Wednesday 30 April 2014

5 Common Mistakes to Avoid as a Beginner Photographer

5 Common Mistakes to Avoid as a Beginner Photographer

Link to PictureCorrect Photography Tips

5 Common Mistakes to Avoid as a Beginner Photographer

Posted: 29 Apr 2014 11:41 PM PDT

Photography is a wonderful hobby or career that is accessible to almost anyone who is interested. The great thing about photography is that anyone can pick up a camera and start taking pictures, but if you choose to learn more advanced methods there can be a steep learning curve. Then again, there are a few common pitfalls that you may wish to avoid if you’re just getting started.

Gear Everywhere!

With all of the photo equipment available, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with all of the possibilities. Tripods, extra lenses, filters, darkroom gear, timers, lights, reflectors – the list is endless. If you don’t have a solid understanding of what you’re able to do with your camera, you’ll never be able to truly master the use of all of the accessories. Start off small with a basic DSLR camera and only one lens. When you feel like you’ve pushed that as far as you can, then start looking for some fancier gear.

photography gear

“Photography Gear” captured by Mark Sebastian

No Backup Plan

In the beginning, it’s common to miss a lot of great shots. In fact, not only will you miss a lot of great photographs, you’re also going to mess up on photos you were able to take. That’s why you should generally take every picture (that you care about) at least twice or at least closely look at the image on the LCD screen to make sure it turned out. This will help teach you about the subtleties of your camera’s inner workings, as well as provide a bit of safety in knowing you won’t miss the important things. Besides, in the day of digital the cost of shooting thousands of images is no more than shooting only ten.

Built-In Flash

You don’t need it. An automatic flash will, at best, teach you to ignore complex or difficult lighting situations and will, at worst, ruin your images. You should turn your flash off and get used to working with natural light and your camera’s settings so you can further develop your photography skills. You can take pictures without a flash in almost any environment. All you have to do is be a little creative in how you use the light that’s available.

Centered Subjects

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to put your subjects in the exact center of the frame. This can create unnecessary space in your pictures and make them less interesting. Picture the frame or viewfinder of your camera as a cropping tool so you’ll always compose exactly what you want in your picture. Good framing is something that doesn’t take long to learn and will improve your work for a lifetime.

photography composition

“Dog & Beach” captured by Ratioshoot (Click image to see more from Ratioshoot.)

Point and Shoot

Simple point-and-shoot cameras with giant LCD screens on the back are certainly tempting, but if you’re hoping to learn about the art of photography and to challenge yourself to improve, you’re probably not going to get anything out of one. Many beginners pick these cameras due to their convenience and affordability, which is absolutely fine if you’re only intending to use it for non-professional or artistic purposes. If you want to understand photographs and the ways in which you can create them, you need to start with the right tool for the job.

Overall, these five mistakes are easy to avoid and won’t cause you much harm if you happen to stumble into one now and again. When learning photography, it’s important to establish good habits and skills early on so you can continue to build upon a solid base of knowledge going forward. By regularly taking pictures and avoiding these common pitfalls, you’ll be taking great quality pictures in no time that you’ll be happy to share with others.

About the Author:
Autumn Lockwood is a writer for Your Picture Frames and loves taking pictures. Your Picture Frames makes it easy for you to find just the perfect frame for your photo or artwork.


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Article from: PictureCorrect Photography Tips

Crocodiles vs. Hippos: A Battle of Epic Proportions

Posted: 29 Apr 2014 04:03 PM PDT

When photographer Marc Mol boarded his microlight aircraft in 2011 to fly over Zambia’s South Luangwa National Park, he must have expected to see some amazing sights from his bird’s eye view. He probably didn’t expect to witness this epic battle of beasts as a massive herd of hippos and an equally-massive bask of Nile crocodiles engaged in mortal combat at a watering hole:

(for those of you reading this by email, the photo album can be seen here)

Since hippopotami and crocodiles share the same watery living environments, clashes between the two species are common, though not at these proportions. Usually these confrontations are singular battles between an opportunistic croc looking to feast on an unsuspecting hippo calf and a protective mother hippo who will gladly fight to the death to protect her own—or between much smaller bands of the animals when the hippos aim to drive the predatory crocs away from young calves.

