SHK Photography Tutorials Book

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F rwar

from the A thor

Hello and thank you for getting my SHK Photograp y Tutorial ebook! I have created th is ebook to hare my knowledge and utorials fro internet to help people who are inte ested in this great field. love to see people learn and produce go d photography,. This eb ok is struct red so that t any point in time you can jump to j st about an page and start g tting inspir d with new deas and techniques. Wi h that being said, however, it would 't be a bad ide to read the ebook in order because each technique generally ets more di ficult and complex as th ebook pro resses. This ebook wouldn't have b en made possible to create without th e help from all the photographers who have contributed thei images to t is project.

Remember that all imag s in this eBook re take from in ernet a d some ot er sources and here is o reaso to belie e about any violation of their copyrig ts, it is ll about helping others

If ou have any question , comments, suggesti yo would lik to see in uture editi ns of this [email protected] m , haroon.kamran@ I' happy to nswer questions and espond to

ns, testim nials, corr ctions, ne ideas or hotos that book, feel free to e-mail me at aceboo.co , info@h roonkamr n@gmail. om eedback.

Yo can also fi d me on

T eet me ht ps://twi ter.com #!/HaroonKamran Blog me ht p://haroonkamr n.blogs ot.com Visit my s te ht p://ww .haroo kamran.com/ A d pleas like m Photography P ge ht ps://www.faceb ok.com /shkpho ograph

Photograph

Tutorial Book

     

By Sheikh Haro n Kamra

   

F rwar

from the A thor

Hello and thank you for getting my SHK Photograp y Tutorial ebook! I have created th is ebook to hare my knowledge and utorials fro internet to help people who are inte ested in this great field. love to see people learn and produce go d photography,. This eb ok is struct red so that t any point in time you can jump to j st about an page and start g tting inspir d with new deas and techniques. Wi h that being said, however, it would 't be a bad ide to read the ebook in order because each technique generally ets more di ficult and complex as th ebook pro resses. This ebook wouldn't have b en made possible to create without th e help from all the photographers who have contributed thei images to t is project.

Remember that all imag s in this eBook re take from in ernet a d some ot er sources and here is o reaso to belie e about any violation of their copyrig ts, it is ll about helping others

If ou have any question , comments, suggesti yo would lik to see in uture editi ns of this [email protected] m , haroon.kamran@ I' happy to nswer questions and espond to

ns, testim nials, corr ctions, ne ideas or hotos that book, feel free to e-mail me at aceboo.co , info@h roonkamr n@gmail. om eedback.

Yo can also fi d me on

T eet me ht ps://twi ter.com #!/HaroonKamran Blog me ht p://haroonkamr n.blogs ot.com Visit my s te ht p://ww .haroo kamran.com/ A d pleas like m Photography P ge ht ps://www.faceb ok.com /shkpho ograph

Photograph

Tutorial Book

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 ! ! 

in photography, photography, a shutter is a device that allows light to pass for a determined period of time, for the purpose of exposing photographic photographic film or a light-sensitive electronic sensor to light to capture a permanent image of a scene. A shutter can also be used to allow pulses of light to pass outwards, as in a movie projector or signal lamp.

Photography Tutorial Book

By Sheikh Haroon Kamran

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Shutter Speed Chart for Photographers We’ve put together an easy to understand shutter speed chart that explains common situations in which you would choose a certain shutter speed. Enjoy!

Shutter Speed Chart Reference Bulb For use in very low light conditions like night photography. With this setting the photographer controls how long the shutter stays open. Any movement within the frame or by the camera will show up as motion blur. A tripod must be used. 1 second to 1/15 For use in low light conditions, night photography, fireworks, etc. A tripod must be used to prevent motion blur. 1/30th For use when implying motion by panning with a moving object as a photo is taken. The subject appears sharp while the background becomes motion blur. Also used in darker conditions and requires a tripod to prevent motion blur. 1/60th to 1/125th Common shutter speeds for most existing light situations. These shutters speeds combined with small apertures (f/8 to f/166) result in large depth of field. 1/250th Good for freezing human paced action like a person jogging. 1/500th Good for freezing faster moving objects such as a car or runner. 1/1000th and faster Good for freezing objects that move faster than the eyes can see, such as a bird’s wings in flight or baseball pitch.

Expanding on the Shutter Speed Chart Another great reference that expands on shutter speed is a book by Bryan Peterson Understanding Exposure – shutter speed chart. Take a look when you have a chance. It’s a must have for all photographers!



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Understanding Shutter Speed Image by Nasim Mansurov.com - Dolphin - 1/1600 Shutter Speed Shutter Speed is one of the three pillars of photography, the other two being ISO and Aperture. Shutter speed is where the other side of the magic happens – it is responsible for creating dramatic effects by either freezing action or blurring motion. In this article, I will try to explain everything I know about shutter speed in very simple language.

1) What is a Camera Shutter? Simply put, a camera shutter is a curtain in front of the camera sensor that stays closed until the camera fires. When the camera fires, the shutter opens and fully exposes the camera sensor to the light that passes through the lens aperture. After the sensor is done collecting the light, the shutter closes immediately, stopping the light from hitting the sensor. The button that fires the camera is also called “shutter” or “shutter button”, because it triggers the shutter to open and close.

2) What is Shutter Speed? Shutter speed, also known as “exposure time”, stands for the length of time a camera shutter is open to expose light into the camera sensor. If the shutter speed is fast, it can help to freeze action completely, as seen in the above photo of the dolphin. If the shutter speed is slow, it can create an effect called “motion blur”, where moving objects appear blurred along the direction of the motion. This effect is used quite a bit in advertisements of cars and motorbikes, where a sense of speed and motion is communicated to the viewer by intentionally blurring the moving wheels. <= Example of Motion Blur Slow shutter speeds are also used to photograph lightning’s or other objects at night or in dim environments with a tripod. Landscape photographers intentionally use slow shutter speeds to create a sense of motion on rivers and waterfalls, while keeping everything else in focus.



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Waterfall - 5 Second Exposure (Shutter Speed) Motion can also be frozen to an extent with a camera flash, even at low shutter speeds. Take a look at this example:

Caspian Tern - 1/250 of a second @ ISO 800



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It was getting dark and even after increasing the sensor sensitivity to ISO 800, the camera still needed at least 1/250th of a second to properly expose this bird. If I had shot the bird at that speed, the bird would have turned out to be blurry, since it moved faster than 1/250th of a second. I used an external flash and fired the camera at 1/250th of a second and as you can see, it helped me to freeze motion, despite having a low shutter speed for a bird in flight. All of the above is achieved by simply controlling the shutter speed. In summary, high shutter speeds freeze action, while low shutter speeds create an effect of motion.

3) How shutter speed is measured Shutter speeds are typically measured in fractions of a second, when they are under a second. For example 1/4 means a quarter of a second, while 1/250 means one two-hundred-and-fiftieth of a second or four milliseconds. Most modern DSLRs can handle shutter speeds of up to 1/4000th of a second, while some can handle much higher speeds of 1/8000th of a second and faster. The longest shutter speed on most DSLRs is typically 30 seconds (without using external remote triggers).

4) Fast, slow and long shutter speeds Fast shutter speed is typically whatever it takes to freeze action. For me, it is typically above 1/500th of a second for general photography and above 1/1000th of a second for bird photography. Slow shutter speed is considered to be the slowest shutter speed that you can handle without introducing camera shake. Some of the newer Nikon lenses such as the Nikon 70-200mm VR II have special “vibration reduction” technologies within the lens that can handle shutter speeds of up to 1/10th of a second (depending on photographer’s technique), hand-held! How about long shutter speed? Long shutter speeds are typically above 1 second, when you have to use a tripod to get acceptably sharp images (for low-light/night photography or to capture movement).

5) How to set shutter speed Most cameras handle shutter speeds automatically through in-camera metering. When the camera is set to “Auto” mode, both shutter speed and aperture are automatically selected by the camera. When you shoot in “Aperture Priority” mode, you set the lens aperture, while the camera automatically sets the shutter speed. There are two ways to manually set the shutter speed: a) By setting the camera to “Shutter Priority” mode, where you set the shutter speed and the camera automatically selects the aperture. b) By setting the camera to “Manual” mode, where you set both shutter speed and aperture manually. I recommend letting the camera select the correct shutter speed for you. I personally shoot in “Aperture Priority” mode 99% of the time and I let my camera calculate the shutter speed for me.

