Photoble.com

Tips for Shooting in Black and White

Elizabeth Anderson — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:25:46 +0000

Photographing in black and white is sometimes considered to be the purist form of photography because you rely much more heavily on composition and form than with color shots. You must see the gradients from black to white and consider your subject matter without the distraction of hue vibrancy. Here are a few tips for making sure your black and white shots are the best they can be and what pitfalls to avoid.

1. Composition

Because many people see black and white photography as the highest level of the art (this is up for debate by many photographers), it may be tempting to avoid considering your composition. It may seem that the contrast will do the work for you and because it is “high art”, the rest will take care of itself. This is by no means true. If anything, the forming and framing of the picture is even more important because the changes between shades and tones is so much greater. You may even consider taking a mediocre color shot and simply convert it to black and white. This is a mistake. Every shot needs careful consideration and you should frame and compose the view as you would in color.

©Elizabeth Anderson, 2010 www.design-flip.com

Consider foreground and background relationships and diagonal lines for increased tension. Always think about the balance between the black and white and where it falls in the space.

2. You Need Both Black and White

This may seem like an obvious statement for black and white photography, but it can often be overlooked. Do not let the grays take over the whole shot because it will create a very flat image. This is mostly a matter of proper exposure and making sure you are light metering properly. Black in white is in every shot, you just need to capture it with proper lighting. Also consider balancing the black and white. This does not mean making sure the amounts of each are exactly equal but more creating an overall balanced composition with these elements. It can be done both in a very high light situation or a very dark space. It is just a matter of understanding what your camera is capable of exposing. Don’t overcompensate one way or the other. It is OK to have pure black and pure white.

©Elizabeth Anderson, 2010 www.design-flip.com

3. A Wide Range of Grays

Having both black and white in a shot is important but just as important is to have a wide gradient of grays on the scale. This will add the depth and added vibrancy to your shots. Catching these grays are again a matter of proper exposure and making sure you do not wash out the grays with too much white. Often the sky is a great place to catch these grays and they will literally gradate from top to bottom which is perfect framing for your shot. Look for your possible middle gray and then expose the surrounding elements based on that exposure. The grays are especially important to capture the proper tone in skin and the rounded form of bodies and faces.

©Elizabeth Anderson, 2010 www.design-flip.com

4. Proper Exposure

As already mentioned above, proper exposure is key, especially in black and white shots, to creating the best shot possible. Each shot should have pure black and pure white. Each shot should also be different in its range of tones; they do not all have to be the same level of lightness or darkness. Some will be much darker and some will be much lighter overall. The proper exposure is what makes each shot accurate and unique in capturing when they were taken and under what circumstance. Get comfortable with setting the ISO on your camera as the lighting changes to get the best light meter you can. Expose on middle gray so you can understand the high and low end of the lighting in your composition. Learn to understand the relationship between your aperture and shutter speed so you do not have shots coming out over or under exposed. In black and white photography, you often need to be much more sensitive to the lighting because of the smaller range of saturation that is possible.

©Elizabeth Anderson, 2010 www.design-flip.com

5. Do Not Covert Your Shots to Black and White in Photoshop

This may seem like the simplest and most obvious way to change any shot you want into a black and white composition. For many photographers, this can lead to mistakes and overall duller and photographs with less contrast and vibrancy. The camera has taken the exposure into account based on the ranges possible within black and white. Photoshop is less sophisticated in its understanding of this range with the simple conversion tools it has and will flatten a lot of the depth you have captured in the shot. The conversion from one to the other is not 100%. If you have a more complex software that came with your camera, this will allow you to manipulate the shots much more carefully. Never use the computer as your main tool for creating your photographs.

©Elizabeth Anderson, 2010 www.design-flip.com

The Better Way to Convert Photos into Black & White: Channel Mixer

Yiiee — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 07:38:55 +0000

A photo can be that much more powerful when it’s stripped away of its colors. In Photoshop, there are many different ways to convert an image into a black and white, but this tutorial will show you how to use the channel mixer as it’s easy and also provides you with the flexibility.

Original pic – Mr. Seagull makes an appearance again! Originally spotted in our Orton effect tutorial.

Hitting the desaturate or grayscale button is the lightning fast way to convert any image into a black and white. However, they often don’t produce the elegant, black and white image that’s gallery print quality. Instead of rich blacks and crisp highlights, these quick conversions lead to disappointing murky grays. Here’s what Mr. Seagull looks desaturated:

By spending a few more minutes in the channel mixer, we can produce a more desirable black and white image.

1.) Understanding RGB Channels

A colored RGB image is made up of three channels: Red, green and blue. Each channel holds information about the image’s hue, saturation and luminance. These channels alone are recognized as black and white images in Photoshop. Take a look at the Channel’s tab.

Click on the channels individually. If you like the way it looks, simply remain in the channel and go to:

Image > Mode > Grayscale

Red channel darkens the sky and lightens red and yellow hues (like skin tones).

Green channel tends to be a good reflection of the colored photo.

Blue channel has the opposite effect of the red channel. It lightens the sky and darkens yellow and red hues.

2.) Using the Channel Mixer

If you require more flexibility, create a new adjustment layer: Channel Mixer.

When the window appears, click on the Monochrome option at the bottom of the left hand side.

Play with the sliders and adjust the channels accordingly. There’s no right or wrong and it really depends on the effect you’re trying to achieve and your own personal taste. Having more than 100 percent means a lighter image, whereas lower than 100 percent means a generally darker image.

3.) Final Adjustments

Once you’re happy with the image, you can go one step further and adjust the contrast and levels of the photo as well. I’ve just added more contrast to the photo to deepen the blacks and lighten the whites.

Here’s the final image!

20 Transparent Screen Photo Illusions: See it to Believe it

Yiiee — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 11:04:00 +0000

Wouldn’t it be cool if your computer, mobile or iPad screen can be see-through? Well, now there’s a new photo craze that does just that. It gives the illusion that the screen is transparent by simply taking a photo of your surrounding, making it appear full-screen and then take another photo with the screen blending into the environment. It’s easy, creative and the results are pretty cool. Give this quick photo task a go today and impress your friends!

Transparent Screen by yohann.aberkane

Transparent Screen by Ross Mayfield

Transparent Screen iPad by Willow (Chengyin)

Tela transparente by black_wall

Transparent Screens by akahuan

Dzid behind the screen by dwuziu

Transparent Macbook by delphwynd

Transparent iPhone & MacBook by vernhart

Transparent Screen by Nubrig

Transparent Screen by thomerow

Transparent Screen by Pancho’s

My Transparent Desktop by thejcgerm

I Win by trekmtber

=) by Felipe Navarro V.

Untitled by BenSeese

Cheating but fun by Plucker

Invisible ipod by timsnell

Fence sitter by swilsonmc

Pac-Manic by Do The Robo Boogie

Untitled by kaengiii@mmp2

What Is RAW Format and Its Advantages

Julians Katkovskis — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 12:20:00 +0000

Have you seen a lot of people with a DSLR camera? I have, especially tourists. But I wonder why they need such an expensive camera when a much cheaper one would do the job just as well. Is it just because of “professional” look and, possiblly, the quality of the image? I guess, yes to both.
When I was younger, I was expressing a lot of interest about photography, but even during the time of my first DSLR I didn’t use all the posibilities it offered. Well, probably, I just didn’t know them. So what were these things that I did not know?

Surely, read the manual – you might discover bunch of new things
Understand how the ‘Manual mode’ works
And shoot pictures in Raw format

So you may wonder what is Raw and why you need it?

