Welcome to the source for digital photography articles!
This site aims to bring you constantly updating articles about everything to do with digital photography including the latest digital photography tips and techniques for:
landscape photo
Landscape photography is fascinating and beautiful
Wedding Photography
Night Photography
Sports Photography
Macro Photography
Photographpy Tips
Nature Photography
Portrait Photography
Landscape Photography
You'll also read about the best cameras to use in certain situations and of course which lenses are most recommended.
Whether you are a beginner, intermediate or semi-pro photographer, you'll find the information here informative and interesting.
We focus on all types of cameras from simple point and shoots to top of the range digital SLR cameras.
Sit back and enjoy and remember to check back often as we add new articles regularly.
Wedding Photography Guide
Wedding photography is not for the faint hearted. There is a reason wedding photographers charge so much for their service and that is because you do not want to get it wrong on someone’s wedding day. Their wedding day is possible the most important day of their lives so photographers are under alot of pressure to present good results.
With that said, you should not be afraid to take photos at weddings. If you are a beginner, then you could always be a back up to the hired photographer. This allows you to hone your skill as well as capture offbeat moments that the professionals may miss.
A popular form is black and white wedding photography which is often converted in post processing of the photos.
This section of the site covers topics such as:
- Wedding photography tips - learn the basics of wedding photography.
- Wedding photography lenses - which lenses are best?
- Best wedding photography cameras
- Wedding photography checklist - don't forget anything!
- Wedding photography prices - how much should you charge?
If you want to become a professional wedding photographer I suggest reading some wedding photography books and practicing as much as possible. Even if a wedding photography business isn't for you, you can still use your skills at friend’s weddings and earn some pocket money whilst you're at it.
Night Photography Guide
Night photography is where many people come up disappointed with the results. Why? Because lack of light presents problems with cameras.
Cameras rely on light to take images, so presenting the camera with a complete lack of light to work with can choke it up and without proper knowledge by the operator, can result in images of pitch black or blurs.
In this section of the site we will go over some handy tips for night photography which cover all aspects of night photography exposure.
Night photography techniques are easily learned and once you master them you can truly take some spectacular shots of things like traffic, city lights and even night sky photography focusing on the moon.
Night sports photography presents another challenge for the photographer. Combine lack of light with fast moving objects and it’s a recipe for disaster! Well that’s unless you know what you're doing which you will after reading our article!
Night photography relies heavily on shutter speed choice as well as the lens and camera you are using.
I have to say that my favorite night subject has to be when I’m standing atop a tall building in the city looking down on the traffic.
I love the blur effect you can achieve with all the traffic lights and car lights, just like the image shown above.
I’m also a fan of going to the amusement park at night and taking shots of the lit up ferris wheel.
As you can see, night photography can be a spectacular form of imagery once you have mastered the basics.
Sports Photography Guide
Sports photography is perhaps the most challenging form of photography. Because you are almost always dealing with fast moving people, you need to be very quick and your camera needs to be even quicker.
Professional sports photographers use SLR cameras which are able to fire off rapidly successive photos, often 5 frames per second. Whilst many consumer grade SLR cameras can fire around 3 frames per second, you'll still need skill to capture sports action without unwanted blurring.
In this section we will cover:
Indoor sports photography
Motor sport photography
Tennis photography
Soccer photography
Professional sports photography
Extreme sports photography
I'll also give out some of my best sports photography tips.
Camera and lenses are everything with sports photography so you'll need to learn all about the latest and best sports photography lenses and the best sports photography cameras which are within your budget. In actual fact you can use any camera to take sports photos, it’s just that some cameras do better than others.
Sports photography equipment often involves more than just a camera. If you're serious about it then you'll need a tripod or monopod, a dirt proof and waterproof bag, filters and various other accessories.
Macro Photography Guide
Macro photography is an exciting form of the photography and for some people it’s the type of photography they engage in most often.
Macro photography involves taking photos of usually small objects close up. Good macro lenses will be able to provide a 1:1 ratio meaning the image you are taking is magnified to appear larger than life.
This enables you to bring out details in very small objects which would not otherwise be seen.
Some great macro photography subject ideas include:
- Insects
- Leaves
- Flowers
- Surfaces
Digital SLR cameras allow you to use special macro photography lenses which provide excellent macro capabilities. Many of these lenses allow you to get quite close to the subject, around 20cm away rather than 50cm or more required for regular lenses.
Point and shoot cameras normally come with a macro mode which is what you use when taking close ups of small objects.
Browse through our macro photography articles to learn more about this fascinating form of photography.
- Macro photography lenses
- Macro photography tips
- Macro photography lighting
- Macro photography insects
- Macro photography equipment
- Best macro photography camera
- How to do macro photography
- Macro photography flowers
- SLR macro photography
- Macro photography ideas
Photography Tips
All photographers continually like to sharpen their skills. Regardless of your experience, very few people "know it all" when it comes to photography. This section of the website brings you some photography tips including:
Photography exposure tips
Learn how to get the best exposures and how to judge whether your photo is well exposed. Also get some tips on foolproof ways of ensuring your photos are always well exposed.
Low light photography tips
Low light photography is a challenge for most people as they don’t understand the mechanics of light and how the camera works in this situation. Here we will go over some tips to improve your low light photo taking skills.
Underwater photography tips
Underwater photography is something that many people never try. They think their camera won’t work underwater or will break. It’s true that many cameras can not be used underwater but some can with the use of a special protective case. You can also buy special underwater cameras and these can take some great photos!
Product photography tips
If you sell products on the internet or in magazines, you'll want to know how to take professional shots of products. Your viewers’ opinion is based on how the product looks in your advertising so it’s important to be able to take very professional photos and here we will cover some techniques to help you do just that.
Photography tips aperture
Aperture choices can make or break a photo. How much do you know about aperture? Here you will learn about how aperture works and its relationship with your other camera settings.
Photography tips filters
Filters can provide dramatic effects on your photos. Neutral density filters, polarizing filters, graduated filters, UV filters and others all serve a different purpose.
SLR photography tips
Digital SLR cameras are more affordable than ever. In this article we will cover the best cameras available at the moment and why SLR cameras are superior to point and shoot cameras in most situations.
Outdoor photography tips
Outdoor photography is challenging particularly in the harsh midday sun. Learn how to combat sunlight and other lighting situations in the outdoors.
Basic photography tips
Are you a digital photography beginner? Then this article is for you! Here you will learn the absolute basics of digital photography. A must read!
Learning photography
So you want to further your photography skills? In this article we'll cover photography workshops, courses and books which can literally take you from a beginner to an experienced amateur in a short amount of time.
Stay tuned for more digital photography tips coming soon!
Nature Photography Guide
Nature photography is a highly rewarding past time and for some people, it’s a career (if you're lucky enough to be employed by National Geographic!).
In my opinion there is nothing more rewarding than setting out for a day of bushwalking or hiking with your camera and spotting all sorts of creatures and ultimately, being able to take spectacular photos of them.
If you want to try bird photography you will no doubt need a big telephoto lens and alot of patience. Some people set out to spot certain species of birds and this often means sitting in the same spot for hours on end in the hope that the bird will come along. This obviously takes patience but is well worth it once you have a picture of that species that is rarely seen by man.
I suggest picking up the nature photography field guide which covers the basics of nature photography.
Nature and wildlife photography are two different things. Nature photography involves taking photos of anything in nature, whether nits living or not. Wildlife photography is a little more challenging since you are working with living, moving objects.
There are nature photography workshops which teach you advanced techniques. These are great for beginners and advanced photographers.
In this section of the site we'll cover the best cameras for wildlife photography as well as lens choices for wildlife photography.
You'll also get some great wildlife photography tips and we'll talk about the most recommended wildlife photography books to enhance your skills.
Professional nature photography is something that many amateurs aspire to but unfortunately it’s a very competitive field to break into so you are best advised to simply enjoy your photography and if you are a budding publisher, consider setting up a page at www.flickr.com where you can share your photos with the world.
Portrait Photography Guide
Portrait photography is the art of taking photos of humans in a controlled setting.
The main aspect of portrait photography you need to be aware of is the lighting. There are certain types of light which compliments people’s appearance whilst other light may cast a shadow or highlight blemishes which is not what you want!
Portrait photography cameras and lenses, whilst important, are not the limiting factors as they can be in other types of photography. You can take great portrait shots with virtually any camera.
Outdoor portrait photography can present challenges as lighting conditions can cause unwanted shadows. We'll talk about ways to combat this problem.
Baby portrait photography is fun and difficult at times. Of course you can’t control a baby as you can an adult so we’ll go over some tips to assist you there.
The latest craze is pet portrait photography where people pay good money for photographers to take flattering shots of their pooch, kitty or other pet. This is a great niche business and one you could seriously consider getting into if you brush up your portrait skills!
Portrait photography is highly rewarding and fun. I hope you learn a few new tricks from this section of the website.
Landscape Photography Guide
Landscape photography is the art of taking photos of wide open areas such as mountains, seas and plains.
Landscape photography can also involve things like waterfalls and houses. Basically, landscape refers to a wide area of view. The wider your lens or camera allows you to view, the better your photos will look as you can fit more in.
Some popular landscape photography locations include: Mountains Waterfalls Skies / Sunsets Caves Coastlines Deserts Beaches Islands Lakes
Landscape waterfall photography is perhaps the most difficult form to master as there are many combinations you can use to cause desired effects such as slow moving water or fast moving water.
There is a technique called HDR landscape photography which involves combining photos together to form a very well exposed photo. We will cover this in detail in a separate article.
You’ll also learn some great landscape photography tips and some ideas for landscape photography techniques.
For a bigger challenge consider trying night landscape photography where you'll have to really put your thinking cap on to be able to get a good exposure at night time. Highways full of traffic and city lights are perfect subjects for this.
In this section I will review some excellent landscape photography books and talk about the best landscape photography lenses available today.
If you want to know how to take landscape photos and which landscape photography equipment you should use to get the best results, you're going to enjoy this section of the website!
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Tips, Techniques and Advice for Improving Your Photography Skills
Welcome to the source for digital photography articles!
This site aims to bring you constantly updating articles about everything to do with digital photography including the latest digital photography tips and techniques for:
landscape photo
Landscape photography is fascinating and beautiful
Wedding Photography
Night Photography
Sports Photography
Macro Photography
Photographpy Tips
Nature Photography
Portrait Photography
Landscape Photography
You'll also read about the best cameras to use in certain situations and of course which lenses are most recommended.
Whether you are a beginner, intermediate or semi-pro photographer, you'll find the information here informative and interesting.
We focus on all types of cameras from simple point and shoots to top of the range digital SLR cameras.
Sit back and enjoy and remember to check back often as we add new articles regularly.
Wedding Photography Guide
Wedding photography is not for the faint hearted. There is a reason wedding photographers charge so much for their service and that is because you do not want to get it wrong on someone’s wedding day. Their wedding day is possible the most important day of their lives so photographers are under alot of pressure to present good results.
With that said, you should not be afraid to take photos at weddings. If you are a beginner, then you could always be a back up to the hired photographer. This allows you to hone your skill as well as capture offbeat moments that the professionals may miss.
A popular form is black and white wedding photography which is often converted in post processing of the photos.
This section of the site covers topics such as:
- Wedding photography tips - learn the basics of wedding photography.
- Wedding photography lenses - which lenses are best?
- Best wedding photography cameras
- Wedding photography checklist - don't forget anything!
- Wedding photography prices - how much should you charge?