As for who usually wins those battles… crocodiles are 16 foot, 500-pound killing machines who can demolish bone with their jaws just as easily as someone might snap a toothpick. However, despite all of that sheer power, crocodiles aren’t the most dangerous and deadly animal in Africa—hippos are. They might not be able to inflict 3,000 pounds of crushing force per square inch like the crocodile, but hippos’ razor sharp tusks and massive size (measuring 14 feet long and weighing 4 tons) allow them to easily overpower their reptilian neighbors.

Still, sometimes underdogs win wars and crocodiles can get the upper hand if their numbers are great enough. In fact, the only casualty from the epic clash witnessed by Mol appears to be a hippo.


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Article from: PictureCorrect Photography Tips

Using Found Objects as Light Sources for Photography (Video)

Posted: 29 Apr 2014 02:31 PM PDT

At first glance, many objects we see when scouting shooting locations deter us from setting up our gear to take photos. We may find a lot of things unsightly, but in truth, some of them can be used to our advantage. In this short and informative video clip, Joe McNally talks about how you can use found objects to improve your photographs:

In McNally’s example, he used a large white truck to reflect his lights off of to create this photo of parkour expert:

truck-as-photography-reflector

This white truck made a huge light source.

“Quick thing, when out on the streets use what you can. Improvise. In this case, a panel van.”

joe-mcnally-parkour-portrait-lighting

The bounced light from the truck lit up the parkour artist as he jumped.

By having Jonathan run toward the camera, McNally was able to use three speedlights bounced off the side of the truck, effectively turning the truck into a light source that created a light similar to a lightbox. It just goes to show that you shouldn’t nix a location before thinking about how you can use found objects to your advantage.


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Article from: PictureCorrect Photography Tips

Interesting Photo of the Day: Bird as Ballet Dancer

Posted: 29 Apr 2014 12:21 PM PDT

As long as people have been taking photos, they have been taking photos of animals acting like humans. There’s something either very funny or very poignant about an animal standing on two legs, shaking hands with its owner, giving off a puzzled expression or, in this case, walking gracefully like a ballerina through someone’s backyard:

This shot is a great example of the rule of thirds. (Via PictureSocial. Click to see larger size.)

This surreal moment was captured by Vijay Andi with a Nikon D7100. Dubbed “Ballet Dancer”, the shot was featured on Picture Social and went viral on the site, winning the affection of hundreds of other photographers. Its Zen-like simplicity and adherence to basic artistic principles, like the rule of thirds, makes it a universal winner.


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Article from: PictureCorrect Photography Tips

How to Fix Your Editing Mistakes By Using Photoshop CC’s History Panel (Video)

Posted: 29 Apr 2014 10:43 AM PDT

The world of digital photography can be mind blowing sometimes, or at the very least, super convenient. With today’s advancements in image editing, it’s almost impossible to lose an original photograph to bad editing. This video shows us how to use the History Panel in Photoshop CC to step back and forth through our editing history:

It’s pretty easy to step back and undo an unwanted edit in Photoshop. Most of us just click on Edit, then Undo, or even faster, use the shortcut cmd + z (Mac) or ctrl + z (Windows). That’s great for the last edit made, but what about that edit you made 15 minutes ago that you’ve been doubting?

As you make more changes to your image, Photoshop keeps track of everything, each step, all of which can be accessed through the History Panel. If you’re in the Essentials work space, you’ll find the History icon to the top right corner of your image. If you’re in a different work space or can’t see an icon, go to the Window tab at the top of the screen and select History.

photoshop cc history

Each time you edit the image in any way, a list of steps/changes will appear in the History Panel. Now, if you need to go back in time to any of these previous steps, you can simply click on the one you need, and any change you made after that one will not be visible. If you then make a change while on that step, the next ones down the list will disappear. Essentially, you are starting over from that step.

If, however, you want Photoshop to keep track of all steps, no matter if you go back and make another change, you can make it so non-linear history is recorded. You can change these settings by going to the flyout menu on the History Panel icon and choosing History Options. Here, select Allow Non-Linear History and OK. Now, if you make an edit to your image, that step will be added to the existing list, so you can still move back through all of those different states.

You can also use the Step Backward and Step Forward keyboard shortcuts to move through your history.

