camera. Many cameras have the option of the macro function. If your camera has this capability make sure you use this setting. Use this setting only when shooting close up. However, taking wide angle shots can also be done.

In order to accurately capture the vivid colors of autumn, experiment with your ISO setting until you find the perfect setting to accurately capture the colors in the image. Your camera may also have a setting to allow you to adjust the strong and soft colors in an image. Taking the time to experiment with this two things can mean the difference between a good photo and a great photo.

Autumn Essence
When taking autumn pictures it is important to capture the essence of autumn in the image. This means the chilly air, crunching leaves, and any other essence associated with the season. There are many ways this can be done. The easiest way is to take a portrait outdoors. When taking a portrait, have the subject wear clothing to show they are bundled up to be protected from the weather. Many photographers choose not to have the subject as the focal point of the image. Instead, they often center the subject to the left or the right.

Details
You can also do many tricks to add other details of the season into the image. Paying attention to details can let you add detail to whether it is early fall or late fall into the image. In order to do this you must choose the best viewpoint. To capture early autumn, you can take an image of an area that has a light covering of leaves on the foreground and show the trees in the background that still have leaves remaining on them.

Late autumn can also be captured in an image. To do this, you do the opposite of what you did with early autumn. Find an area that has a solid covering of leaves on the ground. Include trees that are almost bare of leaves to show it is late autumn.

Viewpoints
When taking autumn pictures, it is important to choose the best viewpoint. Many photographers choose to take autumn images from a low position, such as while kneeling. This provides you with an interesting angle for the image. When choosing a viewpoint watch for areas that have strong shadows. Avoid these areas because they will darken an image and cause the colors to look dull.

Other Tips
Using the tele settings is a great idea. This is perfect for isolating certain subjects or objects in an image. It will cause the focal point to be sharp while the background of the image remains blurred.

It is important to add contrast into an autumn image. You must be careful when doing this because too much contrast can clutter the image and make it loose its quality. Adding simple objects of nature, such as a boulder, is a great way to add contrast into an image. You can use the sky as a natural back drop to add contrast into an autumn image.

Tips for Photographing Horses

2014-06-24T05:52:00.000-07:00

Taking a good photo of a horse might sound easy. But there is plenty to consider before taking that special photo of your equine friend!

First think what type of photo you want to achieve? Do you want to have a beautiful standing portrait? Are you after catching all the movement and "wilder side" without boosting your horse too much? Are you trying to take a photo with a human interacting with a horse?

My advice would be to browse some amazing galleries on the Internet from professional equestrian photographers. Or just read some horse magazines and take a closer look of the photos!

Before you start snapping plan ahead! If you are after that perfect portrait get your horse brushed up and use a clean halter. Or if you want more natural look on the pasture take the halter off! One might think that sunny day is the best time to take the photos but that is not the case! Bright sun creates plenty shadows and part of your horse will look dim. So cloudy day is usually better, but remember that you still need some light!

Plan your background for a portrait photo. Avoid trees "growing" off the horses back or fences if you can. Plain grass or maybe barn wall can be a good choice for the background. When you find a perfect spot think about your angle. Do you want a side shot? Do you want to take a photo in front of the horse? You might want to try both!

Then the tricky part, you need your horse to co-operate! You want him stand still and straight legged with his ears up and alert. Not so easy.. Some photographers actually use tape recorders and record other horses whinnying and play it while taking photos to get the horse alert!

I've also seen a photographer wiping baby-oil to the horses muzzle area and around the head to make him look fancier in the photos. She even uses hairspray to keep the mane and fore top in place!

If you are after a portrait your camera most likely will have a portrait mode so use that. Think about the perspective. You do not want to be too low or too high. Thumb rule is to have the camera in the same level as the horses eyes unless you are after funnier angle.

If you want to get the best photo of your horse in motion, change your camera to the action or sport mode. That way moving horse appears sharper on a photo. Try to get as close as you can but still get the whole horse. And always try to keep the sun behind you, not in front of you, for best exposure! With digital cameras today you can take lot of photos so take advantage of that! Keep clicking frame after frame, if your camera has a burst mode, meaning it will take several images in a row, use it!