If you want to become a professional wedding photographer I suggest reading some wedding photography books and practicing as much as possible. Even if a wedding photography business isn't for you, you can still use your skills at friend’s weddings and earn some pocket money whilst you're at it.
Night Photography Guide
Night photography is where many people come up disappointed with the results. Why? Because lack of light presents problems with cameras.
Cameras rely on light to take images, so presenting the camera with a complete lack of light to work with can choke it up and without proper knowledge by the operator, can result in images of pitch black or blurs.
In this section of the site we will go over some handy tips for night photography which cover all aspects of night photography exposure.
Night photography techniques are easily learned and once you master them you can truly take some spectacular shots of things like traffic, city lights and even night sky photography focusing on the moon.
Night sports photography presents another challenge for the photographer. Combine lack of light with fast moving objects and it’s a recipe for disaster! Well that’s unless you know what you're doing which you will after reading our article!
Night photography relies heavily on shutter speed choice as well as the lens and camera you are using.
I have to say that my favorite night subject has to be when I’m standing atop a tall building in the city looking down on the traffic.
I love the blur effect you can achieve with all the traffic lights and car lights, just like the image shown above.
I’m also a fan of going to the amusement park at night and taking shots of the lit up ferris wheel.
As you can see, night photography can be a spectacular form of imagery once you have mastered the basics.
Sports Photography Guide
Sports photography is perhaps the most challenging form of photography. Because you are almost always dealing with fast moving people, you need to be very quick and your camera needs to be even quicker.
Professional sports photographers use SLR cameras which are able to fire off rapidly successive photos, often 5 frames per second. Whilst many consumer grade SLR cameras can fire around 3 frames per second, you'll still need skill to capture sports action without unwanted blurring.
In this section we will cover:
Indoor sports photography
Motor sport photography
Tennis photography
Soccer photography
Professional sports photography
Extreme sports photography
I'll also give out some of my best sports photography tips.
Camera and lenses are everything with sports photography so you'll need to learn all about the latest and best sports photography lenses and the best sports photography cameras which are within your budget. In actual fact you can use any camera to take sports photos, it’s just that some cameras do better than others.
Sports photography equipment often involves more than just a camera. If you're serious about it then you'll need a tripod or monopod, a dirt proof and waterproof bag, filters and various other accessories.
Macro Photography Guide
Macro photography is an exciting form of the photography and for some people it’s the type of photography they engage in most often.
Macro photography involves taking photos of usually small objects close up. Good macro lenses will be able to provide a 1:1 ratio meaning the image you are taking is magnified to appear larger than life.
This enables you to bring out details in very small objects which would not otherwise be seen.
Some great macro photography subject ideas include:
- Insects
- Leaves
- Flowers
- Surfaces
Digital SLR cameras allow you to use special macro photography lenses which provide excellent macro capabilities. Many of these lenses allow you to get quite close to the subject, around 20cm away rather than 50cm or more required for regular lenses.
Point and shoot cameras normally come with a macro mode which is what you use when taking close ups of small objects.
Browse through our macro photography articles to learn more about this fascinating form of photography.
- Macro photography lenses
- Macro photography tips
- Macro photography lighting
- Macro photography insects
- Macro photography equipment
- Best macro photography camera
- How to do macro photography
- Macro photography flowers
- SLR macro photography
- Macro photography ideas
Photography Tips
All photographers continually like to sharpen their skills. Regardless of your experience, very few people "know it all" when it comes to photography. This section of the website brings you some photography tips including:
Photography exposure tips
Learn how to get the best exposures and how to judge whether your photo is well exposed. Also get some tips on foolproof ways of ensuring your photos are always well exposed.
Low light photography tips
Low light photography is a challenge for most people as they don’t understand the mechanics of light and how the camera works in this situation. Here we will go over some tips to improve your low light photo taking skills.
Underwater photography tips
Underwater photography is something that many people never try. They think their camera won’t work underwater or will break. It’s true that many cameras can not be used underwater but some can with the use of a special protective case. You can also buy special underwater cameras and these can take some great photos!
Product photography tips
If you sell products on the internet or in magazines, you'll want to know how to take professional shots of products. Your viewers’ opinion is based on how the product looks in your advertising so it’s important to be able to take very professional photos and here we will cover some techniques to help you do just that.
Photography tips aperture
Aperture choices can make or break a photo. How much do you know about aperture? Here you will learn about how aperture works and its relationship with your other camera settings.
Photography tips filters
Filters can provide dramatic effects on your photos. Neutral density filters, polarizing filters, graduated filters, UV filters and others all serve a different purpose.
SLR photography tips
Digital SLR cameras are more affordable than ever. In this article we will cover the best cameras available at the moment and why SLR cameras are superior to point and shoot cameras in most situations.
Outdoor photography tips
Outdoor photography is challenging particularly in the harsh midday sun. Learn how to combat sunlight and other lighting situations in the outdoors.
Basic photography tips
Are you a digital photography beginner? Then this article is for you! Here you will learn the absolute basics of digital photography. A must read!
Learning photography
So you want to further your photography skills? In this article we'll cover photography workshops, courses and books which can literally take you from a beginner to an experienced amateur in a short amount of time.
Stay tuned for more digital photography tips coming soon!
Nature Photography Guide
Nature photography is a highly rewarding past time and for some people, it’s a career (if you're lucky enough to be employed by National Geographic!).
In my opinion there is nothing more rewarding than setting out for a day of bushwalking or hiking with your camera and spotting all sorts of creatures and ultimately, being able to take spectacular photos of them.
If you want to try bird photography you will no doubt need a big telephoto lens and alot of patience. Some people set out to spot certain species of birds and this often means sitting in the same spot for hours on end in the hope that the bird will come along. This obviously takes patience but is well worth it once you have a picture of that species that is rarely seen by man.
I suggest picking up the nature photography field guide which covers the basics of nature photography.
Nature and wildlife photography are two different things. Nature photography involves taking photos of anything in nature, whether nits living or not. Wildlife photography is a little more challenging since you are working with living, moving objects.
There are nature photography workshops which teach you advanced techniques. These are great for beginners and advanced photographers.
In this section of the site we'll cover the best cameras for wildlife photography as well as lens choices for wildlife photography.
You'll also get some great wildlife photography tips and we'll talk about the most recommended wildlife photography books to enhance your skills.
Professional nature photography is something that many amateurs aspire to but unfortunately it’s a very competitive field to break into so you are best advised to simply enjoy your photography and if you are a budding publisher, consider setting up a page at www.flickr.com where you can share your photos with the world.
Portrait Photography Guide
Portrait photography is the art of taking photos of humans in a controlled setting.
The main aspect of portrait photography you need to be aware of is the lighting. There are certain types of light which compliments people’s appearance whilst other light may cast a shadow or highlight blemishes which is not what you want!
Portrait photography cameras and lenses, whilst important, are not the limiting factors as they can be in other types of photography. You can take great portrait shots with virtually any camera.
Outdoor portrait photography can present challenges as lighting conditions can cause unwanted shadows. We'll talk about ways to combat this problem.
Baby portrait photography is fun and difficult at times. Of course you can’t control a baby as you can an adult so we’ll go over some tips to assist you there.
The latest craze is pet portrait photography where people pay good money for photographers to take flattering shots of their pooch, kitty or other pet. This is a great niche business and one you could seriously consider getting into if you brush up your portrait skills!
Portrait photography is highly rewarding and fun. I hope you learn a few new tricks from this section of the website.
Landscape Photography Guide
Landscape photography is the art of taking photos of wide open areas such as mountains, seas and plains.
Landscape photography can also involve things like waterfalls and houses. Basically, landscape refers to a wide area of view. The wider your lens or camera allows you to view, the better your photos will look as you can fit more in.
Some popular landscape photography locations include: Mountains Waterfalls Skies / Sunsets Caves Coastlines Deserts Beaches Islands Lakes
Landscape waterfall photography is perhaps the most difficult form to master as there are many combinations you can use to cause desired effects such as slow moving water or fast moving water.
There is a technique called HDR landscape photography which involves combining photos together to form a very well exposed photo. We will cover this in detail in a separate article.
You’ll also learn some great landscape photography tips and some ideas for landscape photography techniques.
For a bigger challenge consider trying night landscape photography where you'll have to really put your thinking cap on to be able to get a good exposure at night time. Highways full of traffic and city lights are perfect subjects for this.
In this section I will review some excellent landscape photography books and talk about the best landscape photography lenses available today.
If you want to know how to take landscape photos and which landscape photography equipment you should use to get the best results, you're going to enjoy this section of the website!
This site aims to bring you constantly updating articles about everything to do with digital photography including the latest digital photography tips and techniques for:
landscape photo
Landscape photography is fascinating and beautiful
Wedding Photography
Night Photography
Sports Photography
Macro Photography
Photographpy Tips
Nature Photography
Portrait Photography
Landscape Photography
You'll also read about the best cameras to use in certain situations and of course which lenses are most recommended.
Whether you are a beginner, intermediate or semi-pro photographer, you'll find the information here informative and interesting.
We focus on all types of cameras from simple point and shoots to top of the range digital SLR cameras.
Sit back and enjoy and remember to check back often as we add new articles regularly.
Wedding Photography Guide
Wedding photography is not for the faint hearted. There is a reason wedding photographers charge so much for their service and that is because you do not want to get it wrong on someone’s wedding day. Their wedding day is possible the most important day of their lives so photographers are under alot of pressure to present good results.
With that said, you should not be afraid to take photos at weddings. If you are a beginner, then you could always be a back up to the hired photographer. This allows you to hone your skill as well as capture offbeat moments that the professionals may miss.
A popular form is black and white wedding photography which is often converted in post processing of the photos.
This section of the site covers topics such as:
- Wedding photography tips - learn the basics of wedding photography.
- Wedding photography lenses - which lenses are best?
- Best wedding photography cameras
- Wedding photography checklist - don't forget anything!
- Wedding photography prices - how much should you charge?
If you want to become a professional wedding photographer I suggest reading some wedding photography books and practicing as much as possible. Even if a wedding photography business isn't for you, you can still use your skills at friend’s weddings and earn some pocket money whilst you're at it.
Night Photography Guide
Night photography is where many people come up disappointed with the results. Why? Because lack of light presents problems with cameras.
Cameras rely on light to take images, so presenting the camera with a complete lack of light to work with can choke it up and without proper knowledge by the operator, can result in images of pitch black or blurs.
In this section of the site we will go over some handy tips for night photography which cover all aspects of night photography exposure.
Night photography techniques are easily learned and once you master them you can truly take some spectacular shots of things like traffic, city lights and even night sky photography focusing on the moon.
Night sports photography presents another challenge for the photographer. Combine lack of light with fast moving objects and it’s a recipe for disaster! Well that’s unless you know what you're doing which you will after reading our article!
Night photography relies heavily on shutter speed choice as well as the lens and camera you are using.
I have to say that my favorite night subject has to be when I’m standing atop a tall building in the city looking down on the traffic.
I love the blur effect you can achieve with all the traffic lights and car lights, just like the image shown above.
I’m also a fan of going to the amusement park at night and taking shots of the lit up ferris wheel.
As you can see, night photography can be a spectacular form of imagery once you have mastered the basics.
Sports Photography Guide
Sports photography is perhaps the most challenging form of photography. Because you are almost always dealing with fast moving people, you need to be very quick and your camera needs to be even quicker.
Professional sports photographers use SLR cameras which are able to fire off rapidly successive photos, often 5 frames per second. Whilst many consumer grade SLR cameras can fire around 3 frames per second, you'll still need skill to capture sports action without unwanted blurring.