How to Step Backward in Photoshop

Mac: cmd + opt +z

Windows: ctrl + alt +z

How to Step Forward in Photoshop

Mac: cmd +shift + z

Windows: ctrl +shift +z

Changing Your History Preferences

As a default, Photoshop only records 20 steps before deleting the first from the list. You can increase this limit by changing your preferences:

Mac: Go to the Photoshop tab at the top of the page.
Windows: Go to Edit.

Then Preferences –> Performance and find History States.

photoshop cc undo
Before setting the limit super high, remember that Photoshop has to store the memory of each stage somewhere. When editing large files and making dozens or even hundreds of edits, this could lead to you running out of RAM, forcing Photoshop to write all its temporary files to the hard drive, which could lead to performance issues.

How to Go Back to the Beginning

If you get so far along in your editing that you can’t return to a beginning stage, there are a few options:

1. Close the file without saving it.

2. Go to File –> Revert

3. Click on Snapshot at top of History Panel.

“Just knowing that nothing that you do in Photoshop is permanent allows you to experiment and really play with your images.”


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Article from: PictureCorrect Photography Tips

Tuesday 29 April 2014

Digital Photography Review Newsletter: Wednesday, 30 April 2014

DP Review

Digital Photography Review Newsletter

Wednesday, 30 April 2014
The most popular weekly photography newsletter, with over 300,000 subscribers
 

Welcome to the 507th Digital Photography Review newsletter.

Hello from a lovely day here in Seattle. I spent part of this morning out shooting with Fujifilm's new TCL X100 teleconverter for the X100/S, which increases the effective focal length of its 23mm lens to 50mm (equivalent). Also in my pocket was the new Samsung NX mini - look out for sample galleries on both products in the next few days. Now let's take a look at some recent highlights...

Leica T (typ 701) First Impressions Review

Leica's new T (Typ 701) is the company's first mirrorless interchangeable lens camera with autofocus. While its 'guts' aren't much different than other cameras in its class, the hand-built body is all Leica. We've been able to spend some quality time with the German manufacturer's latest baby, and have put together our first impressions of it. Find out what we think of it so far.

Click here to read our first-impressions review of the Leica T (typ 701)

Updated: Sony a6000 First-impressions Review

The Sony a6000 features a 24MP APS-C sensor that includes phase detection AF points across 92% of the frame and 11 fps continuous shooting with subject-tracking. It's the first E-mount camera of its style not to be branded 'NEX'. As we work toward a full review, read our shooting experience report and check out our real-world samples gallery to find out if the a6000 is more than a refreshed NEX-6 by another name.

Read our first-impressions review (now including shooting report)

View our gallery of real-world samples

1939: England in Color

Color photography has been around in one form or another for a very long time, but has only been the norm for around forty years. Their relative rarity makes the discovery of older color images perennially fascinating. After all, early color offers us a view of the past in the colors and tones of our own experience and memories. Which brings us to a box that I found recently in my Grandmother's attic. Click through to see photos and read more of the story.

Read our article '1939: England in Color'

 

Sony patent hints at RX compact with even greater pocket power

Sony has patented the design of a series of bright zoom lenses, including a roughly F1.8-2.8 lens that would give 26-100mm equivalent coverage on a 1"-type sensor. The designs suggest the company intends to further develop its RX range of compacts. Such a lens would allow for a camera that made better use of its comparatively large sensor, even at the long end of the zoom.

Click here to read about Sony's new patent, and why it might be significant

ThinkTank StreetWalker HardDrive backpack review

A good photography backpack is capable of stowing essential elements like a full-size camera body, small family of lenses, laptop, tripod, and all necessary accessories. A truly great backpack can carry all of that while being carry-on friendly and providing a high level of comfort and adjustability. The minds at ThinkTank strove to bring that full package with the StreetWalker HardDrive photo backpack. But does it provide enough bang to justify its $229.75 price tag? Find out in our review

Click here to read our review of the ThinkTank StreetWalker HardDrive

What's coming up?

We're getting very close to the end of the process of reviewing Samsung's flagship NX30 and Canon's latest high-end compact the PowerShot G1 X Mark II. We're also doing some work on the Nikon D4S, with the aim of publishing more test data in the next couple of days. I'll also be publishing the second part of my 2-part story about the recent discovery of a collection of color slides from 1939 in my late grandmother's attic, so if you liked part 1, keep an eye on our homepage this Friday!

