Photography Mad

18 Stunning Examples of Slow Sync Flash Photos

2013-07-12T00:00:00Z

Slow sync flash photography is a fantastic technique that can be used to create all manner of stunning effects. The examples below showcase some of the most creative, striking and beautiful ways people are using it.

If these photos inspire you to give it a go, check out my guide to taking slow sync flash photos.

Image by James Jordan.

Image by Bill Selak.

Image by Pat David.

Image by N Stjerna.

Image by Sergio Bertolini.

Image by Yuvi Panda.

Image by Christopher Nielsen.

Image by -Kenzie-.

Image by Dustin Jensen.

Image by Timothy Tolle.

Image by Mish Sukharev.

Image by Jonathan Kos-Read.

Image by Yogendra Joshi.

Image by Gordon Anthony McGowan.

Image by akial.

Image by Dima Bushkov.

Image by Timothy Tolle.

Little Planet Photos: 5 Simple Steps to Making Panorama Worlds

2013-06-25T00:00:00Z

Panoramas are one of my favourite ways to show off a scene. They contain so much interest and detail that they practically beg you to explore them. This little tip adds an extra pinch of creativity, turning standard panoramas into miniature planets that really have the "wow" factor.

The technical name for this technique is "stereographic projection" but don't let the name put you off - it's very simple to do and only takes 5 minutes. I'll be using Photoshop in this example but you can do it in most graphics programs, including GIMP, which is free.

Turn your panoramas into eye-catching miniature planets. Image by Benjamin Jopen.

Choosing a suitable photo

Virtually any panorama can be turned into a little planet photo, but certain images tend to work better than others. Here are the things you need to consider:

The viewing angle - 360 degree panoramas work best because their edges line up perfectly, making for a seamless planet photo. Narrower angles can work but you might need to do some work to match colours and textures where the edges meet.
Image width - The aspect ratio (width divided by height) of your photo affects how smooth the planet looks. Wider images tend to produce smoother planet surfaces, while narrower panoramas give more height variation. Both can look great.
The sky - Your panorama's sky will be severely distorted in the final image. A clear sky tends to produce the best results, although clouds can give an interesting, stretched effect.
The ground - The bottom of your photo will be squashed together to form the centre of the planet, and this can lead to some extreme distortion. As with the sky, a flat colour or simple texture such as grass, sand or water looks best.
The horizon - This needs to be perfectly level so the edges of the picture meet neatly. If yours don't then you can easily rotate and re-crop in Photoshop.

This might sound like a lot of criteria to meet, but you'll find that the majority of panoramas will be suitable. If in doubt, give it a go - breaking the above "rules" can sometimes lead to weird and wonderful effects that you wouldn't have got otherwise, so don't be afraid to experiment.

If you're struggling to find a suitable photo then there tons freely available under the Creative Commons licence, such as this selection on Flickr. I'll be using the following photo which you can download here if you want to follow along.

This is the photo I'll be using. Image by Rudolf Schuba.

Making your planet

Got your image? Good. Time to turn it into a planet.

1. Make the image square

Because of the way stereographic projections are made, we need to start with a square image. Go to Image > Image Size. Uncheck "Constrain Proportions" and set the height to match the width.

This will squash your image and make it look distorted. Don't worry, this is normal.

2. Apply a sky gradient

Ths step is optional but will prevent the corners of the final image looking stretched and warped.

Select the gradient tool and set the left and right colour sliders to match the dominant sky colour. Set the left-hand opacity slider to 100% and the right-hand one to 0%.

Drag a gradient from the top of your photo downwards a little distance, to produce a smooth transition to the solid colour.

3. Turn the photo upside down

Use Image > Image Rotation > 180° to flip your image upside down. This ensures it wraps the right way when we turn it into a planet.

4. Apply the Polar Coordinates filter

Go to Filter > Distort > Polar Coordinates. Make sure "Rectangular to Polar" is selected and hit "OK".

Voilà! Your panorama is now wrapped into a circle and looks like a little planet photographed from above using a fisheye lens.

5. Finishing touches

Check the upper centre of your photo to make the sure things look smooth where the panorama's edges were joined. Use the Clone Stamp or Healing Brush to fix any problems.

