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Tips on How to Photograph Metals and Alloys

Kristine Hojilla — Wed, 16 May 2012 17:00:07 +0000

Metals are solid materials which are typically hard, shiny, and malleable. Although they can be a challenge to photograph due to their highly reflective nature, they are also lustrous, striking, and can be fantastic subjects to shoot. Examples of metals are iron, gold, silver, copper, and platinum. Two or more elements where one is a metal will form an alloy such as steel and bronze.

Metals are Reflective

Metallic objects, especially those with smooth surfaces such as stainless steel, are highly reflective. Bear in mind the Laws of Reflection in physics, one of which states that the angle of incident light equals the angle of reflection. This means that when your light hits the metallic surface, it is reflected back at the same angle in the opposite direction. This can be a problem for on-camera flashes which are so near the lens that light used to illuminate the object can reflect back directly (since the angle is identical) into the camera lens, creating serious blown out highlights. By separating the camera from the light source, you can play around with more lighting angles and positions which won’t cause hot spots. Another tool you can use is a softbox, which will diffuse the light.

Photo by Jordi Payà

Shooting Rusty Metal

Shiny metals are pretty and all but so are rusty ones! Most metals corrode over time and rust forms, creating pits, cracks, and interesting textures and colors. Photos of rusted metal that once was shiny and new can also give off a certain mood and evoke strong emotions. Many urban decay images have subjects all covered in rust.

Photo by Kristine Hojilla

Opaque and lustrous

Shooting Precious Metal

Precious metals are rare, very lustrous, and are greatly in demand. Examples include gold, silver, and platinum. These are often used as jewelry, coins, and art pieces. When shooting subjects made of precious metals, backgrounds are often left bare and clean to keep the focus firmly on the object. You will notice that shots of gold and silver jewelry and art often have plain white or black backdrops.

Photo by Gnilenkov Aleksey

The Luster of Metals

One of the properties of metals is its luster. Metals give off a silky reflective sheen (unless hit directly by strong light) that adds much to their appeal. Precious metals are especially known for being high in luster but regular alloys such as steel and aluminum also have that silvery smooth appearance. Proper lighting is needed to achieve the most lustrous look from the metal subject, such as with jewelry shots.

Photo by Tambako the Jaguar

Shooting Molded Metals

Metals are known to be hard but malleable. They can be molded into various shapes, embossed or engraved with designs, and bent in all kinds of artistic ways. Molded metal can be visually pleasing and you can shoot it at different angles and still come out with great shots. Metal objects that have surface impressions such as coins are usually lighted from the side to highlight the fine details and textures.

Photo by Mukumbura

Tips on How to Photograph Metals and Alloys
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Beach Photography Tips and Techniques

Lisa Bank — Mon, 14 May 2012 15:00:21 +0000

The Call of the Sea

Photography is both art and science; photographers must have a good feel for shot composition, but that will be wasted if they lack the knowledge and technical skill to capture that image correctly. Many environments, however, can pose serious challenges even for experienced photographers. The most infamous is the beach, full of sand and water and the potential for ruined photos. Thankfully, digital cameras and photo-editing software have taken a lot of the guesswork out of beach photography and made it easier for everyone to snap photos that capture the enchantment of sand and foam.

AtomicZen

The Rule of Thirds

Beach photography can be drastically improved using the rule of thirds. This is a fairly basic photographic concept and is essential for a well-balanced photo. The premise is simple: divide the scene into horizontal thirds; the horizon should live in either the top third or the bottom. The rule of thirds doesn’t just apply to the horizon, however. Divide your camera frame into horizontal and vertical thirds, also noting where those lines intersect. The most pleasing photographs have major objects along those lines or at the intersections. For example, consider a shot of the beach, the ocean and a large sailboat that’s fairly close to the shore. The photographer must consider two compositional factors here: the horizon and the boat. For the best results, conform your scene setup to the rule of thirds.

Good Morning, Sunshine!

The quality of photographs taken at the beach depends largely on the time of day at which they were taken. The sun can help or hinder a photographer, so it’s important to choose a window of time with flattering light. Many photographers prefer to take their beach photographs about two hours before sunset. At that time, the light is low, warm and inviting, but the resultant shadows are usually manageable and less likely to ruin an otherwise fine photo. Other photographers prefer to work in the hour or two after sunrise, for the same reasons.

