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Friday, October 24, 2008

WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS


Photographing wedding can be a great opportunity to shoot great photos but it is also a great responsibility,this because you don't have a chance to re-shoot,so you have to do everything right the first time.We will give you some tips to improve your skills in shooting wedding photography.But at first I advice you not to start as payed photographer in your friend or somebodies wedding if you are an amateur,is better for you to shoot photos for yourself ,your pleasure and then if you capture some good photos you can show them to the married couple.So you should not be the only photographer on the weeding,and even if the couple asks,you must advice them to hire a professional photographer so you are free of any responsibility if something goes wrong and you can learn from the professional photographer by looking how he works,but you also accept their invitation without being payed and make your best to shoot some great photos so your friend could be proud of you and enjoy their memories for a long long time .A wedding needs a lot of energy and money to be done and all that could not be wasted.Here are some tips for you:
1.Practice on every other kind of photography before trying wedding photography,this can be very helpful.You have to learn how to use diffused light.The ability to bounce flash or diffuse it can be very important.In many churches the light is very low.If you’re allowed to use a flash (and some churches don’t allow it) think about whether bouncing the flash will work (remember if you bounce off a colored surface it will add a colored cast to the picture) or whether you might want to buy a flash diffuser to soften the light. If you can’t use a flash you’ll need to either use a fast lens at wide apertures and/or bump up the ISO. A lens with image stabilization might also help.
2.You have to be fully prepared on how the wedding is going to be:
  • so you have to see the church and the place where is going to be the celebration, so you can find the best spots and the best light to shoot,

  • you have to know the groom and bride houses so you shoot some photos during their preparation for the big moment,

  • you have to know who is invited so you know who are the couples family and friends so you know better what photos you need to do,
  • maybe you should do a list of things the couples want's to have as memories:For example cake,bride dress,rings etc...
  • Consider having an assistant or a back-up photographer.Two are better then one and if you loose a special moment he can help.
3. Prepare your equipment -You should always check your equipment before the wedding:
  • This goes without saying -you must have a camera.I recommend a DSLR (the image quality tends to be higher on DSLR's than on point and shoots) that is at least 8 megapixel's.Is better two have to cameras,so if something goes wrong with the fir

  • s one you can use the other one.
  • A selection of lenses ranging from ultra wide angle to medium telephoto for a start, and if possible with a large aperture of F2.8

  • Charge your battery,and maybe is better to have two batteries charged or even more
  • Use high capacity memory cards,because you will shoot a lot and handle them with c

  • are when processing them later.I think is better to download your images from the memory card to your laptop just after it is full with images,so they are safe because everything might happen and the couple might loose their wedding photos.
  • Take a good tripod with you and an external flash shoe is required for bounce flash.
4.Turn off your sound camera- as it can cause distraction,and because that day all eyes should focus on the couple not on you.
5.Shoot the little detail-On the wedding day not only the people are important as memories of the couple,but some little detail can be important too,for example:the rings,the cake,the bride dress etc...
6.Always shoot in RAW-So it is easier to make some modifications later.
7.Always shoot and don't delete the photos you don't like while you are shooting-you will think about deleting later when you have more time and could be more concentrated,because you might even use some of those picture and they can sometimes be really great.And most important don't stop shooting and you will capture great images
8.Consider your background-Most of the time during the wedding you can find people everywhere even on your picture background destroing them so you have to be careful with that,as it is a very important element of your photographs.
9.Continuous shooting mode-having this option on your camera can be very helpful,because most of the time you will need to shoot a lot of photos very fast.Sometimes it’s the shot you take a second after the formal or posed shot when everyone is relaxing that really captures the moment!
10.Aperture Priority-If you haven't still mastered light and proper exposure,you must use aperture priority when shooting,you cant afford the chance of improper exposure in some crucial moments,like when the priest says: "You may kiss the bride"
12-Find a step ladder-That can be very useful when you want to include a group of people on the photo or maybe find a balcony on the church or the place where the ceremony will be so you can shoot some photos.The beauty of getting up high is that you get everyone’s face in it and can fit a lot of people in the one shot. The key is to be able to get everyone to the place you want them to stand quickly and to be ready to get the shot without having everyone stand around for too long. I found the best way to get everyone to the spot is to get the bride and groom there and to have a couple of helpers to herd everyone in that direction.
13-ENJOY-I advice you to enjoy while taking shoots and they will be better,but enjoy also enjoy photos of the wedding while viewing them.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