If you'd prefer your planet to be a different way round, now is the time to rotate it. This will leave white corners, but you can fill those with the same colour you used for the gradient. Re-crop your image and you're done!

Our finished planet photo.

Creating little planet photos is extremely easy once you get the hang of it. You can produce some fantastic effects by experimenting, so don't feel you have to stick rigidly to the above instructions. If you come across any interesting variations then please share them in the comments.

Examples and inspiration

Here are a few examples showing what's possible when you combine this technique with a little bit of creativity and imagination.

Use a photo with varied terrain to create a jagged asteroid effect. Original image by Victor Engmark.

Include buildings right up to the foreground to make a densely populated planet photo. Image by Carlos de Paz.

Shoot your panorama at night to give the effect of a planet floating in space. Image by MyPlanet 360.

Skip step 3 to create an "inside out" planet photo that looks like you're lying on the ground looking up at the sky. Original image by Christian Holmér.

49 Beautiful Heart Shaped Bokeh Photos

2013-06-21T00:00:00Z

Bokeh is the quality of the blurry parts of your photos. It's a fascinating subject in its own right, making background lights look luscious and blur look beautiful.

You can get even more creative by using filters to shape your bokeh. Hearts are one of the most popular choices because of their simple, elegant shape and the positive emotions we associate with them. Here are some inspiring examples of the very best heart shaped bokeh images.

Image by jessicahtam.

Image by inoc.

Image by youngthousands.

Image by Olga.

Image by Eirik Solheim.

Image by Douglas Haase.

Image by Takashi Hososhima.

Image by Jeffrey Smith.

Image by Iouri Goussev.

Image by Brandon Giesbrecht.

Image by IrfaanPhotography.

Image by Luke Hayfield.

Image by Demi-Brooke.

Image by Joshin Yamada.

Image by Susan O'Connor.

Image by yenna.

Image by Nishanth Jois.

Image by JU SEOK OH.

Image by Yannick Garcia.

Image by Sarah-Rose.

Image by George Deputee.

Image by Imprint of Hanoi.

Image by kitkatscrapper.

Image by Brothers Le.

Image by Allie Holzman.

Image by Francesca Cappa.

Image by Matt Janicki.

Image by Leland Francisco.

Image by Julia Warshall.

Image by Ruben Alexander.

Image by M I T C H Ǝ L L.

Image by Vestman.

Image by George Deputee.

Image by Brandon Giesbrecht.

Image by Mali S. Nichols-Hadorn.

Image by kozumel.

Image by JD Hancock.

Image by Dizão Gonçalves.

Image by Eli Christman.

Image by Robert Cooke.

Image by A. Pagliaricci.

Image by koppdesign.

Image by JFXie.

Image by Mackenzie Brunson.

Image by Andrea Smith.

Image by Emily.

Image by Evelyn Flint.

Image by RedBull Trinker.

Image by Isabel Bloedwater.

Slow Sync Flash: The Ultimate Guide

2013-06-19T00:00:00Z

Slow sync flash is one of those terms that sounds very technical and daunting. The sort of thing that we amateur photographers tend to shy away from, telling ourselves, "I'll never need that, I'll leave it to the pros."

But underneath the jargon, slow sync is actually very simple and can be extremely useful in certain situations. So take a deep breath and let me guide you through it - it's not as scary as it sounds, and it could help you take your flash photography to the next level.

What is slow sync flash?

Slow sync flash is just a fancy term for using your flash with a slow shutter speed. It helps you keep your subject sharp while capturing motion or a dark background. That's it. Simple, isn't it?

Slow sync flash combines a slow shutter speed with a burst of flash. Image by Yogendra Joshi.

Ok, there is one tiny complication, and that's when you fire the flash. You see, with a normal flash photo, the shutter is only open for a fraction of a second, so the flash is firing for most of your exposure.

With a long exposure, your camera's shutter is open for much longer than the flash is firing - perhaps even several seconds. You can choose whether you want to fire the flash at the start or end of the exposure. Firing the flash at the start of the exposure is known as "front curtain" or "1st curtain". Firing it at the end is known as "rear curtain" or "2nd curtain".

Each of these settings produces a different effect, which we'll discuss in a minute.