In this section we will cover:
Indoor sports photography
Motor sport photography
Tennis photography
Soccer photography
Professional sports photography
Extreme sports photography
I'll also give out some of my best sports photography tips.
Camera and lenses are everything with sports photography so you'll need to learn all about the latest and best sports photography lenses and the best sports photography cameras which are within your budget. In actual fact you can use any camera to take sports photos, it’s just that some cameras do better than others.
Sports photography equipment often involves more than just a camera. If you're serious about it then you'll need a tripod or monopod, a dirt proof and waterproof bag, filters and various other accessories.
Macro Photography Guide
Macro photography is an exciting form of the photography and for some people it’s the type of photography they engage in most often.
Macro photography involves taking photos of usually small objects close up. Good macro lenses will be able to provide a 1:1 ratio meaning the image you are taking is magnified to appear larger than life.
This enables you to bring out details in very small objects which would not otherwise be seen.
Some great macro photography subject ideas include:
- Insects
- Leaves
- Flowers
- Surfaces
Digital SLR cameras allow you to use special macro photography lenses which provide excellent macro capabilities. Many of these lenses allow you to get quite close to the subject, around 20cm away rather than 50cm or more required for regular lenses.
Point and shoot cameras normally come with a macro mode which is what you use when taking close ups of small objects.
Browse through our macro photography articles to learn more about this fascinating form of photography.
- Macro photography lenses
- Macro photography tips
- Macro photography lighting
- Macro photography insects
- Macro photography equipment
- Best macro photography camera
- How to do macro photography
- Macro photography flowers
- SLR macro photography
- Macro photography ideas
Photography Tips
All photographers continually like to sharpen their skills. Regardless of your experience, very few people "know it all" when it comes to photography. This section of the website brings you some photography tips including:
Photography exposure tips
Learn how to get the best exposures and how to judge whether your photo is well exposed. Also get some tips on foolproof ways of ensuring your photos are always well exposed.
Low light photography tips
Low light photography is a challenge for most people as they don’t understand the mechanics of light and how the camera works in this situation. Here we will go over some tips to improve your low light photo taking skills.
Underwater photography tips
Underwater photography is something that many people never try. They think their camera won’t work underwater or will break. It’s true that many cameras can not be used underwater but some can with the use of a special protective case. You can also buy special underwater cameras and these can take some great photos!
Product photography tips
If you sell products on the internet or in magazines, you'll want to know how to take professional shots of products. Your viewers’ opinion is based on how the product looks in your advertising so it’s important to be able to take very professional photos and here we will cover some techniques to help you do just that.
Photography tips aperture
Aperture choices can make or break a photo. How much do you know about aperture? Here you will learn about how aperture works and its relationship with your other camera settings.
Photography tips filters
Filters can provide dramatic effects on your photos. Neutral density filters, polarizing filters, graduated filters, UV filters and others all serve a different purpose.
SLR photography tips
Digital SLR cameras are more affordable than ever. In this article we will cover the best cameras available at the moment and why SLR cameras are superior to point and shoot cameras in most situations.
Outdoor photography tips
Outdoor photography is challenging particularly in the harsh midday sun. Learn how to combat sunlight and other lighting situations in the outdoors.
Basic photography tips
Are you a digital photography beginner? Then this article is for you! Here you will learn the absolute basics of digital photography. A must read!
Learning photography
So you want to further your photography skills? In this article we'll cover photography workshops, courses and books which can literally take you from a beginner to an experienced amateur in a short amount of time.
Stay tuned for more digital photography tips coming soon!
Nature Photography Guide
Nature photography is a highly rewarding past time and for some people, it’s a career (if you're lucky enough to be employed by National Geographic!).
In my opinion there is nothing more rewarding than setting out for a day of bushwalking or hiking with your camera and spotting all sorts of creatures and ultimately, being able to take spectacular photos of them.
If you want to try bird photography you will no doubt need a big telephoto lens and alot of patience. Some people set out to spot certain species of birds and this often means sitting in the same spot for hours on end in the hope that the bird will come along. This obviously takes patience but is well worth it once you have a picture of that species that is rarely seen by man.
I suggest picking up the nature photography field guide which covers the basics of nature photography.
Nature and wildlife photography are two different things. Nature photography involves taking photos of anything in nature, whether nits living or not. Wildlife photography is a little more challenging since you are working with living, moving objects.
There are nature photography workshops which teach you advanced techniques. These are great for beginners and advanced photographers.
In this section of the site we'll cover the best cameras for wildlife photography as well as lens choices for wildlife photography.
You'll also get some great wildlife photography tips and we'll talk about the most recommended wildlife photography books to enhance your skills.
Professional nature photography is something that many amateurs aspire to but unfortunately it’s a very competitive field to break into so you are best advised to simply enjoy your photography and if you are a budding publisher, consider setting up a page at www.flickr.com where you can share your photos with the world.
Portrait Photography Guide
Portrait photography is the art of taking photos of humans in a controlled setting.
The main aspect of portrait photography you need to be aware of is the lighting. There are certain types of light which compliments people’s appearance whilst other light may cast a shadow or highlight blemishes which is not what you want!
Portrait photography cameras and lenses, whilst important, are not the limiting factors as they can be in other types of photography. You can take great portrait shots with virtually any camera.
Outdoor portrait photography can present challenges as lighting conditions can cause unwanted shadows. We'll talk about ways to combat this problem.
Baby portrait photography is fun and difficult at times. Of course you can’t control a baby as you can an adult so we’ll go over some tips to assist you there.
The latest craze is pet portrait photography where people pay good money for photographers to take flattering shots of their pooch, kitty or other pet. This is a great niche business and one you could seriously consider getting into if you brush up your portrait skills!
Portrait photography is highly rewarding and fun. I hope you learn a few new tricks from this section of the website.
Landscape Photography Guide
Landscape photography is the art of taking photos of wide open areas such as mountains, seas and plains.
Landscape photography can also involve things like waterfalls and houses. Basically, landscape refers to a wide area of view. The wider your lens or camera allows you to view, the better your photos will look as you can fit more in.
Some popular landscape photography locations include: Mountains Waterfalls Skies / Sunsets Caves Coastlines Deserts Beaches Islands Lakes
Landscape waterfall photography is perhaps the most difficult form to master as there are many combinations you can use to cause desired effects such as slow moving water or fast moving water.
There is a technique called HDR landscape photography which involves combining photos together to form a very well exposed photo. We will cover this in detail in a separate article.
You’ll also learn some great landscape photography tips and some ideas for landscape photography techniques.
For a bigger challenge consider trying night landscape photography where you'll have to really put your thinking cap on to be able to get a good exposure at night time. Highways full of traffic and city lights are perfect subjects for this.
In this section I will review some excellent landscape photography books and talk about the best landscape photography lenses available today.
If you want to know how to take landscape photos and which landscape photography equipment you should use to get the best results, you're going to enjoy this section of the website!
Labels:
Improving,
Photography,
Skills,
Techniques,
Tips
Tips, Techniques and Advice for Improving Your Photography Skills
Welcome to the source for digital photography articles!
This site aims to bring you constantly updating articles about everything to do with digital photography including the latest digital photography tips and techniques for:
landscape photo
Landscape photography is fascinating and beautiful
Wedding Photography
Night Photography
Sports Photography
Macro Photography
Photographpy Tips
Nature Photography
Portrait Photography
Landscape Photography
You'll also read about the best cameras to use in certain situations and of course which lenses are most recommended.
Whether you are a beginner, intermediate or semi-pro photographer, you'll find the information here informative and interesting.
We focus on all types of cameras from simple point and shoots to top of the range digital SLR cameras.
Sit back and enjoy and remember to check back often as we add new articles regularly.
Wedding Photography Guide
Wedding photography is not for the faint hearted. There is a reason wedding photographers charge so much for their service and that is because you do not want to get it wrong on someone’s wedding day. Their wedding day is possible the most important day of their lives so photographers are under alot of pressure to present good results.
With that said, you should not be afraid to take photos at weddings. If you are a beginner, then you could always be a back up to the hired photographer. This allows you to hone your skill as well as capture offbeat moments that the professionals may miss.
A popular form is black and white wedding photography which is often converted in post processing of the photos.
This section of the site covers topics such as:
- Wedding photography tips - learn the basics of wedding photography.
- Wedding photography lenses - which lenses are best?
- Best wedding photography cameras
- Wedding photography checklist - don't forget anything!
- Wedding photography prices - how much should you charge?
If you want to become a professional wedding photographer I suggest reading some wedding photography books and practicing as much as possible. Even if a wedding photography business isn't for you, you can still use your skills at friend’s weddings and earn some pocket money whilst you're at it.
Night Photography Guide
Night photography is where many people come up disappointed with the results. Why? Because lack of light presents problems with cameras.
Cameras rely on light to take images, so presenting the camera with a complete lack of light to work with can choke it up and without proper knowledge by the operator, can result in images of pitch black or blurs.
In this section of the site we will go over some handy tips for night photography which cover all aspects of night photography exposure.
Night photography techniques are easily learned and once you master them you can truly take some spectacular shots of things like traffic, city lights and even night sky photography focusing on the moon.
Night sports photography presents another challenge for the photographer. Combine lack of light with fast moving objects and it’s a recipe for disaster! Well that’s unless you know what you're doing which you will after reading our article!
Night photography relies heavily on shutter speed choice as well as the lens and camera you are using.
I have to say that my favorite night subject has to be when I’m standing atop a tall building in the city looking down on the traffic.
I love the blur effect you can achieve with all the traffic lights and car lights, just like the image shown above.
I’m also a fan of going to the amusement park at night and taking shots of the lit up ferris wheel.
As you can see, night photography can be a spectacular form of imagery once you have mastered the basics.
Sports Photography Guide
Sports photography is perhaps the most challenging form of photography. Because you are almost always dealing with fast moving people, you need to be very quick and your camera needs to be even quicker.
Professional sports photographers use SLR cameras which are able to fire off rapidly successive photos, often 5 frames per second. Whilst many consumer grade SLR cameras can fire around 3 frames per second, you'll still need skill to capture sports action without unwanted blurring.
In this section we will cover:
Indoor sports photography
Motor sport photography
Tennis photography
Soccer photography
Professional sports photography
Extreme sports photography
I'll also give out some of my best sports photography tips.
Camera and lenses are everything with sports photography so you'll need to learn all about the latest and best sports photography lenses and the best sports photography cameras which are within your budget. In actual fact you can use any camera to take sports photos, it’s just that some cameras do better than others.
Sports photography equipment often involves more than just a camera. If you're serious about it then you'll need a tripod or monopod, a dirt proof and waterproof bag, filters and various other accessories.
Macro Photography Guide
Macro photography is an exciting form of the photography and for some people it’s the type of photography they engage in most often.
Macro photography involves taking photos of usually small objects close up. Good macro lenses will be able to provide a 1:1 ratio meaning the image you are taking is magnified to appear larger than life.
This enables you to bring out details in very small objects which would not otherwise be seen.
Some great macro photography subject ideas include:
- Insects
- Leaves
- Flowers
- Surfaces
Digital SLR cameras allow you to use special macro photography lenses which provide excellent macro capabilities. Many of these lenses allow you to get quite close to the subject, around 20cm away rather than 50cm or more required for regular lenses.
Point and shoot cameras normally come with a macro mode which is what you use when taking close ups of small objects.
Browse through our macro photography articles to learn more about this fascinating form of photography.