Handling Brightness at the Beach

Daytime beach photography presents one major technical hurdle: excessive brightness. To compensate for this, photographers generally increase their shutter speed, use an ISO setting between 100 and 200 and an aperture between f14 and f22. The proper camera settings for sun-drenched locations such as the beach depend on the intended subject, the weather conditions present during the photo shoot and the equipment the photographer is using. Inexperienced photographers who don’t have access to a light meter often enjoy success using the “Sunny 16 Rule”: shooting with an aperture of f/16 and a shutter speed of 1/125 on ISO 100 film. When using 400 ISO film, the aperture should be set at f/16 and the shutter speed at 1/400; on ISO 800 film, the aperture should be set to f/16 using a shutter speed of 1/800. The Sunny 16 Rule isn’t a panacea for all super-bright photographic conditions, but it provides a solid place to start for all photographers using analog equipment.

Fascinating Finds

It’s also very important to choose an interesting setting for beach photography. Sand and water are a given, but the most interesting beach photos include elements such as unusual rock outcroppings, crumbling piers, or undulating dunes sprouting bright green reeds. It doesn’t matter if you’re photographing people or just snapping some still-life shots; these unexpected elements add a unique character that’s missing from many simple shots of sand and foam. Don’t neglect to turn away from the water, either. It’s tempting to just point the camera at the waves and let rip, but if you’ve got an interesting coastline, don’t ignore it. Try aiming the camera parallel to the coast, especially if there are cliffs or huge boulders.

Safety Matters

The beach is a risky environment for electronics; sand and salt can quickly ruin expensive cameras and lenses. Don’t rush. Take your time to secure everything in its proper place before changing locations, and use neck or wrist straps. With your equipment protected, you’ll guarantee a return trip in pursuit of more gorgeous photos.

Beach Photography Tips and Techniques
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4 Things to Consider on Photo Trips

Maheeb Fouda — Sun, 13 May 2012 16:26:55 +0000

If you would like to have trips dedicated only to photographing, it is very important to polish your skills. Visiting new places in order to capture different portraitures is a great way of spending your time, besides it will also add some value to your portfolio. Here we are showing 4 important things you have to consider on your outings.

1- Tripod

When you are shooting in dark places and need to use a slow shutter speed, your photos may seem a bit blurry. In order to fix this annoying mistake, you might want to use a tripod that fits your camera, as it gives the stability and mobility you need wherever you may be shooting. Many tripods give you measurements through the balance of water that will help you position the tripod to be vertically on the ground.

2- Prime lens

JyungolJyon

Having a prime lens in your bag is very important as it gives you a high shutter speed, which is not possible with the ordinary, cheaper zoom lenses. Also, using prime lenses shows advancement in the clarity and sharpness of the images compared to pictures taken with zoom lenses. Thus, having a prime lens is a must in dark places and concerts.

3- Wide angle zoom lens

When shooting landscapes and open areas you need to capture as much width on the photograph as you can, and a wide-angle zoom lens will be a very supportive and professional solution for capturing those kinds of photos. Many DSLRs come with an 18-55mm, and it’ll be helpful for wide ranges. If you need more width, you can use one like the 10-22mm zoom lens.

4- Spare memory stick

What if your memory is full during your amazing photographing day, or you have forgotten to take an extra memory card? This could be the worst thing that you can face and you might miss a lot of great photo opportunities due to this carelessness. For me, a spare memory in my wallet is a sufficient and supportive solution in such emergencies. Also, you don’t have to take your memory card out from the camera, unless you would like to attach it to your laptop to avoid losing data or something.

4 Things to Consider on Photo Trips
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Understanding Color Temperature in Photography

Shannon Joe — Wed, 09 May 2012 16:22:44 +0000

Color temperature is an important consideration for photographers. Measured in kelvins (K), color temperature refers to the temperature of electromagnetic radiation emitted by a black body radiator. The lower a color’s temperature, the redder it appears; higher-temperature colors grow progressively bluer as their temperature rises. Digital photographers can easily alter the color temperature (often called the “white balance”) of their photos; this quickly shifts the temperature of the entire photo while keeping the relationships between component colors intact and sparing the photographer the time-consuming process of adjusting the individual colors. Many point-and-shoot digital cameras and consumer photo-editing programs come with several pre-defined temperature options intended to compensate for very sunny or overcast weather. Advanced photographers, however, usually prefer to set their own color temperature parameters.

Color Temperature on Film

Color temperature is also an important consideration for film photography, and often requires special lenses or colored films (called “gels”) to adjust the lighting. Photographers may also elect to use film geared for specific lighting conditions. For example, “daylight film” is calibrated to 5600K; when used to shoot objects or scenes with a high (or “bluer”) color temperature, the net effect is neutrality. The propensity of daylight film to accentuate red and yellow tones is cancelled out by the blue tones in the photo frame.