When should I use slow sync?

There are a couple of situations where you might want to use slow sync flash.

Low light

Imagine you're taking a photo of some friends standing in front of some scenery at night.

Normally you'd have two choices. You could use your flash to illuminate your friends, but you'd probably end up with a pitch black, underexposed background. Or you could use a slow shutter speed to capture the background, but probably end up with blurry friends. Not ideal either way.

With slow sync flash you can have the best of both worlds. You'd use a slow shutter speed to correctly expose the background, and then a burst of flash to capture your friends in sharp detail.

Slow sync helps you properly expose all parts of your scene. Image by David Goehring.

Because the subjects in the photo aren't moving it doesn't really matter whether you use front or rear curtain sync. Most people tend to use rear curtain, and that's the default setting on most cameras.

Ideally you should use a tripod to keep the background sharp, but you can also get some nice effects by hand-holding your camera. In fact, try deliberately moving the camera around - it will give your photos an abstract, trippy feel which can be interesting in itself.

Fast motion

Slow sync flash is really effective for sports and action photography. It allows you to capture the subject in tack-sharp detail but also get some motion blur in the shot. This gives your image a sense of speed and is much more pleasing than the "frozen" effect you get with normal flash.

Because the subject is moving, the flash curtain setting makes a real difference. Rear curtain is generally your best bet because it will freeze the subject at the end of the motion, with the blur behind them. This results in a photo with a "natural" sense of movement.

Use slow sync to capture motion blur while keeping your subject sharp. Image by Jim.

Front curtain will freeze the subject at the start of the motion, with the blur in front of them. This can look unnatural but it can also be a really interesting effect, so play around and see what you can come up with.

Normally you'll be able to use a much faster shutter speed than with low light photography, so a tripod isn't always necessary. Experiment with different exposure lengths to see how it affects the amount of motion blur you capture.

How do I set my camera to use slow sync?

If you have a DSLR, you should find a slow sync setting somewhere in your menus. It varies depending on the manufacturer, and can sometimes be hidden away in the "custom functions" section, so check your camera's manual.

Compact cameras usually have a slow sync mode, but it's often called something like "party mode" or "night mode". You probably won't be able to change the shutter speed or choose which curtain to fire the flash on, but you'll still be able to get some fantastic shots.

How to Take Stunning Zoom Burst Photos

2013-06-10T00:00:00Z

A zoom burst, or zoom blur, is a fantastic photographic effect which is simple, fun and easy to achieve. It involves zooming in or out while you take a photo, causing the shot to blur from the centre outwards, as if the scene is “bursting” towards you.

You can use a zoom burst to add movement and action to your photos, and to give them an abstract quality.

The zoom effect produces an interesting, abstract feel. Image by Stuart Richards.

How to take a zoom blur photo

You don’t need any fancy equipment to get started with zoom bursts - just a DSLR with a zoom lens and an optional tripod.

Start by mounting your camera on your tripod. We’ll be using a long shutter speed so this will help keep the blurry lines straight. If you don’t have a tripod you can stand your camera on a wall or lean against a tree. You can even hand-hold your camera if you don’t mind a slightly wobbly feel to your photo - this can actually look really good, so give it a go.

Use a tripod or steady yourself to keep the blurred lines straight. Image by Michael Himbeault.

Select shutter priority mode and choose a shutter speed of around 1 to 4 seconds. Zoom fully in and focus on your subject. If your camera allows it, lock the focus and exposure at this point, so you know they’ll be correct when the subject is filling the frame.

Now zoom right out to the widest angle you want to capture. Press the shutter button and zoom in until the subject fills the frame again. Try to zoom as smoothly as possible, maintaining a constant speed throughout and finishing just before the end of your exposure.

As with all types of photography, remember to frame your subject nicely. Image by Will Clayton.

If your shot is overexposed, try using a narrower aperture, fitting an ND filter or reducing the shutter speed. You can get a good effect down to about 1/8th of a second, although you’ll have to zoom much faster to compensate.

Snapping a zoom blur photo is all about timing, and it can be tricky to get right, so you’ll need to be patient. Constantly review your shots on your camera’s LCD screen and make any necessary adjustments as you go along.