6) How to find shutter speed



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Do you know how to find out what your camera shutter speed is set to? It is typically very easy to find the shutter speed. On Nikon DSLRs that have a top panel, the shutter speed is typically located on the top left corner:

Nikon D90 Top Panel - Shutter Speed If you look through the viewfinder, it should also be the number on the bottom left side of the screen. On most DSLRs, you will not see the shutter speed as a fraction of a second – it will typically be a regular number. When the shutter speed is slower than or equals to one second, you will see something like 1? or 5? (the ” sign indicates a full second). If you still can’t find the shutter speed, set your camera to “Aperture Priority” mode, then look into the viewfinder and point at a really dark area. Remember the numbers in the display, then switch to a very bright area and see what number changes. The number that changes is your shutter speed.



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Pro Tip: Minimum Shutter Speed in Photography When Shooting Handheld Did you know that when shooting handheld there is a minimum shutter speed in photography you must follow in order to have crisp looking photos? If you didn’t then don’t feel bad because you’re not alone. Most new photographers don’t know this either and only learn it by sheer luck! You may have noticed that when you take some photos handheld that they end up coming out blurry or not very sharp. Many times the photo looks crisp on your preview monitor but when you sit down to review your photos you see that they’re not sharp. You scratch your head and think to yourself “I know I held the camera very still. Why are these blurry!” What you’re not aware of is that most photos shot handheld will come out blurry if you don’t choose the right shutter speed for your photograph because of a factor called camera shake. Camera shake occurs from the small natural movements of your hands. No matter how steady you think your hands are when shooting handheld they still move slightly and can end up causing motion blur. That’s because the shutter speed you chose is not fast enough to compensate for this slight movement. There is a minimum shutter speed you must follow when shooting handheld.

So what is the Minimum Shutter Speed in Photography? Depending on what the focal length of your lens is set at will determine what the minimum shutter speed in photography should be. A good rule of thumb is to choose a shutter speed that is one over your focal length. Confused? Here’s an example to help you understand how to choose the minimum correct shutter speed for your photography: Let’s say you are using a telephoto lens at it is set at 300mm. How do you know its set at 300mm? Just look at the number it’s turned to on the barrel of your lens. By using the rule above you’ll need to choose a shutter speed of at least 1/300. This equals one over the focal length. If your lens was set at 90mm you would choose a shutter speed of at least 1/90. Make sense? You probably noticed in the above paragraph that we said choose a shutter speed of “at least …” That’s because this is the bare minimum shutter speed you can use for a sharp shot when shooting handheld – one over the focal length. Often you need to choose a speed setting that is one or two faster. How do you know exactly which one to choose? It takes practice and depends on how shaky your hands are! If you need to use a slower shutter speed to achieve a good exposure then you’ll need to use a tripod. A tripod will allow you to use slower shutter speeds as they prevent the occurrence of camera shake. Now that you know how to choose the minimum speed for your shutter when taking photos you might be wondering how to achieve different effects with shutter speed. For more information on this topic check out another post we wrote on



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How to Choose the Right Shutter Speed for Your Photograph Are you confused on how to choose the right shutter speed for your photograph? Have you ever taken a photo and later discovered that the subject within the frame had unintended motion blur or you froze the action of something you really want to create a blur? In this article we’re going to teach you how to choose the right shutter speed in order to capture the right type of action within your photograph.

A Quick Definition of Shutter Speed Shutter speed, also known as “exposure time”, stands for the length of time a camera shutter is open to expose light into the camera sensor. If the shutter speed is fast, it can help to freeze action completely. If the shutter speed is slow, it can create an effect called “motion blur”, where moving objects appear blurred along the direction of the motion. To learn more about shutter speed read our post on Understanding Shutter Speed.

Choosing the Right Shutter Speed for Action Shots Before you set out to take a photo you need to make a decision on what you want to achieve within the photograph. Decide on which one of these two effects you are going for: 1. Freezing the action within the frame 2. or, allowing the action to create motion blur within the frame After making a decision you’ll then have an easier time choosing the right shutter speed for your photograph. It is important to set the appropriate shutter speed for the effect you are looking for and then adjust your aperture and ISO to achieve the correct exposure. 1) How to Freeze Action within the Frame If you want to freeze the action within the frame, like a race car zooming by or a baseball player hitting a fast pitch, you need to take a few things into consideration: • • •

The distance between the camera and the subject The focal length of your lens The direction in which the action is traveling: parallel or perpendicular to the camera



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The distance between the camera and the subject affects shutter speed choice because the closer you are to the action the faster the shutter speed has to be. Objects that are close to the camera appear larger and fill more of the frame. Small movements require less distance to travel to create an exaggerated effect. To help you understand this concept set your camera in shutter priority mode and hold it in your right hand. Next, hold your left hand out at arm’s length in front of your face. Adjust your camera’s focal length so that your hand fills the frame. Choose a 1/60 of a second shutter speed. Then, in a faster manner wave your hand back and forth and take a picture. Notice how moving your hands just a few inches seems like big movements within the frame and causes motion blur? Now, adjust your shutter speed to 1/500 of a second and take another picture; the motion of the hand should be captured still. To expand on the previous example have a friend stand one hundred feet away from you and keep your camera set on the same focal length. Also, change your shutter speed back to 1/60 of a second. Then, have your friend wave their hand just as you did and take a photo. Notice how the action of your friend’s hand is frozen even though you used the same shutter speed that causes your hand to be blurry? That’s because objects that are farther away from the camera take up less space within the frame and require larger movements (like waving arms) to create an exaggerated effect. The focal length you choose is affected in the same manner as the distance between the camera and the action. The only difference between the two is that the focal length is an optical change while the distance is a physical change. A long focal length is just like moving closer to the action and requires a faster shutter speed while a shorter focal length is like moving farther away and requires a shorter shutter speed. For example, if you’re trying to capture a pair of boxers fighting from a distance of 10 feet using a focal length of 20mm, you would have to use a shutter speed of at least 1/500 – 1/1000 of a second to freeze the action. On the other hand, if you were at a distance of one hundred feet away with a focal length of 20mm you could use a slower shutter speed of 1/125 – 1/250 of a second for the same effect because the size of the boxer’s motions diminishes considerably. The direction in which the action is traveling (parallel or perpendicular to the camera) also affects the right shutter speed choice. The rule of thumb here is easy to understand. Subjects that move parallel to the camera (left or right and up or down) require faster shutter speeds than those that move perpendicular (toward or away). The reason for this is that a parallel motion requires less distance to travel to make a noticeable effect. It’s more difficult to see the change in distance when an object is perpendicular to the camera. 2) How to Allow the Action to Create Motion Blur within the Frame Allowing the action to create motion blur within the frame is a creative way to use shutter speed in photography. Popular uses of this technique include images such as the motion trails of a car zooming by and the smooth flowing water of a waterfall. Luckily, choosing a shutter speed to create motion within a photo is not as complicated as the steps to freezing action as you learned above. For the most part, when you are trying to capture the motion blur within a photograph you’re going to be relatively close to the action. Therefore, focal length and distance is not as much of a concern on which shutter speed you choose. If you are really far away from the action then you will want to take those two things into consideration and follow the tips we outlined above in How to Freeze Action Within the Frame.



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In order to capture the best motion blur shots you need to set your camera on a tripod. Allowing the action to blur within the frame requires a relatively slow shutter speed (one that is too slow for you to shoot handheld without the whole image becoming blurry.) So, lock your camera down and allow the motion to pass in front of your camera. The right shutter speed you choose for creating motion blur is very dependent on how fast the subject is moving and really requires experimentation. If it is a slow subject (like someone walking) we recommend that you start with a shutter speed setting of 1/4 of a second. If the subject is fast moving (like a car racing by) we recommend starting with a shutter speed setting of 1/500 of a second. Take a shot with these settings and then adjust the shutter speed up or down depending on the effect you are going for to find the right shutter speed for your photo. We hope you enjoyed this tutorial on how to choose the right shutter speed for your photography. Leave a comment below sharing your thoughts on this topics or a specific example of using shutter speed to capture a certain effect.



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How to Choose the Right Aperture (f-stop) for Your Photograph If you’re a beginner photographer you may be wondering how to choose the right aperture setting (f-stop) when taking a photo. When you turn the dial on your camera you see numbers like 5.6, 8, 16, 22 but don’t know what makes them different. In this tutorial, we’re going to take the mystery out of the aperture setting and teach you how to know which is the right aperture (f-stop) you should choose in any situation.

A Quick Definition of Aperture Aperture is a hole within a lens, through which light travels into the camera body. The aperture setting (f-stop) determines how large or small that hole is. The size of the aperture has a direct impact on the depth of field , which is the area of the image that appears sharp. For a complete explanation of aperture read our post Understanding Aperture.