Basically, Raw is an image format which contains the most of the possible data from your image sensor in the camera. It’s called Raw because it is not processed or edited in any way, and therefore it’s also called “digital negative”. Whereas wide known JPEG file format is “positive” because it’s already processed through Raw converter and it has specific white balance, exposure, contrast and other parameters.
When I discovered Raw format, I couldn’t imagine why I hadn’t known that before and why nobody insisted working with it. So here is an example what I am talking about.

ADVANTAGES

Huge control! You may vary and manipulate a lot of parameters, such as exposure, contrast, clarity, white balance, hue, saturation, levels etc.
Higher image quality. Because of all calculations, pixel values are more precise, and the end result photo is rendered more accurately.
Possibility to control the exposure, and to correct under or over-exposed photo without having visible loss of information.
Skipping the camera’s automatic processing such as image sharpening and noise reduction. It gives you the possibility to set it manually with software
Having 12 or 14 bits of intensity information. Again, it means more information and accuracy in working with colours, highlights and shadows. JPEG format stores only 8 bits.
You can choose the colour space.
And it also allows you to be more artistic and make so popular HDR photos.

DISADVANTAGES

Raw files usually are much larger than JPEG, for example one 8Mpx cameras file is about 6-8 mb, but 18Mpx is already 20-30 mb
Extra time to reduce file size by converting to DNG if it’s not camera’s standart (optional)
You must have some raw image processing software, for example Camera Raw
It takes a lot of time to process photos

Raw format files in every camera have their own format name. For example Canon has “CRW and CR2”, Nikon “NEF”, Pentax “PEF”, Olympus “ORF”, Mamiya “MEF”. But in 2004 Adobe launched a format to standartize all these formats into one “DNG” which means “digital negative format”. A lot of companies use this format, but not the most popular ones.

If all this looks complicated…it’s not. It takes time to get used to spend more time processing photos, but I guess the perfect image is why we take photos in the first place. So, what to do next and which are the software that come in handy?

1. Adobe’s Camera Raw and Bridge ( Mac and Win )
Adobe Bridge is media manager, organizer of your files, like a library. And Camera Raw is Photohop’s plug-in that allows you to work with Raw format.

2. Adobe Photoshop Lightroom ( Mac and Win )
This is library, developing room, publishing and printing software in one. Very easy to understand with customizible interface.

3.Apple Aperture ( Mac )
Software similar to Lightroom

4.Phase One Capture One ( Mac and Win )

5. DxO Optics Pro ( Mac and Win )

6. Bibble ( Mac and Win and Linux )

7. RawTherapee ( Mac and Win and Linux )

There are more, but they all are more or less similar. That’s why I’m just giving a brief introduction mentioning them. I will be comparing the software in my next article.

CONCLUSION

If you are seriously considering doing photography then keep in mind things I mentioned here and give them a try. Build up your own library, organize photos, process them and make yourself a level up !

The Beauty of Simple Farmland

Elizabeth Anderson — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 06:53:15 +0000

In our search for the perfect scenery to photograph, we can often miss the simplicity of what is in our immediate surroundings. When I first began pursuing my photography seriously, one of the locations that struck me as immensely beautiful and simple in its endless possibilities was Minnesota farmland. It is hard to explain, but for most photographers, there are certain places that tug at the heartstrings and open themselves up to a lifetime of exploration. I am from the city of Minneapolis, but have always been drawn to the Midwest and its flat expanses of land and old barns. I have learned so many priceless lessons from exploring these locations and shooting them in new and interesting ways.

©Elizabeth Anderson, 2010 www.design-flip.com

The first lesson I learned was not to be afraid of getting up incredibly early in the morning to catch new and amazing natural lighting possibilities. The location of these shots was an hour or two South of Minneapolis and they required a 4am wake-up and a long drive to catch the light right when it would dapple on the water and leaves. It also created an amazing glow through the clouds. The best photos are not always taken when it is most convenient. Play around and try shooting at a time of day when you are not as familiar with the lighting possibilities. It will challenge your camera and your experience with ISO understanding and aperture. The above four photographs were taken with traditional black and white film because they offered much more opportunity for the classic grainy look I wanted to express. Always consider the details of your medium in order to get across every small piece of information you want to convey.

©Elizabeth Anderson, 2010 www.design-flip.com

Another amazing experience when shooting in a new location is to always embrace getting dirty if it will help you get the photograph you want. The three photos shown above were taken either laying in the dirt or walking across a muddy field. You can feel the emotion of the location much more closely if you smell and touch all the materials around you. It can also open up compositions that you did not see from your traditional viewpoint. Details will come into the foreground that are unexpected and sometimes completely crucial to exploring the location.

©Elizabeth Anderson, 2010 www.design-flip.com

Aside from amazing, scoping landscape shots, the details available in farmland are endless. Often it means entering spaces you are not familiar with and walking around every side of something you catch on the side of the road. Keep your eyes open for pieces of information that on first sight may seem unimportant or insignificant. Macro shots and extreme lighting can bring so many photographs to life. Always pay attention to your composition and where objects of focus are placed in the frame. Consider placing them in an interesting way or off-center or with diagonal lines to give more tension to the shot.

©Elizabeth Anderson, 2010 www.design-flip.com

Always give yourself enough time when shooting these kinds of locations to stop frequently and take photographs of the subject matter right off the road. The simplest sites, right in front of you, are completely worth the time to casually drive and pull off to shoot very often. It requires patience and a relaxed atmosphere of time to be open to whatever passes right in front of your face. Pay attention to possible leading lines, the relationship between foreground and background, the placing of the horizon line and contrast.

©Elizabeth Anderson, 2010 www.design-flip.com

Always consider which shots to take in color and which to take in black and white. There often may be some detail or vibrancy that are best caught in color. Many times, I choose black and white for farmland because it conveys the history and abandonment of the area and often, the equipment and structures. If you are unsure and have the capability, you can always shoot twice with both options. Don’t be afraid to experiment and play with contrast and saturation.

While it may seem very straightforward, photographing farmland offers so many options for great photographs. It also offers great road trip experiences and sights you may not otherwise have seen. Embrace the simple landscapes, curving spaces and flowing forms.

10 Tips to Always Look Good in Photos

Yiiee — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 11:18:46 +0000

As a photographer, you look great behind the camera, but what happens when the camera is pointing at you? A lot of photographers tend to freeze up, or go in for that fake, cheesy smile. But you’d be happy to know that you don’t need to be born photogenic in order to look nice in photos. Just follow these 10 simple tips to ensure that you’d always look good in front of the camera.

1.) Dress to impress

If you know that a photo opportunity will present itself at an event (which it always does), dress nicely. Try to avoid wearing stripey outfits, clashing colors or uncomfortable clothing and accessories. Keep it simple, neat and ironed. If you’re wearing something sheer, realize that it will become more transparent under certain lighting and camera flashes.

Photo thanks to g-mikee

2.) Do a quick check

If there’s a mirror around or a reflection, take a quick glance at yourself. Check that your clothes aren’t crumpled, hair’s not messed up or something stuck between your teeth. If you can’t find a reflection or there’s no time, ask the photographer to do a quick check.

3.) Don’t hunch

Slouching not only makes you appear shorter in photos, but often brings about unsightly stomach rolls too. Straighten up and stand tall, as if you’re head’s being pulled by a vertical string.

4.) Relax the shoulders

When we’re nervous or stressed, our shoulders automatically tense up without us knowing. Take notice of them and subtly roll them back and push them down.