Choosing a subject

Virtually any subject can produce a striking zoom effect, but generally ones with plenty of colour and pattern work best. Try photographing things like stained glass windows or city lights as these produce some beautiful, colourful streaks.

Getting creative with zoom bursts

There are many ways to make your zoom blurs even more interesting:

Rotate the camera

Instead of turning your lens’s zoom ring, hold it perfectly still and rotate the camera instead. This adds an eye-catching spiral effect to the zoom burst.

Rotate the camera to produce a spiral zoom burst effect. Image by Robert S. Donovan.

Zoom out instead of in

In the above tutorial you started with the camera zoomed out, and then moved in on the subject. Switch things around and start with your lens fully zoomed in, and then pull out from the scene. This produces a subtly different effect.

Use flash

Using slow sync flash you can fire a burst of flash at the start or end of your exposure. This freezes the subject in sharp focus, but keeps the blurred effect for added creative impact. It’s best to time the flash to fire when the subject is filling the frame - use the “front-curtain” or “rear-curtain” setting depending on whether you’re zooming in or out.

Shoot at night

The zoom burst effect is perfectly suited to night time photography because of the long exposure times involved. The bright lights of a city also create stunning light trails in your shot.

Night time lights are perfect for zoom bursts. Image by sagriffin305.

Use partial zoom

You don’t have to use your lens’s full range of focal lengths. Experiment with smaller zoom ranges to see how the effect varies.

Pause while zooming

Rather than continuously moving the lens for the entire shot, try pausing for a moment at the start or end of the exposure, or even in the middle. You can do this once or multiple times to bring the scene into focus at different points.

Taking zoom blur photos is all about creativity, so experiment and see if you can put your own unique twist on things.

Shutter Speed: A Beginner's Guide

2011-09-28T00:00:00Z

I've always believed that in photography, you should avoid getting bogged down in the technical side of your hobby, and focus on developing your creative talent. However, there are certain technical elements that are essential to getting a good photo - shutter speed is one of them.

Shutter speed is 1 of the 3 elements (along with aperture and ISO speed) that determine a photo's exposure. It also controls how sharp your photos are, and lets you introduce lots of interesting creative effects into your shots. Let's look at what it is, why it's important, and how you can use it.

Shutter speed is an essential tool in photography and well worth learning. Image by Mikel.

What is Shutter Speed?

Inside your camera, directly in front of the sensor, is a small flap called the shutter. When you take a photo, this opens and closes to let light reach the sensor, creating your image. Shutter speed describes how quickly or slowly the shutter opens and closes again.

A fast shutter speed means that the shutter is only open for a short period of time; a slow shutter speed means the shutter is open for longer.

How is Shutter Speed Measured?

Shutter speeds are measured in seconds, or fractions of a second. For example, a shutter speed of 1/100 means 1/100th of a second, or 0.01 seconds. This is also known as the "exposure time", because it's the amount of time the sensor is exposed to light.

Most cameras offer a wide range of shutter speeds, starting at just a few thousandths of a second and going up to several seconds. SLRs also have a "Bulb" mode where you can hold the shutter open for as long as you want.

Choosing the Best Shutter Speed

In automatic mode, your camera will try to guess the best shutter speed to capture your scene. Unfortunately it doesn't always get it right, and your photo can end up poorly exposed or blurred.

A better option is to switch to manual mode and take control of shutter speed yourself. When doing so, you need to consider the following:

Camera Shake

Camera shake occurs when hand-holding your camera. No matter how steady you think you are, you can never stand perfectly still, and this slight movement shows up in your photos as a blurriness or lack of sharpness.

Camera shake occurs when hand-holding your camera, and causes blurring of stationary objects. Image by Dean Ayres.

You can avoid camera shake by using a faster shutter speed. It's more noticeable when using lenses with a long focal length, so the longer the lens, the more you'll need to increase your shutter speed to avoid camera shake.

As a rule of thumb, you should use a minimum shutter speed of 1/focal length. So for a 200mm lens, use a shutter speed of at least 1/200th. When calculating this, use your lens's effective focal length, which is found by multiplying the focal length by your camera's crop factor.