Choosing the Right Aperture Setting for Your Photograph After reading the above paragraph you now know that aperture affects depth of field within your photo. Before you ever touch the shutter button you need to make a decision on how important the depth of field is for a particular shot. Depending on if you need shallow depth of field or large depth of field will determine which are the right aperture range of f-stops for you to choose. If depth of field is not a major concern than another set of f-stops can be chosen. Here’s a more detailed explanation of when to choose certain apertures on your camera. Choosing f /1.4 and lower to f /5.6 These f-stops are used when shallow depth-of-field is very important. These are the right aperture choice if your goal is to isolate a subject from its background. These f-stops allow you to keep the main subject in focus while the background becomes blurred. These f-stops are great for portrait shots or close ups of small objects, like flowers, birds, etc. Notice how in these portrait photos a low f-stop was used to blur the background and reduce distractions from the main subject. Photos by Tambako the Jaguar and Marina & Enrique Choosing f /8 to f /11 These f-stops are used when depth-of-field within a photo does not matter. You are not going for a particular look and are more focused on capturing an overall nice shot. This is usually the case when shooting a scene Photography Tutorial Book


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that does not have a lot of depth between the background and main subject (most everything within the scene is equal distance from the camera.) An example of this would be a man standing against a brick wall or a woman sitting on the hood of a car (The people and background elements are on equal field planes.)

Notice how in these photos a medium f-stop was chosen because the subjects are relatively close to the objects in the background (a car and a backdrop). Photo by Refracted Moments and the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas Choosing f /16 to f /32 and higher These f-stops are used when large depth-of-field is very important. These are the right aperture choice if your goal is to capture a scene with a lot of depth and have everything in focus from the foreground to the background. An example would be a landscape photo with flowers in the foreground and a mountain range in the background. Since there is a large distance (many miles) between the foreground and background it’s important to choose an aperture that can render everything in focus.

Notice how in these photos a higher f-stop was chosen because there are elements in the foreground and background that are important and a large depth of field is required for a good



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Photography Exercise That Teaches You How to Shoot Better One of the keys to capturing great photos is having a good photographic eye. There are a few lucky photographers out there that have a natural instinct for taking good photos, but most of us have to train ourselves on how to have it. Here is a simple photography exercise that teaches you how to shoot better photos and train your photographic eye.

The Photography Exercise Grab your camera with a kit style lens, like an 18-55mm. This type of lens works best for this exercise because it covers a variety of focal ranges. Then, go out for a walk. Go anywhere you choose. At some point during your journey stop when you find an object that intrigues you. It can be anything like a flower, park bench, flag pole, street sign, etc. Now, make it your goal to take at least 10 different shots of the object that intrigued you. Capture a variety of focal lengths and angles. Types of shots can include: Wide shot showing location and surroundings Close up with blurred background Low angle looking up at it High angle looking down at it Frame the object with another object Vertical framing and horizontal framing Focus on another object that’s closer to the camera rendering the object out of focus etc. • • • • • • •

•

By forcing yourself to capture at least 10 different photos you’ll end up with a good sample. At the end of this photography exercise look through the photos you took and pick three that you think are the best. Examine those three photos carefully and ask yourself what characteristics these have that led you to this decision. Thinking about each photo in this way will train your photographic eye because you’ll learn what traits make a good photo. To get the most out of this photography exercise its best that you repeat it several times. Make sure to choose a variety of subjects to photograph. The more you practice the better you’ll train your photographic eye.

Want to make this photography exercise more exciting? Take another person with you on your journey and have them choose the subject for you to capture. Better yet, take another photographer with you and examine each of your photos together to find out what characteristics make a great photo. But, most of all have fun! Photography Tutorial Book


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7 Action Sports Photography Tips You Should Know Do you want to capture great looking sports photos? Then read these action sports photography tips below and discover how to take sports photos that get noticed. The most important aspects of taking good action sports photos are the camera’s aperture, shutter speed, and ISO settings. Of course, you’ll also have to make sure the images are in focus and you’re in good position to take the shots. Below, are some important tips for you to learn from so you can take better shots?

Action Sports Photography Tips Tip #1 For sharp, crisp images you need to be sure the camera is getting enough light into it. The aperture and shutter speed need to be balanced to achieve this. Remember, the lower the f-stop is, such as f/2.8, the more light you’re letting in. Also, the faster the shutter speed the more light is needed to expose the photo. When the shutter speed is slower more light gets in to the camera because the sensor is exposed for a longer period of time. The faster the shutter speed, the lower the F-stop needs to be. Remember this important action photography tips for every sport. Tip #2 When it comes to freezing the action in sports photography, you’ll need a fast shutter speed. If it’s too slow the shots will generally be blurry. The best way to balance the shutter speed and aperture is to set the camera to th manual mode and experiment. Set the shutter speed at 1/500 of a second and take a shot. If the image is too dark then you’re not getting enough light in the camera. In this instance, slow the shutter speed down until your action sports photography shots are at the right exposure or adjust the aperture to a lower f-stop. The easiest way is to set the f-stop as low as you can and keep taking photos at various shutter speeds until the balance between shutter and aperture provides the right exposure match. In well-lit instances of sports th photography you may be able to take shots as fast as 1/4000 of a second. action sports photography tips. Tip #3 In low-light conditions you may not be able to get a properly exposed photo simply because your lens aperture doesn’t go low enough. A lens that gives you an f2.8 aperture or lower may be needed for very low-light action photography. Tip #4 Photography Tutorial Book


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The ISO setting has to be correct as well in sports photography. This indicates the sensitivity of the image sensor to light. The lower the number, such as 100, the lower the sensitivity is and the finer the grain will be. Therefore a sports photo shot at 1600 ISO will be quite a bit grainier (noise).

Tip #5 In darker conditions, you’ll need a higher ISO setting as it will allow for faster shutter speeds. In well-lit conditions, 100 ISO may be perfect. However, if it’s cloudy out you may want to experiment at 200 or 400. If you want less noise, try and get your shots with a lower ISO setting. However, if the conditions are dark, you may need to use 1600, especially if the subject is moving and you don’t have a tripod. Tip #6 If you want to capture the action as close as possible you’ll need to get as close to the playing area as you can. This isn’t always possible though. In the case that you’re quite a distance away you’ll need a telephoto lens of at least 300mm to make up for the distance. But remember, the more you zoom in, the less light you’ll be letting into the camera, which means you’ll need a slower shutter speed or lower f-stop setting. Tip #7 Timing is very important in sports photography. It’s important to know the rules and how the sport you’re covering is played. To get great sports action shots you can pre-focus on a location where you know there will be plenty of it taking place. This will help you to be ready for the action before it plays out and ensure you have a properly focused image.

A Recap of Action Sports Photography Tips To sum up these tips, you need to have adequate camera equipment and lighting. A manual camera is definitely easier to work with in sports photography as it gives you more options. Long and fast lenses are ideal for action shots and high ISO settings are usually needed in darker conditions. A fast shutter speed helps to freeze the action while panning can show speed in an image. If you’re following an athlete with your camera, a continuous shooting mode is highly recommended. Most importantly, to take a crisp, clear shot, make sure you’re in focus. Tell us what you think of these action sports photography tips or share your own by leaving a comment below.



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How to Shoot Product Photography Learning product photography lighting is one of the most important things you can do to help sell a product. Prospective customers viewing items online or in a magazine can’t see or touch the item in person, so a photo must showcase an item’s beauty and detailed qualities; which is best achieved by following important set ups when lighting for product photography. There are two types of product photography you can shoot: 1. An object on a white, black or colored background 2. An object in its natural environment In Part 1 of this 2 part article on how to shoot product photography, we are going to teach you how to shoot objects on a white, black or colored background.

What You Need for Product Photography Lighting In order to shoot the best product photography you are going to need several things: • • • •

A dslr camera 18-55mm lens Tripod A tabletop photo kit OR 2-3 500 watt continuous lights with stands and a tabletop background with seamless white, black and/or colored backdrops. *We recommend two for you to choose from below.

All of these items can be found inexpensively on Amazon.com through this link: Product Photography Equipment. Two tabletop photo kits we recommend include:

Setting Up and Lighting for Product Photography Set Up Tabletop Photography and Position the Camera If you opted to buy a tabletop kit (which is recommended when starting out) follow the instructions on how to set it up. If you chose to purchase your own lights with stands and a tabletop background follow these instructions. A detailed photo is also below. •

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Set up the seamless background so that the back of the material is vertical against a wall (or flat object) and the bottom is horizontal on a table. Place your object in the middle of the horizontal section of the backdrop material. Position your camera so that it is directly across from the vertical background of the material.



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Lighting the Product • •

Position one light directly above and close to your object. Position the other two lights to each side and close to your object but slightly toward the camera. You want a 20-30 degree angle with the lights pointing toward the subject.