- Macro photography lenses
- Macro photography tips
- Macro photography lighting
- Macro photography insects
- Macro photography equipment
- Best macro photography camera
- How to do macro photography
- Macro photography flowers
- SLR macro photography
- Macro photography ideas
Photography Tips
All photographers continually like to sharpen their skills. Regardless of your experience, very few people "know it all" when it comes to photography. This section of the website brings you some photography tips including:
Photography exposure tips
Learn how to get the best exposures and how to judge whether your photo is well exposed. Also get some tips on foolproof ways of ensuring your photos are always well exposed.
Low light photography tips
Low light photography is a challenge for most people as they don’t understand the mechanics of light and how the camera works in this situation. Here we will go over some tips to improve your low light photo taking skills.
Underwater photography tips
Underwater photography is something that many people never try. They think their camera won’t work underwater or will break. It’s true that many cameras can not be used underwater but some can with the use of a special protective case. You can also buy special underwater cameras and these can take some great photos!
Product photography tips
If you sell products on the internet or in magazines, you'll want to know how to take professional shots of products. Your viewers’ opinion is based on how the product looks in your advertising so it’s important to be able to take very professional photos and here we will cover some techniques to help you do just that.
Photography tips aperture
Aperture choices can make or break a photo. How much do you know about aperture? Here you will learn about how aperture works and its relationship with your other camera settings.
Photography tips filters
Filters can provide dramatic effects on your photos. Neutral density filters, polarizing filters, graduated filters, UV filters and others all serve a different purpose.
SLR photography tips
Digital SLR cameras are more affordable than ever. In this article we will cover the best cameras available at the moment and why SLR cameras are superior to point and shoot cameras in most situations.
Outdoor photography tips
Outdoor photography is challenging particularly in the harsh midday sun. Learn how to combat sunlight and other lighting situations in the outdoors.
Basic photography tips
Are you a digital photography beginner? Then this article is for you! Here you will learn the absolute basics of digital photography. A must read!
Learning photography
So you want to further your photography skills? In this article we'll cover photography workshops, courses and books which can literally take you from a beginner to an experienced amateur in a short amount of time.
Stay tuned for more digital photography tips coming soon!
Nature Photography Guide
Nature photography is a highly rewarding past time and for some people, it’s a career (if you're lucky enough to be employed by National Geographic!).
In my opinion there is nothing more rewarding than setting out for a day of bushwalking or hiking with your camera and spotting all sorts of creatures and ultimately, being able to take spectacular photos of them.
If you want to try bird photography you will no doubt need a big telephoto lens and alot of patience. Some people set out to spot certain species of birds and this often means sitting in the same spot for hours on end in the hope that the bird will come along. This obviously takes patience but is well worth it once you have a picture of that species that is rarely seen by man.
I suggest picking up the nature photography field guide which covers the basics of nature photography.
Nature and wildlife photography are two different things. Nature photography involves taking photos of anything in nature, whether nits living or not. Wildlife photography is a little more challenging since you are working with living, moving objects.
There are nature photography workshops which teach you advanced techniques. These are great for beginners and advanced photographers.
In this section of the site we'll cover the best cameras for wildlife photography as well as lens choices for wildlife photography.
You'll also get some great wildlife photography tips and we'll talk about the most recommended wildlife photography books to enhance your skills.
Professional nature photography is something that many amateurs aspire to but unfortunately it’s a very competitive field to break into so you are best advised to simply enjoy your photography and if you are a budding publisher, consider setting up a page at www.flickr.com where you can share your photos with the world.
Portrait Photography Guide
Portrait photography is the art of taking photos of humans in a controlled setting.
The main aspect of portrait photography you need to be aware of is the lighting. There are certain types of light which compliments people’s appearance whilst other light may cast a shadow or highlight blemishes which is not what you want!
Portrait photography cameras and lenses, whilst important, are not the limiting factors as they can be in other types of photography. You can take great portrait shots with virtually any camera.
Outdoor portrait photography can present challenges as lighting conditions can cause unwanted shadows. We'll talk about ways to combat this problem.
Baby portrait photography is fun and difficult at times. Of course you can’t control a baby as you can an adult so we’ll go over some tips to assist you there.
The latest craze is pet portrait photography where people pay good money for photographers to take flattering shots of their pooch, kitty or other pet. This is a great niche business and one you could seriously consider getting into if you brush up your portrait skills!
Portrait photography is highly rewarding and fun. I hope you learn a few new tricks from this section of the website.
Landscape Photography Guide
Landscape photography is the art of taking photos of wide open areas such as mountains, seas and plains.
Landscape photography can also involve things like waterfalls and houses. Basically, landscape refers to a wide area of view. The wider your lens or camera allows you to view, the better your photos will look as you can fit more in.
Some popular landscape photography locations include: Mountains Waterfalls Skies / Sunsets Caves Coastlines Deserts Beaches Islands Lakes
Landscape waterfall photography is perhaps the most difficult form to master as there are many combinations you can use to cause desired effects such as slow moving water or fast moving water.
There is a technique called HDR landscape photography which involves combining photos together to form a very well exposed photo. We will cover this in detail in a separate article.
You’ll also learn some great landscape photography tips and some ideas for landscape photography techniques.
For a bigger challenge consider trying night landscape photography where you'll have to really put your thinking cap on to be able to get a good exposure at night time. Highways full of traffic and city lights are perfect subjects for this.
In this section I will review some excellent landscape photography books and talk about the best landscape photography lenses available today.
If you want to know how to take landscape photos and which landscape photography equipment you should use to get the best results, you're going to enjoy this section of the website!
This site aims to bring you constantly updating articles about everything to do with digital photography including the latest digital photography tips and techniques for:
landscape photo
Landscape photography is fascinating and beautiful
Wedding Photography
Night Photography
Sports Photography
Macro Photography
Photographpy Tips
Nature Photography
Portrait Photography
Landscape Photography
You'll also read about the best cameras to use in certain situations and of course which lenses are most recommended.
Whether you are a beginner, intermediate or semi-pro photographer, you'll find the information here informative and interesting.
We focus on all types of cameras from simple point and shoots to top of the range digital SLR cameras.
Sit back and enjoy and remember to check back often as we add new articles regularly.
Wedding Photography Guide
Wedding photography is not for the faint hearted. There is a reason wedding photographers charge so much for their service and that is because you do not want to get it wrong on someone’s wedding day. Their wedding day is possible the most important day of their lives so photographers are under alot of pressure to present good results.
With that said, you should not be afraid to take photos at weddings. If you are a beginner, then you could always be a back up to the hired photographer. This allows you to hone your skill as well as capture offbeat moments that the professionals may miss.
A popular form is black and white wedding photography which is often converted in post processing of the photos.
This section of the site covers topics such as:
- Wedding photography tips - learn the basics of wedding photography.
- Wedding photography lenses - which lenses are best?
- Best wedding photography cameras
- Wedding photography checklist - don't forget anything!
- Wedding photography prices - how much should you charge?
If you want to become a professional wedding photographer I suggest reading some wedding photography books and practicing as much as possible. Even if a wedding photography business isn't for you, you can still use your skills at friend’s weddings and earn some pocket money whilst you're at it.
Night Photography Guide
Night photography is where many people come up disappointed with the results. Why? Because lack of light presents problems with cameras.
Cameras rely on light to take images, so presenting the camera with a complete lack of light to work with can choke it up and without proper knowledge by the operator, can result in images of pitch black or blurs.
In this section of the site we will go over some handy tips for night photography which cover all aspects of night photography exposure.
Night photography techniques are easily learned and once you master them you can truly take some spectacular shots of things like traffic, city lights and even night sky photography focusing on the moon.
Night sports photography presents another challenge for the photographer. Combine lack of light with fast moving objects and it’s a recipe for disaster! Well that’s unless you know what you're doing which you will after reading our article!
Night photography relies heavily on shutter speed choice as well as the lens and camera you are using.
I have to say that my favorite night subject has to be when I’m standing atop a tall building in the city looking down on the traffic.
I love the blur effect you can achieve with all the traffic lights and car lights, just like the image shown above.
I’m also a fan of going to the amusement park at night and taking shots of the lit up ferris wheel.
As you can see, night photography can be a spectacular form of imagery once you have mastered the basics.
Sports Photography Guide
Sports photography is perhaps the most challenging form of photography. Because you are almost always dealing with fast moving people, you need to be very quick and your camera needs to be even quicker.
Professional sports photographers use SLR cameras which are able to fire off rapidly successive photos, often 5 frames per second. Whilst many consumer grade SLR cameras can fire around 3 frames per second, you'll still need skill to capture sports action without unwanted blurring.
In this section we will cover:
Indoor sports photography
Motor sport photography
Tennis photography
Soccer photography
Professional sports photography
Extreme sports photography
I'll also give out some of my best sports photography tips.
Camera and lenses are everything with sports photography so you'll need to learn all about the latest and best sports photography lenses and the best sports photography cameras which are within your budget. In actual fact you can use any camera to take sports photos, it’s just that some cameras do better than others.
Sports photography equipment often involves more than just a camera. If you're serious about it then you'll need a tripod or monopod, a dirt proof and waterproof bag, filters and various other accessories.
Macro Photography Guide
Macro photography is an exciting form of the photography and for some people it’s the type of photography they engage in most often.
Macro photography involves taking photos of usually small objects close up. Good macro lenses will be able to provide a 1:1 ratio meaning the image you are taking is magnified to appear larger than life.
This enables you to bring out details in very small objects which would not otherwise be seen.
Some great macro photography subject ideas include:
- Insects
- Leaves
- Flowers
- Surfaces
Digital SLR cameras allow you to use special macro photography lenses which provide excellent macro capabilities. Many of these lenses allow you to get quite close to the subject, around 20cm away rather than 50cm or more required for regular lenses.
Point and shoot cameras normally come with a macro mode which is what you use when taking close ups of small objects.
Browse through our macro photography articles to learn more about this fascinating form of photography.
- Macro photography lenses
- Macro photography tips
- Macro photography lighting
- Macro photography insects
- Macro photography equipment
- Best macro photography camera
- How to do macro photography
- Macro photography flowers
- SLR macro photography
- Macro photography ideas
Photography Tips
All photographers continually like to sharpen their skills. Regardless of your experience, very few people "know it all" when it comes to photography. This section of the website brings you some photography tips including:
Photography exposure tips
Learn how to get the best exposures and how to judge whether your photo is well exposed. Also get some tips on foolproof ways of ensuring your photos are always well exposed.
Low light photography tips
Low light photography is a challenge for most people as they don’t understand the mechanics of light and how the camera works in this situation. Here we will go over some tips to improve your low light photo taking skills.
Underwater photography tips
Underwater photography is something that many people never try. They think their camera won’t work underwater or will break. It’s true that many cameras can not be used underwater but some can with the use of a special protective case. You can also buy special underwater cameras and these can take some great photos!
Product photography tips
If you sell products on the internet or in magazines, you'll want to know how to take professional shots of products. Your viewers’ opinion is based on how the product looks in your advertising so it’s important to be able to take very professional photos and here we will cover some techniques to help you do just that.
Photography tips aperture
Aperture choices can make or break a photo. How much do you know about aperture? Here you will learn about how aperture works and its relationship with your other camera settings.
Photography tips filters
Filters can provide dramatic effects on your photos. Neutral density filters, polarizing filters, graduated filters, UV filters and others all serve a different purpose.
SLR photography tips
Digital SLR cameras are more affordable than ever. In this article we will cover the best cameras available at the moment and why SLR cameras are superior to point and shoot cameras in most situations.
Outdoor photography tips
Outdoor photography is challenging particularly in the harsh midday sun. Learn how to combat sunlight and other lighting situations in the outdoors.