Motion Blur

Motion blurring happens when you're photographing a moving subject, let's say a runner. If you use a slow shutter speed, the runner will move across the frame while the shutter is open, causing them to appear as a blurry streak in the final image.

Use a fast shutter speed to eliminate motion blur, or use it creatively to convey movement and speed. Image by Ondra Soukup.

You can avoid motion blur by using a faster shutter speed. Doing so means that the subject will move less while the shutter is open, reducing the blurring effect. With a fast enough shutter speed, this blurring becomes unnoticeable, and the action appears "frozen".

But before you go cranking your shutter speed as high as you can, you should consider whether you actually want to eliminate motion blur. It's an excellent way to convey speed or movement in a scene. You can also pan your camera to keep the subject sharp and blur the background.

Exposure

You also need to make sure that your scene is properly exposed. A slower shutter speed lets in more light, while a faster shutter speed lets in less. You need to choose a shutter speed that lets in just the right amount of light, to give a photo which isn't too bright (overexposed) or dark (underexposed), and which has a good level of detail in the most important areas.

Choosing the right shutter speed is important in achieving perfect exposure, with good detail in the highlights and shadows. Image by Jeff Smallwood.

Remember that exposure isn't just about shutter speed - it also depends on your aperture and ISO speed. A good technique is to choose a shutter speed which gives the desired amount of blurring (if any), and then adjust your aperture and ISO to give a good overall exposure.

Creative Effects

By using very short or very long shutter speeds, you can introduce some interesting creative effects into your shots.

Long exposure photography is where you open the shutter for much longer than normal - anything from a few seconds to several minutes. This is perfect for creating blurred crowd shots, giving moving water a fog-like appearance, and capturing trails of light from things like cars and stars.

A very slow shutter speed can be used for interesting abstract effects such as making water appear misty and smooth. Image by Jim.

Alternatively, by using a very fast shutter speed you can capture some stunning "frozen" motion, such as birds in flight, sportsmen in action, or water splashing. These types of shots often require lots of trial and error, but they're truly fascinating when they work.

Use a very fast shutter speed to freeze motion. Image by Diego Diaz.

There's no end to the interesting effects you can create by varying your shutter speed. Don't be afraid to experiment or use settings that you'd normally avoid - you never know when you'll find a way to bring a new perspective to a common subject.

The best way to learn about shutter speed is to flick your camera into manual or shutter priority mode and play around. Pay attention to the effect on exposure and blurring, and see how you can use that knowledge to bring a new level of creativity to your photos.

5 Keys to Finding the Perfect Portrait Location

2011-09-23T00:00:00Z

One of the most important aspects of portrait photography is picking a suitable location. Your choice will drive all other decisions about the shoot, including what lighting and props to take, which clothes the subject should wear, and the most suitable poses to use.

Shooting in a studio with a plain background is a popular choice, but it can be expensive, and these types of shots have been done a million times. You can usually get much more interesting, engaging pictures by using your imagination and choosing a more unusual portrait location.

Choose a Meaningful Place

It's easy to choose a portrait location based on convenience. For example, if you live near a leafy park, it's tempting to use that as your default shooting location. But while this may look attractive, it's not always the best option.

Select a meaningful location which reflects your subject's personality. Image by Dustin Diaz.

Remember that every subject is a unique individual, with their own personality. This is what makes them so interesting, and it's something you should try to capture in every portrait you take. Choosing a suitable location is an important part of this.

Take the time to get to know your subject. Find out about their hobbies and favourite places and incorporate them into your photography. If they're an avid horse rider, shoot them at their stables; if they love to surf, go to their local beach.

By using a location that means something to your subject, you'll get much more personal, meaningful photos. As an added bonus, they're likely to feel more relaxed, helping you capture more natural-looking shots.

Use Natural Lighting

Most professional portrait photographers swear by natural lighting, and some refuse to shoot in anything else. If possible, choose a brightly lit location which offers plenty of diffused, natural light.

Choose a location with plenty of soft, natural lighting. Image by Dan Foy.

When shooting outdoors it's important to avoid the direct midday sun as this produces very harsh shadows. Look for some light shade such as an overhanging tree or covered seating area, where the sunlight is softer and more flattering. Alternatively, shoot in the morning or early evening when the sun isn't as strong.