We position our lights in the manner described above in order to eliminate as many shadows as possible from the object. If you did not flood the object with light from all angles you would end up with ugly harsh shadows on the subject. The light above should be bright enough to adequately illuminate the subject. The lights on the sides should be bright enough to make the background an even white as well as eliminate shadowing. Try to position the side lights so that they are casting the same amount of light on the object. You don’t want one light to overpower the other. If your lights have adjustable dimmers use those to control the amount of light casting on your set up. If you don’t have adjustments just move the lights further away from the set up to reduce the amount of light or closer to increase it. There is no scientific method for this placement. Try to figure it out with your eyes. Choosing the Best Angle for the Product The key to shooting great product photography is choosing the best angle for the product. Generally, this is where most photographers fail. They just place the object in the center of the tabletop background, snap the photo and go on their way. This results in a flat and boring photo. Here’s how you should angle the camera toward the object in tabletop photography:



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Most products look best when viewed at a 3/4 angle turn to the camera. This means the object is turned half way between the camera and a profile shot. Positioning the object in this way allows you to see two sides of the object at once while enhancing its depth. Many products also look good with slight downward angle. This angle shows as much of the product as possible. Position the camera so it is straight on with the subject, then raise your tripod a few inches and tilt the camera down. This also helps enhance the depth of the object and by allowing the viewer to see three sides instead of two. *You can also try a slight upward angle by lowering your camera a few inches.

Camera Settings and Focal Length Its very important that your object be in perfect focus so that viewers can see complete detail. To ensure that you achieve this in your product photography follow these rules: • • • •

Place your camera on a tripod to reduce all possibility of camera shake. Set your ISO to its lowest setting – 100, 200 or lower. This will reduce grain in the photo. Set your aperture to f/8 or f/11. Adjust your shutter speed until you reach a properly exposed image. Use the histogam on your camera to make sure your white and black levels are within proper range.

We recommend using an 18-55mm lens on your camera because it offers an advantage to using a fixed length prime lens. For the most part you want to keep your focal length around 50mm to capture the object without any distortion. However, if you want to exaggerate the depth of the object and make it look bigger you can also choose a lower focal length and then move the tripod closer. This can be very effective for small items like cars, trains, or jewelry. We also explained that there are two types of product photography you can shoot: 1. An object on a white, black or colored background 2. An object in its natural environment Photography Tutorial Book


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In Part 2 of this article for Product Photography, we are going to teach you how to shoot objects in their natural environment. Why Shoot Products In Their Natural Environment? Shooting products in their natural environment can be a very persuasive tool to help generate sales for a store or shop. Showcasing products in this manner helps to bring a business as close to an in-person shopping experience as possible. The customer is able to envision the product as if they already own it. As a photographer your goals it to capture the most appealing product shots. Our Most Important Tip This may sound obvious but the best way to learn how to compose great product photography shots is to find other online merchants, magazines and blogs that represent your client’s product style and what the shop should reflect. A furniture store, for example, would display its products differently than a toy store. Take notes of how different merchants displays their products. Below, is a list of attributes you should think about when studying other merchant photos and developing a style for your product photography shots.

Developing a Style of Product Photography Choose A Depth of Field and Stick With It When developing your style for a particular product photography shoot thinks about which type of depth of field you want to exhibit in your photos. Its best to pick either a large depth of field or shallow depth of field and stick to it for every product shot. You want the viewer to have a similar experience while looking at each product and not feel like the photos were taken by different photographers. Choosing a depth of field style will help to strength the user experience and reinforce the product brand.



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Adding Background and Supporting Elements When deciding on the types of background and supporting elements just use your common sense. For example, if you’re taking a photo of a jewelry box it would make sense to place the box on a table and include some jewelry inside it. To add additional interest to the photo you could place some jewelry pieces on the table surround the box. This type of staging would resonate with a potential customer because its a scene they are familiar with – going through the jewelry box to find the right one! Another trick is to take other products that the merchant sells and use those to help support the main product. This will do two things for you: 1) make it easy to set up an appealing background and 2) encourage interest in other products the merchant sells. A final way to stage a background for product photography is to remove any distracting elements from it. Take the photo below for example. The background only consists of a table and wall – drawing the focus to the product itself. Using Color Its best to use a consistent color scheme for each store’s products that you are photographing. You can go in either two directions when developing a color style: 1. Muted background and product color taking center stage. Think of a bright red pillow on a tan couch. 2. Or, complimentary colors from the opposite end of the color wheel to the product’s dominant color. Think of a bright red pillow on a green or yellow couch. Whichever color scheme you choose just make sure to follow it through for each image you take. To shoot with a more neutral background and just small pops of color here and there. My taste and many of the things in my shop, leans towards texture and detail, rather than color. But when I do feature color, I like it to take center stage. Using colors from the opposite ends of the color wheel, or color combinations that are slightly “off” is a great way to create a unique look. My current favorite pairings are lavender and red, and turquoise and chartreuse. It is really important to depict the color of a product in its truest form. Buyers don’t want to be surprised when an item they receive is markedly different from what they saw in your shop. It can be tempting to over or under saturate to achieve a look, but here is the rare occasion when it’s more important to put your creativity aside, and let the product speak for itself. Lighting For most product photography it’s usually best to provide enough light so that the product and background are evenly lit with minimal shadows. This allows the viewer to see all of the details of the product. Photography Tutorial Book


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To achieve a correctly lit scene we recommend that you use as many soft lights as needed for the size of your scene. Large scenes require more lights while smaller scenes require less. It’s really just a matter of trial and error.

When you position your lights make sure to place them in a manner that floods the entire scene with light. Take the example above for example. The photographer used two umbrella lights to cast soft light onto the scene. The lights where positioned at the same angle from behind the camera so that the whole scene was evenly lit. Both lights are having the same wattage of power too. Finally, Keep It Consistent I can’t stress enough how important it is for you to keep the style of all of the photos consistent for a particular product photography shoot. Paying close attention to this rule will provide the best experiences for potential customer and set your photographs apart from the work of other photographers!



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Nature Photography 

How to Shoot Silhouette Photography

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Photographing Animals at the Zoo

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Capturing Wildlife Photography from a Distance



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How to Shoot Silhouette Photography A very powerful, yet often neglected photo technique is silhouette photography. Silhouette photos are visually powerful because they combine simplicity with a sense of mystery and drama. Not being able to see the details of the main subject causes the viewer’s mind to wander and create their own story within an image. Like many photographers, you’ve probably seen great silhouette photography and often wondered “how did they do that?” Today, we’re going to teach you everything you need to know about shooting silhouette photography. Once you master this technique you’ll be sure to have a photo album full of intriguing photos that take people breathe away!

Choosing a Subject for Silhouette Photography The best silhouette photos include a strong subject. When choosing a subject makes sure that it has a strong and recognizable shape. You want your viewers to instantly know what the subject is by its dark outline. If the shape is ambiguous or hard to make out you’ll lose your viewers interest. If you’re going to include more than one subject in your silhouette photography photo make sure to keep them separated. If you have one subject in front of another then they will end up merging together and could confuse your viewer by not recognizing the shape. For example, take the photo on the left below of the silhouette of the man and the cross. Notice how separation makes each object recognizable. Contrast that with the photo on the right. We can tell from the hair in the silhouette that its of a person but can’t really tell what they are doing. Their outline has merged with other objects and has made them unrecognizable.



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Lighting Your Subject To create a silhouette you need to have the main source of light shining on the back of your subject, not the front. When positioned correctly the light will be shining toward your camera. Its usually best to have your subject stand directly in front of your light source, however having the light slightly above or to the side can also work.

Its also important to turn off your flash in silhouette photography. If your camera is in an automatic or semiautomatic mode it may try to compensate for the lack of lighting on the front of your subject by firing the flash. In silhouette photography your goal is to have as little light on the front of your subject as possible – so turn the flash off.

Framing the Silhouette When framing your silhouette you can follow the standard photography rule of thirds or be creative. Its up to you! Just make sure you achieve a proper balance in your shot.

Focusing Focusing is fairly easy. Just set your focus so that its on your main subject. This will render an outline of a black subject that is nice and sharp. Focusing anywhere else could cause your subject to have a blurry outline and reduce the power of the photo.



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Achieving Proper Exposure in Silhouette Photography Proper exposure is achieved in silhouette photography when the main subject is completely black and details can be seen within or around the light source. If done correctly, a partial silhouette where some of the details can be seen in the subject can also be a nice shot. Sometimes a touch of light on them makes them slightly more three dimensional and real. Here’s how you achieve proper exposure: First, choose an aperture. The aperture you choose is really dependent upon the perspective and depth of your shot. If the background is far away from the subject then you should choose a higher f/stop number (ex. f/22). This will maximize your depth of field and render a sharp foreground and background. If the background is relatively close to the subject a lower f/stop number can be chosen since depth of field is not much of an issue (ex. f/8). Second, use your camera’s light meter to determine shutter speed. Point your camera’s light meter toward the light source in the background and then zoom in to fill the frame. Next, adjust your camera’s shutter speed so that it reads a proper exposure. When you zoom back out to adjust your framing and then take the shot the background will be exposed properly to show detail while the subject will be completely (or almost) black.