BEGINNERS UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY

Underwater photography can be great but you need a little experience to shoot underwater and you need the right equipment for your camera and yourself to keep you safe because sometimes it can be dangerous if you are not prepared but also it is like another world and it can be beautiful.Here in this article we are talking about beginners underwater photography and just the pleasure in doing it.
1.You have to know the basics of photography- as all of them generally are applied in underwater photography but you will also need to learn some other technique and to have special materials as the light diffuses differently in the water not like in the air.
2 .You should have some diving lessons-Because is very important that you learn to stay in a stable position in the water and because most of the photography are close ups you will need to stay motionless.With diving lessons comes the diving gear that should be chosen carefully so you are safe underwater and comfortable to be capable of photographing .
3.Additional light-Is very important when shooting underwater because the colors become very muted at normal diving depths,but sometimes this is not true and you can have great photos without the beneficial of additional light,and to do these we might help with this trick:
  • Shooting the above-water and underwater portions-Typically, an extremely wide-angle lens like a full-frame fishEye is used behind the widest possible dome port in an underwater housing. The air/water interface bisects the composition. Ideally, something of interest will occupy both the topside and underwater portion of the composition.You should use a Shutter Speed that prevents camera motions,let say 1/200 of a second and a low ISO,but if you will need a smaller aperture for a bigger depth of field you should increase ISO up to 200 or even 400.
4.Shoot upword-As creates the effect that the subject is large ,when you shoot down it makes the subject look smaller and it can be lost in the big background.
5.You have to shoot close-as water sucks up lighting and flash falloff is much greater underwater.
6.Choose a place to shoot and practice a lot there-You have predetermine lighting setups,know the area so you can choose the best angle to shoot your photos and know the animals around there so you will know how to photograph them.
7.Choose the right photo gear-The biggest issue to consider, especially in point-and-shoot systems, is digital lag-that annoying little delay that occurs between the time you push the shutter button and the time the camera actually takes the picture. Even a small delay can mean the difference between a well-composed image and a shot of the tail of a fleeing fish.Newer digital compacts have greatly reduced digital lag, and with digital SLRs it’s rarely an issue.
The viewfinder of your housing can also make a big difference in terms of critical focus and precise composition.
Memory card should be with high capacity,because the more you shoot the higher is the possibility to have great pictures and you have to buy better batteries so you can shoot more
8.Capture a diver- if you want to photograph a diver.both of you have to work on your signs language and use some sounds to drive diver attention without scaring the creatures around you.
9.Always practice-Most of the time underwater photography is luck but good planning and inspired execution can make luck happen.So you have to practice and practice

Thursday, October 16, 2008

FUNNY PHOTOGRAPHY

Funny picture can give the laugh you might need.Capturing them can be rewarding too.We will give you some tips on how to shoot humorous picture.Humor can be be found everyday you just need to be a little careful to notice it and you have to take your camera always with you so you don't loose a single funny moment.In these occasions a single photo can tell its own story.This doesn't mean that you have to wait until a funny thing happens to photograph it,you can set something yourself and shoot.Follow these simple tips:
1.If you see something funny going on photograph it-You have to notice funny signs, position or situation.Look for contrast or just moments that make you say "huh?".
2.Center your subject-Sometimes just centering and getting very close to your subject can create a funny feeling to your photo.This is not a rule,sometimes you just need to put your subject off-center that creates a silly effect.A wide-angle lens can cause distortion which may not be desirable for portraits but can create funny faces if your subject is willing.I advice you to shoot both ways and then choose who's better.
3.Animals and children- are the best subjects for humorous photos.Kids are always cute and they can make you smile every time.Animals too are very funny when they take some silly expression or positions.
  • But they can be unpredictable with their fast movements so you have to be prepared by using high Shutter Speed and big aperture so you avoid motion blur that destroys your picture.
  • Capture the baby showing an adult facial expression or behaviour. This can be very funny.
  • Use mirrors-for example a curios baby looking at himself on the mirror,of course you have to be really careful so he doesn't get hurt.If you are lucky enough to photograph identical twins you don’t even need the mirror to give the photo an unexpected edge.
  • You can photograph a baby having fun in a peculiar place.
  • Very funny can be a baby wearing big adult shoes,sunglasses, or funny clothes.
  • Shoot the baby from a different angle,from above from behind or don't make him appear as small but as a giant.
  • Shoot babies when they are playing and they get very dirty,can be very silly.
4.Look for big differences in size-For example you can shoot hilarious photos of big animals,like big dogs with babies,or something less dangerous with very big objects and babies.This kind of situation can be very funny.
5.Set something up-Like I set before you can create funny situations and shoot them,they can be set up of strange objects, signs,animals or people.
6.Have fun capturing them and share your photos-so other people can laugh with them because you know that laughter and humor are the secret of a long life.