If you're shooting indoors, try to position your subject near a large window so that you can make the most of any available natural light. Depending on your budget and the equipment you have available you can compliment this with some artificial lighting if necessary.

Set Up Near Shelter

If you choose an outdoor portrait location, there's always a chance that the weather will spoil the party. Sometimes you'll just have to take a chance and hope it stays dry, but try to have a backup in case the weather turns bad.

Anticipating bad weather means you can stop it ruining your shoot, or even incorporate it into your photos. Image by Sam Javanrouh.

Look for a location which has some sort of shelter nearby, such as a bridge, bandstand, or cafe. These can be life-savers during a quick shower, helping you keep yourself, your equipment, and your subject dry - particularly important if they're paying!

If the weather gets really bad you may even be able to move your whole photoshoot under cover. With open-sided shelter you can often recompose to keep a natural background behind your subject, and as long as the lighting is good enough nobody will ever tell you weren't fully outdoors.

Choose Somewhere Quiet

Crowded places, like cities or busy public parks, are among the worst locations for a portrait shoot. You'll be constantly waiting for people to move out of frame and dealing with questions from passers-by, plus your subject will probably feel very self-conscious and struggle to relax.

Shoot in a quiet place to avoid disturbances and help your subject relax. Image by Paulo Alegria.

Finding a quiet, secluded location is not as difficult as it might seem. If you must shoot in a city, get off the beaten track - by moving just a few hundred yards away you can usually find a spot where you and your subject can set up undisturbed.

Better still, avoid cities altogether and head for remote beaches, grassy fields, and woodland. These all provide great backdrops to a portrait photo, and are often completely deserted, giving you free-reign to move around and experiment with different poses and angles.

Don't Let the Location Distract

A suitable location is crucial in portrait photography, but always remember that it's not the main subject, so don't let it overpower your scene. From time to time during your shoot, check the photos you've taken - if your eye is drawn more to the scenery than the subject, you're putting too much emphasis on the wrong thing.

Your location should never take attention away from your subject. Image by Steve Evans.

A simple and effective technique is to open your lens's aperture up nice and wide. This puts the background out of focus, preventing it from being too distracting, creating a sense of depth in the scene, and drawing the viewer's eye to the main subject.

Choosing an effective portrait location takes time and thought, but it's something that you should always aim to get right. By doing so you'll be able to tell a story with your pictures, and capture the essence of your subject's personality, resulting in much more engaging, personal photos.

Using Coloured Filters in Black and White Photography

2011-09-20T00:00:00Z

A common problem in black and white photography is that certain colours look very similar when converted into greyscale. For example, some shades of red, green, and blue look completely different in colour, but almost identical in black and white.

This can cause objects in a black and white image to blend into one another, leaving you with a photo which is flat and lifeless, and lacking in contrast and definition.

Coloured lens filters offer a solution to this problem because they affect the way colours are "converted" to black and white. This allows you to control the way they appear in the final image, ensuring that objects are well separated and clearly defined.

Black and White Filter Basics

There are 5 filter colours that are commonly used in black and white photography - red, orange, yellow, green, and blue. Each lets through its own colour of light and blocks other colours to varying degrees. For example, a red filter will let red light through, but block most green and blue.

The result is that colours matching the filter colour appear brighter in the final image, while other colours appear darker. In black and white photography this means that objects appear as lighter or darker shades of grey.

This image shows how different filters affect the way colours are converted to black and white:

Different coloured filters (top line) affect your scene's greys in different ways.

Using Black and White Filters

Because of their different effects, each colour filter tends to be used in a different way.

Red Filters

Red filters produce a very strong effect and greatly increase contrast. They're often considered too "harsh" for most types of photography, but can be used to produce striking creative effects.

A red filter gives extreme, dramatic contrast. Image by Nicholas.

In landscape photography, a red filter will turn a blue sky almost black and make clouds really stand out, giving the scene a dramatic feel. They're also excellent for increasing visibility in haze and fog.

When shooting plants they help increase definition between flowers and foliage. This is particularly useful when shooting red flowers, as they have a similar tone to the surrounding leaves.

Red filters produce such an extreme effect that they can make your photo look like it's been shot through an infrared filter. This makes them a popular, cheaper alternative to true infrared photography.