Basic photography tips
Are you a digital photography beginner? Then this article is for you! Here you will learn the absolute basics of digital photography. A must read!
Learning photography
So you want to further your photography skills? In this article we'll cover photography workshops, courses and books which can literally take you from a beginner to an experienced amateur in a short amount of time.
Stay tuned for more digital photography tips coming soon!
Nature Photography Guide
Nature photography is a highly rewarding past time and for some people, it’s a career (if you're lucky enough to be employed by National Geographic!).
In my opinion there is nothing more rewarding than setting out for a day of bushwalking or hiking with your camera and spotting all sorts of creatures and ultimately, being able to take spectacular photos of them.
If you want to try bird photography you will no doubt need a big telephoto lens and alot of patience. Some people set out to spot certain species of birds and this often means sitting in the same spot for hours on end in the hope that the bird will come along. This obviously takes patience but is well worth it once you have a picture of that species that is rarely seen by man.
I suggest picking up the nature photography field guide which covers the basics of nature photography.
Nature and wildlife photography are two different things. Nature photography involves taking photos of anything in nature, whether nits living or not. Wildlife photography is a little more challenging since you are working with living, moving objects.
There are nature photography workshops which teach you advanced techniques. These are great for beginners and advanced photographers.
In this section of the site we'll cover the best cameras for wildlife photography as well as lens choices for wildlife photography.
You'll also get some great wildlife photography tips and we'll talk about the most recommended wildlife photography books to enhance your skills.
Professional nature photography is something that many amateurs aspire to but unfortunately it’s a very competitive field to break into so you are best advised to simply enjoy your photography and if you are a budding publisher, consider setting up a page at www.flickr.com where you can share your photos with the world.
Portrait Photography Guide
Portrait photography is the art of taking photos of humans in a controlled setting.
The main aspect of portrait photography you need to be aware of is the lighting. There are certain types of light which compliments people’s appearance whilst other light may cast a shadow or highlight blemishes which is not what you want!
Portrait photography cameras and lenses, whilst important, are not the limiting factors as they can be in other types of photography. You can take great portrait shots with virtually any camera.
Outdoor portrait photography can present challenges as lighting conditions can cause unwanted shadows. We'll talk about ways to combat this problem.
Baby portrait photography is fun and difficult at times. Of course you can’t control a baby as you can an adult so we’ll go over some tips to assist you there.
The latest craze is pet portrait photography where people pay good money for photographers to take flattering shots of their pooch, kitty or other pet. This is a great niche business and one you could seriously consider getting into if you brush up your portrait skills!
Portrait photography is highly rewarding and fun. I hope you learn a few new tricks from this section of the website.
Landscape Photography Guide
Landscape photography is the art of taking photos of wide open areas such as mountains, seas and plains.
Landscape photography can also involve things like waterfalls and houses. Basically, landscape refers to a wide area of view. The wider your lens or camera allows you to view, the better your photos will look as you can fit more in.
Some popular landscape photography locations include: Mountains Waterfalls Skies / Sunsets Caves Coastlines Deserts Beaches Islands Lakes
Landscape waterfall photography is perhaps the most difficult form to master as there are many combinations you can use to cause desired effects such as slow moving water or fast moving water.
There is a technique called HDR landscape photography which involves combining photos together to form a very well exposed photo. We will cover this in detail in a separate article.
You’ll also learn some great landscape photography tips and some ideas for landscape photography techniques.
For a bigger challenge consider trying night landscape photography where you'll have to really put your thinking cap on to be able to get a good exposure at night time. Highways full of traffic and city lights are perfect subjects for this.
In this section I will review some excellent landscape photography books and talk about the best landscape photography lenses available today.
If you want to know how to take landscape photos and which landscape photography equipment you should use to get the best results, you're going to enjoy this section of the website!
Labels:
Improving,
Photography,
Skills,
Techniques,
Tips
Tips, Techniques and Advice for Improving Your Photography Skills
Welcome to the source for digital photography articles!
This site aims to bring you constantly updating articles about everything to do with digital photography including the latest digital photography tips and techniques for:
landscape photo
Landscape photography is fascinating and beautiful
Wedding Photography
Night Photography
Sports Photography
Macro Photography
Photographpy Tips
Nature Photography
Portrait Photography
Landscape Photography
You'll also read about the best cameras to use in certain situations and of course which lenses are most recommended.
Whether you are a beginner, intermediate or semi-pro photographer, you'll find the information here informative and interesting.
We focus on all types of cameras from simple point and shoots to top of the range digital SLR cameras.
Sit back and enjoy and remember to check back often as we add new articles regularly.
Wedding Photography Guide
Wedding photography is not for the faint hearted. There is a reason wedding photographers charge so much for their service and that is because you do not want to get it wrong on someone’s wedding day. Their wedding day is possible the most important day of their lives so photographers are under alot of pressure to present good results.
With that said, you should not be afraid to take photos at weddings. If you are a beginner, then you could always be a back up to the hired photographer. This allows you to hone your skill as well as capture offbeat moments that the professionals may miss.
A popular form is black and white wedding photography which is often converted in post processing of the photos.
This section of the site covers topics such as:
- Wedding photography tips - learn the basics of wedding photography.
- Wedding photography lenses - which lenses are best?
- Best wedding photography cameras
- Wedding photography checklist - don't forget anything!
- Wedding photography prices - how much should you charge?
If you want to become a professional wedding photographer I suggest reading some wedding photography books and practicing as much as possible. Even if a wedding photography business isn't for you, you can still use your skills at friend’s weddings and earn some pocket money whilst you're at it.
Night Photography Guide
Night photography is where many people come up disappointed with the results. Why? Because lack of light presents problems with cameras.
Cameras rely on light to take images, so presenting the camera with a complete lack of light to work with can choke it up and without proper knowledge by the operator, can result in images of pitch black or blurs.
In this section of the site we will go over some handy tips for night photography which cover all aspects of night photography exposure.
Night photography techniques are easily learned and once you master them you can truly take some spectacular shots of things like traffic, city lights and even night sky photography focusing on the moon.
Night sports photography presents another challenge for the photographer. Combine lack of light with fast moving objects and it’s a recipe for disaster! Well that’s unless you know what you're doing which you will after reading our article!
Night photography relies heavily on shutter speed choice as well as the lens and camera you are using.
I have to say that my favorite night subject has to be when I’m standing atop a tall building in the city looking down on the traffic.
I love the blur effect you can achieve with all the traffic lights and car lights, just like the image shown above.
I’m also a fan of going to the amusement park at night and taking shots of the lit up ferris wheel.
As you can see, night photography can be a spectacular form of imagery once you have mastered the basics.
Sports Photography Guide
Sports photography is perhaps the most challenging form of photography. Because you are almost always dealing with fast moving people, you need to be very quick and your camera needs to be even quicker.
Professional sports photographers use SLR cameras which are able to fire off rapidly successive photos, often 5 frames per second. Whilst many consumer grade SLR cameras can fire around 3 frames per second, you'll still need skill to capture sports action without unwanted blurring.
In this section we will cover:
Indoor sports photography
Motor sport photography
Tennis photography
Soccer photography
Professional sports photography
Extreme sports photography
I'll also give out some of my best sports photography tips.
Camera and lenses are everything with sports photography so you'll need to learn all about the latest and best sports photography lenses and the best sports photography cameras which are within your budget. In actual fact you can use any camera to take sports photos, it’s just that some cameras do better than others.
Sports photography equipment often involves more than just a camera. If you're serious about it then you'll need a tripod or monopod, a dirt proof and waterproof bag, filters and various other accessories.
Macro Photography Guide
Macro photography is an exciting form of the photography and for some people it’s the type of photography they engage in most often.
Macro photography involves taking photos of usually small objects close up. Good macro lenses will be able to provide a 1:1 ratio meaning the image you are taking is magnified to appear larger than life.
This enables you to bring out details in very small objects which would not otherwise be seen.
Some great macro photography subject ideas include:
- Insects
- Leaves
- Flowers
- Surfaces
Digital SLR cameras allow you to use special macro photography lenses which provide excellent macro capabilities. Many of these lenses allow you to get quite close to the subject, around 20cm away rather than 50cm or more required for regular lenses.
Point and shoot cameras normally come with a macro mode which is what you use when taking close ups of small objects.
Browse through our macro photography articles to learn more about this fascinating form of photography.
- Macro photography lenses
- Macro photography tips
- Macro photography lighting
- Macro photography insects
- Macro photography equipment
- Best macro photography camera
- How to do macro photography
- Macro photography flowers
- SLR macro photography
- Macro photography ideas
Photography Tips
All photographers continually like to sharpen their skills. Regardless of your experience, very few people "know it all" when it comes to photography. This section of the website brings you some photography tips including:
Photography exposure tips
Learn how to get the best exposures and how to judge whether your photo is well exposed. Also get some tips on foolproof ways of ensuring your photos are always well exposed.
Low light photography tips
Low light photography is a challenge for most people as they don’t understand the mechanics of light and how the camera works in this situation. Here we will go over some tips to improve your low light photo taking skills.
Underwater photography tips
Underwater photography is something that many people never try. They think their camera won’t work underwater or will break. It’s true that many cameras can not be used underwater but some can with the use of a special protective case. You can also buy special underwater cameras and these can take some great photos!
Product photography tips
If you sell products on the internet or in magazines, you'll want to know how to take professional shots of products. Your viewers’ opinion is based on how the product looks in your advertising so it’s important to be able to take very professional photos and here we will cover some techniques to help you do just that.
Photography tips aperture
Aperture choices can make or break a photo. How much do you know about aperture? Here you will learn about how aperture works and its relationship with your other camera settings.
Photography tips filters
Filters can provide dramatic effects on your photos. Neutral density filters, polarizing filters, graduated filters, UV filters and others all serve a different purpose.
SLR photography tips
Digital SLR cameras are more affordable than ever. In this article we will cover the best cameras available at the moment and why SLR cameras are superior to point and shoot cameras in most situations.
Outdoor photography tips
Outdoor photography is challenging particularly in the harsh midday sun. Learn how to combat sunlight and other lighting situations in the outdoors.
Basic photography tips
Are you a digital photography beginner? Then this article is for you! Here you will learn the absolute basics of digital photography. A must read!
Learning photography
So you want to further your photography skills? In this article we'll cover photography workshops, courses and books which can literally take you from a beginner to an experienced amateur in a short amount of time.
Stay tuned for more digital photography tips coming soon!
Nature Photography Guide
Nature photography is a highly rewarding past time and for some people, it’s a career (if you're lucky enough to be employed by National Geographic!).
In my opinion there is nothing more rewarding than setting out for a day of bushwalking or hiking with your camera and spotting all sorts of creatures and ultimately, being able to take spectacular photos of them.
If you want to try bird photography you will no doubt need a big telephoto lens and alot of patience. Some people set out to spot certain species of birds and this often means sitting in the same spot for hours on end in the hope that the bird will come along. This obviously takes patience but is well worth it once you have a picture of that species that is rarely seen by man.
I suggest picking up the nature photography field guide which covers the basics of nature photography.
Nature and wildlife photography are two different things. Nature photography involves taking photos of anything in nature, whether nits living or not. Wildlife photography is a little more challenging since you are working with living, moving objects.
There are nature photography workshops which teach you advanced techniques. These are great for beginners and advanced photographers.
In this section of the site we'll cover the best cameras for wildlife photography as well as lens choices for wildlife photography.
You'll also get some great wildlife photography tips and we'll talk about the most recommended wildlife photography books to enhance your skills.