5.) Think happy thoughts

There’s nothing worse than a forced smile, so think back to a moment when you were truly happy. That vacation you went on? Maybe last year’s Christmas celebration? Or that person you have a crush on? Hopefully that happy thought will bring a more genuine smile to your face.

Photo thanks to mcpeak_michael

6.) “Smeyes”

Model Tara Banks will always stress on the importance of smiling with your eyes (aka smeyes). If your lips are smiling but your eyes are all tensed up, you’d end up with an awkward photo. Simply relax the eyes and eyebrows and don’t strain your eyes trying to look at the camera. If needed, close your eyes for a second before opening them to take the photo.

Photo thanks to Sara* Eloise*

7.) Location, location, location

An interesting background can make a huge difference to the photo. Have a look at your surrounding and see if you spot anything intriguing. It can just be a textured wall or a colorful backdrop.

Photo thanks to Bzuk

8.) Strike a pose

No need to come up with the extreme poses you might find in fashion magazines. Maybe just twisting your body slightly, or putting your hands in your pocket. Also, have some fun with your poses or maybe interact with a prop or another person.

Photo thanks to Geekr

9.) Use the light

As a photographer, you know that lighting can make or break the photo. When you’re in front of the camera, make sure that the lights will hit your face at a desirable angle. For example, Standing directly under harsh lighting can make shadows appear under your eyes, so you may need to lift and tilt your face.

Photo thanks to Simon Pais

10.) Practice makes perfect

Yes, practicing in front of the mirror will make you a pro when you need to look your best in front of the camera. When you’re alone, practice a few poses, try out a few different smiles and work out your better looking side.

Photo thanks to another.point.in.time

Photo Accessories-How to Use Them and Which Ones Are For You?

Elizabeth Anderson — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 11:09:44 +0000

In photography, some of the accessories you accumulate can be essential to improving your shots. They can improve your mobility, compositions, usability of your camera and reduce unforseen weather and unknown location annoyances. But, figuring out what accessory is used for what and which one is a good fit for you as a photographer (especially when many are expensive) can seem daunting. Here are some, but by no means all, of the accessories you might find helpful when shooting in different situations.

1. LENSES

Most point and shoot cameras do not give you an option for a lens, so you will be stuck with whatever zoom and features it offers. But, for those who venture into a digital SLR or manual SLR camera, different lenses can greatly widen the cope of what you can photograph and how well the shots will come out. You can detach and attach the different lenses as you need them. First of all, most camera lenses are telephoto lenses. The telephoto lens is is a specific construction of a long focal length of a photographic lens which the physical length of the lens is shorter than the focal length. Telephoto lenses are best known for making distant objects appear magnified.

Zoom Lens

With this kind of lens, you can widen or shorten the lens’ focal length to increase or decrease the magnification of the subject. Zoom lenses do have small apertures and so are not very well suited to taking pictures in low-light situations. Zoom lenses come in a huge variety of size, features and brands. It all depends on your level of photographing skill and what subjects you are going to be shooting. The larger the zoom does not mean better photographs. One of the most important things to consider is if a lens is an optical zoom lens or a digital zoom lens. An optical zoom lens magnifies the image. A digital zoom lens crops the image after the you get to the maximum zoom. A digital zoom enlarges and crops the image seen in the viewfinder instead of magnifying the subject. This will lower the resolution and quality of the image. Choose better quality with an optical zoom lens.

Wide Angle Lens

A wide-angle lens has a wider field of vision than the human eye so it is ideal for landscapes since it can give a much larger scope than what you actually see. This gives a much greater sense of expanse and scope. A wide-angle lens can also focus on the foreground and background at the same time. Do not use this kind of lens if you want to focus on a particular subject detail.

Fisheye Lens

This lens distorts the subject image, producing photos with curved and convex appearances. Because the scope is so much larger than the eye’s field of view, it can create an effect like looking through a door’s peephole. It will curve the horizon line and greatly distort objects in the immediate foreground. This lens can also be very popular with landscape photographers.

Macro Lens

A macro lens used to take extreme close ups of objects. Its short focal length lets you to take pictures at close distances without distortions. The resulting image is as large as, or larger, than the original subject. It is great to use to focus on a very small detail with a blurred out background.

Fixed-Focal Length Lens

This is a permanent, non-adjustable lens. They have a fixed focal length and so technically have been zoomed in to a particular view for you. They are ideal for low-light situations and are great when you are starting out because you have to focus on composition and subject matter without getting distracted by all of the zoom possibilities.

2. TRIPODS

The main function of a tripod is to avoid having blurred photographs. There is only so much you can do as a photographer to hold your camera still, especially when the lighting is low. The general rule is that any shutter speed below 1/60 sec. is too slow to hold without blurring the photo. For long exposures or even on bulb settings, a tripod is a must. They come in a variety of prices, materials and possible functions.

Some are very complex and some are made in particular for getting down on the ground and shooting in any situation. Some can bend in any position and can even be attached to other objects for tight situations.

Many high-end tripods come with a 360 degree function that allows you to attach your camera and position it in 360s of view and adjust easily per shot.

3. LENS HOOD

Also called a lens shade, this is a device used on the end of a lens to block the sun or other light source in order to prevent glare and lens flare. A lens hood can vary from a plain conical section to a more complex cut sometimes called a flower, petal or tulip hood. This shape is used to prevent blocking the field of view on the lend and producing vignetting. This is a great accessory to have on high-light siutations or almost on any day shooting outside.

4. FILTERS

There are so many different kinds of filters, the list would be endless. They can be used to reduce ultraviolet light, for color correction, color separation, contrast enhancement, polarizing, infared, solar filtering, diffusion, sepia tones, split focus and to enhance and correct black and white shots.

Depending on what you need to do, adding these on to the front of your lens is an amazing way to correct your photographs in the camera rather than relying on a lot of post work. If you are having particular problems with certain shots, do some investigation and see which one would be best to correct the issue. I use the color filters to adjust and add contrast to my black and white shots all the time.

5. EXTERNAL LIGHT METER

A light meter is used to measure the amount of light in a field of view. Most SLR cameras have built in light meters. Depending on your calibration and the situation where you are shooting, an external one might come in very handy. A light meter is often used to determine the right exposure for a photograph. Typically a light meter will include a computer, either digital or analogue, which allows the photographer to determine the shutter speed and aperture should be selected given the amount of light and film speed. They can be very accurate and help you determine all you will need to create a near perfect exposure, espcially for those shots you have taken such a long time to set up. Usually, they are as easy as holding the meter up to the area you are working in and clicking a button. The meter will give you the rest of the information.

6. CAMERA BAG

This choice is very personal and depends so much on how you photograph, where and what you want to carry with you.

Before you purchase a bag, think about how you shoot. Is this for a long distance trip where you might want to bring many lenses and other accessories? On this trip, will you be on the move and needing to grab each accessory during the day? Then maybe a cushioned backpack or sling bag as best. You can safetly pack everything and access them easily.

Do you have just one camera body and lens? Then maybe a simple carrier that really just protects your camera when you are not using it is the right choice.

What is most comfortable for you to carry. Do you prefer something on your hip or on your back? How many pieces of equipment are you carrying? Do you need to carry your tripod as well? You may be carrying this bag a long way and it may be heavy. Comfort is really important and so is the safety of your camera and other equipment. I often shoot with another photographer and so the backpack is great because he can grab what he needs when I am carrying the bag and visa versa.