Barney

WTD #1300

Check out What The Duck in our Link Directory

GearShop update - a message from Laura

This week's best deals: Save up to $300 on select Canon lenses with Canon's just announced mail-in rebates. You can also save $200 on the Gold Award winning Canon EOS 5D Mark III via mail-in rebate.

Get ready for summer adventures with one of our waterproof cameras. Save $20 on the Olympus TG-850, or pre-order the Canon D30 or Olympus TG-3.

Until next week - Laura and the GearShop Team

 
 
News updates

NYC Department of Records archives showcase city's history

Published on Wednesday, April 23, 2014 7:00:00 AM GMT

You don’t have to be a New Yorker to appreciate the 900,000 plus images available online through the NYC Department of Records archives. Some are photographs of well-known icons like the Statue of Liberty and the Brooklyn Bridge, while others are Wee Gee-esque in their grit or as mundane as photos documenting local school buildings. Many of the images date back to the late 1800s. Learn more

Read full story

Drone films SpaceX rocket launch and landing

Published on Wednesday, April 23, 2014 8:00:00 AM GMT

These days shots from a flying drone are a dime a dozen - when engagement shoots are being covered from a hovering photographic robot you know that the technology is ubiquitous. It's getting increasingly hard to impress someone with images or video from drones. So it's lucky that privately-owned SpaceX happens to own its own rockets because it gives them the ability to capture stunning video, like this launch and landing test of its Falcon 9 Reusable rocket. See video

Read full story

SmugMug Films: Master of illusions

Published on Wednesday, April 23, 2014 3:30:00 PM GMT

We've been following SmugMug Films' ongoing behind-the-lens series and have found the clips to be an interesting look at people who follow their passions in photography. The latest installment features Joel Grimes. He's been a commercial advertising photographer for more than 30 years and is most known for his composite portraits. Grimes considers himself more than a photographer - an artist and illusionist, creating images that are larger than life. See video and read Q&A

Read full story

OnePlus launches 13MP, 4K video smartphone at bargain price

Published on Wednesday, April 23, 2014 5:46:00 PM GMT

OnePlus is a new smartphone maker based in China founded by a former Oppo executive. Today the company has released its first high-end smartphone, which is simply called the One. With its 2.5 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 SoC, 5.5-inch 1080p screen, 3GB of RAM and a 13MP camera, the One's specifications are on a similar level as other flagship devices released this year. Learn more

Read full story

Sony a6000 shooting experience and samples gallery

Published on Wednesday, April 23, 2014 6:05:00 PM GMT

The Sony a6000 features a 24MP APS-C sensor that includes phase detection AF points across 92% of the frame and 11 fps continuous shooting with subject-tracking. It's the first E-mount camera of its style not to be branded 'NEX'. As we work toward a full review, read our shooting experience report and check out our real-world samples gallery to find out if the a6000 is more than a refreshed NEX-6 by another name. Learn more and see gallery

Read full story

Behind the photo: Sports Illustrated's 'Boston Strong' cover

Published on Thursday, April 24, 2014 7:00:00 AM GMT

About a week prior to Monday’s running of the Boston Marathon, and a year after the bombing at the 2013 marathon, photographer Gregory Heisler addressed a crowd of thousands gathered at the finish line. The group included runners, first responders and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, all ready to pose for Sports Illustrated's 'Boston Strong' cover photo. Directing the crowd through a megaphone and standing on a raised platform, Heisler captured a portrait of 3,000 proud, resilient Bostonians. Take a peek behind the scenes of this large scale photo shoot. Learn more

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Lensbaby adds Android option for its selective focus lens

Published on Thursday, April 24, 2014 7:00:00 AM GMT

When Lensbaby launched the  Kickstarter project for its 'Sweet Spot' selective focus lens at the beginning of April it was initially iPhone only. Now the company has added a pledge level for Android users, too. For $50 you can pre-order the Sweet Spot lens and the Android application for your device. Delivery is expected in October. Learn more

Read full story

Updated: Creating the Leica T

Published on Thursday, April 24, 2014 1:00:00 PM GMT

No one will deny that Leica cameras are expensive. But there's more to the cost than just that red dot on the front. Each of the company's new 'T' mirrorless cameras are built by hand in Germany with incredible precision. View the transformation from aluminum brick to finished product. We've just updated this slideshow with some insights from Leica's head of product management, Stefan Daniel. Click through to see (and read) more. 