Compensating on Film

Film photographers cannot instantly manipulate their images because they aren’t digital. To avoid wasting film, they must understand the current lighting conditions and the properties of the film, lenses and filters in use. Depending on their available equipment, a film photographer may have to go to great lengths to produce a color-neutral end product. For example, consider a photographer who has only daylight film in her camera bag. If she photographs a warm, red/yellow candlelit scene using this film, the color balance will probably be heavily skewed towards cooler (redder) colors. Since she only has daylight film, she must attempt to balance the color temperature of her photos with specialized filters or lenses.

Light Meters

To assist in identifying ambient color temperature, many photographers use a color temperature meter. Rudimentary models describe light using a simple red-blue continuum. More advanced (and costly) color temperature meters often include additional colors, such as green. It is also important to note that, while these meters work well in natural light, their results in artificial light can be unreliable; this is particularly an issue with fluorescent lighting because the color the temperature of fluorescent light may change from moment to moment. Consequently, film photographers who frequently shoot in such conditions often use more advanced color and light meters.

Choosing the Proper Remedy

Identifying ambient color temperature is only part of the battle; now the photographer must select the proper corrective filters or gels. Like makeup artists, photographers must correct color problems by incorporating a contrasting color to obtain a neutral result. To neutralize redness, a makeup artist would use a green-tinted concealer; similarly, a photographer working in greenish fluorescent light usually corrects that with a magenta gel laid over the camera lens. To correct high (very blue) color temperatures, a yellowish-orange gel is effective; to correct low (red/orange/yellow) colors, s/he should use a blue filter.

Here is an approximate color temperatures scale for average lighting situations.

1,000 K   Candles; oil lamps
2,000 K   Very early sunrise; low effect tungsten lamps
3,000 K   Studio lights, photo floods
4,000 K   Clear flashbulbs
5,000 K   Typical daylight; electronic flash
6,000 K   Bright sunshine with clear sky
7,000 K   Slightly overcast sky
8,000 K   Daylight Dull, Foggy weather
9,000 K   Open shade on clear day
10,000 K   Heavily overcast sky

Baby Steps

Beginning photographers may initially feel a bit confused about color temperature and the photographic challenges color imbalances create. However, s/he will soon learn that measuring and compensating for temperature seems far more complex than it actually is. With a little work on each photo shoot, the neophyte soon becomes a seasoned photographer who is well-equipped to handle problems in this area.

Understanding Color Temperature in Photography
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How To Photograph the Perfect Lightning Photo

Shannon Joe — Sat, 05 May 2012 16:53:29 +0000

Lightning is one of nature’s most amazing, terrifying and beautiful phenomena, and also one of the world’s hardest subjects to photograph. It is hard because lightning appears and disappears rapidly, because the lighting is difficult and because it’s hard to get a good photograph without risking getting your equipment wet. Planning in advance and following a few basic tips can ensure that your images capture the power and glory of the next electrical storm you try to photograph.

Photo by Larry Reeves

Plan ahead

Consider your location in advance. Anyone can take a picture of lightning, but what really sets a great image of lightning apart is the full composition. Make a list of beautiful landscape locations and plan to take pictures of the lightning from those locations, so that the landscape illuminated by the electrical storm is just as impressive as the lightning activity.

Try for variety

Too often photographers who capture images of lightning only do so at night, when some of the most amazing images are taken while it is still light. Consider the possibilities of capturing lightning at dawn, during the sunset, or at other times of the day when the sky coloring, and light of exposure are interesting and add dimension to the photograph. Also, remember that there are three types of lightning: cloud to ground, cloud to cloud, and intracloud electrical impulse. Try to capture images that demonstrate all three types of electrical activity.

Set up and shoot ahead of the storm

Rain fall will naturally soften the image, and endanger your equipment. Images that are taken as the storm approaches, and before rain begins to fall, are sharper and more intense.

Step 4: Setting your exposure autofocus does not work well for capturing images of lightning, because it will not get sharp enough. Though some photographers set their lens to infinity when shooting, it is more effective to find, and focus on, a really distant light. This will result in really sharp lines around the bolts that define them and give them prominence in the image.

Set your shutter speed for your purpose

Using the fastest shutter speed possible will prevent over exposure and ensure the sharpest image, but in some cases this will not capture the most dynamic image. If there is a high frequency to the lightning bolt pattern, it may be beneficial to leave the shutter open longer in order to capture multiple lightning bolts in a single image.

Frame the image

Make sure that all the framing elements are there before you begin snapping images. Try to frame your image well, but don’t be afraid to click now and crop later. If the elements for a great framing are in place when you take the picture, you can crop it to alter the exact position and distance of the image after you get home.