Monday, October 13, 2008

BIRDS PHOTOGRAPHY

Birds can be a very interesting subject to shoot because they offer a great variety of shapes, colors and dimensions.In order to do that you have to know some basic things about photography and some necessary equipment.This what we are going to talk about in this article.
1.The right time-The best season for shooting birds photography is in Spring,because is the season that you can find them almost anywhere trying to mate,and their colors are the best.This doesn't mean you cant get great pictures during other seasons,for example:during autumn when they migrate in groups.So you have to find the opportunity that fits you the most.And the perfect time of the day are after the sunrise and before sunrise,time in which

they are very active and the lighting from the sun is not to strong.
2.Know your subject and the right place-In order for you to get great photos you have to know all you can about the birds you want to photograph,because knowing their habits helps you a lot in finding the right place and time to take great pictures.
3.Camera and equipment-If you want to shoot bird photography you need to have a SLR/DSLR with a 300mm (or more) lens, but in the back yard the rules change. You can even get good shots with an advanced point and shoot with 10x Zoom.
A good tripod or a monopod is very important also a shutter release.
Flash unit are very important to fill shadows because often bird hide through trees and leaves create shadows that are not good for your photo.So you have to learn using fill flash as it will dramatically enhance your bird images.
4.Camera settings-As with all photography, you need to consider the basic elements that make for a good photograph, including lighting, exposure, composition, color, details etc.I advice you to use manual exposure but if you don't have much experience with it you can use auto-expos
ure.
You can set white balance manually but you can always do it later if you shoot in RAW so do that.this way if you do forget to set white balance or exposure is off a little you can fix it within your image editing software.
Using Aperture Priority Mode helps you control the Depth Of Field.
Use fast Shutter Speeds they are great for bird photographs.Because birds are fast maybe they're flying,so you will usually need at least a 1/500 second shutter speed. Even small songbirds, when perched, will often make sudden and unexpected movements.But some times they are more quite so you need to control Shutter Speed depending on the situation
5.Consider your background-Never forget that background is very important when shooting birds,because a nice a background can make a huge difference and in case of boring background blur it.
6.Learn to be patient- If you are not patient you better don't try shooting birds. Because you may stay for ours in one place and don't take a decent shoot.All you need to learn shooting birds is PRACTICE and PATIENT.But this happens only if you love what you do.