Afterwords look at your photos in your computer and keep the ones you think are worth to work on, delete the rest. Bad images downloaded to your computer are just taking unnecessary room away from your hard drive!

Do some additional cropping, saturating and other editing to add the final touch to your images if needed. And don't forget to print out that perfect image you took and frame it to your wall! Or even better, take one to your tack room for everyone to admire!

Why Digital Photography Make Vast Influence?

2014-06-18T05:27:00.000-07:00

Digital photography gains much popularity. Still there are numerous fans associating imaging with films, dark developing rooms and strong chemicals. Actually, digital photography has made a difference in nearly every family and heart. Lots of photographers have concerned about the popularity of digital photography for its immense popularity over the last few years. It is no doubt that digital photography has acquired the distinguished merits over the old photography method. Secondly, let's show some benefits here, and maybe this will convert you to embark on the digital revolution as well.

Benefits of digital photography

Easy to use
Think of the original way of taking scenes, once you take a scene, that's it. If you would like to shoot a great deal of images, the same number of film are needed. You have to take lots of film to get all the snaps you demand while you are on holiday or shooting an event. Withal, the photos on your camera can be easily checked and erased with digital photography. The memory on cameras can hold hundreds of photos. Or you merely have to carry a few of memory cards in case that the original memory on the camera has been used up.

Safety of photos
For big case or the cases that won't happen once more, the biggest concern of picture takers are the miss of the films or accidentally exposed the photos out of the dark developing room. What raised your attention and worry is when you understand you've missed the negatives also, or that they are too old to be developed again.

By comparison, with digital photography, it's not suitable to say that you never corrupt or lose photos or original files, but the chances are much smaller. You can store your files in many ways, such as computer, memory stick, CD-ROM or other instruments. Even though you miss your images, the original files are still retained for you to run off again. That is the most important features of digital photography, ensuring the safety of your photos.

Cost effective
The cost of purchasing the film and developing the photos is greatly eliminated---that's another merits of digital photography. With digital cameras, all you need is some batteries and a memory card.

Multiple choices
The individual are able to take different kinds of shots with digital photography. The function area---screen modes, which adjust the appropriate parameters to different modes, grant photographers to focus on a particular issue and blur out all the rest. For example, if you desire to take a photo of a moving person, select sport mode. The shot that will emerge will take up a sharp picture of the person on the move and the background will be a distinct blur. At the same time, images can be easily transferred into computer system, which can then be distributed and shared with your family and friends.

Traditional shots , however, do not give the permission the individual to see what he has clicked.

Easy to review
Besides the above benefits, you can use reviewing applications such like Photoshop to make a change of the picture if you still are not satisfied with what you see and cannot think of methods to shoot the target in a better way. This will help to add color and quality to the photograph. Contrasts can also be added and get rid of unrelevant reflections, crop the shot, etc.

In conclusion

On the whole, digital photography century is coming. People will go on searching the better way to lead a more beautiful life. Another popular technology, HDR photography is on its way to vastly alter the shot's outlook and thinking pattern of photographers.

How To Take Quality Photos - Photography Tips

2014-06-14T04:57:00.000-07:00

Taking quality photographs is not that easy. Although it can be challenging to capture quality photos, it can also be rewarding, exciting, and fun. You certainly should not be embarrassed if your initial photographs turn out far differently than the perfect ones. Remember, if you are an amateur photographer, you have plenty of time to develop your photography skills. Even the best professional photographers started at the bottom, developing their skills along the way.

Being a new photographer is not a big deal. Building your experience as you take more and more photos is something that will come naturally. As you build your experience, your photos will improve. Eventually, your photos will rival those of a typical professional, provided you use similar hardware and tools and follow the tips below.

First, and foremost, you must enjoy what you do if you expect to ever become very good at it. Becoming a successful photographer is no different. If you stress out and do not genuinely enjoy photography, you simply will never become good at it.

Choosing a natural model is very helpful if you wish to take quality photographs. Allowing the model to pose in a comfortable position during the photo session will make the session much more enjoyable as well. Also, if you can, do your best to use models that find what you are doing enjoyable. If your models enjoy what they are doing, it will certainly come across in the photos in a positive manner.

