Creating Professional Photographs
Creating great photos depends on your camera and lens or lenses to a certain extent. There are alot
of choices available these days with regards to cameras and digital just keeps getting better.If your serious and dedicated
about photography ,I would invest in a good DSLR(digital single lens reflex) camera.As far as which brand ...theres
alot of good ones and it will all depend on your financial situation.I'm a die hard Canon user,but Nikon,Olympus,and Pentax
all offer good quality DSLR's.There are still those using 35mm and there are still advantages to using them,however digitals
just get better all the time.Point and shoot cameras can can do amazing things if you know how to use them properly.
You can learn more about your camera by
attending courses,purchasing a course or just by reading through photography
magazines.
There you will learn about all the aspects of photography: lighting, f-stop settings, how to
position
the subject matter to capture the best shot, different lenses to use for
different shots, etc. If you haven’t
already purchased your equipment, do as much
research as you can before you do. If you already have your camera, be
sure to
understand it’s abilities and limitations and photograph accordingly. Make sure
you equipment can
meet your needs!
How to Achieve Picture Perfect Shots via Digital Photography
Gone
are the times when photographers had to take several shots of an image and develop them to find out if a fine or even perfect
image was taken. Several photographers of this art form refer to this technique as “trial and error”.
Nowadays,
there are a numbers of photographers who have decided to shift from regular point and shoot and old SLR models to digital
ones. Through DSLRs, they can get more time to concentrate in taking those great pictures since images that are not par with
their standards can simply be deleted away.
SLR stands for Single Lens Reflex. The name implies the use of lenses
and a mirror. Mirror reflects light entering the lens up into the viewfinder. Thus, a photographer can estimate how the image
will likely appear when it is developed. Moreover, a SLR camera uses separate lenses that can be interchanged depending on
the resolution needed. Hence, this camera can be used to capture image with varying depths.
Likewise, a digital
SLR or DSLR camera uses lenses and mirror. But instead of a film that records the image, a DSLR camera uses light sensor chips
and digital memory. In other words, a DSLR camera is the computerized version of the traditional SLR camera.
However,
the functions of these models are rather different so it is suggested that users spend time getting familiar or acquainted
with these gadgets. Owners should use that “trial and error” technique by taking a few shots and storing better
pictures. Sooner or later, users can surely hack these models.
Individuals who decide on using these types of cameras
should really invest on memory cards and lenses. Thus, if they happen to become professionals someday, additional equipment
will surely keep them busy for choosing photography as a career.
Here are some helpful tips that will definitely
aid owners of DSLR cameras in capturing a perfect image using the new art of digital photography.
1. Normally, people take full body shots against a background. However, it is more appropriate to take a shot
from shoulders up or an upper body one because image of those in the picture really appear small.
2.
If doing the above technique happens to be difficult for the user, he or she can take a shot of the person with him or her
at one side rather than at the center. Then the owner can just zoom in so the person appears to be at the center.
3. The
law of optics remains the same whether using an old or a digital camera. For instance, if the sun is behind an image, the
picture will be silhouette. If light is in front of the image, the picture will appear squint unless there are sunglasses
on.
4. Use your sunglass to act as a polarizer to take away unnecessary reflections from glaring objects.
5. You
can also use a sunglass to increase the exposure of objects.
6. When using a polarizer, be sure that the source
of light is perpendicular to the object.
7. Change your white balance setting from auto to cloudy when shooting
bright landscapes and outdoor portraits.
8. Do not use the flash mode when the setting is already sunny.
9. Zoom
in to emphasize a certain asset or characteristic of the subject being captured.
10. Practice. Practice. Practice.
It suffices to say that the techniques in getting the perfect shot have not changed. However, using digital cameras
and employing this new art of digital photography have simply improved photo shooting by making capturing pictures easy for
everyone.
In other words, practice is what really makes perfect shots!
The Importance of Lighting
There
is more to light than most people think; there are different qualities of light,
and it’s important to understand
this as a photographer. Light’s brightness is
measured in units called kelvins. If you are in a studio setting,
you can change the
kind of light you are shooting in by using different kinds of light bulbs (for
example, fluorescent,
full-spectrum, and true light). You can also modify your
light by using different filters on your camera, which change
the quality of light
that reaches your ccd (the digital sensor that replaces film in a digital camera).
This will
allow you to create unique effects or fix bad lighting.
Of course, different types of shots require different kinds of lighting. For example,
if you will be shooting outdoors,
the best time to work is right before sunset. If
you are doing portrait shots, it’s best to use two sources of
light (ideally a diffused
back or side light and a soft front light).