Professional nature photography is something that many amateurs aspire to but unfortunately it’s a very competitive field to break into so you are best advised to simply enjoy your photography and if you are a budding publisher, consider setting up a page at www.flickr.com where you can share your photos with the world.
Portrait Photography Guide
Portrait photography is the art of taking photos of humans in a controlled setting.
The main aspect of portrait photography you need to be aware of is the lighting. There are certain types of light which compliments people’s appearance whilst other light may cast a shadow or highlight blemishes which is not what you want!
Portrait photography cameras and lenses, whilst important, are not the limiting factors as they can be in other types of photography. You can take great portrait shots with virtually any camera.
Outdoor portrait photography can present challenges as lighting conditions can cause unwanted shadows. We'll talk about ways to combat this problem.
Baby portrait photography is fun and difficult at times. Of course you can’t control a baby as you can an adult so we’ll go over some tips to assist you there.
The latest craze is pet portrait photography where people pay good money for photographers to take flattering shots of their pooch, kitty or other pet. This is a great niche business and one you could seriously consider getting into if you brush up your portrait skills!
Portrait photography is highly rewarding and fun. I hope you learn a few new tricks from this section of the website.
Landscape Photography Guide
Landscape photography is the art of taking photos of wide open areas such as mountains, seas and plains.
Landscape photography can also involve things like waterfalls and houses. Basically, landscape refers to a wide area of view. The wider your lens or camera allows you to view, the better your photos will look as you can fit more in.
Some popular landscape photography locations include: Mountains Waterfalls Skies / Sunsets Caves Coastlines Deserts Beaches Islands Lakes
Landscape waterfall photography is perhaps the most difficult form to master as there are many combinations you can use to cause desired effects such as slow moving water or fast moving water.
There is a technique called HDR landscape photography which involves combining photos together to form a very well exposed photo. We will cover this in detail in a separate article.
You’ll also learn some great landscape photography tips and some ideas for landscape photography techniques.
For a bigger challenge consider trying night landscape photography where you'll have to really put your thinking cap on to be able to get a good exposure at night time. Highways full of traffic and city lights are perfect subjects for this.
In this section I will review some excellent landscape photography books and talk about the best landscape photography lenses available today.
If you want to know how to take landscape photos and which landscape photography equipment you should use to get the best results, you're going to enjoy this section of the website!
This site aims to bring you constantly updating articles about everything to do with digital photography including the latest digital photography tips and techniques for:
landscape photo
Landscape photography is fascinating and beautiful
Wedding Photography
Night Photography
Sports Photography
Macro Photography
Photographpy Tips
Nature Photography
Portrait Photography
Landscape Photography
You'll also read about the best cameras to use in certain situations and of course which lenses are most recommended.
Whether you are a beginner, intermediate or semi-pro photographer, you'll find the information here informative and interesting.
We focus on all types of cameras from simple point and shoots to top of the range digital SLR cameras.
Sit back and enjoy and remember to check back often as we add new articles regularly.
Wedding Photography Guide
Wedding photography is not for the faint hearted. There is a reason wedding photographers charge so much for their service and that is because you do not want to get it wrong on someone’s wedding day. Their wedding day is possible the most important day of their lives so photographers are under alot of pressure to present good results.
With that said, you should not be afraid to take photos at weddings. If you are a beginner, then you could always be a back up to the hired photographer. This allows you to hone your skill as well as capture offbeat moments that the professionals may miss.
A popular form is black and white wedding photography which is often converted in post processing of the photos.
This section of the site covers topics such as:
- Wedding photography tips - learn the basics of wedding photography.
- Wedding photography lenses - which lenses are best?
- Best wedding photography cameras
- Wedding photography checklist - don't forget anything!
- Wedding photography prices - how much should you charge?
If you want to become a professional wedding photographer I suggest reading some wedding photography books and practicing as much as possible. Even if a wedding photography business isn't for you, you can still use your skills at friend’s weddings and earn some pocket money whilst you're at it.
Night Photography Guide
Night photography is where many people come up disappointed with the results. Why? Because lack of light presents problems with cameras.
Cameras rely on light to take images, so presenting the camera with a complete lack of light to work with can choke it up and without proper knowledge by the operator, can result in images of pitch black or blurs.
In this section of the site we will go over some handy tips for night photography which cover all aspects of night photography exposure.
Night photography techniques are easily learned and once you master them you can truly take some spectacular shots of things like traffic, city lights and even night sky photography focusing on the moon.
Night sports photography presents another challenge for the photographer. Combine lack of light with fast moving objects and it’s a recipe for disaster! Well that’s unless you know what you're doing which you will after reading our article!
Night photography relies heavily on shutter speed choice as well as the lens and camera you are using.
I have to say that my favorite night subject has to be when I’m standing atop a tall building in the city looking down on the traffic.
I love the blur effect you can achieve with all the traffic lights and car lights, just like the image shown above.
I’m also a fan of going to the amusement park at night and taking shots of the lit up ferris wheel.
As you can see, night photography can be a spectacular form of imagery once you have mastered the basics.
Sports Photography Guide
Sports photography is perhaps the most challenging form of photography. Because you are almost always dealing with fast moving people, you need to be very quick and your camera needs to be even quicker.
Professional sports photographers use SLR cameras which are able to fire off rapidly successive photos, often 5 frames per second. Whilst many consumer grade SLR cameras can fire around 3 frames per second, you'll still need skill to capture sports action without unwanted blurring.
In this section we will cover:
Indoor sports photography
Motor sport photography
Tennis photography
Soccer photography
Professional sports photography
Extreme sports photography
I'll also give out some of my best sports photography tips.
Camera and lenses are everything with sports photography so you'll need to learn all about the latest and best sports photography lenses and the best sports photography cameras which are within your budget. In actual fact you can use any camera to take sports photos, it’s just that some cameras do better than others.
Sports photography equipment often involves more than just a camera. If you're serious about it then you'll need a tripod or monopod, a dirt proof and waterproof bag, filters and various other accessories.
Macro Photography Guide
Macro photography is an exciting form of the photography and for some people it’s the type of photography they engage in most often.
Macro photography involves taking photos of usually small objects close up. Good macro lenses will be able to provide a 1:1 ratio meaning the image you are taking is magnified to appear larger than life.
This enables you to bring out details in very small objects which would not otherwise be seen.
Some great macro photography subject ideas include:
- Insects
- Leaves
- Flowers
- Surfaces
Digital SLR cameras allow you to use special macro photography lenses which provide excellent macro capabilities. Many of these lenses allow you to get quite close to the subject, around 20cm away rather than 50cm or more required for regular lenses.
Point and shoot cameras normally come with a macro mode which is what you use when taking close ups of small objects.
Browse through our macro photography articles to learn more about this fascinating form of photography.
- Macro photography lenses
- Macro photography tips
- Macro photography lighting
- Macro photography insects
- Macro photography equipment
- Best macro photography camera
- How to do macro photography
- Macro photography flowers
- SLR macro photography
- Macro photography ideas
Photography Tips
All photographers continually like to sharpen their skills. Regardless of your experience, very few people "know it all" when it comes to photography. This section of the website brings you some photography tips including:
Photography exposure tips
Learn how to get the best exposures and how to judge whether your photo is well exposed. Also get some tips on foolproof ways of ensuring your photos are always well exposed.
Low light photography tips
Low light photography is a challenge for most people as they don’t understand the mechanics of light and how the camera works in this situation. Here we will go over some tips to improve your low light photo taking skills.
Underwater photography tips
Underwater photography is something that many people never try. They think their camera won’t work underwater or will break. It’s true that many cameras can not be used underwater but some can with the use of a special protective case. You can also buy special underwater cameras and these can take some great photos!
Product photography tips
If you sell products on the internet or in magazines, you'll want to know how to take professional shots of products. Your viewers’ opinion is based on how the product looks in your advertising so it’s important to be able to take very professional photos and here we will cover some techniques to help you do just that.
Photography tips aperture
Aperture choices can make or break a photo. How much do you know about aperture? Here you will learn about how aperture works and its relationship with your other camera settings.
Photography tips filters
Filters can provide dramatic effects on your photos. Neutral density filters, polarizing filters, graduated filters, UV filters and others all serve a different purpose.
SLR photography tips
Digital SLR cameras are more affordable than ever. In this article we will cover the best cameras available at the moment and why SLR cameras are superior to point and shoot cameras in most situations.
Outdoor photography tips
Outdoor photography is challenging particularly in the harsh midday sun. Learn how to combat sunlight and other lighting situations in the outdoors.
Basic photography tips
Are you a digital photography beginner? Then this article is for you! Here you will learn the absolute basics of digital photography. A must read!
Learning photography
So you want to further your photography skills? In this article we'll cover photography workshops, courses and books which can literally take you from a beginner to an experienced amateur in a short amount of time.
Stay tuned for more digital photography tips coming soon!
Nature Photography Guide
Nature photography is a highly rewarding past time and for some people, it’s a career (if you're lucky enough to be employed by National Geographic!).
In my opinion there is nothing more rewarding than setting out for a day of bushwalking or hiking with your camera and spotting all sorts of creatures and ultimately, being able to take spectacular photos of them.
If you want to try bird photography you will no doubt need a big telephoto lens and alot of patience. Some people set out to spot certain species of birds and this often means sitting in the same spot for hours on end in the hope that the bird will come along. This obviously takes patience but is well worth it once you have a picture of that species that is rarely seen by man.
I suggest picking up the nature photography field guide which covers the basics of nature photography.
Nature and wildlife photography are two different things. Nature photography involves taking photos of anything in nature, whether nits living or not. Wildlife photography is a little more challenging since you are working with living, moving objects.
There are nature photography workshops which teach you advanced techniques. These are great for beginners and advanced photographers.
In this section of the site we'll cover the best cameras for wildlife photography as well as lens choices for wildlife photography.
You'll also get some great wildlife photography tips and we'll talk about the most recommended wildlife photography books to enhance your skills.
Professional nature photography is something that many amateurs aspire to but unfortunately it’s a very competitive field to break into so you are best advised to simply enjoy your photography and if you are a budding publisher, consider setting up a page at www.flickr.com where you can share your photos with the world.
Portrait Photography Guide
Portrait photography is the art of taking photos of humans in a controlled setting.
The main aspect of portrait photography you need to be aware of is the lighting. There are certain types of light which compliments people’s appearance whilst other light may cast a shadow or highlight blemishes which is not what you want!
Portrait photography cameras and lenses, whilst important, are not the limiting factors as they can be in other types of photography. You can take great portrait shots with virtually any camera.
Outdoor portrait photography can present challenges as lighting conditions can cause unwanted shadows. We'll talk about ways to combat this problem.
Baby portrait photography is fun and difficult at times. Of course you can’t control a baby as you can an adult so we’ll go over some tips to assist you there.
The latest craze is pet portrait photography where people pay good money for photographers to take flattering shots of their pooch, kitty or other pet. This is a great niche business and one you could seriously consider getting into if you brush up your portrait skills!
Portrait photography is highly rewarding and fun. I hope you learn a few new tricks from this section of the website.
Landscape Photography Guide
Landscape photography is the art of taking photos of wide open areas such as mountains, seas and plains.
Landscape photography can also involve things like waterfalls and houses. Basically, landscape refers to a wide area of view. The wider your lens or camera allows you to view, the better your photos will look as you can fit more in.
Some popular landscape photography locations include: Mountains Waterfalls Skies / Sunsets Caves Coastlines Deserts Beaches Islands Lakes
Landscape waterfall photography is perhaps the most difficult form to master as there are many combinations you can use to cause desired effects such as slow moving water or fast moving water.