There are so many other camera accessories that I did not mention. If you have been on a shoot and thought of something that you needed or would help the outcome of your photographs, look into it, because it probably exists and it within your reach!

Straighten a Photo in Photoshop: Quick & Easy

Yiiee — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 10:00:22 +0000

When you’re capturing a fleeting moment, there usually isn’t time to make sure that your subject is nicely positioned or that the photo is perfectly straight. Thankfully, there is a quick and simple trick in Photoshop that will accurately straighten any photo. All you need is an obvious horizon and two minutes to spare.

Here’s the photo I’ll be using. It was taken in Tokyo as I was quickly crossing the road. As you can see, it’s definitely skewered and needs some serious straightening.

1.) Select the ruler tool

Click on the ruler icon. The ruler tool shares the same icon as the eyedropper tool.

2.) Drag

Drag the ruler tool in a straight line across the horizon you wish to straighten. You can also make a vertical line as well.

3.) Rotate Canvas

One you’ve drawn the line, click on
Image > Rotate Canvas > Arbitrary

Photoshop will automatically calculate how much the image needs to be rotated. In this case, 3.27 degrees clockwise.

4.) Crop

Your photo probably look something like this:

Now you would need to crop it by first making your selection with the rectangular marquee tool.

After you’ve done this, simply click on
Image > Crop

And viola! Here’s the final straightened photo.

Pretty easy right?

A Line Up of 20 Interesting Line Photos

Yiiee — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 08:51:13 +0000

To follow Elizabeth’s informative article on using leading lines in photography, here are some interesting examples of line photography to get you inspired for your next photo project. If you have any of your photos as examples, send us link in the comment section below!

If you liked this post, you might also like our shadow inspiration article.

A Line Study by .: Philipp Klinger :.

Lines Reflected by swisscan

Lines of a wave by somebody_

Canna leaf geometry by tanakawho

Down the line by tompagenet

Line by telmo32

Shadows and Lines by ishrona

Walkway by future15pic

Yellow line by @rild

Rhythm.. & Blue by SonOfJordan

Lines by LaPrimaDonna

A lined bust by Davichi

Lines to the Sky by fs999

Lines#3 by Niklas Plessing

Noteworthy? by theilr

KBR Lines by Tom Haymes

Electric lines by tanakawho

Aggressive lines by Dakotilla

Red lines by Yukon White Light

This Way by Yiie

How to Buy the Perfect Compact Digital Camera: 5 Step Guide

Yiiee — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 10:28:44 +0000

If you’re not ready yet to take the plunge with a dSLR, you’d be happy to know that a simple point-and-shoot camera can produce a great photograph too. With thousands of choices in compact digital cameras, how do you pick the perfect one? Hopefully, with these 5 easy-to-follow tips, you’d end up with the right one that suits your requirements.

1.) Have a budget

A compact digital camera can cost anywhere from $100 to even over $500. If you walk into the store without a budget in mind, you will end up spending more than you can afford with features and extras you don’t need. On average, you can find a very decent compact camera for around the $250 mark. Compare prices and reviews online.

If you’re tight with money, look out for used cameras on auction sites, trading posts, forums and second-hand camera shops. A tip is to check after the Christmas period as a lot of people start posting “unwanted” gifts and you can be lucky enough to grab yourself a new camera for half of the retail price.

Photo thanks to tracer.ca

2.) Don’t Be Fooled by the Mega-pixels

10 years ago, mega-pixels were all the rage. A 5 mega-pixel camera would easily trump a 3 mega-pixel one. However, it’s not quite the case these days as most cameras come with at least 8 mega-pixels.

A lot of people confuse mega-pixels with the quality of the camera. What it basically determines is how big the photo can be enlarged to. The larger the mega-pixel of the photo, the more space it would also take up. I would rarely take a photo with my compact that’s over 5 mega-pixels, unless I was looking to blow it up to an A4 size. If you’re looking to print photos in its normal 4 x 6″ size, then shooting even with 3 mega-pixels will suffice.

Photo thanks to Claudio Matsuoka

3.) Take Note of the Lens

The quality of the lens is probably something I would focus on the most when it comes to selecting a compact camera. Things to look out for are:

Wide angle lens (28mm or less): Lets you fit more into a photo. Great for landscapes and group photos.
Optical zoom: A lot of cameras come with 3X optical zoom, with some going beyond to even 10X. Don’t confuse optical zoom with digital zoom. Digital zoom is like an inferior zoom where it’s done by your camera (rather than the lens) — it’s actually just cropping the photo while magnifying it.
Aperture: A large aperture (lower f-stop) like f2.8 or f1.8 means a faster lens and more depth of field in your photos. It will definitely be helpful in low-light conditions or trying to freeze an action shot.
Image Stabilization (IS): Look out for this feature, most notably with Canon cameras. It’s also great for capturing clearer and crisper images in low-light conditions or when you have an unsteady hand.

Photo thanks to George Rex

4.) Flexibility With Settings and Modes

Look out for different scene modes or presets like macro, sports, fireworks, beach etc. They can help you take a better photograph by automatically adjusting ISO, white balance, shutter speed and aperture. What’s even better is if you have more manual control over those settings. That’s usually the case with premium compacts like the Canon G11 and Panasonic DMC-GF1.

If you’re looking to shoot videos, be weary of the resolution, frames per second (fps) and also sound quality. Some compacts allow you to zoom in when you’re recording, while others remain stationary. A lot of compact cameras now offer video recording in HD format, which I’ve been quite impressed with.

Photo thanks to Jbangelo

5.) Try Before You Buy

Never buy a camera without trying it and its competitors. A touch-screen LCD monitor might sound great, until you try it in real life and realize it’s not what you’re after. The camera might look slick in the photos, but might no be ergonomic to hold in your hand. All these things can be sussed out at your local camera shop or duty free store.

Photo thanks to Paul Mayne

Examples of Color Macro Shots of Fruit and Flowers

Elizabeth Anderson — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 12:54:41 +0000

Detail shooting of flowers and fruit can bring beautiful, high saturation color and intricate textures. This kind of shooting is best shot with a good zoom lens so you do not blur the photo with standing incredibly close to the subject matter. It is also helps to turn on the manual zoom so you can focus on the particular detail in the flower that you want to show.

©Elizabeth Anderson, 2010 www.design-flip.com

Shooting on a medium light day also greatly helps the vibrancy and illumination of the petals. High light can cause blowout and overexposure of the image which will wipe out all the intense details. Low light will cause color distortion and inaccuracy. It will be important as well to adjust your ISO setting, if you can, up and down per shot as you need to depending on the direction the flowers are facing. Also, light meter carefully to bring out the richness of the color without having to do a lot of post work on the computer.

©Elizabeth Anderson, 2010 www.design-flip.com

Also, consider the form and shape of each group of flowers you are shooting. The contours of the edges may be the most interesting so you could show the flower from the profile side. Or, the texture and softness of the flower may be best shown in intense, zoomed in detail. Or, perhaps show the grouping of tiny flowers by not zooming in too much and allowing space to show the bending of the stems as well. Perfection is not always the goal in shooting this kind of subject matter. Each flower has its own personality. Try to bring out their character by embracing their imperfections as well as their color. The background, if left simple, can also be used to bring out their intricacies.

©Elizabeth Anderson, 2010 www.design-flip.com

Photographing fruit is a similar situation to shooting flowers. They often have amazing color and their abundance in a group are fascinating to capture. Their textures and shape are interesting and through proper exposure, their high saturation color can also be shown in all their vibrancy.