Read full story

All teed up: Leica T First Impressions Review

Published on Thursday, April 24, 2014 1:00:00 PM GMT

Leica's new T (Typ 701) is the company's first mirrorless interchangeable lens camera with autofocus. While its 'guts' aren't much different than other cameras in its class, the hand-built body is all Leica. We've been able to spend some quality time with the German manufacturer's latest baby, and have put together our first impressions of it. Find out what we think of it thus far.

Read full story

Leica T and lenses herald arrival of mirrorless T-system

Published on Thursday, April 24, 2014 1:00:00 PM GMT

Leica has announced the T-System, a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera system with autofocus. The first camera in the system, the Leica T, features a 16MP APS-C sensor. Two lenses - an 18-56mm F3.5-5.6 and a 23mm F2 prime have been announced alongside the camera, with the promise of an 11-23mm F3.5-4.5 wide-angle zoom and 55-135mm F3.5-4.5 telezoom to follow. The camera is milled from a solid billet of aluminum and features a touchscreen that the company says uses a user-friendly operating concept. An optional electronic viewfinder provides an alternative to the 3.7" LCD.

Read full story

Lost 1960s moon photos recovered from analog tapes

Published on Friday, April 25, 2014 7:00:00 AM GMT

More than 50 years after the satellites that captured the first high-res images of the moon plunged to the surface and were destroyed, a Wired article tells the story of a group of people that found the tapes after they ended up in storage in California. Re-engineering the old drives capable of reading the tapes, they've recovered these historically significant images. Learn more

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Famatic connects generations through digital picture frame

Published on Friday, April 25, 2014 7:00:00 AM GMT

A new Kickstarter project is aiming to make digital images more accessible to those without social media accounts. Famatic is a digital picture frame that connects to Facebook and Instagram - or you can email pictures as well. The idea is to place Famatic on your parents' or grandparents' mantelpiece and send them images of their grandkids and family events straight to the frame. Learn more

Read full story

1939: England in Color (part 1)

Published on Friday, April 25, 2014 8:00:00 AM GMT

Color photography has been around in one form or another for a very long time, but has only been the norm for around forty years. Their relative rarity makes the discovery of older color images perennially fascinating. After all, early color offers us a view of the past in the colors and tones of our own experience and memories. Which brings us to a box that editor Barnaby Britton found recently in his Grandmother's attic. See photos and read more of the story

Read full story

ThinkTank StreetWalker HardDrive backpack review

Published on Friday, April 25, 2014 4:00:00 PM GMT

A good photography backpack is capable of stowing essential elements like a full-size camera body, small family of lenses, laptop, tripod, and all necessary accessories. A truly great backpack can carry all of that while being carry-on friendly and providing a high level of comfort and adjustability. The minds at ThinkTank strove to bring that full package with the StreetWalker HardDrive photo backpack. But does it provide enough bang to justify its $229.75 price tag? Find out in our review

Read full story

What The Duck #1300

Published on Friday, April 25, 2014 10:02:51 PM GMT

We've come to the end of another week here at dpreview, and as our thoughts drift to weekend shooting opportunities, it's time to take things a little less seriously. Aaron Johnson's comic strip ‘What the Duck’ is just the thing, taking a gently satirical look through the lens of a photographically inclined waterfowl. You can find it published here (and in our newsletter) every week; we hope you enjoy it, and your weekend.

Read full story

12 stunning images from Smithsonian's photography contest

Published on Saturday, April 26, 2014 7:00:00 AM GMT

Smithsonian.com has announced 60 finalists for its 11th annual photo contest. More than 50,000 photographs were submitted by photographers from 132 different countries. Ten images were selected from each of six categories: The Natural World, Travel, People, Americana, Altered Images and Mobile. See gallery

Read full story

'City of Samba': Rio Carnival in tilt-shift

Published on Sunday, April 27, 2014 7:00:00 AM GMT

The breathtaking 'City of Samba' video chronicles the festival of Carnival in Rio de Janeiro through a creative mashup of stop-motion and tilt-shift photography. The world of Carnival is even more impressive when it feels like an immersive model, a cartoon come to life. Captured from a vantage point above the fray, the 'City of Samba' shows the hectic celebration as a crazy animated dance. See video