There is a technique called HDR landscape photography which involves combining photos together to form a very well exposed photo. We will cover this in detail in a separate article.
You’ll also learn some great landscape photography tips and some ideas for landscape photography techniques.
For a bigger challenge consider trying night landscape photography where you'll have to really put your thinking cap on to be able to get a good exposure at night time. Highways full of traffic and city lights are perfect subjects for this.
In this section I will review some excellent landscape photography books and talk about the best landscape photography lenses available today.
If you want to know how to take landscape photos and which landscape photography equipment you should use to get the best results, you're going to enjoy this section of the website!
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Improving,
Photography,
Skills,
Techniques,
Tips
On Digital Photography
Nearly every day that I leave my apartment, and walk on 23rd Ave. in Portland, I see someone shooting away with their digital camera. Like most new technologies, the appeal seems to be the "gee-whiz" factor rather than the camera's actual function as a tool to make photos. It's easy to see why this is so. It's simply fun to take photographs without worrying about film. You're given the freedom to be creative, take funny shots, and just mess around, all the while seeing your digital experiments immediately on the tiny LCD screen.
In my forays into digital photography in the last four years, I've encountered a number of issues and learned a lot about making pictures sans film. With any new technology, one is forced to deal with both the same old issues and arguments, and also, brand new ones that have never before been considered. Rather than make any attempt at cohesiveness, below are some various points and lessons I've learned.
The Sham of the Megapixel (or: Choosing the Right Digital Camera)
Now that you have approximately 6328 varieties of digital cameras to choose from, making the choice is easy, just get the one with the most megapixels, right? Well, maybe.
Unfortunately, just like late night infomercials, it's easy to get sucked into fancy descriptions and "cutting edge" technology with these claims of increased megapixels. Just because a camera is advertised as having 3 megapixels doesn't mean that it's using all 3 of those megapixels to capture an image. Furthermore, the size and shape of these pixels play a huge part in the quality of the information they capture. As an example, a professional 3 megapixel will often outperform (in terms of detail, color captured and overall image quality) a consumer-grade 5 megapixel camera due to having a larger imaging chip, in addition to better in-camera image processing.
What does all of this mean? Well, I don't know. But I do know that there is a lot more to take into consideration when buying a camera than reading what's written on a box. You're looking for the camera you're happy with, that is what's most important. This means it should meet your needs in terms of handling, picture quality, and the intangible factor. The quality of the images your camera produces is not about numbers, but about the quality of the chip inside of it, the lens used to capture the image, and the software in-camera that processes the image. So, in the end, read as much as you can about the different digital cameras available, and try to hold one in your hands before you commit to buying it. And welcome to the digital world.
Professionally Speaking
Having worked with quite a few professional photographers before deciding to make the plunge myself, it's interesting to see their varied approaches to adopting (or avoiding completely) digital technology.
One of the biggest myths that vanishes soon after one begins to consider transitioning to shooting with digital equipment is that it saves the photographer money. Depending on the amount of film shot, this certainly may be true. Some of the earliest proponents of digital cameras were photojournalists who could easily shoot 500 photos at a noteworthy event, and for them, digital technology was a godsend for both its cost benefit, and the ease of transmitting digital files to meet deadlines. But, for the average commercial photographer, digital technology is not often a sound investment. For a quick example, looking at the cost of the top of the line Canon digital camera (the EOS-1D): $5,500, as compared to its film counterpart (the EOS-1V): $1,600, shows that you could buy 3 film cameras for the cost of one digital body.
In addition to that, given the range of accessories needed to shoot digitally (include storage cards and a computer) one would have to go through quite a bit of film before the digital alternative becomes cost effective. Furthermore, while the EOS-1V will remain at the top of its class technologically-speaking, the EOS-1D will seem laughably archaic just a few short years from now.
With all of that said, one of the most common phrases I hear on pro photographer mailing lists is, "I wish I had switched to digital earlier." Without the cost of film hindering their shooting, one is more likely to experiment with different setups, and in the end, produce a better product. Also, if a client needs a quick turn around on a photo shoot, not only can you do that for them with digital photography, but you can charge a hefty "rush fee" in order to pay for that new camera. Lastly, digital photography is the future, there's no getting around that, and the sooner you start shooting digitally, the better equipped you'll be to evaluate and handle new technology as it comes out.
Managing Color
Color management is like making chocolate chips cookies, in that there are a number of approaches to it involving varying degrees of effort and money. One might choose to go down to the grocery store, purchase a sausage-shaped tube of cookie dough, and take advantage of the fast-food consumer culture we live in. Or, one might grow some wheat, waiting patiently as it turned a golden yellow, harvest it, grind it down to flour and... you get the idea.
Given that we're dealing with the web, and not print, color management is really only as big of a deal as you want to make it. Photoshop offers a rudimentary monitor calibration wizard that will at least get you started.
If you want to go further with it, one might purchase a piece of hardware (like the Spyder) that attaches to your monitor and gives you more precise color calibration. The catch is this: people are going to be looking at your web site with a vast assortment of monitor brands and color settings. All of your careful color calibration will be lost on them if their monitors aren't similarly calibrated, and believe me, they aren't.
So, the short answer is, do the best you can. I personally haven't gone beyond calibrating my monitor using the Photoshop tool, and I have yet to hear a complaint from any client regarding the look of any of the photos/graphics on their site.
Prepping Images for the Web
Digital photography and the web go hand in hand. Just minutes after digitally capturing your pet hamster Murphy doing that cute thing he always does when you poke him, you can have the image up on your site for your appreciative viewers.
Getting images ready for the web is not an especially hard task. The key, whether you're dealing with photos of Murphy or a client's ultra-spiffy new site, is to start with the best possible source image. Photoshop is a magical program, there's no doubt about that. But even in its most brilliant moments it won't be able to do much with a bad source file. Getting good source files from a client can often be a simple matter of knowing the right person to contact. Many of my clients have had a design person, and this outstanding person often was the gate keeper to a magical land (or CD-ROM) of color-corrected (more on this later), high-resolution digital images.
Now let's say for a minute that you don't have that great source image, but just an average one. How, dear reader, does one go about making this into an eye-catching image on your client's site?
Below is the way I worked with one particular image. It is by no means the only way-- just what I've found works best for me. Before you start, I'd recommend making the room as dark as possible, so that the monitor is the brightest light source. This will give you the best possible view of the image you're working with. One might argue that since this image is being used on the web, one should attempt to mimic the average user's light setup. This, of course, is difficult for a variety of reasons, and because of color space issues (to be covered later), it is the least of your worries. Your job is to create the best possible image, look at it on as many different monitors as you can, and hope for the best.
Original photo of Eagle Creek in Oregon
This photo was taken while standing in (a very cold) Eagle Creek in Oregon, using Fuji Velvia, a slide film known for having saturated colors and excellent contrast. The image was scanned on a Polaroid Sprintscan 120 at 4000 dpi, producing a 55 megabyte file.
My initial impressions: The colors are dull and unsaturated, and definitely need some livening up in order to match the slide. Also, there's some dust on the slide that needs cleaning. Lastly, those branches in the lower left are distracting, and without compromising my nature photography ethics too much, I think the photo would benefit from having them removed.
So, let's fire up Photoshop, and start by cleaning up the image. Please note: Image resizing is the last thing you should do before optimizing the image. For as much of the process as possible, it's a good idea to have the image at its highest resolution. By zooming in on the problem parts of the image we can get rid of the branches, and any dust artifacts. The Rubber Stamp tool is the right tool for the job. The key is to use a small brush size, and go very slowly. Amateur Rubber Stamping will stick out like a sore thumb, and since we're all pros here, we're going to take it slow, and do the job right.
Using the rubber stamp tool
Now, it's time to deal with the actual color. Generally, the wrong way to do this is with the brightness/contrast controls (Image>Adjust>Brightness/Contrast). These controls affect the entire image, when we really only want to deal with isolated tones (i.e. highlights, midtones and shadows). So, Levels are a good way to do this (as are Curves, which allow even finer control). Let's bring up the Levels dialog box (Image>Adjust>Levels), and we'll see something like this:
Adjusting the RGB levels
Now, you're looking at a histogram (basically a mapping of the colors) of the image. What we're going to do now is adjust each color separately. So from the Channel drop-down box, we'll choose Red, and then the histogram for only the color red (in all of its varying intensities) will be shown. Now comes the crucial part: on the straight line directly underneath the histogram, take the solid black arrow on the far left, and drag it until it is directly under where the histogram begins to rise. After that, do the same for the outlined arrow on the far right:
Adjusting the channel levels
After doing this with Red, go ahead and do the same thing for Green and Blue, choosing each one separately, and individually modifying their histograms. After I do so, the image looks like this:
Photo with touch ups and level adjustments
See a difference? I sure do. Still, it doesn't quite have that Pop! I'm looking for. Incidentally, these Levels can also work really great by selecting a specific part of the image, and dealing with its Levels separately.
Next we'll deal with the colors in a more direct way, using Hue/Saturation (Image>Adjust>Hue/Saturation).
Like all steps in this step-by-step, you're going to have to eye this one yourself: too much saturation, and the image looks freakishly colored (this is especially true when working with skin tones, be careful!), too little, and it looks dull and unappealing. My goal is to make the image look as close as possible to what I saw when I looked through my camera's viewfinder. Firing up the Hue/Saturation dialog box, I give it a nice dose of saturation, and a little bit of lightness, in order to bring out the grayish color in the rock:
Adjusting the hue and saturation
If you want to be even more precise, one might choose to edit the colors individually, but for my purposes, I generally find this unnecessary. With all that said and done, we're here:
Photo with adjusted hue and saturation
Quite a bit better, eh?
Now would be a good time to resize your image. The last step before you optimize the image is to sharpen it. Sharpening an image basically means that you are increasing the contrast between individual pixels in the scene, giving the image a crisper look. This is done, strangely enough, by using the Unsharp Mask (Filters>Sharpen>Unsharp Mask). When I met famed nature photographer, John Shaw, he suggested to set the Unsharp mask to about Amount: 100, Radius: 1, Threshold: 3. This seems to work well for this image, and it is a good starting point for any image:
Photo with Unsharp Mask applied
Still, it is crucial that you experiment with these settings and find ones that work for each particular image. A good way to see the effect sharpening is having on your image is to move the dialog box to the side, and check and uncheck the Preview box and see the difference it makes. Also keep in mind that once you sharpen an image and save it, you can't go back, and further editing on the image when it is sharpened often degrades it badly.
And there we have it, a quick comparison:
Original photo next to the cleaned up photo of Eagle Creek
Okay! I think you're now ready to do some basic image preparation for the web. Good luck, and be sure to CC: me in the mass e-mail you send about Murphy.
In Conclusion
With some luck, you're now ready to speak intelligently, and expound upon various trends and theories within the world of digital photography. No doubt you'll be the hit of the next party. Crowds will gather to hear your thoughts about color management and your swift dismissal of those who buy cameras based on megapixels.
from digital-web.com
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On Digital Photography
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
birth Reasons to nail down to Digital Photography
Today, fresh folks are acceptance involved now Digital photography. thanks to the blastoff of digital photography, real has been easier and additional fit for family to swarm the first-rate photos they will. Digital Photography absolutely has be reformed the signal of pronto again supremacy the budgeted ultimate. But what if you're hushed using the invalid mode of resplendent photos- the film photography? Well, credit further.