©Elizabeth Anderson, 2010 www.design-flip.com

These were shot at an outside farmer’s market which is ideal lighting. Bunches of fruit can also be shot at a grocery store, but often, the fluorescent lights can make the colors inaccurate and dull. You may need to shoot different fruits at different times of year, depending on when they are in season and at peak ripeness and color. This will depend a lot on where you live and what is available. Keeping the exposure accurate is also important to keep the roundness of their shapes. Over exposing the image can take away the edges and blend each piece together.

Remember to experiment with each image to capture the subjects at their maximum color. You may want to bracket in case the lighting changes or the color is not 100% accurate.

Leading Lines in Photography

Elizabeth Anderson — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 09:17:02 +0000

One of the tools you can use as a photographer to create a meaningful composition is to use leading lines. Leading lines are used to draw the viewer’s eye through a photograph. They are intentional or unintentional, natural lines created in the space of the photograph and are used to create a visual narrative in the composition. Leading lines are also used to draw your eye to a focal point in the shot that you would like to highlight.

©Elizabeth Anderson, 2010 www.design-flip.com

In the photograph of the tennis court, the top of the net leads your eye from the back of the shot to the front and creates a strong sense of depth. In the detail bridge shot, the multiple lines crossing each other create tension and also cut the space in a diagonal from one side to the other, repeatedly. As this demonstrates, leading lines can be used in multiples or alone, depending on the subject matter and what feeling you would like to convey.

©Elizabeth Anderson, 2010 www.design-flip.com

In this shot of the Washington mountains, the guardrail along the road leads your eye from the foreground to the receding light of the mountain range in the background. It is also powerful because of the strong change in gradient from high contrast in the front to softness in the back.

©Elizabeth Anderson, 2010 www.design-flip.com

Often, the most obvious and effective leading lines can be found and used in the roads and paths in a landscape shot. They are ideally designed to create perfectly straight or curved lines that can be set up in the composition to create a narrative and an intense composition. They can be used to lead the eye from one side of the shot to another or create motion and greater space within a flattened medium.

©Elizabeth Anderson, 2010 www.design-flip.com

Also, be open to leading lines that may not be as obvious. Sometimes you may see them after the shot has already been taken. But, look closely when you are composing a photograph because they may not be in the form of a road or path. And, they may not be at a diagonal or incredibly large in the shot. In the beach photograph above, the receding shore line is not the most prevalent in the shot but it is composed to lead the eye to the lighthouse building in the background. The focus can still remain on the driftwood, but the leading line adds another element of depth. In the lower photograph, the vertical lines of the railing on the staircase lead the eye down to the man working on his laptop. The diagonal leading line of the partial ceiling draw the view from the top, to the middle, and then the bottom of the composition.

©Elizabeth Anderson, 2010 www.design-flip.com

The most powerful effect leading lines can produce is the focus onto a main focal point. This can be a detail, object or part of a landscape, but often it is a person or people. Since they create a sense of movement, time and relationship to the space, leading lines are very effective in making their appearance seem more than coincidental.

In the photograph of the women in the park in New York City, their body language and relation to each other is called out as more prevalent with them being placed right under the distinctive arch. They are also not place directly under the center of the arch, which can make the composition seem obvious and posed. Because they are placed off-center and where the structure meets the earth, they become a unique part of the space.

The shore line of the lake is used to lead the eye up to the man painting and the beautiful, cloudy sky. This leading line is curved, adding to the motion of the water and roundness of the rocky shore.

©Elizabeth Anderson, 2010 www.design-flip.com

This is a view of the same subject from the other side. Again, the shore of the lake is used to create a leading line to the man painting and create depth in the landscape.

When using leading lines, do not compose the shot so much that it seems obvious and intrusive. They should add to the positive tension of the shot. Leading lines may stand out as powerful but they should also be viewed as just one part of the composition you are creating. They may not always be possible as well depending on what you have to work with in your field of view. Still consider color, contrast, placement and other techniques. Leading lines are a great way to experiment with the space and create relationships between the frames of the shot and the subject matter and the space.

Low Light Photography Tips: With No Flash or Tripod

Yiiee — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 13:28:19 +0000

Trying to take a good photograph when you lack natural light can be easily solved with a flash and tripod. However, you’re not always going to be carrying a tripod around. And even with a flash, it can wash the subject out (like a plate of food), or be pretty much useless (when you’re trying to photograph a building at night). Hopefully, these five simple tips will help you take the perfect photograph in a low light environment without using a flash or tripod.

1.) Be very still

The key to low light photography is to remain as still as possible. When you don’t have a tripod present, there are simple tricks, for example:

Human tripod stances.
Take the photo while you slowly exhale as your body tends to be more relaxed.
Use other stable objects as a tripod, like tables, cups, chairs… Well, anything you can rest your camera on.

If your camera is rested on something, make you shoot with the self-timer on, even if you’re right next to the camera. This would minimize any movement, causing the photo to be blurred.

Image thanks to mickiky

2.) Increase your ISO

The easiest way to shoot in low light without changing shutter speed or aperture settings, is to increase the ISO. If you have a dSLR, you can definitely crank up the ISO to 1600 without losing too much details. Usually the higher the ISO, the more noise that will appear on the photo. To give a grainy image an artistic flare, convert it to black and white, you’d be pleasantly surprised with the result.

Image thanks to kevindooley

3.) Shoot in Aperture Priority Mode (Av)

If there’s a bit of ambient lighting and you’re using a fast lens, set your camera to a larger aperture (f1.4, f1.8, f2.0). Your camera will automatically determine the fastest shutter speed. Keep in mind that a larger aperture also means a more shallow depth of field.

Image thanks to purplemattfish

4.) Shoot in Shutter Priority Mode (Tv)

If you’re shooting at night with little or no lighting available, it might be better to switch from Av to Tv mode. You might realize that in Av mode, the shutter speed assigned might be too slow, even when you’re using the largest aperture available.

I would usually set the shutter speed to above 1/60 seconds if I’m walking around and taking quick candid shots. If I remain still, I can manage with a shutter speed of 1/30 seconds. Any slower and I find that I would probably have to use a tripod.

The photo is usually underexposed and needs to be touched up in a post-editing program like Photoshop or Lightroom.

Image thanks to MarcelGermain

5.) Shoot in RAW

Don’t be scared to shoot in RAW. It does take up more memory space, but gives you more flexibility than JPEG when you need to tweak the photo later, especially when you have undesirable lighting conditions.

6.) Motion Blur Isn’t a Bad Thing

Your photos don’t have to be perfectly still every time. Embrace motion blurs or movement lines from an unsteady hand. See our motion blur post for some inspirations.

Image thanks to moriza

Photography Rules Are Not Laws

Elizabeth Anderson — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 13:37:35 +0000

One of the most important things to keep in mind when you are shooting is that the general rules you follow as a photographer are up to you to use and change as you feel is appropriate in each situation. When you are being trained in photography or ask for advice from other people, there are going to be endless amounts of rules that are given that you are told to follow to create “correct” photographs. They range from equipment and techniques to composition and subject matter. Many of these “rules” are good foundations to shoot amazing photos but photographers, whether professional or amateur, should never feel bound to these rules as absolutes. It is up to you as the photographer to create compositions based on all the elements around you, not just what you have been trained or what other photographers do. I will show examples on how some of the rules are meant to be broken.