Read full story

Getty Images now lets you hang iconic photos on your wall

Published on Monday, April 28, 2014 7:00:00 AM GMT

In March, stock photography house Getty Images rocked the industry when it announced it would allow people to embed images for free on websites and other electronic uses. Clearly looking to monetize the vast collection of images currently gathering digital dust in its archives, it has launched Photos.com by Getty Images to sell prints directly to customers. Learn more

Read full story

Apple patents 3D interactive hologram display system

Published on Monday, April 28, 2014 7:00:00 AM GMT

AppleInsider has discovered another interesting Apple patent. This time the technology giant has patented a 3D-display system that projects digital images into a medium such as a non-linear crystal, using infrared lasers or similar technologies and accepts user input in the form of gestures. Learn more

Read full story

Get more accurate color with camera calibration

Published on Monday, April 28, 2014 8:00:00 AM GMT

One of the ways in which you can minimize the amount of work you need to do in post-processing is to calibrate your camera. Many digital photographers are familiar with calibrating their computer monitor to help them get accurate results when adjusting images. But few think of calibrating their camera. Professional travel photographer Steve Davey explains why and how to set up a custom profile. Learn more

Read full story

Samyang announces 'AE' 35mm F1.4 for Canon, and 300mm F6.3 for DSLRs

Published on Monday, April 28, 2014 6:52:00 PM GMT

Samyang has announced five new manual focus lenses, including a revised 'AE' version of its Canon-mount 35mm F1.4 which allows electronic aperture setting from the camera body. Meanwhile the Reflex 300mm F6.3 UMC CS is a mirror lens designed for APS-C SLRs, which will be available in Canon, Nikon, Sony Alpha and Four Thirds mounts. Finally there are three cinema versions of existing photo lenses - a 10mm T3.1  for APS-C SLRs, a 12mm T2.2 for mirrorless cameras, and a 7.5mm T3.8 fisheye for Micro Four Thirds.  

Read full story

Sony patent hints at RX compact with even greater pocket power

Published on Monday, April 28, 2014 7:51:00 PM GMT

Sony has patented the design of a series of bright zoom lenses, including a roughly F1.8-2.8 lens that would give 26-100mm equivalent coverage on a 1"-type sensor. The designs suggest the company intends to further develop its RX range of compacts. Such a lens would allow for a camera that made better use of its comparatively large sensor, even at the long end of the zoom. Learn more

Read full story

MIT algorithm predicts photo popularity

Published on Tuesday, April 29, 2014 7:00:00 AM GMT

Ask the average social media user what makes a photo popular online and they'll probably answer 'cats' or 'pretty women'. That gut feeling has now been confirmed by MIT PhD candidate Aditya Khosla who has analyzed more than 2.3 million images hosted on Flickr to answer the question 'what makes an image popular'? Learn more 

Read full story

Alien Skin Software announces Exposure 6 plugin

Published on Tuesday, April 29, 2014 12:00:00 PM GMT

Alien Skin Software has announced the latest version of its flagship photography effects software. Exposure 6 now includes a 'Bokeh' focus and lens-simulation feature, an updated image processing engine for instant previews, enhanced user interface for quick workflow, and unlimited creative texture control. The analog film emulation and creative effects software integrates with Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, Lightroom, and Aperture or can be launched as a stand-alone program. Learn more

Read full story

Some Samsung Galaxy S5 units shipped with defective camera

Published on Tuesday, April 29, 2014 4:09:48 PM GMT

The S5's camera module keeps causing trouble. First there were concerns about problems in the manufacturing process of the S5's new 6-element lens, now Samsung has confirmed that an unspecified number of the flagship phones have shipped with defective cameras. Learn more

Read full story

Samsung launches Galaxy K Zoom with 10x optical zoom

Published on Tuesday, April 29, 2014 4:19:41 PM GMT

Smartphone imaging components have improved a lot in recent years but the lack of an optical zoom is still a major disadvantage compared to traditional compact cameras. Now Samsung is aiming to make its hybrid model more attractive to consumers and has launched the second generation of the Galaxy Zoom series. Learn more

Read full story

 

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Photography Tips for Sharp Photos