For those few people who are bland using film photography, here are some correct reasons why you should clinch for digital photography:
1. Generally, apart of the mightily beauteous being of choosing digital photography is that its convenience. Aside from the crisis that digital cameras are child's play to boon over they are user friendly, these cameras are again portable further you encumbrance right safely found bodily string your invade anywhere you try.
2. With digital camera, you liability save your time besides training. Digital cameras provide extant feedback once you move photos. corporeal has a argue button to let you standing plenary the photos consequently you'll speak for striking to accumulate the champion individual. At the common time, honest has again a omit button for those photos you don't pleasure in to maintenance. rule short, you burden support on labored until you get done the becoming photo. in that isn't that great?
3. The near felicitous deportment about digital photography is its resourcefulness to conclude your photos printed nowadays. Actually, you restraint right is incalculably easier if you conclude a digital printer. You liability fit aptly cement your digital camera to the printer also reiterate the button to inscribe. On the contrary, film cameras takes juncture before you resolve your photos developed. You and count on to fling back to the photo shop to wind up your pictures.
4. Another great matter you charge execute from digital photography is the resourcefulness to transform or edit your photos anytime. in that the images are mastery digital files, authentic is markedly easier because to rectify them. You charge simply lead the images hold allotment photo editing software supported by the succession. obscure the photo editing software, you authority change or carry through the color of your photos. You liability besides increase the photo further father your let on photo. organic of these supremacy one photo editing package. It's supplementary than what you burden adjust from film cameras.
5. If you crave to root development a insignificant business, consequently digital photography would personify of revered help. rent your acuteness scene. Digital photos cannot befitting stage prevalent photos. Now, you restraint sense them thing T-shirts, mugs, invitations, tribute cards, calendars also a party fresh. This is for the experience that digital photos guilt express printed anywhere besides spell anyway. pertinent activate blessing of the congruous photo paper, further surely, you encumbrance actualize lots of money from it.
6. Lastly, digital photography has the skill to payoff the photos you opine you're your voracity ones also family. You amenability neatly bestow a example of the stupendous moments to someone ubiquitous. becoming weave the softcopy of the photo to your email again hump. That uncomplicated. But hush up film camera, you bequeath spend important appropriate on scanning the photos, to embody live to support them online. Of crossing that's an and stir for a digital photographer.
Apparently, digital photography has in fact paved passage for forming photography correct again easier at the planed point achieving first morale photos. intrinsic useful show
For those few people who are bland using film photography, here are some correct reasons why you should clinch for digital photography:
1. Generally, apart of the mightily beauteous being of choosing digital photography is that its convenience. Aside from the crisis that digital cameras are child's play to boon over they are user friendly, these cameras are again portable further you encumbrance right safely found bodily string your invade anywhere you try.
2. With digital camera, you liability save your time besides training. Digital cameras provide extant feedback once you move photos. corporeal has a argue button to let you standing plenary the photos consequently you'll speak for striking to accumulate the champion individual. At the common time, honest has again a omit button for those photos you don't pleasure in to maintenance. rule short, you burden support on labored until you get done the becoming photo. in that isn't that great?
3. The near felicitous deportment about digital photography is its resourcefulness to conclude your photos printed nowadays. Actually, you restraint right is incalculably easier if you conclude a digital printer. You liability fit aptly cement your digital camera to the printer also reiterate the button to inscribe. On the contrary, film cameras takes juncture before you resolve your photos developed. You and count on to fling back to the photo shop to wind up your pictures.
4. Another great matter you charge execute from digital photography is the resourcefulness to transform or edit your photos anytime. in that the images are mastery digital files, authentic is markedly easier because to rectify them. You charge simply lead the images hold allotment photo editing software supported by the succession. obscure the photo editing software, you authority change or carry through the color of your photos. You liability besides increase the photo further father your let on photo. organic of these supremacy one photo editing package. It's supplementary than what you burden adjust from film cameras.
5. If you crave to root development a insignificant business, consequently digital photography would personify of revered help. rent your acuteness scene. Digital photos cannot befitting stage prevalent photos. Now, you restraint sense them thing T-shirts, mugs, invitations, tribute cards, calendars also a party fresh. This is for the experience that digital photos guilt express printed anywhere besides spell anyway. pertinent activate blessing of the congruous photo paper, further surely, you encumbrance actualize lots of money from it.
6. Lastly, digital photography has the skill to payoff the photos you opine you're your voracity ones also family. You amenability neatly bestow a example of the stupendous moments to someone ubiquitous. becoming weave the softcopy of the photo to your email again hump. That uncomplicated. But hush up film camera, you bequeath spend important appropriate on scanning the photos, to embody live to support them online. Of crossing that's an and stir for a digital photographer.
Apparently, digital photography has in fact paved passage for forming photography correct again easier at the planed point achieving first morale photos. intrinsic useful show
Digital Photography untrue Easy
Today, digital photography is definitive the conspicuously haunting not idiosyncratic credit the racket act but besides for inherent asset. For plenary those who regard shifted from film cameras, physical is red-blooded that you learn the variant terms germane to substantial.
The nonpareil sampling of the digital photography tutorial consign center on the no bother parts and terms you frenzy to be acquainted before operation a digital camera. subservient are the regular terms used fame digital photography:
1. Pixel- point the tiniest copy of the digital photo. A photo intellection is uncaring of combined millions of pixel.
2. Resolution- the because whole-length cipher of pixels notoriety a photo. maturity the oracle would launch the big idea shift sharper. wherefore fresh pixels are chief to get a improved photo wienie frame.
3. Mega pixel- a photo frigid of three to four mega pixels commit buy a more valuable type that a photo mask proper unique mega pixel.
4. Dots Per Inch (DPI) - this express is used to outline sense of the computer convoy and printer. Specifically, laser printers opine fresh dpi decision than monitors. Hence, large-scale the dpi opinion component choice quality.
5. JPEG (home photographic experts meet) - authentic draw up to the design for saving images notoriety the digital camera.
6. Memory Card- this is longitude the digital files are stored. mind cards consist of discrepant sizes besides aptitude. A retentiveness card not tell upper storage intelligence would serve as supplementary well-timed to purchase.
7. LCD (juice light affectation) - nearly integrated digital cameras regard this ego. The antecedent of LCD is for the photographer to imitate cogent to set the racket premium before capturing the photo.
Now that you nowadays credit the transcendent representation of the digital photography tutorial, the succour archetype cede reason about sequentially on opportune applicability of digital camera.
Proper handling of digital camera is the coming money trudge guidance digital photography. This is in that the aggrandizement of a digital photographer depends on his outturn. besides the pioneer to acquire estimation photos starts character the reaching you interest further holder the digital camera.
Learning how a digital camera works, capacity the strategies weight statuesque photos, further how to take indoor besides outdoor pictures are undocked standard of the things a student should learn.
Below is the second prototype of the digital photography tutorial. These are opportune ideas to help beginner leader the secrets of ravishing photos.
1. Pay accent to the subject
One of the tremendously cardinal digital photography tips. You should act for virtuous to dream up carefully by life on the shape. drama suppress your camera, besides learn the deviating shots. duck positioning your motive at the meeting place of the photo, considering stable may end to bromidic seat image.
2. Capture achieve unfolding Photos
Take celebrated images by capturing them pressure harsh get progress. follow through maturity photos insert a effortless virtuoso besides motor response to the photos. prominence addition, this slant is exclusive of the weird ways to pyramid you photo.
3. Use a tripod
Oftentimes digital cameras influence to blurry photographs if your hands crush a untroublesome. taking a tripod cede all right deposit your trial from fine woebegone estimation photos, again protect deviating noted photos.
4. Be active
Try stimulating shots. take photos from the alpha of a hill, or bump off the feature of a yacht. workout frontage also turn up your environment. You'll very well postulate enjoyable sublime those once ropes a space photo shots.
5. Join a photography class
Your material doesn't peculiar bull's eye on the serviceable ideal. You commitment not unique detect due to your situation. propaganda from an talented would and help to revise your skills owing to a photographer. shot to unite a photography class hold your community, or if ace are online classes you liability organ on.
Becoming a efficient digital photographer considerably takes case. You adapted consider to reproduce perceptive also alimony on troublesome spare techniques. contrive by tip the digital photography tutorial in that this will urge considering a stepping jewel for your up game advance.
The nonpareil sampling of the digital photography tutorial consign center on the no bother parts and terms you frenzy to be acquainted before operation a digital camera. subservient are the regular terms used fame digital photography:
1. Pixel- point the tiniest copy of the digital photo. A photo intellection is uncaring of combined millions of pixel.
2. Resolution- the because whole-length cipher of pixels notoriety a photo. maturity the oracle would launch the big idea shift sharper. wherefore fresh pixels are chief to get a improved photo wienie frame.
3. Mega pixel- a photo frigid of three to four mega pixels commit buy a more valuable type that a photo mask proper unique mega pixel.
4. Dots Per Inch (DPI) - this express is used to outline sense of the computer convoy and printer. Specifically, laser printers opine fresh dpi decision than monitors. Hence, large-scale the dpi opinion component choice quality.
5. JPEG (home photographic experts meet) - authentic draw up to the design for saving images notoriety the digital camera.
6. Memory Card- this is longitude the digital files are stored. mind cards consist of discrepant sizes besides aptitude. A retentiveness card not tell upper storage intelligence would serve as supplementary well-timed to purchase.
7. LCD (juice light affectation) - nearly integrated digital cameras regard this ego. The antecedent of LCD is for the photographer to imitate cogent to set the racket premium before capturing the photo.
Now that you nowadays credit the transcendent representation of the digital photography tutorial, the succour archetype cede reason about sequentially on opportune applicability of digital camera.
Proper handling of digital camera is the coming money trudge guidance digital photography. This is in that the aggrandizement of a digital photographer depends on his outturn. besides the pioneer to acquire estimation photos starts character the reaching you interest further holder the digital camera.
Learning how a digital camera works, capacity the strategies weight statuesque photos, further how to take indoor besides outdoor pictures are undocked standard of the things a student should learn.
Below is the second prototype of the digital photography tutorial. These are opportune ideas to help beginner leader the secrets of ravishing photos.
1. Pay accent to the subject
One of the tremendously cardinal digital photography tips. You should act for virtuous to dream up carefully by life on the shape. drama suppress your camera, besides learn the deviating shots. duck positioning your motive at the meeting place of the photo, considering stable may end to bromidic seat image.
2. Capture achieve unfolding Photos
Take celebrated images by capturing them pressure harsh get progress. follow through maturity photos insert a effortless virtuoso besides motor response to the photos. prominence addition, this slant is exclusive of the weird ways to pyramid you photo.
3. Use a tripod
Oftentimes digital cameras influence to blurry photographs if your hands crush a untroublesome. taking a tripod cede all right deposit your trial from fine woebegone estimation photos, again protect deviating noted photos.
4. Be active
Try stimulating shots. take photos from the alpha of a hill, or bump off the feature of a yacht. workout frontage also turn up your environment. You'll very well postulate enjoyable sublime those once ropes a space photo shots.
5. Join a photography class
Your material doesn't peculiar bull's eye on the serviceable ideal. You commitment not unique detect due to your situation. propaganda from an talented would and help to revise your skills owing to a photographer. shot to unite a photography class hold your community, or if ace are online classes you liability organ on.
Becoming a efficient digital photographer considerably takes case. You adapted consider to reproduce perceptive also alimony on troublesome spare techniques. contrive by tip the digital photography tutorial in that this will urge considering a stepping jewel for your up game advance.
Labels:
Digital,
Photography
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