There are two basic kinds of lighting equipment: direct and indirect. These kinds
can be further broken down
into natural and artificial light. The light used by
photographers usually measures between 3200 and 5500 kelvins (°k).
The
different kinds of light can be controlled using things like filters and reflectors.
Mastering the art of lighting is a skill in and of itself.
Using Lens Filters
Using lens filters is one way to achieve special lighting effects and change other
lighting aspects. You can achieve some of the
same effects as with a filter by
using photo editing software after the photo is taken, but in some cases (such as
with field service photography) doctoring an image after it is taken is not an
option. Filters usually screw onto the threaded ring in front of your camera lens (this is
called a screw mount). The
sizes of mounts vary, the normal range being between
49–55mm. Here’s a helpful secret professional photographers
utilize: You can
protect an especially expensive camera lens by keeping a neutral (or UV or
skylight) filter screwed
on at all times. This way, you don’t have to worry about
water or oils (from your hands) ruining your lens.
Here are some of the most common kinds of lens filters
and when to use them:
1. Neutral Filters—these
are designed specifically to protect your lens. They
are merely hardened glass with a superior optical quality. They
will not
change the color balance or performance of the lens.
2. UV Filters—these
are similar to neutral filters, but they absorb some of the
ultraviolet rays produced by the sun (so they are best used
outside). These
will not affect the color balance of the lens.
3. Orange (G)
Filters—these increase the contrasts between yellows and reds in
your shot. This is good for capturing a dramatic
sunset or seascape,
although it is designed more for long-distance outdoor shots.
4.
Yellow (K2) Filters—these increase the contrast between clouds in the
background and foreground and are thus good
for scenic photography and
sunrise shots. These will not affect the color tone of your shot much (if at
all).
5. XO Filters—these are used mostly for black and white photography. This
kind of filter changes reds into darker shades and lightens greens. This
creates more natural skin tones and can improve
lighting conditions in some
circumstances.
6. Daylight (80A, 80B, 80C) Filters—these
filters let you use a photo lamp at
various kelvins without cause distortion. The 80A version works from
3200–5500°k,
the 80B works from 3400–5500°k, and the 80C works from
3800–5500°k.
7. Neutral Density (ND) Filters—these reduce the amount of light in an image
(good for situations where
extreme lighting conditions exist, such as you
may find at the beach or in a snowscape). These filters don’t affect color
balance, they only act as a sunshade
for your camera.
8. Color Conversion (85A, 85B, 85C) Filters—these filters cool
color tones
from real light. Respectively, these filters work for 5500–3400°k, 5500–
3200°k,
and 5500–3800°k.
Using Special Effects Lenses
There are special lenses
that exist to create different effects. You can achieve
many of the same effects with photo editing software, but I
will talk about some of
the most common special effects lenses here to give you an idea of what is
available:
1. Center Spot Lenses—this diffuses (or puts out of
focus) everything in the
image other than the object that is in the center. This is often used in
portraits.
2. Star or Cross-Screen Effect Lenses—these make reflected light appear to
sparkle and become
stars with four, six, or eight points.
3. Diffuser Lenses—these create a softer
focus and are good to use in portrait
shots to soften skin tones and hide blemishes and wrinkles.
4. Fog Lenses—these create a fog effect and are good to set the mood in
portrait work or use
on special occasions.
The Importance of Framing
When people say that they
have a good “eye” for photography, they are referring to
their ability to visualize the best way to represent
an object or scene in the small
rectangle of a photograph. They know how to place things to make the shot the
best it can be. For many people, this is a skill that comes naturally, but it can be
learned to a certain
degree. The key is to figure out how to best arrange the subject
based on its surroundings. Some scenes that look amazing
in real life may not
translate well to a photograph, whereas some scenes you may overlook in real life
(like the
way a particular ray of sunlight falls on a leaf) can become stunning when
properly captured on by your camera.
Here are some tips to follow when you’re shooting:
• Position twice, shoot once. Get your positioning right before you shoot,
or
you may throw away what could have been an amazing shot.
• Look AT (not
THROUGH) the image in the viewfinder. Look at the image
you’re shooting as if it is already a photograph and make
any necessary
changes before you shoot.
• It’s okay to crop an image.
Play around with different cropping techniques
and see what works and what doesn’t. For example, it may look more
artistic if you cut off part of an image; it all depends on the feel you are
going for in your photograph.
• Identify your subject. If there are many elements in your photograph, it’s
usually a good
idea to place the focal point in the center of the image.
Placing something dead center ensures that it will be the
first thing people
look at when they view your photograph. The other elements will then act to
enhance the image.
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