Photography Tips for Sharp Photos

Link to PictureCorrect Photography Tips

Photography Tips for Sharp Photos

Posted: 28 Apr 2014 07:01 PM PDT

Final Reminder: Only 1 day left! in the popular deal on: Topaz Detail for Tack-Sharp Photos

Have you ever compared your own photographs to those of a more advanced photographer and wondered how they get their images so sharp? I mean, just look at them! Everything in their photographs is so sharp, so crisp! How the hell do they do it?

tips for sharp photos

“Capital” captured by Colby Johnson (Click Image to See More From Colby Johnson)

When I first started out with photography these were things that were going through my mind constantly. I knew how to take somewhat sharp photographs, but then there’s that other level of sharpness, known as “tack” sharp. Tack sharp is basically the absolute best clarity your image can have.

So how do you take tack sharp photographs? Well there are a couple of things that can help you get your images as sharp as possible:

Digital photography tip #1: Use a tripod

This can be somewhat of a sensitive point. Using a tripod is annoying. It’s a bulky, cold, heavy piece of equipment that slows you down immensely when you are taking pictures outdoors. On the other side it’s the best way to get to tack level sharpness. You can have the steadiest hand in the word, even the slightest movement can cause your photograph to look fuzzy.

Digital photography tip #2: Use a timer

If your camera has a timer, use it. You are basically trying to eliminate as much movement as you possibly can. I might be a slower way to take photographs but remember we are aiming for quality here and not quantity.

Digital photography tip #3: Lenses

This digital photography tip might be a bit out of your control right now but the better your lens is the sharper your photographs will be. Most digital cameras come with a standard lens that’s usually a small zoom lens (18 mm to 55 mm for example). The problem with these lenses is that they have a lot of moving parts on the inside and if you want a quality one it costs a small fortune. If you don’t have a super expensive lens don’t worry, there are other ways to get maximum sharpness.

Digital photography tip #4: Aperture

Most lenses are at their sharpest when they are about 2 stops down from wide open. Let’s say you have a 18 mm – 55 mm f/3,5 lens. If you make sure your aperture is around f/8 when you take your photograph you have a better chance of it being tack sharp.

sharp photos

“Breaking All The Rules” captured by Sean Nel (Click Image to See More From Sean Nel)

Digital photography tip #5: Shutter speed

The shorter your shutter speed the less chance you have of getting motion blur. If you want tack sharp photographs, motion blur is your enemy. If you are taking pictures of flowers then a shutter speed of 1/250 might be more than enough to eliminate motion blur, but if you are at a sports even it’s not even close to being enough. The faster your object moves the faster your shutter speed has to be. In case of a sports even your shutter speed will have to be something like 1/2000 – 1/4000.

These are just a couple of tips to increase your chances of getting tack sharp photographs. Like I said earlier you are basically trying to eliminate as much motion blur or movement as possible. If you want to learn more check out my blog.

About the Author
Robin Lipton is a photography enthusiast who regularly blogs about all things photography.

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The Rare Blood Moon Eclipse Captured with Timelapse Photography (Video)

Posted: 28 Apr 2014 05:53 PM PDT

Timelapse photographer, Andrew Walker was determined to shoot and display the images of a lunar eclipse in a way that nobody had ever seen before. He didn’t want to just recreate and publish images that were already sprawled all over the web; he wanted something that stood out, something memorable, something that told a story. What he came up with is a dramatic and chilling timelapsed series of the eclipse:

These photos of the April 15, 2014, lunar eclipse were taken at the CARMA observatory in the Inyo Mountains in eastern California, where seriously high-tech telescopes produce high-resolution astronomical images. Walker used two Canon 5D Mark III cameras with Canon lenses and a RED Epic with a 300-1200mm Canon Century zoom lens that is used on IMAX cameras.

lunar eclipse photo
blood moon eclipse photo

While the equipment produced clear, crisp images of the event and the location, Walker really tied the story together with some great music from 2001: A Space Odyssey to give it the eerie feel.


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Interesting Photo of the Day: Australia’s Boneyard Falls

Posted: 28 Apr 2014 03:03 PM PDT

Bombo Headland was the site of a tremendously scientifically important quarry in New South Whales, Australia. That’s where, in 1926, someone discovered the world’s longest geomagnetic polarity interval, near what would become the town of Kiama, giving the quarry its geological title of the “Kiaman Reverse Superchron”. Also, it’s really pretty: 

boneyard-falls

The basalt columns, once part of a quarry, allow the waves to shoot straight up, requiring good timing for the waterfall effect. (Via 500px. Click for larger image.)