Sunday, October 12, 2008

WINTER PHOTOGRAPHY

Winter can offer some really great pictures but it is very difficult shooting them and could be very challenging.With our tips we want to help you through the process.
1.Dress warmly-The mos important thing is to keep your self warm because you could stay many ours in very low temperatures freezing your self to death.You have to be very careful especially for the head because it is the primary source of heat loss so I advice you to use wool pull-down hat that covers your ears.And you can use chemical hand warmers,they are very practical.
2.Protect your camera-If you want to shoot during snow fall you have to protect your camera because the snow on it can freeze it and block it so you may use a commercial rain cover.Another important thing is not to warm your camera as it can create condensation and damage it.
3.Careful with batteries-I advice you to take some extra batteries with you and keep them in a warm place,lets say in your coat pocket,as the cold can zap out energy from your batteries.
4.Watch your breath-don't release it in front of the view finder as you can create vapor which instantly becomes a film of ice and becomes unusuable for a long period of time.And also careful and do not warm your lenses as it can be
very problematic and even loose all day without shooting.
5.Tripod-Always carry your tripod but careful with it as it can also be damaged by cold temperatures and snow.Maybe you would want to keep is legs all together,push them slowly to the snow and then spread them so you can protect them from damages.
6.Exposure-Is the most important thing you have to learn to shoot in cold winter.Because you often have big surface with snow which is very white your camera meter sees it as overexposed and tends to make it a medium gray tone which we don't want.The way to avoid this is to overexpose the meter reading(but be sure to meter just snow ) depending upon the lighting conditions,let say ,+1.5 to +2 for sunny midday condition or if lighting is more subdued:Early morning or late day,or heavy overcast you have to go to +1/2 to +1.If you are using an automatic point and shoot camera and you have an exposure lock button,you can compensate by filling the frame of the view finder with a Darker area and depress the exposure lock button.The camera meter will overexpose the scene upon the dark area that you metered.You can shoot a photo with this procedure and another exposed automatically and choose whose the best.Careful so that the metered scene is not to dark.If your camera has a spot meter function sometimes shown as a rectangle with a center dot use it to pre-focus on a non-white object and then shoot.This will help you a lot.
7.Remember you have to shoot in Raw so you can change some things after and make your photos better.

Saturday, October 11, 2008

FIREWORKS PHOTOGRAPHY

Firework can offer a great view and we all want to have some memories of them,but capturing them in a photograph can be a little bit difficult and needs a lot of practice.Here are some tips to help you throw this process.
1.USE A TRIPOD-and must be a good one if you want to do the best.It would be very helpful to use a remote cable so you avoid all the camera shaking caused by your finger,if not you have to work without it and try to do the best or use your camera timing by setting it 1 sec.
2.CHOOSE THE RIGHT SPOT-It's very important to be in the best position.And also could be great if you enter in your frame some important object like a palace or a bridge.Having water in the foreground could create a beautiful reflection of the firework and is also great.But you have to avoid crowded places so you will not take shoulders or heads of people.Stay in a high place let say a high palace or somewhere else where you can be alone.
3.CAREFUL WITH THE WEATHER-The most import factor is the wind that can spread the smoke and damages your shoots.so you should be extra careful and avoid taking it on the frame.
4.SHUTTER SPEED-you have to use a shutter speed between 1-4 sec,not less that doesn't give the effect you want and not more because it will just cause a washed out image.But in some cameras you can use a preset option called bulb or just use night mode.
5.APERTURE PRIORITY-The best values are between f8 and f16.If You narrow it more than f16 you image will not me sharp enough.
6.ISO-You have to use ISO at 100 because if it higher it will introduce noise to you photo.
7.TURN OFF FLASH LIGHT-as it want help you with distance photos,on the contrary it will cause damages.
8.SHOOT A LOT-in order for you to get the best picture you have to take a lot shoots so I advice you to take a high capacity memory card and extra batteries,you may need them.
9.FRAME-Some would prefer a vertical shoot but this is not important,it depends on what do you want to include on the frame.
10.HAVE FUN

BLUE SKY EFFECT


1-Shoot with a blue sky-this means that in order fort you to
obtain blue sky on your photos you should have a blue sky,doesn't matter if its a little pale because you can fix it easely,but in order for you to improve an overcast sky you must go throw a lot of trouble.In this article we will talk about adjusting your existing blue sky.How to make it a deep blue.
2-Shoot in Raw-always shoot in raw as you have more possibility to make changes on your picture without damaging it,for example you can change your color temperature,or exposure or you can use even presets to make your work look better in an easy way.But if this is not enough we will pass to the other tip that means working it with digital darkroom.
3-Photoshop-With the help of photoshop we can change sky color without using any polarising filter but still have a similar effect. Here we are not going to use hue end saturation layer but we are using something else that gives a close effect with the polarising filter.All we have to is go to IMAGE option on the top of your photoshop window and select ADJUSTMENT and then SELECTIVE COLOR.Inside the SELECTIVE COLOR change the color to blues.Now I advice you to change black bar but it all depends on the photo you want to adjust so you have to play will colors until you create the color of the sky you wanted.This is just a simple and fast way to change the blue of the sky and make it darker,for other cases like overcast sky,over exposed and other we will talk in other articles..