We hope you enjoyed this tutorial on silhouette photography. Leave a comment below sharing your thoughts and attempts you’ve made at this type of photography

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Photographing Animals at the Zoo A zoo or wildlife park is a great place for you to capture amazing animal photos. In this tutorial we’re going to share with you tips on photographing animals at the zoo like pro! One of the most popular reasons photographers are drawn to taking pictures of animals at zoos is because the wildlife is habituated to people. This makes it easy to capture great photos that otherwise would be impossible if trying to shoot in the wild. If natural wildlife photography interests you be sure to read out other article on How to Capture Wildlife Photography from a Distance.

Tips on Photographing Animals at the Zoo Go at Lunchtime One of the best tips we can give you for taking photos of animals at a zoo is to show up during the feeding times. In fact, this is a secret trick professional photographers have been using for years to photograph animals! Most zoos and wildlife parks set regular feeding times. The animals are used to this schedule and become more active around this time since they know they are going to be fed. Do yourself a favor and call the zoo or wildlife park ahead of time to find out the feeding times for the animals you are interested in capturing and show up about a half hour early. You’ll be sure to get some great shots as the animals star to stir! Focus on the Eyes Just like in portrait photography the eyes are the windows to the soul for zoo photography too. It’s very important to have sharply focused eyes when you’re photographing animals because they provide an immediate point of contact within a photo. Even if the rest of your shot is out of focus, make sure they eyes are in focus on every shot.

Use A Fast Shutter Speed Most animals are very skittish and move very quickly. Often, they jerk their heads left and right at the slightest sound. To get great zoo photography make sure to use a fast shutter speed. Every animal is different so it will require practice while on location to choose the best shutter speed for your shot. As a rule of thumb, it is always better to sacrifice depth of field by using a larger aperture setting in order to freeze the action of an Photography Tutorial Book


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animal with a faster shutter speed. This can also help isolate your subject from the foreground and background by reducing the sharpness within these areas and eliminate distractions when you are photographing animals. Use a 70-200mm Lens The best lens for you to use for zoo photography is a 70-200mm lens. This lens is a great choice because it allows you to photograph animals that are both far away and close. Most animals outside are protected by a fence and this lens lets you zoom in close enough to animals that are far away to get a close up shot. Inside, most animals are protected by a glass which allows you to physically get closer to them. This lens is also a great choice because it has a short enough focal length to capture these types of shots as well.

Get Down on They Animal’s Level The best animal shots are ones that are taken at eye level. Most shots can be achieved by kneeling down or in a standing position, however there will come a time when you have to get into uncomfortable positions when photographing animals. If necessary, lay down on your stomach or find a higher vantage point (steps or a chair) to get the best shots. Whatever it takes make sure you capture your photos on the animal’s eye level in your zoo photography. Patience Wins Our final tip is to be patient when shooting zoo photography. You won’t believe how many great shots have been missed by photographers that decided to pack up their gear and move on after only waiting a few minutes for an animal to appear or change positions. Occasionally you may stumble upon an animal that is in the perfect position for a shot when you first see it but in many cases you’ll need to wait for it. Once you’ve picked the animals you want to capture give yourself extended periods of time to camp out at their enclosures. This way you’ll hopefully see them in a variety of positions and with different expressions. That’s the key to capturing the best shots! Photography Tutorial Book


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Capturing Wildlife Photography from a Distance Unless you’re taking photos at a zoo you most likely be capturing wildlife photography from a distance. Wild animals become very skittish when humans encroach on their natural environments. Animals don’t like us to getting too close to them and will often hide from view (making our jobs as photographers very difficult!) If you’d like to capture great wildlife photography you’ll have to learn the tricks of the trade for photographing animals from a distance. Tricks we’re going to teach you in this tutorial. Let’s get started.

Use a Telephoto Lens Since wild animals usually hide from us photographers when we get too close its important to use a telephoto lens. This allows capturing wildlife photography from far away without disturbing them in their natural environment. A good focal length for capturing wildlife is a lens that is between 200-400mm.

Use a Large Aperture The best wildlife photos are ones where the subject is isolated from the background . By nature, animals have camouflage and if you don’t select the right aperture they will blend into the environment – reducing the effectiveness of your photo. When capturing wildlife photography it’s usually best to use a large aperture setting. Large apertures (or low fstop numbers) allow more light to hit your camera’s sensor, which creates a narrow depth of field for your photo. Narrow depth of field is ideal for photographing wildlife as it helps to isolate your subject from the background. Even if the animal has strong camouflage for its environment a narrow depth of field will blur the background and help the subject stand out from its surroundings.

Notice how using a large aperture setting has separated these animals from the background by blurring it. If a smaller aperture was used the animals would blend in to the background through their natural camouflage.



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Use an Appropriate Shutter Speed In our first tip you learned that capturing wildlife photography requires a long focal length (200-400mm). Since this is the case you need to pay close attention to the shutter speed that you choose. Long focal lengths require faster shutter speeds. A good rule of thumb is that the minimum shutter speed you can choose on your camera (when shooting handheld) is one over the focal length. This helps account for the slight camera shake from hand holding the camera and reduces motion blur. For example, if you’re using a focal length of 300mm, the slowest shutter speed you can use handheld is 1/300th for a sharp photograph. If you use a tripod you may be able to use a slightly slower shutter speed for your shot. But, one over the focal length is a good place to start. In general, capturing wildlife requires a fast shutter speed because animals move around a lot and often in quick bursts. Faster shutter speeds allow you to capture an animal in motion without the subject becoming a blur. The best way to figure out which shutter speed to choose is to experiment.

If Necessary Raise ISO over Lowering Shutter Speed As we mentioned in our second tip it’s important to use a large aperture setting to allow for more light into your camera. A large aperture allows you to use a faster shutter speed. While on location, if you’re not getting the correct exposure for your shot we recommend that you raise your ISO setting before lowering the shutter speed. An increase in image noise is more acceptable than sacrificing the sharpness of your subject by lowering the shutter speed.

Additional Tips for Photographing Wildlife Below, you’ll find additional tips for capturing wildlife photography. • •

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Be aware of wildlife laws so you do not negatively affect the environments or get into trouble. Whenever you seen an opportunity always take the first shot quickly regardless of your camera’s settings. Otherwise, the opportunity may be lost and you’ll end up with nothing. After this first shot, then you can start adjusting the settings to improve your photo. Try to capture animals doing something (this makes most appealing photos). When an animal is walking or flying try to compose the shot with an area for them to look into or walk into. Don’t crop the image too tight; allow a little room for the environment they are in, you can always trim it off later if you want. There are lots of ways to attract wildlife, including putting out food, adding a small pond, growing plants that attract butterflies and adding bird and other boxes.

We hope you enjoyed this tutorial on capturing wildlife photography from a distance. If you have any additional tips please leave a comment below so that other photographers can take advantage of this knowledge.



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Night Photography  Concert Photography Tips

 Choosing Night Photography Settings



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Concert Photography Tips: Shooting Concerts like a Pro! One of the most fun and invigorating types of photography for anyone to capture is shooting concerts! What makes concerts so unique? It’s that they can be really challenging for you as a photographer while at the same time be very rewarding. In this article we’re going to share some important concert photography tips for you to learn (or help improve) your photos when shooting concerts. Coming away from photographing concerts with top-quality photos can be done as long as your camera is good enough to capture low-light shots. One of the first concert photography tips we can give you is to always use a dslr camera when shooting concerts. While most concertgoers take small point-and-shoot digital cameras to see their favorite bands or user their phone camera when photographing concerts but these don’t produce the best shots. You’ll always get the best results with a dslr camera. Before we share with your our concert photography tips we one important reminder for you to take into consideration. The only problem you may face when taking a bigger dslr camera and lens to a venue these days is security. Some bands don’t allow high quality photos to be taken by fans since they can’t make money off selling them. Always contact the venue before hand to ask if it’s allowed for you to bring your dslr before you head out to start shooting concerts.