1. Angling the Camera vs. Straight On

©Elizabeth Anderson, 2010 www.design-flip.com

The general rule that people are taught is that shots make more sense when the camera is straight. Shots taken from an angle are thought to seem confusing. These two photographs show an old sign I shot recently in Washington state. The first two are shown from a straight angle. There is nothing wrong with these shots at all, but mainly because I wanted to show more of the typography and the quirkiness of the letters, I chose to also shoot the sign at an angle.

©Elizabeth Anderson, 2010 www.design-flip.com

To me, this was a much more interesting and powerful approach that added to the slight spookiness and tension of the abandoned sign and location.

2. Centering the Subject

Most photographers are told never to center the subject matter in the composition because it makes the space boring and too even on all sides. I find this to be true in general because uneven negative space can make the image more powerful. But, in some cases, centering can have the exact same effect.

©Elizabeth Anderson, 2010 www.design-flip.com

This first shot shows a dirt, farmland road with an example of how the main subject (the telephone posts) could be shot off center. This works in this case because the composition also includes the dirt pathway which leads the eye. This approach is often the recommended way to create a photograph.

©Elizabeth Anderson, 2010 www.design-flip.com

In this case, the farm equipment is place in the center of the shot. It creates a sense of symmetry, especially with the half circle shape of the mechanism. Centering the subject matter is completely up to you and depends on, as you look through the camera, what makes sense for the composition.

3. Crop Out Blurred Elements

Often when shooting, movement or objects right in the foreground can create a blur that you are not expecting or do not want to include in the shot. Photographers are so often told to crop, crop, crop shots after the image has already been taken. I am a firm believer in embracing some of the elements that you did not mean to include. Most of the work can be done in the camera if you sharpen your eye, the more you photograph.

©Elizabeth Anderson, 2010 www.design-flip.com

Each of these shots has something in the more immediate foreground which are not the focus of the shot. They could have been cropped to remove the blur, but I felt that the half information or implication of movement made the pieces in focus, much more powerful.

4. Framing the Shot

Framing each shot is also a popular method for creating a complete composition. This involves adjusting your frame so that content is placed around or to the sides of the main subject matter. This creates a sense of “framing” the piece and also harmony where each side is equally weighted. But, sometimes this kind of composition is not possible because of the landscape or is not necessary to create a beautiful photograph.

©Elizabeth Anderson, 2010 www.design-flip.com

These two photographs are heavily weighted to one side with no framing. This was done to accentuate the contours of the architecture and emphasize the sky.

©Elizabeth Anderson, 2010 www.design-flip.com

In these two cases, I was interested in the texture in the shots and framing was for one not possible because of the space and not necessary because the other content was more interesting. In these cases, framing the photograph does not add to the composition. The flatness is secondary to the amount of information.

5. Glare

Should you always point your camera in the opposite direction of the sun? The answer is that it depends. Sometimes yes because it can highly distort the color and exposure of the shot. But, in some cases, embracing the glare can add intense emotion and landscaping touches.

©Elizabeth Anderson, 2010 www.design-flip.com

In both of these cases, I shot directly into the sun and included it in the image. In one case, it added to the fog and dappling of light in the trees. In the other, it added to the majesty and enormity of the location.

6. In or Out of Focus

In most cases, keeping things in focus creates a more professional looking photograph. But, often a motion blur is used intentionally to add excitement to an active shot. If an unintentional, out of focus image is created, it might be something to see as unique rather than a mistake.

©Elizabeth Anderson, 2010 www.design-flip.com

In this shot, the moving subjects are in focus, which helps show their unique costumes and facial expressions. But, it also adds a static feeling to an activity that is high movement and energy.

Even though this lacks of focus was unintentional as the women passed by me, I love the way it turned out. The movement and even lack of sophistication seems completely appropriate for the subject. Including a blur can add a lot of value.

7. Leading Lines

Photographers are also told to use leading lines, especially in landscapes, to add a narrative path for the eye to follow on a photograph. These lines are natural occurrences in the space that you can use to your advantage to lead the eye.

The leading lines in these photographs are the edge of the shore, the fence and the road leading through the landscape. These lead the eye from one side to the other and also from top to bottom. They are strategic compositional lines.

In these two cases, the lines in the space are less obvious and lead you nowhere. They either go in every direction with no discretion or from one side to the other with no content. Does this make it a less effective composition? That is up to the photographer. To me, the composition is just as strong because of the other content and the simplicity of the area. The eye can still move around the space without having these lines.

8. Portraits

In the world of photographing portraits, there are endless rules for effective shooting. Do not crop the face. Show the face. Do not center the person in the space. In some cases, this is completely true, but not absolute.

This example shows a “proper” portrait shot. Her face is completely shown and the rest of the area is abstracted so that she is the focus. To me, this approach is fine but lacked any individuality or unique interest. What was most interesting was the banjo she was playing.

This is still a portrait even though I broke the rule of cropping the face. Her fingers and the instrument were the focus more than her face. That was the interest of the situation.

In this case, I did center the little boy in the composition because of the landscape. He was surrounded by the rocks on the beach and the contrast of textures was much more effective this way. It makes him see so innocent in the large space. It was a more interesting narrative than a zoomed in, off-center approach.

The back of someone, especially not showing their face, is still a portrait even though it is unconventional. This story was about contemplating the storm that had hit one night, rather than the facial expressions. The silhouette, including the angle of the body and arms against the open porch door was very important. The main light is focused outside and not on the subject himself. But this is a more intriguing photograph than something straight on and obvious.

As a photographer, do not become so overwhelmed or bogged down with the rules that you stop experimenting and making the compositions for yourself. What makes good photography is the photographer creating their own visual language. The rules can help you understand the fundamentals of the techniques but not how to find the passion for shooting. The rules are not laws and should not take out the joy of the process and seeing things in a new way.

Best Video Editing Software

Julians Katkovskis — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 09:02:03 +0000

We made a little overview about video editing software that are used by beginners and professionals so you can get right solution that suits your needs. Prices are approximate and are there to give you an idea of what you might expect to pay for the particular product. The range of prices are very wide so it is very important that you choose right soft and don’t overpay for the features you don’t need or get software the doesn’t do the job you need, so here are little insight:

Windows Movie Maker & iMovie~Free

These two are very well known on Win and Mac, and they would fit an absolute beginner. So, if you are just starting to make your own videos, start with these.

Pinnacle Studio 14 ~85$
Sony Vegas Movie Studio 9 ~100$
Adobe Premiere Elements 8 ~70$
PowerDirector 8 Deluxe ~60$

These software would be a perfect solution for home videos or just for fun and not dig into the complicated stuff. More or less they all are similar. All of them are full of different effects, transitions, titling features, etc. Easily understandable interface and work with drag & drop. They all are in the similar price range so the choice is yours.

Sony Vegas Pro 9 ~520$

Although it is a very good program for video production, usually it’s not considered to be professionals’ choice. Most probably it is because Sony Vegas did not become as popular as Premiere Pro and eventually not so demanded. However, it’s making its way and gets more and more fans. I am one of them and here is why. I was using Premiere for some time until it started crashing too often, then I tried Vegas and stayed with it ever since. It has easy to use interface and it is very easy to start using other Sony products like Acid Pro for audio, because shortcuts and overall tooling is similar. It has a lot of built-in tools like video effects, transitions, film look presets, keying etc., and also there are lots of plug-ins and tutorials available on the internet.
Compared to other software it only requires : 1 GB RAM (2 GB recommended) and only 1 GHz processor (multicore or multiprocessor CPU recommended for HD), and look at the price. So I would put a big plus sign on this product.