Perfect your timing

Remember that timing is the most important element, the lightening bolt is not going to wait for you to get everything perfect. As soon as you see the first hint of light from a developing bolt, take the photograph. Lightening bolts often last only seconds, and any hesitation may mean a photograph of the blank sky rather than nature’s fireworks.

How To Photograph the Perfect Lightning Photo
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26 Elegant Car Pictures

Radwa — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 18:41:48 +0000

Car pictures reflect our passion to enjoy car and automotive creative designs. Taking car photos is a challenge for many photographers because it requires good skills to control the shooting angle and the light reflection on the car’s glossy surface. In addition, there are other factors that should be considered when shooting car pictures, such as the background and global environment. Here, I would like to showcase some amazing car photo examples that I hope you will enjoy.

Stunning car pictures

Epaminondas Koutsoukis

G B

Epaminondas Koutsoukis

26 Elegant Car Pictures
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Understanding White Balance in Digital Photography

Shannon Joe — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 15:00:16 +0000

When photos are taken inside, the colors are seldom true. The artificial electric lighting used in indoor spaces cast a blue or orange glow on everything in the shot, altering their appearance significantly. Blue and yellow filters were once used to correct this problem in pictures, but in the era of digital photography filters are no longer necessary. Instead, camera’s use a white balance setting to alter the image’s exposure, and create a final product that is true and rich in color.

Photo by Sinq88

How is White Balance Used?

Use the white areas of your photograph as a reference when you are trying to set the white balance. Images that are too orange are considered “warm” and images that are too blue are considered “cool.” Images that do not have their white balance corrected look unnatural. By adjusting the white balance on your camera until the white areas of your photograph are a true white, you protect the color integrity and realism of your image.

Different White Balance Settings

Automatic white balance settings are available on many digital cameras, but they generally do not work well unless you are taking daylight photographs, they simply cannot compensate well for the artificial lighting in indoor settings. In addition to automatic white balance settings, digital cameras typically have about 7 specialized white balance settings intended to simplify the process of balancing the colors in a photograph: Tungsten, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Florescent, Flash and Custom.

Using Tungsten Setting

Tungsten white balance is symbolized on the camera’s control panel with a light bulb. It adds cool tones, or blues to a photograph and is appropriate for adjusting lighting that is too orange. It works well for low-lighting, or photographs taken indoors at night with typical incandescent lighting.

Using Daylight Setting

Daylight, symbolized on the camera’s control panel by a sun, is a balanced exposure, and does not truly alter the colors in the image. It is important, however, to remember to change settings when you go inside because the daylight setting is never appropriate for indoor shots.

Using Shade Setting

Shade, symbolized on the camera’s control panel by a little house, is designed to add light and warmth of a photograph. Photographs taken in the shade have a natural tendency to look too cool, and this white balance setting adds the necessary yellow tones.

Using Cloudy Setting

Cloudy setting, symbolized on the camera’s control panel by a cloud, add a very slight amount of warmth to photographs. When taking outdoor photographs if the daylight setting is producing pictures that look too cool, the cloudy setting should be used instead.

Using Florescent Setting

Florescent, symbolized by a long rectangle on the camera’s control panel is designed to correct photographs taken in hospitals, offices or other spaces with commercial fluorescent lighting. The cool effect of fluorescent lighting on a space will make white areas look green if the white balance is not corrected. The fluorescent setting is the strongest of the white balance corrections.

Using Flash Setting

Flash, symbolized by a lightning bolt on the camera’s control panel, adds red and orange tones to the photograph and ensures that the camera uses its flash bulb to add light to the subject when capturing an image. Flash should only be used when there is not enough natural light to capture an image with some other white balance setting.

Using Custom White Balance Settings

Advanced photographers may prefer to set the custom white balance on their camera while taking photographs in a specific setting. To set the custom white balance, symbolized by a dot and two triangles on the camera’s control panel, the photographer must first photograph a white or grey card. An image of the card is taken so that the white or grey fills the whole area. The photographer can then adjust the color of the image until it is as warm or cool as they desire their images to be, based on the appearance of the card image. The exact process for setting a custom white balance is different for each camera, and an advanced photographer wishing to use this setting should refer to their manual for instructions.