Concert Photography Tips Use Manual Mode Most concerts take place in darkened venues and even if you get past security flashes usually aren’t allowed. Unless you’re directly in front of the stage when photographing concerts a flash isn’t going to do much good anyway, other than illuminate the person’s head in front of you. Setting your dslr in manual mode is the best choice when shooting concerts since you can set the shutter speed, aperture, and ISO levels. Always set the white balance appropriately before the concert starts to help reduce time when editing your photos later. Shoot in the Highest Resolution Possible Photography Tutorial Book


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This is probably the easiest of our concert photography tips. When shooting concerts always shoot in the highest resolution your camera supports. Often, if you didn’t buy a pre-sale ticket (or spend a lot of money) you’ll end up in a seat that is far away from the stage. Shooting in a high resolution allows you to crop the shots later to create good looking close up photos and no one will ever think you were far away! Choosing ISO and Shutter Speed When you’re photographing concerts you’ll have to experiment with the ISO and shutter speed to see what works the best in each venue. Our best advice here is for you to try to keep the ISO as low as you can to cut out the photo noise. The higher the ISO setting the more noise (grain) will be in your photo. For some shots this is acceptable, but for most it’s not. If you want to freeze the performers when shooting concerts you’ll need a relatively fast shutter speed. You th may want to try a few shots as low as 1/40 of a second and see if they are bright enough. If they are, keep trying a faster shutter speed until the photos are too dark. When they are too dark, you can simply slow down the shutter speed until the exposure is good. Using a slower shutter speed and panning can also help create a blur effect.

Photos by YODCOX!, Use Aperture to Your Advantage If you find that your photos are still too dark after experimenting with the previous concert photography tips on ISO and shutter speed you’ll need to adjust your aperture. Another great way to balance the aperture and shutter speed is to keep the same shutter speed, but open the aperture wider until the photos are light enough. When photographing concerts in a dark venue it is important to have a fast lens that opens up to a very large aperture, like f/2 or wider. A good tip here when shooting concerts like this is for you to record the EXIF data information for your photos. This will enable you to go back to them and see which ISO, aperture and speed settings produced the best shots so that you can use this knowledge at the next concert. Focusing at Concerts



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Low-light photography for concerts is similar to shooting a boxing match since there is limited light and it’s all focused on the stage. However, the lighting conditions and intensity constantly change at concerts due to the different colored spotlights. In addition, you never really know what your subject’s going to do next when photographing concerts. Like sports photography, anticipation can help quite a bit, as can Al servo or autofocusing as it allows you to follow your subject while keeping them in focus as they move about the stage. If the venue is really dark, a camera’s auto focus system may find it difficult to focus on the subject. If this is the case, it’s a good idea to switch to manual focus while photographing concerts. Lens Choice for Distance Depending where you’re located in the venue when shooting concerts, you may need to use a telephoto or zoom lens or even a teleconverter to close in on the performers as tight as you like. A 300 mm lens or higher is recommended for this and the lower the aperture the better, as it will allow more light in the camera. A 2.8 lens or faster is recommended for photographing concerts since you can then use a slower shutter speed and ISO if needed. If you’re not too far from the stage though, a 70-200 mm, 2.8 lens or anything faster is ideal.

We hope you enjoyed these concert photography tips and learned some good information on how to achieve better photos when shooting concerts. Leave a comment on your favorite tip below!



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Choosing Night Photography Settings Taking photos at night can be a real challenge for many photographers. Most photographers don’t know how to set up their camera with the correct night photography settings. This often results in photos coming out too dark or grainy with a lot of visual noise. What most photographers don’t know is that the trick to night photography is finding the right combination of low aperture, low ISO and slow shutter speed. In this photography tutorial, we’re going to teach you how to achieve great looking photos at night by explaining everything to you in a full night photography settings guide.

Camera Requirements for Night Photography Camera requirements are pretty simple for night photography. Here’s what your dslr camera needs to have: • • •

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Manual Exposure Mode – Allows you to independently set aperture, ISO and shutter speed. Bulb setting – Allows manual control over shutter speed to take exposures longer than 30 seconds. Connection for shutter release cable or Wireless remote setting – This is very important because the slightest vibration of camera shake can cause motion blur in your photographs. It is not advisable to press the shutter release button on the camera because pressure from your finger can cause movement of the camera. Invest in an inexpensive cable release or wireless remote for your camera. Ability to shoot in RAW format – Some photos may look completely dark in the viewfinder but if its not clipping in underexposure the RAW format can allow you to pull out the details by adjusting exposure in postprocessing Connection to mount onto a tripod – This is very important because night photography requires very long exposures and no one can hold a camera steady long enough to capture sharp images. Night shots vary in exposure time and can require between 30 seconds to thirty minutes of exposure time.

Selecting a Lens We recommend that you only use a wide angle lens for night photography. Here’s why: •

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The most intriguing night shots are ones where you can tell they were taken at night. This often requires a photo to include both a foreground and background within the scene. A wide angle lens is best for this shot. Focusing at night can be very hard to do. A wide angle lens is more forgiving with focus because the depth of field is so large. Being a tad off in focus is not as noticeable as when using a telephoto lens.



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How to Focus at Night At first it may seem impossible to focus at night. Auto focus doesn’t work because it can’t detect a subject through a dark viewfinder. The same thing goes when trying to focus by eye – you can’t see anything. So, what do you do? Set your focus ring to the infinity setting . This makes everything up until infinity within your scene in focus. If you’d rather focus on a closer subject in the foreground then you can either guess the distance between the lens and the subject and change your focus ring setting to match, or use a flashlight to illuminate the subject and look through the viewfinder to adjust proper focus.

Choosing an Aperture Setting When you’re shooting night photography depth-of-field is usually not a factor because you’re lens is set to focus to infinity. This takes all of the guesswork out of choosing an aperture setting. Just open your lens up to its widest f -stop. Your goal in night photography is to allow as much light as possible into the camera. So, if your lens opens up to maximum of f /5.6, choose that setting.

Choosing an ISO Setting

The ISO setting on a camera is a gift and a curse for night photographers. Its a gift because you can boost the setting when shooting in a dark location in order to brighten up the image and it’s a curse because the more you boost the ISO the more noise it introduces into the photo. High ISO settings cause photos to look grainy and lower quality. When choosing the ISO night photography setting on your camera try to keep it as low as possible (for example ISO 100 or 200). This will give your photos a higher quality look by reducing the noise. With that being said you’ll want to use a high ISO setting when doing your test shots. We’ll explain more about this in the next section on choosing a shutter speed.

Choosing a Shutter Speed Shutter speed is the most difficult night photography setting to choose on your camera because every scene is lit differently. Scenes can vary from a pitch black landscape with only the moon providing any light to a brightly lit city with lights coming from every building. Its really just a matter of guessing which shutter speed will work for your situation and making adjustments from there. The only draw back is that in night photography there are times when you’ll have to use shutter speeds that last as long as 10-30 minutes to get a proper exposure. But, instead of wasting an hour just to take two test shots we’re going to teach you a trick on how to figure out proper exposure for your scene in a fraction of that time. Here’s what we recommend you do when trying to choose a shutter speed for night photography: 1. Set your ISO to the highest setting possible on your camera Photography Tutorial Book


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2. 3. 4. 5.

Choose a shutter speed you think will give an acceptable exposure Take a test shot and see how the exposure came out Adjust your shutter speed up or down until the test shot has a proper exposure Finally, use arithmetic to find the same exposure at a lower ISO setting. This reduces noise and captures high quality photos. Each time you reduce the ISO one step (for example, from 400 to 200), the camera needs to let in half as much more light for the same exposure. So, if you had a shutter speed of 1/500 at 400 ISO, going to 200 ISO would let you get the same exposure at 1/250 second – providing the aperture remains unchanged. Another example would be a test shot with a shutter speed of 1 minute at 1000 ISO which is the same exposure as a ten minute shutter speed at 100 ISO and very little noise.

Also, keep in mind that because night photography requires longer shutter speeds, its often unavoidable to prevent light trails from moving objects with lights in your scene like cars. Just embrace it.

A Final Tip When starting out in night photography we recommend that you start taking photos at dusk when the sun sets. At first, you’ll still be able to use the light meter within your camera to achieve proper exposure, but as it gets darker you’ll learn how to manually adjust the settings on your camera to compensate for this change.

A Recap: Proper Night Photography Settings 1. Use a camera with full manual settings 2. Always use a shutter release cable or wireless remote and a tripod to prevent camera shake and motion blur 3. Attach a wide angle lens to your camera 4. Set the focus ring to infinity (or focus on a close subject using the tips above) 5. Open your aperture to its widest setting 6. Set your camera to its highest ISO setting only during test shots to find a shutter speed that gives proper exposure 7. Find out which slower shutter speed gives the same exposure at a lower ISO setting using the arithmetic tips above.



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om on P oto rap y Te ms nd

efini ions

As a photograp her, there ar e several co mon pho ography terms an definition that you sh ould know nd understa nd. You’ll ind that there are c mmon ter s that we re erence thro ughout our photography tu orials and k nowing the definitions ill help yo to follow the step much easi r. Its lso good to understand these common photogr phy terms a nd def nitions so y ou’ll feel co mfortable participating in discussio ns wit other phot ographers. I f you’re eve r looking fo r advice fro oth r photogra hers or wan t to talk abo ut how you captured a certain shot, us ng proper photography language wi ll help you gre t deal.