Tuesday, October 7, 2008

BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOGRAPHY

First we will give you some tips on how to shoot B&W photography than why a photo will be better if presented in B&W.
The tips to shoot in B&W are:
1.SHOOT IN COLOR-yes even if you want a B&W photography you should shoot in colors because you can turn it in B&W later very easily.IF you shoot in B&W you cant turn it back in colors,plus there is another problem that some cameras don't have an option in shooting B&W.
2.SHOOT IN RAW-like every other kind of photos you should shoot in because it gives you more freedom processing it after.Another great thing of shooting in raw is that you can shoot with B&W option so you can control how your subject looks in B&W and still have it in color when transfering it on your PC
3.USE LOW ISO-this is a very important factor,because a high ISO can give noise to your picture and when you transform it in B&W it can ruin your photo and could be hard or even impossible to remove all the noise.
4.SHOOT IN LOW CONT RAST SITUATION-you have to choose days with overcast sky,even that these pictures don't look good in colors they can be amazing in B&W.The over exposed sky in these situation is much easier to ignore and the viewer can be more focused on the subject.
5.COMPOSING-most of the tips given for other kind of photography van be applied in B&W.You have to be extra careful to shapes and texture.and you have to be careful with shadows and highlights.
Now this last tip takes as to the second part of the article,
and learn why we have to do B&W photography.
1.B&W photographys can express emotions sometimes better than color photography.So you can use it with portaits very well.They heighten the drama of your subject and lets your viewer focus better in you subject without the colors that can distract.Skin tones with B&W are better without blemishings,blotches...
2.Photos in B&W are more romantic that why more and more couples prefer their wedding photos in B&W.It makes the photos classic, timeless and therefor romantic.So you can shoot baby portrait,family portraits,wedding photographs
3.B&W can be beautiful in landscape photography,especially with an overcast sky.You have to try it both ways and choose which is better :color or B&W.It gives interesting texture, lines or patterns in nature giving it a poetic feeling.
4.You can use B&W photos and let just one color stand out so that the viewer can focus on what you tell him to.This could be a great way to present your picture.
At last after all B&W is great
because it creates images that are so personal and meaningful.So remember you have to practice and one day you will get your perfect picture.GOOD LUCK

Thursday, October 2, 2008

FALL PHOTOGRAPHY


Now that the fall has come you have the chance to shoot breath- taking photos because of the great variety of colors it offers.With our tips we will help you doing the best picture ever.
1.Like every other landscape photography the best time for shooting is in the early morning or during the sunset.I would prefer during sunset cause of the golden glow it gives to the photo
2.It is better to shoot with an overcast sky because the diffusion of the light is better and you avoid bright sunny light that washes out your colors.But with an overcast sky you have to leave the sky out of the picture or it will be a disaster.
3.You can use a polarising filter as it help make colors more intense.Or you can under- expose by a half stop to intensify colors without a filter.
4.You have to use a tripod if you want sharp results.
5.Use the rule of thirds to frame your image. Imagine your viewfinder is divided into thirds vertically and horizontally. Compose the image so that the main subject is located at one of the intersections of the third lines.
6.Play with the white balance so you can warm up the colors temperature just a little.
7.The mos important thing of all,concentrate on your subject,what do you want to use as foreground and background.Try different position until you find the perfect one.Simplify you picture by letting out all distracting objects.
8.You have to search for contrast for example leaves in a bright blue sky cause they are very pretty
9.Remember you have to use all the tips above so you can take the best picture you can but than you have to develo
p it with digital darkroom like photoshop, lightroom,etc.I advice to shoot in Raw.You can use curves an levels for better contrast colors without damaging your photo.But this will be subject for another article.