Adobe Premiere Pro CS5 ~750$

Probably, this is the most known video editing software that you might hear about. I would say it is gradually getting just as good as Final Cut Pro. Some would say that it’s more plug-in based and I would partly agree with that. But now every new version has more and more new features built-in. Now they added RED format support, which basically means that they are breaking into the high-end movie making market. The part I like the best about Premiere is its smooth integration with Photoshop, Soundbooth and After Effects. As you will see, there is not much left that Premiere can’t do and Final Cut can. It’s a bit faster than FCP and it works on both operating systems.
But CS5 has higher requirements that VP : 2GB of RAM (4GB or more recommended), Intel® Core™2 Duo or AMD Phenom® II processor; 64-bit support required.
I would say that only 64-bit support makes some limitations.

Apple Final Cut Pro 7 ~830$

This would be one of the software that Hollywood is using. Movies such as “300” , “Happy Feet”, “Cold Mountain”, “Burn After Reading” have been edited with it. Premiere cannot flash with something like this, so it speaks for itself. Software as it is has great editing features coupled with motion graphics and simple 2D animation features that After Effects also has. FCP has its own products to work with, such as Motion, Soundtrack Pro, Color.
However, this software runs only on Mac and requires 1GB of RAM (2GB of RAM recommended, 4GB of RAM recommended when working with uncompressed HD sources) .
So, if you are Windows user, it may cost you a small fortune to get this working, but if you are on Mac, then I would say this would be very good solution for your videos.

Avid Composer / Xpress Pro ~3100$

Finally, there’s a Big guy in the movie industry. Avid Composer is the most stable and most used professional tool for movie production. If you are considering to do huge projects with tons of files then this is what you need. It has customizable and flexible interface that is easy to use. And still it is an editing software and of course it has all the features that smaller brothers do. But the price, comparably, is fantastically high. And system requirements are : Intel Core 2 Duo 2.33 GHz processor or faster ,2 GB of RAM (4 GB of RAM recommended) and NVIDIA Quadro FX family. Works with both Win and Mac.
I tried to run it on my notebook and I got message about not enough RAM, so of course, if you think to go into the video editing you should have 4GB of RAM at least and quadro core processor.

In conclusion I can say that there are a lot of options to choose from. You can download trial versions of every software and pick one you prefer the most. For VP , PP and FCP there is large variety of tutorials and trainings available. So start learning and add your touch to the world of movies.

Do You Really Need a DSLR Camera? 5 Questions to Ask Yourself

Yiiee — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 15:42:42 +0000

Photography has always been somewhat of a cool hobby to have. With DSLRs being a lot more affordable compared to a few years ago, amateur photographers are jumping on the DSLR bandwagon. However, after the initial excitement wears off, most of these DSLRs would end up sitting somewhere collecting dust.

You don’t need to have a DSLR to be a good photographer, and having one doesn’t automatically make you take better photos. Here are five questions to determine if you really need a DSLR.

1.) Do you require the flexibility?

Take a good look at your point-and-shoot camera and tell me what you don’t like about it. If your issues tend to be on more aesthetic things, how you want it to be less complicated, or how you want to become a better photographer, then a DSLR probably won’t solve much of your problems.

Nevertheless, if you’re looking for flexibility in camera settings and lenses, then a DSLR could be what you’re looking for. A DSLR can help you capture moments otherwise hard to do with a point-and-shoot — such as low light conditions (ISO), freezing an action shot (shutter speed), or creating depth-of-field (aperture).

Image thanks to: Richard_Miles

2. Do you have the money?

Photography is certainly not a cheap hobby. Although an entry-level DSLR with kit lenses retail around $1000, you’d have to factor in other accessories. Better lenses can cost more than the camera body itself. Then there are accessories like lens filters, camera bag, lens hoods, external flashes, memory cards, extra batteries, cleaning equipment, tripod, battery grip — as you can see, the list is never-ending.

Image thanks to: Jacky W

3. Is size and weight an issue for you?

A DSLR isn’t small or lightweight and that can certainly inhibit when and what you wish to photograph. It might not be the ideal camera to take when you go on your vacation by the beach, or to a friend’s party. If you only wish to take out your DSLR for special occasions, then it probably won’t be worth your investment. Only get one if you’re truly interested in giving a creative flare to everyday objects, surroundings and people.

Image thanks to: Conor Keller

4. Are you willing to maintain your camera regularly?

Unlike a point-and-shoot, a DSLR requires more than just a good wipe to keep it clean. Dust can easily get into the image sensor every time you change your lens, resulting in photos with imperfections. Your DSLR requires regularly maintenance both externally and internally. Cleaning out the image sensor isn’t a D.I.Y job for beginners and is usually done by experts at professionalcamera shops.

Image thanks to: Andi Licious

5. Are you motivated to learn about photography?

Getting a DSLR doesn’t automatically make you a better photographer. Your photos might be clearer and crisper, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re good. Being a great photographer means a continuous learning curve. From the basics of lighting and composition to advancing yourself with photo editing programs. Thankfully, there are an abundance of free resources online, from blogs, websites, YouTube videos, and of course, Photoble.

Image thanks to: NA.dir

Alternatives to a DSLR and point-and-shoot

If you’ve answered a few ‘yes’ and ‘no’ to the questions above, you might like to consider premium compacts. They’re cameras for photographers who want the flexibility of a DSLR but without the extra weight or cost. Some suggestions for premium compacts are:

Canon PowerShot G11

Olympus PEN E-P1

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1

20 Inspiring Shadow Photos: Welcome to the Dark Side

Yiiee — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 11:46:50 +0000

We talk about lighting so much in photography that we sometimes forget how shadows can be an interesting subject itself. Shadows can create depth, texture, contrasts, geometric shapes and even illusions. Here are 20 great examples that will have you look at shadows in a different way.

Now along with cloud spotting, there’s something else to look forward to during the day.

Glaring shadows by Yiie

Angles, lines, light, and shadows by kevindooley

Shadow by Rickydavid

Shadow of a Doubt by Daniel Y. Go

Divine Shadow by Rob Overcash Photography (robotography)

Cemetery by andrew.deci

Sombras by André-Batista

Shadows by [jazzalnero]

House of the long shadows by fazen

My shadow on stilts by Jasmic

Broken Shadows by bramanz

Out Of This Shadows, Comes The Light by Toni Blay

The cat and his shadow by * starrynight1

Shadow Balloons Red & Green by trish1380

Shadow on the wall by duesentrieb

Urban Shadows by blackheartking.com (xtyler)

Camel caravan shadow by causalien

Shadow and light by Ferdi’s – World

Shadow Play by ebergcanada

Sunset lamp shadow by tortipede

Photographing Everyday Objects

Elizabeth Anderson — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 10:32:42 +0000

One of the greatest lessons I ever learned about photography was also one of the simplest; take your camera everywhere you go. It is sometimes and often in your everyday life that a great photograph is waiting to be taken. This means changing the way you see the world around you and observing small details that you may ignore on a regular basis. In your office, at restaurants, walking on the street, teaching a class or sharing moments with friends and family are all great opportunities to take photographs. So many times, I find these small moments in time capture the unique compositions and colors that only your environment and knowledge can provide.