List of Com on Photography T rms and

efinition

Ap rture: The size of the pening insi e a lens that permits li ht to travel to the came the aperture is easured in an “ f -stop” number. Fo example – /8. The sm ller the f -st opening inside he lens allo wing more l ight to hit t e sensor. T e larger the f -stop num opening inside he lens allo wing less li ht to hit the sensor. Ap rture numbers include: f /5. , f /8, f /11, /16, f /22, f /32

a’s sensor. he size of p number, t he large the er, the smaller the /1, f /1.4, f / , f /2.8, f /4,

Ap rture Prio ity (AV) ode: A mo e that can be selected o n a camera t hat puts pri rity on the aperture setting. In this ode, an f -s op is chose by the photographer a d the camera automatically adjusts the shutter spe d and ISO o achieve proper expos re. Cli ping: Occ rs in an im ge where the intensity i n a certain a rea falls out side the mi imum and aximum intensity which can be repr sented. Cli ping can o cur in the highlights or the shadow of a photo. An exampl is an overexpos ed image o a sky wher the clouds are clipped (or blown-out) resulting in loss of detail. Ex osure: The amount of ight that is llowed to f ll on to a c mera’s sen or during th e process o taking a photograph. Ex osure Co pensation EV +/-] : A dial or butt on on some cameras tha t allows you to override the aut matic exposure output by +/-2 stops. JP G: The ter used to d scribe a typ e of digital ompression used for di ital images . This partic ular co pression ra io reduces ile size by l wering pic ure quality. De sce foc hig por req

th-of-field: The distan e within a hoto that is in focus. A large depth- of-field has a deep focu s within a e. An exa ple would e a landsca e photo tha includes bl ades of gras s closest to he camera t hat are in s at the sa e time as a mountain range further away from the camera. arge depth of-field requires a er f /stop number, ex. f / 22. A shallow depth-of- ield has less of the sce e in focus. n example would be a rait photo here the pe rson is in fo us while th backgroun d is out of f ocus. A shallow depth- f-field ires a lower f /stop number, ex. f /1. .

F-s op: Also k own as “aperture”. See definition f r aperture bove.

Photograph

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Fisheye Lens: A lens with a wider than normal angle of view that produces an image that is foreshortened in the center and increasingly distorted in the periphery Focal Length: The distance from the surface of a lens or mirror to its focal point. Also known as focal distance. Focus: The area of an image that is sharp and clear. Focus is controlled by automatically by the internal mechanism of a camera or manually by a focus ring. Histogram: A feature that can be turned on for some cameras that shows a graphical representation of the tonal range (lightness and darkness) within a photo. This is useful to determine if an image is over exposed, underexposed or if clipping is occurring. ISO: Measures the sensitivity of the camera’s sensor. The lower the number the less sensitive your camera is to light, which results in finer image grain. Higher numbers used in darker situations to get faster shutter speeds. The trade off however is more noticeable grain in the shot. Manual Mode: A mode that can be selected on a camera that gives you independent control over the aperture, shutter speed and ISO. Priority is not given to a specific setting. Proper exposure is determined by the photographer. Megapixels: A measurement of digital photo quality. A one-megapixel image is made up of one million pixels. Memory: The electronic storage space for the purpose of storing pictures. Most cameras store memory on an SD card that is inserted into the camera. Overexposure: Exposing an image so that it looks washed-out or white-looking. This occurs when too much light is exposed on the image. Pixels: A contraction of the term “Picture Element”. It is the smallest element of a digital image, a single “dot” of light or ink. Pixel Count: The number of pixels that go into making each image. The higher the pixel count the more realistic an image is likely to appear. Post-Processing (PP): The act of using software to correct or enhance an image after it has been captured. Common adjustments include improving tonal range, enhancing saturation, changing colors, adding artistic elements, etc. PPI: An acronym for “pixels per inch”, and is used to describe an element in picture quality. The higher the number of pixels displayed per inch, the better the picture will appear to the human eye and the less easily viewers will notice individual pixels. Prime Lens: A lens that only has one focal length. You cannot zoom in or out with this lens. An example of a prime lens would be a 50mm lens. A fixed focal length enables a prime lens to allow more light into the camera by having a smaller aperture, ex. f /1.2, compared to a zoom lens that may only be able to open up to f /4.



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RAW/NEF: An uncompressed file format that is shot by a camera. A photo is capture in its purest form without any data loss. Canon introduced the RAW picture format, while Nikon calls this format NEF. Saturation: The term used to describe the brightness of colors within an image. A highly saturated image has bright and vibrant colors. A low saturated image has dull and muted colors. Sensor: The digital strip within the camera that converts incoming light into an electrical signal. Shutter Priority (TV) Mode: A mode that can be selected on a camera that puts priority on the shutter speed setting. In this mode, a shutter speed is chosen by the photographer and the camera automatically adjusts the aperture and ISO to achieve proper exposure. Shutter Speed: The duration, for which the camera’s aperture is opened, thereby allowing light to stream in. Longer shutter speeds leave the aperture open longer, letting more light in and resulting in more exposure. Shorter shutter speeds leave the aperture open for less amount of time, letting less light in and resulting in less exposure. Telephoto Lens: A lens has a long focal length. Often used to capture subjects that are a far distance away (ex. 200-500mm). This lens compresses the visual distance between objects in the foreground and background. TIFF: An acronym for “Tagged Image File Format”. While there is no loss of information in this format, the resulting file sizes are also very large. Tonal Range: The term used to describe the quality of tone ranging from an image’s darkest shadow through to the brightest highlight details, including all of the transitions in between these extreme levels. Wide Angle Lens: A lens that has a short focal length. Often used to capture wide scenic shots (ex. 12-18mm). This lens emphasizes the distance between objects in the foreground and background. Underexposure: Exposing an image so that it looks dark. This occurs when not enough light is exposed on the image. White Balance: Human eyes compensate for lighting conditions with different colors of light. A digital camera, however, requires a reference point that represents white. It then calculates all other colors based upon this setting. Zoom: The process of optically enlarging a portion of the picture. This is the process of changing the focal length and magnification of the lens physically, without altering the quality of the recorded digital image.

The Rule of Thirds in Photography Composition Every photographer must learn about the Rule of Thirds. The rule of thirds is one of the most fundamental principles of photographic composition. In short, it’s a method of framing your photographs in a way that places your subject in one of the most appealing spots within the image. The theory behind the rule of thirds is that if you break an image up into thirds, so you have 9 equal parts



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(imagine a grid), and place your subject on one of the intersecting lines you’ll have a photograph that is much more attractive to the viewer. See the image below.

The Rule of Thirds Adds Interest to Photographs The reason that the rule of thirds is so popular among photographers is because placing a subject in the middle of a photograph tends to make a photo feel boring. That’s because its symmetrical and predictable. By simply sliding your subject over to one of the intersecting lines of the grid your photo immediately becomes more appealing because its asymmetrical and unpredictable. This makes for better photography composition. The next time you go to take a photograph, imagine the intersecting lines of the rule of thirds grid on top of your viewfinder. Then, place your subject on one of the four intersecting points. See image of the sheep below.

If you have a vertically tall subject, just line it up so that it touches either both of the left or right points.



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If you have a horizontally long subject, just line it up so that it touches either the two top or bottom points. See the images below for examples.

If you have a dominant vertical and horizontal subject within the frame, choose either the left two points or right to point and the top two points or bottom two points to align each with. The photo below is a perfect example of how to approach this type of shot.

We hope you enjoyed this photography tutorial on the rule of thirds in photography. Please share this tutorial with other photographers using the buttons below



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Six Secret Steps for How to Take Good Photos

Learn them today! Do You Want to Know the Secrets for How to Take Good Photos? Wouldn’t it feel great if every time you pushed the shutter button you knew you would be capturing an awardwinning photograph? Well, now you can! And this article is going to teach you just how to do it! You’ve probably been wondering…”What is it that pro photographers know about taking good photographs that you don’t?” How did they learn how to take good photos that command attention, are balanced perfectly in composition, and rake in tons of cash for their photography business? By reading every word in this article you’ll soon learn that its not as hard as you think! For years, pro photographers have been using the Six Secret Steps listed below for how to take good photos. Its these six steps (and these six steps alone) that will instantly make your photos more engaging, more balanced, and more profitable. So lets get on with it!