Orange Filters

Orange filters sit between red and yellow filters, giving a nice balance of each one's properties. This makes them a popular general purpose filter.

An orange filter gives warm, smooth skin tones. Image by David Jubert.

In portrait photography, an orange filter reduces the appearance of freckles and blemishes, giving the skin a healthy, smooth look.

When photographing buildings and cityscapes, they give bricks a pleasing tone, and increase contrast between different materials to add depth and texture to the image.

Similarly to red filters, they can be used to reduce the appearance of fog and haze, and to darken skies and emphasise clouds.

Yellow Filters

Yellow filters produce the most subtle effect of the 5 coloured filters. In some cases the difference is barely noticeable, but it can help to lift a photo just enough. They're a popular choice for beginners as they can be used in virtually any type of photography.

A yellow filter gives slightly darkened blues, increasing sky contrast. Image by Alex Gorstan.

When snapping landscapes a yellow filter darkens the sky slightly, helping to balance its exposure against the darker ground. They also bring out clouds nicely, resulting in more interesting skies.

In portrait photography, they produce warm, natural, pleasing flesh tones, like an orange filter but less intense.

Yellow filters are good for separating shades of green, and can be used whe photographing plants to increase the contrast of foliage.

Green Filters

Green filters are less popular than the others but are useful in some circumstances.

A green filter lightens greens, separating foliage and flowers. Image by aussiegal.

A green filter is mainly used for photographing plants as it helps separate the green foliage from the brightly-coloured flowers and buds.

They can also be used in landscape photography to boost the appearance of grass and trees, but they also lighten the sky so you need to be careful not to lose detail there.

Blue Filters

Blue filters are rarely used for black and white photography. They darken most colours and reduce contrast across an image.

A blue filter darkens most colours and is used to reduce contrast. Image by Tony Armstrong.

When used correctly, this reduced contrast can be useful for giving a shot a calm, soothing atmosphere. A blue filter also increases the appearance of haze and mist, making it handy for enhancing the mood of an early-morning scene.

If you're serious about black and white photography then a selection of coloured filters is a great addition to your kit. They'll give you much more control over the way your photos appear, helping you to create mood, balance contrast, and emphasise the most important parts of a scene.

Rule of Thirds

2011-09-16T00:00:00Z

The rule of thirds is one of the most useful composition techniques in photography. It's an important concept to learn as it can be used in all types of photography to produce images which are more engaging and better balanced.

Of course, rules should never be applied blindly, particularly in art, so you should think of it more as a handy "rule of thumb" rather than one that's set in stone. However, it will produce a pleasing photo more often than not, and is an excellent starting point for any composition.

What is the Rule of Thirds?

The rule of thirds involves mentally dividing up your image using 2 horizontal lines and 2 vertical lines, as shown below. You then position the important elements in your scene along those lines, or at the points where they meet.

A rule of thirds grid. Important elements (the shed, and the border between the ground and the trees) are positioned along the lines and at the intersections. Image by Martin Gommel.

The idea is that an off-centre composition is more pleasing to the eye and looks more natural than one where the subject is placed right in the middle of the frame. It also encourages you to make creative use of negative space, the empty areas around your subject.

How to Use the Rule of Thirds

When framing a photo, imagine the scene divided up as above. Think about what elements of the photo are most important, and try to position them at or near the lines and intersections of the grid. They don't have to be perfectly lined up as long as they're close.

The horizon and main subject in this photo have been positioned near lines or intersections for maximum impact. Image by K Praslowicz.

You may need to move around to get the best composition. This forces you to think more carefully about the shot, and is a good habit to get into whether you're using the rule of thirds or not.

To help you out, some cameras have a setting which overlays a rule of thirds grid onto your photo. This removes all guesswork and helps you get your positioning even more accurate.

Examples

The rule of thirds is very versatile and can be used on any subject. Below are some example of it being used effectively in different types of shots.

Image by Andreas Wonisch.

In landscape shots, it's common to position the horizon along the centre of the frame, but this can give the photo a "split in two" feel. Instead, place it along one of the horizontal lines.

Try to include another interesting object, such as the tree in the photo above, and position it according to the rule of thirds. This provides an "anchor", a natural focal point for the scene.