I live and work in Minneapolis, Minnesota which is a smaller city but just as amazing for photography as any place I have ever been in all of my travels. It all depends on your perspective and how you choose to look at the world and the environment for your photography. Many places I have traveled have many more landmarks that are recognizable as photographs, but every place has endless possibilities for capturing that small moment in time that will never come again. The above photographs were all taken in Minneapolis and were shot during my every day life: out for ice cream, eating breakfast, at the book store and on a walk by a lake. It means being very observant and shooting more rather than less. This does not mean careless shooting but rather embracing the mundane as something unique and as available for good photographs as landmarks and famous cities. Treat these photographs like any other shot. Consider angles, composition, color, lighting and subject matter. How can what seem ordinary become special through your shots? It does always mean traveling to the most famous location or finding the most typical subject matter to photograph. Almost any camera is capable of this type of photography. Is it the color, timing or form that makes an ordinary environment unique?

I was in New York City in a weekend in July and as always, carried my camera most places I went to. I have been to New York several times before, but my favorite type of shooting in the city is capturing the everyday that is unique to every location you visit. This can seem boring when New York has Time Square, the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty and other famous sites. The city is also so bustling with activity and movement that it may seem daunting to approach the character of the city in a new way. My approach is often to sit or stand in a location for a while until you seem to blend into the activity. Then, I walking and shooting as things present themselves. To me, it is not the famous landmarks that make New York special. It is the small, every day life situations and locations that are different to me, but ordinary to the local residents. Even small things like the benches, doorknobs, bakeries, novelty shops and convergence of material that make photographing this location so amazing. Sometimes, it is simply shooting your food before you eat it or catching two people as they talk to each other. This may seem like something that is not worth including, but you will be amazed how a photograph of those subject matters can make it seem timeless.

You can also consider shooting aspects of everyday life that are special to you. I have a great love of typography and letterforms and so often include them in my photography. I find them in almost every situation I am in and so observe carefully the ones I want to capture and save.

Consider what catches your eye as you walk down the street or are driving and stop to document it. For some people, this means shooting your children, home remodeling, animals or the changes in the seasons.

Be flexible about driving casually and stopping when you see something you want to photograph. Think about other things in your life you like to do and include that in your photographs. See your home and environment as subject matter for your photographs. There is no such things as boring photographs if you know how to add your unique eye to them.

5 Model Photography Tips For Beginners

Yiiee — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 10:04:33 +0000

Photographing an immobile object is hard enough as it is, so what happens when you need to work with a model as a subject? If you happen to work with a professional and very experienced model, than you’re in luck and have half the work done for you. But if you and the model are both a bit inexperienced, then here are some tips that can help you both produce a great photograph.

This post was written in collaboration with model @crystaldiesel. Photos courtesy of JFD Photography.

1.) Come prepared and build rapport

First and most important, don’t be late to the photo shoot. Make sure you arrive at the photo shoot with the right equipment and have all that set up before the model arrives. Let the model know beforehand on your art direction so he/she can practice some expressions and poses.

You might like to also advise the model on things like:
- Clothes and accessories
- Hair and make up
- Piercings and tattoos

If time permits, try to establish a good rapport with the model by having a casual one-on-one conversation. Go into the shoot where both of you are relaxed and in a positive mood.

2.) Have an ambient setting

Acknowledge what kind of environment the model is comfortable working in. Things to consider are music, lighting, privacy, distractions and temperature. A lot of these things are sometimes out of your control per theme of shoot, but it’s the tiny things you take into account of that can make the model feel at ease.

3.) Communicate frequently

Don’t just be silent at the photo shoot, be involved by letting the model know what you’re looking for. Vague comments like, “Just move around and I’ll take photos” or “Do whatever you want” can actually frustrate the model. The key is to get across your art direction, even show picture examples from magazines or websites on what you’re looking for.

In addition to providing feedback, also be open to receive critiques from the model. Ask the model for his/her opinion, they might have worked with a photographer before and have some insightful tips and tricks to share.

4.) Keep moving and be active

Don’t just stand there snapping away. Like the model, you should also be moving and trying to explore different angles and height levels. Don’t be afraid to get into awkward positions to frame your perfect shot. You might find yourself bending over, kneeling down, standing on tables or even lying on the floor.

5.) Be confident

Models can tell when you’re not confident, which can appear as if you’re lacking professionalism and can eventually hurt your reputation.

Be positive about your skills and traits as a photographer. Even if this is your first time shooting a model, don’t let that show and continue to extricate an upbeat vibe.

Happy shooting!

Guide: Start Shooting Video With DSLR

Julians Katkovskis — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 07:58:06 +0000

My dream came true when Canon and Nikon released their DSLR cameras with HD video possibility. For people whose lives consist mostly of perceiving life through visual contact this option allows to look outside of the borders of still image. But there are some things that you should know if you want to make good video shots.

1. Choosing a camera

Of course depends on your requirements for the end result. But for start, look at these cameras:Canon EOS 550D (Rebel T2i) and Nikon D90. There’s really no big difference between choosing the right brand, if we still speak about the picture. They both have features that provide a leap forward into these things.

Here is a comparing: Nikon D90 vs Canon T2i HD Video by syberfilm

As an alternative you can choose Canon EOS 7D. Although it’s more expensive and not giving anything much more than his young brother 550D. One of the cheapest choices right now Nikon D5000 which is very good starting DSLR camera. Check out also Olympus E620.

2. Lenses

Starting with the Canon’s and Nikon’s kit lens 18-55mm is enough. But look forward for buying telephoto lens somewhere in the range between 50-300mm – it will add a huge difference to your videos when doing close-up shots by blurring the background. For example: Canon EF 75-300mm or Sigma 70-300mm, if you can afford than I would advise to take lenses with image stabilazing function. And lenses as Canon EF 50 MM F1.4 will give some extra variety to the overall images.

3. Image stabilization

Tripod
Very important thing when shooting a video is to make your shot stable, unless you want the opposite. So a tripod will become your close friend. There is one interesting tripod, it’s called Gorillapod. It’s a cool thing with a lot of good reviews about it.

Steadicam
This is something for your moving shots. It does amazing job for stabilizing your image. You can run, you can jump and the shot will stay pretty smooth anyway. Here is an example how to make them without spending a fortune. I already built two such things and each cost me around 15$. Keep in mind only the concept, because there are a lot of ways to build it. In one case I used polished aluminium tubes for wardrobes (i.e. the one for hangers), in another one – a metal leg of a table and then added the needed weight to it. Don’t forget you will need to add more weight if you use a telephoto lens.

Here is an example of my friend, Arnolds Soms, using steadicam.

Dance from Arnolds Soms on Vimeo.

4.Audio

Another area that you will need to think about is sounds. Camera records sound but of course it’s not enough. So most probably you will need to buy or use some separate sound recording device. There is a wide range of external microphones on the market. But for a start you can use some music it will ease all things.

5.Hardware & Software

PC or Mac
To work with this kind of quality videos you will have to have a good machine. I have Intel Core2 with 2Ghz and 2GB RAM for a PC and I would choose latest iMacs or MacBook Pro for a Mac – it could be not enough so be ready to upgrade your computer as you start working with video more seriously.
HDD
Shooting videos and images with these cameras requires a lot of disk space. So average file size could be:1 still image ~ 24mb, 1min video shot ~ 300mb. I would recommend choosing your hard disc with height RPM (starting from 7200 RPM).
Software
Making, editing and post-processing requires a lot of new knowledge in addition to what you might already know about still image processing. I will tell you in further articles about software, editing and processing techniques I use. I will touch such softwares as Sony Vegas Pro, Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects, Sony Acid Pro, Photoshop and some other.

Conclusion

If you are an enthusiastic photographer you have to try this because you might love it! Start with simplest option and just hit the road. Have a lot of fun experimenting and doing crazy things.