In addition to the tips above, it is critical to always be mindful of your lighting. Most cameras are more sensitive to shadows than the human eye is. Using back-lighting or fill-lighting in naturally-poor lighting situations can produce fantastic pictures. Using white reflective backgrounds can also be effective in bouncing off flash.

At the end of the day, following the simple tips above can help improve the quality of the photographs you take.

How to Improve Your Photography Skills

2014-06-11T04:47:00.000-07:00

One way to improve your photography is by looking at things in a new way. For example, if you want to take better photos you need to evaluate what it is that you're taking a photo of. Try to determine the best angles to take the photo. Also, always try to plain the shot before you take it this way you can be sure to get better results from your photography. Also, it's always a good idea to be aware of lighting situations because they will warn you about which exposure to utilize for the best results.

When taking photos of animals always try to include the animal's eyes in the photo as this is an indispensible part of wildlife photography. Another important thing to do when taking photos of animals is to use a big lens, as animals are usually shy and do not people being close to them. When it comes to editing a photo I always like take away distracting details and redundant details. For example, if there's something in the photo that doesn't need to be there then take it out by cropping or try lowering the brightness that spot to make it less visible. Sometime, I have background in photos that I don't like so, I try blurring the or like aforementioned, I might lower the brightness this way, you can be sure that these distracting elements in your photo are less obvious.

When it comes to portrait photography one thing I sometimes notice is that the subject face might be too dark, when this happen the detail that should normally be there is lost, the good news is that usually you can restore this detail by lighting up the that particular portion of the photo. Also, two things that I think people make mistakes with when taking pictures of people is that you don't want to have the person just standing there looking bored. Plus, I've notice that photos of people that only include the face and shoulder usually seem a lot of interesting than just show the whole person in the photo although, there are exceptions to this. Another thing that I believe makes portraits a lot better is to have emotion in the photo; you don't want your subject just standing there looking bored try to take the subject laugh or show some type of emotion that represents their personality or the personality of another person.

When it comes to sports photography try to get a photo of people doing something important to that particular sport. For example, if you happen to be taking photos at a triathlon, try to get photos of the person crossing the finish line or doing one of the transition sites.

Hope this article was successful in helping you with your photography.

How to Take Good Environmental Portraits

2014-06-08T04:43:00.000-07:00

Portrait photography is a unique challenge. Light bounces off parts of the face that you usually don't want to emphasize and the most beautiful parts of the face remain in shadow. There are ways to avoid this, however, even if you're shooting without the convenience of flash units and controlled backgrounds.

1. Pay attention to the kind of light you're shooting with. Morning or evening gives a gentler, softer, light to work with, which goes better with most faces than harsh mid-afternoon sunlight. Bright sunlight will give you harsh shadows across the face, especially with things like eye sockets. Likewise, cloudy days are better than sunny ones.

2. Know your subject. Know what makes him or her smile, especially. The best facial expressions are natural and unforced. Talk to whoever it is you're shooting. Try to make them smile. Capture the moment when that person is the most himself.

3. Be careful with your backgrounds. Choose carefully where you shoot. If you can, scout locations out in advance so you have a good idea of how much time you will be investing in this shoot and what they'll look like in whatever weather you'll be shooting in. Make sure it will actually look good as a background for a portrait.

4. Use a wide aperture. This will allow your subject to be in focus, but blur out the background just slightly so that it is not distracting to the viewer. Be careful, though, that you do not have your depth of field so shallow that you put your subject out of focus or underexpose your image.

5. Don't be afraid to experiment. Shoot from unusual angles. Make your subject do something ridiculous. Try something new and you might be amazed at the result. Photography is an art, not a science.

6. Take lots and lots of pictures. Odds are, you're not going to get the perfect portrait right off the bat. Keep shooting until you get something fabulous, then keep going until you get something even better.

7. Enjoy yourself. Have fun! Do something crazy! Odds are, your subject will start having fun too, and that will improve your portraits more than anything else.

Even though it seems like a lot to think about, once you're in the field with camera in hand, time flies by. Environmental portrait photography is fun, rewarding, and a great way to expand your photography skills. It doesn't require a lot of equipment, and it is possible to do almost anywhere. So go, have fun, and enjoy your time shooting!