Understanding White Balance in Digital Photography
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Best Ways to Transfer Film to Digital at Home

Liz — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 15:00:41 +0000

With pretty much everyone using digital except for die-hard film photographers, only very few film cameras are being produced these days. This has gone as far as also reducing the amount of equipment made to transfer from film to digital. If you have a ton of film to transfer, many look for a professional to do the work. However, it can be less expensive to purchase a flatbed scanner or dedicated film scanner, but be prepared to spend a substantial amount of time converting the film. For anyone with plenty of old photos, film, negatives (or in my case, just plenty of snapshots from the 90s) the trip down memory lane while digging through and scanning them is fun in itself! So here are three quality home scanners, one nice flatbed and two options for a dedicated film scanner.

Flatbed Scanners

If you are converting to digital from film negatives, traditional flatbed scanners are an affordable option. Many come with a film scanner accessory, a device that holds slides and negatives in place for scanning. The images are uploaded into your computer. Canon and Epson both offer scanners that do a fair job at conversion. Canon’s 9950F flat bed scanner works for slides, negatives, medium format film strips and 4-by-5 film. It lets you load 12 slides at once and has resolutions that can go as high as 9,600 dpi.

Dedicated Scanners

Using dedicated scanners for film-to-digital transfer produces results that are more professional. While commercial-grade scanners can cost thousands of dollars, you can get a good dedicated scanner for less than $500. The Plustek Opticfilm 7600I Ai is a dedicated scanner for 35 mm film and gets the highest marks among reviewers, although some decry the scanner’s software as hopelessly confusing. For professional photographers, however, it offers an abundance of editing options, with features like dust and scratch removal from images.

A Nice Middle Ground

The Plustek OpticFilm 7600I SE uses the same body as the Ai model, but with less options and a scaled-down version of Plustek’s Silverware software. At about $150 less than the AI version, it may be a better choice for straight conversion projects. Both offer 7,200 dpi resolutions. Both process only one photo at a time. The Silverware software features pre-scan images that allows you to adjust images before scanning, making it more likely that you will be pleased with the result than with faster flatbed scanners.

The limited number of quality film scanners indicates that this product may be disappearing from the market. Many cheap scanners you see around really just don’t do film transfers justice. And opposed to handing them over to a professional service, a hands-on option that allows you to tweak the results, they can be the best option if you have the time. And I’m sure any of your friends with film would appreciate using it, maybe even share the costs or compensate you for your time. If you have any film scanner recommendations to add, please share them in the comments below!

Best Ways to Transfer Film to Digital at Home
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Tips on How to win a photo contest

Lisa Bank — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 16:00:21 +0000

Photography contest offers great ways to gain exposure to your work, and win great prizes while doing so. Other props include having your photo appear in popular magazines such as National Geography as well as in ad campaigns. Here are some steps that will help you win a photography contest.

Photo by Karen Summers

1. Practice your shots

Hone your talent to capture unique elements of a shot that will give your photo the edge over other competitors. This will automatically set your work apart from the others, and give you a chance to be selected in the batch that will move on.

2. Work with the theme

Do not try to work an existing photograph into the theme of the competition. If you do not have a photo that matches the theme, try instead to capture a photo that does. If the contest requires a portfolio entry then ensure that your photos have a common thread that they follow so that they synchronize to reveal that theme as opposed to appearing disconnected from each other. Whatever you do, stick to the topic.

It is best to keep your photograph for a competition simply as opposed to taking shots that are complex, and shows off too many elements and techniques. Keep it simple, but let it tell a powerful story.

3. Do your homework. Get acquainted with the contest

For repeat competitions it is good to research past entry winners. If it is a fairly new or one time competition you could view competitions that are similar in nature. This is a good way to gain some insight into what the administrators of the competition are looking for and what they expect of the entries. Your aim is to find the common factor that the judges might be looking for in the photo entries. The winning photos can give you an idea as to the quality that appeals to them.

4. Get feedback on your work

Get feedback on your photograph from peers or persons who have an eye or taste for such things. You may be surprised at just how much critics can help you produce better shots. Start gathering your shots early, and take several shots of the scene or object you want to enter. Evaluate your technique, and play around with your shots a bit. This will allow you enough time to vet and make changes to your shots.

5. Read and follow the rules

Follow the rules that are laid out for competitors. Get acquainted with them by reading them over several times. Ensure that your photo is of the required size, imagery, pixels ect. Your first chance of getting eliminated is to send in a photograph that does not fulfill the rule requirements. Follow the submission guidelines, get any queries or concerns you may have cleared up before you do so.

6. Send in your entry while there’s time to spare

Do not wait until the last minute to send in your entry. Many people tend to do the same thing which means the judges may have to rush to get through all the late entries, and yours might just get lost in the stock of work they have to get through. A day or two before the closing date should be sufficient as you want your photo to still be fresh in the mind of the judges.

Tips on How to win a photo contest
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