The shot makes the water look like painted brushstrokes. Australian landscape photographer Peter Hill snapped it in August 2011 with a Canon 5D Mark II and a 45mm tilt-shift prime lens.  as part of his ongoing series capturing the lush greenery and harsh rock of Australian nature. Despite some critics of the photo believing it to be more processed than it is, Hill, on his 500px page, assures us it’s real:

“In the past at least one viewer has questioned the authenticity of the shot, so listen up when I say it is a real photograph and has not been manipulated. If I could I would show you the shots taken immediately before and after to prove it beyond doubt. More recently the shot has been replicated by others, shooting from the same spot, without acknowledging their inspiration was not entirely original. That pisses me off somewhat.” – Peter Hill


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7 Pro Photography Tips For Underwater Portraits (Video)

Posted: 28 Apr 2014 12:59 PM PDT

Underwater photography isn’t for the easily unmotivated. Aside from being technically difficult, there are an assortment of other concerns. It requires a lot of forethought and planning. If you are thinking about getting started in underwater portraiture or have already tried your hand at it, the advice Brooke Shaden shares in the video below could prove to be invaluable:

Tips For Taking Underwater Photos

  1. If you’re not shooting in water that is naturally dark, use a large piece of black cloth as a backdrop behind your subject.
  2. Make sure the lighting on your subject is even.
  3. Once you and your model have discussed the pose, have them swim all the way to the bottom of the water then pose and slowly float up while holding the pose.
  4. Wide lenses make the job easier, because you can get in closer to the subject and still get full body shots.
  5. Take more shots than you think you need. Even if some of the images don’t look great, it’s possible to composite good segments of the bad photos into other images to create the perfect image.
  6. When shooting in murky water, be patient. Wait until the water settles before you have your model pose.
  7. Always have an assistant on hand to help out in case something goes wrong. This is especially important if the model is wearing a dress or clothing that weighs her down or could tangle around her when submerged in water.
underwater-portraits

Take multiple underwater shots so you have options for compositing.

Shaden, well known for her surreal self-portrait series, has been photographing underwater since the beginning of her career. She formerly shot with a Canon 5D Mark II with an Ikelite underwater housing but has since moved onto a waterproof Panosonic Lumix point and shoot, which she loves for its ease of use, portability, and great image quality.


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On-Location Photography Tip: Use a Mini Softbox for Portraits (Video)

Posted: 28 Apr 2014 10:44 AM PDT

Lighting in portrait photography can be tricky, especially if you’re not in a studio setting or if you’re working by yourself. You don’t want to be lugging huge softboxes and extra equipment around everywhere. Or constantly stopping the shoot to move those softboxes around. In this case, a small, portable softbox can be a real life saver that still contributes to flawless portraits:

In the above video, photographer Joe McNally uses his Ezybox Speed-Lite Plus to effectively create focused lighting on his model in an outdoor photo shoot. Using the small, mobile light shaping tool, McNally teaches us how to create beautifully lit, stunning portraits. He easily moves the speedlight and softbox around the model to create shadows that portray an ominous appearance, define chiseled features, and emphasize character.

softbox for portrait photography

You have to be careful when using a small source like this, because the smaller the light shaper, the more harsh and spectral the light can appear. McNally says, as a photographer using a softbox, you need to experiment with the lighting. Move, direct your subject, relate to them, talk to them, play with the light. With a small softbox, it’s easy to do this.

If you’re working by yourself or with only one other person, and you need to be mobile and light, a small softbox is a great solution; it gives you a nice, quality light and it moves fast with you. You can position it very easily and move it around as you desire.

portrait photography

While this softbox may not look like much, it has many of the same characteristics of a bigger softbox. It has an interior baffle, an interior diffuser that velcros in, as well as an exterior diffuser. When he uses it, McNally leaves the dome diffuser on in his strobe, and with the box’s two diffusers, he is triple diffusing his light to eliminate harshness.

photography softbox
If you want to add warmth to the image, you can try a banded gold diffuser. It’s always worth it to experiment!


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