Image by Megan Leetz.

It's a good idea to position people off to one side of the frame. This provides some "breathing space", shows the subject's environment, and stops the photo from looking like a mugshot.

We are naturally drawn to people's eyes. Place them at one of the intersections on the rule of thirds grid to give the shot a clear focal point.

Image by Prem Anandh.

Here the main subject has been placed at one of the intersections, and also along one a vertical line. The twig roughly follows the top horizontal line. The empty space at the bottom left provides balance and prevents the picture from feeling overcrowded.

Image by Dennis Jarvis.

Vertical subjects such as this lighthouse can split a photo in two, in much the same way as a horizon can do horizontally. To avoid this, position them off-centre in your composition.

Image by muskva.

When photographing moving subjects, position them as normal, but also pay attention to the direction they're moving. As a general rule you should leave more space in front of them than behind, to show where they're going.

Using Editing Software

You can easily apply the rule of thirds to existing photos by cropping them. This allows you to reposition the important subjects in your image, moving them into more pleasing positions.

Re-cropping to use the rule of thirds can improve composition. Image by Jenn Forman Orth.

To help you, software like Photoshop and Lightroom have built-in "crop guide overlays" which include a rule of thirds option. This places a rule of thirds grid on top of your image as you crop it, allowing you to get your positioning spot on.

Breaking the Rule

As with all rules (at least in photography), the rule of thirds doesn't apply in every situation, and sometimes breaking it can result in a much more eye-catching, interesting photo. Experiment and test out different compositions even if they go against any "rules" you've learned.

However, learn to use the rule of thirds effectively before you try to break it - that way you can be sure you're doing so in order to get a better composition, rather than just for the sake of it.

Understanding and Using "Negative Space" in Photography

2011-09-11T00:00:00Z

Negative space, sometimes referred to as white space, is a concept that's been used in art, design, architecture, and sculpture for hundreds of years. It's equally useful in photography, and can be used to turn an average photo into an outstanding one.

Unfortunately it's something that's understood by relatively few people, but with a little bit of practice it can help you look at your photos in a new way, transforming your compositions and producing truly breathtaking results.

What is Negative Space?

Put simply, negative space is the area which surrounds the main subject in your photo (the main subject is known as the "positive space"). This definition is rather abstract, so take the following example; the power lines in this image form the positive space while the sky is the negative space.

The sky in this photo forms the negative space around the main subject. Image by Lee.

Negative space defines and emphasises the main subject of a photo, drawing your eye to it. It provides "breathing room", giving your eyes somewhere to rest and preventing your image from appearing too cluttered with "stuff". All of this adds up to a more engaging composition.

Negative space provides breathing room and draws your eye to the main subject. Image by Ruben Alexander.

When used properly, negative space provides a natural balance against the positive space in a scene. Getting this balance right is tricky and rather subjective, but it's something you'll get better at with time and practice.

How to Use Negative Space in Your Photography

Our brains are full of preconceived ideas about the way objects look, in terms of their size, shape, colour, texture, and so on. Unfortunately these preconceptions distort the way we view a scene, and this can lead to photos which look good in our mind but not so good in reality.

The key to overcoming these problems is to ignore the objects in the scene altogether and instead concentrate on the gaps between and around them. This forces you to pay more attention to your composition, and helps you see shapes and sizes more accurately.

Focus on the spaces between objects to balance them more effectively. Image by Joost J Bakker.

When framing your photo, adjust your composition until the positive and negative spaces in the shot feel well balanced against one another. Be generous with the amount of empty space you leave, and don't feel you have to cram something interesting into every square inch of the frame.

Something I love to do from time to time is go through my old pictures in Photoshop or Lightroom, experimenting with different crops to see how they affect the overall feel of the shot. This is a great way to learn how to use negative space, and it's amazing how a small change in composition can make a big difference to the effectiveness of a photo.

Experiment with different compositions to see how they affect the feel of the photo. Image by Extra Medium.

Mastering the use of negative space takes time. We're so used to focusing on the main subject in a scene that it can seem strange to treat it almost as an afterthought. However, doing so will make you consider each element in your scene more carefully, leading to much stronger compositions.