The Six Secret Steps for How to Take Good Photos Secret #1 Yeah, everyone out there has this first secret listed somewhere in the how to take photos handbook. But, there is a good reason for it. When I decided to pursue my passion of photography, I had no idea what a rule of thirds was, or even how ISO and white balance factored into a photo. I just knew I liked to click a shutter button. It was not until I had a horrible stock submission experience that I realized I had a lot more to learn. Thus, I started reading about photography. Photography Tutorial Book


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I did not just stop at reading all the technicalities of photography. I also read forums, photographer blogs, and anything else my greedy eyes could be graced with to find out how to take better photos. There is a world of books and websites dedicated to the numbers and science behind photography. You should take all of that in. However, what no technical book is going to teach you is the inspiration. This is where reading photographer blogs really helped. I could see the shots professional photographers posted, enjoy the stories behind the shot, and learn what drove the photographer to capture the scene. This in turn taught me how to find my own inspiration. Reading never ends by the way. I still pick up magazines, surf the net, and spend a good two or more hours a day reading photography related material. I pick up new tricks, find new inspirations, and even try my hand at styles that are not my own. This is all part of the growing, learning, and improving process. For a list of photography books you should own, visit the Photography Book Reviews section of our website to read reviews of some of the best photography books ever written. Secret #2 This step may sound like reading, but it is very different. Do not just read everything you can on taking photos, but also look at as many photos as you can muster. Analyze the photos you love and dislike. Find the common threads that bind these likes and dislikes together. You may find that you thought you liked shooting candid shots of people on the street, only to realize you were really enjoying the architecture in the buildings behind the crowd. There is another reason to devour as many photos as you can, and that is to help you find your style. So many times you hear that you should find your niche and then set yourself apart in it. Let us face the facts that so many people can now shoot photos this may seem like a daunting task, and it can be if you let it. Besides looking for new angles to shoot old scenes, or new props/lighting to use, look for the more subtle things. These maybe something as big as shooting HDR or something as small as leaning towards a cold tone photo over warmer tones. The only way to find the nuances that really please you is to look at as many photos of every style you can. Secret #3 After you have read about things like ISO, aperture, and shutter speeds put what you have just read to the test. I cannot tell you how many days I spent just shooting different apertures until I was fully comfortable with how it changed my photos. The photos I took were nothing I would try to sell or even post online, but they still reside on my hard drive as a reminder of the learning experience. I can always turn back to them and look at the differences, and I still learn from them today. The other part is shooting whenever the urge hits you. The only way to hone your skill and learn how to take better pictures is to practice it A LOT. Just as athletes practice the same drills over and over, you should be shooting images as often as you possibly can. Do not go thinking you need to lug around hefty lenses or giant DSLR cameras for this. If all you have on you is the camera on your phone then so be it. You can still apply your knowledge, and better yet your passion, to any image no matter how you capture it. I have a camera on me at all times, it maybe a Sony point and shoot, my iPhone, or my D90. The key is to never leave home without a camera as you never know where your next photo opportunity is going to hit. Secret #4



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This step on how to take good photos is a bitter pill to swallow up front, but there is a reason I am telling you to FORGET about post processing. Almost any photographer you talk to will tell you to get the image as correct in the camera first, and then post process it to a final result. This is great, once you have basics down pact. If you end up depending on software like Lightroom, Aperture, or Photoshop to fix white balance, exposure, or ghosting, then you are just making more work for yourself in the end. I am the first to admit that I will use Lightroom to fix crops, increase saturation, and even add a bit of vibrancy. Before I do any of these adjustments, I try to get the look I want right out of the camera. When you are comfortable getting the look you want out of the camera, then you can add on your software of choice to put the final changes onto your photos. Secret #5 This the hardest secret for most people to handle when learning how to take good photos. Getting critiques of your photographs. Critiques are the hardest things to find, let alone take. We all love great praise, and sometimes it is all we need. Sadly, we learn from the hard honest critiques the most. You may know these mean reviews as your white balance is off, poor framing job, not sharp enough, or even the dreaded “what is the point here.” While these kinds of critiques can hurt ones pride, it should not crush your desire to improve. Some of the best learning experiences I encountered were from the few words that may have stomped on my pride in an image. These drove me back to learn more, try harder, and expand on the feedback I received. Then when I came around again, the words were of praise and a pat on the back as I improved and grew. Critiques can be hard to find. While friends and family are nice, they sadly may not want to hurt your feelings. This is where the Internet has come to your aid. Sure, it sucks to have some anonymous person tell you your photo sucks and leave it at that, but they obviously had nothing constructive to say. The few people that do offer honest feedback are worth ever letter they spill out to help you get better. If you can get into gallery shows, or have a peer rate your work even better. The best critique is the one you learn from. Secret #6 The most important thing you can do during all of this is have fun. I admit it, I say this a lot. However, when things become a chore, or you start to dread what you are doing, well, sadly you may need to sit down and reconsider things. When you have fun and enjoy this beautiful art we call photography it will show in your images. It does not matter what kind of images you love to capture, if you are having fun and have a passion for what you do, the results of your labor will be that much better. Getting great at photography is not some mysterious language that is harder to find than some holy grail. It is just a matter of work and love. You ultimately never stop learning, and you skills will continue to grow as you continue on your photography journey. Enjoy the ride as you only get to do this life thing once.



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Explained & Understanding Camera Exposure Explained Understanding Aperture Understanding

ISO

Understanding Aperture Priority Mode Understanding Shutter Priority Mode



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Camera Exposure Explained Camera exposure is defined as the total amount of light allowed to fall on the photographic image sensor of your digital camera during the process of taking a photograph. Camera exposure is controlled in three ways:

1. Aperture 2. Shutter Speed 3. ISO setting What is Correct Exposure? “Correct” camera exposure is defined as an exposure that achieves the effect the photographer intended. The purpose of exposure adjustment (in combination with lighting adjustment) is to control the amount of light from the subject that is allowed to fall on the image sensor, so that it falls into an appropriate region of the sensor’s characteristic curve and yields a “correct” or acceptable exposure. What is Overexposure and Underexposure? A camera exposure may be described as overexposed when it has a loss of highlight detail, that is, when the bright parts of an image are effectively all white, known as “blown out highlights” (or “clipped whites”). A camera exposure may be described as underexposed when it has a loss of shadow detail, that is, the dark areas indistinguishable from black, known as “blocked up shadows” (or sometimes “crushed shadows,” “crushed blacks,” or “clipped blacks”).

Image by wikipedia.org Can Overexposure and Underexposure Be Intentional? Yes. As the image to the right shows, these terms are technical ones rather than artistic judgments; an overexposed or underexposed exposure may be “correct”, in that it provides the effect that the photographer intended. Intentionally over- or under- exposing (relative to a standard or the camera’s automatic exposure) is casually referred to as “shooting to the right” or “shooting to the left”, respectively, as these shift the histogram of the image to the right or left. Determining Exposure The “Zone System” is another method of determining exposure and development combinations to achieve a Photography Tutorial Book


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greater tonality range over conventional methods by varying the contrast of the ‘film’ to fit the print contrast capability. Digital cameras can achieve similar results (high dynamic range) by combining several different exposures (varying only the shutter speeds) made in quick succession. Today, most cameras automatically determine the correct exposure at the time of taking a photograph by using a built-in light meter, or multiple point meters interpreted by a built-in computer, see metering mode. Manual Exposure In manual mode, the photographer adjusts the lens aperture and/or shutter speed to achieve the desired exposure. Many photographers choose to control aperture and shutter independently because opening up the aperture increases exposure, but also decreases the depth of field, and a slower shutter increases camera exposure but also increases the opportunity for motion blur. ‘Manual’ camera exposure calculations may be based on some method of light metering with a working knowledge of exposure values, the APEX system and/or the Zone System. Automatic Exposure A camera in automatic exposure (AE) mode automatically calculates and adjusts camera exposure settings in order to match (as closely as possible) the subject’s mid-tone to the mid-tone of the photograph. For most cameras this means using an on-board TTL exposure meter. Aperture priority mode gives the photographer manual control of the aperture, whilst the camera automatically adjusts the shutter speed to achieve the exposure specified by the TTL meter. Shutter priority mode gives manual shutter control, with automatic aperture compensation. In each case, the actual exposure level is still determined by the camera’s exposure meter. Exposure Compensation The purpose of an exposure meter is to estimate the subject’s mid-tone luminance and indicate the camera exposure settings required to record this as a mid-tone. In order to do this it has to make a number of assumptions which, under certain circumstances, will be wrong. If the exposure setting indicated by an exposure meter is taken as the “reference” exposure, the photographer may wish to deliberately overexpose or underexpose in order to compensate for known or anticipated metering inaccuracies. Cameras with any kind of internal exposure meter usually feature an exposure compensation setting which is intended to allow the photographer to simply offset the exposure level from the internal meter’s estimate of appropriate exposure. Frequently calibrated in stops,[10] also known as EV units, a “+1 exposure compensation setting indicates one stop more (twice as much) exposure and “–1 means one stop less (half as much) exposure. 

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Camera exposure compensation is particularly useful in combination with auto-exposure mode, as it allows the photographer to bias the exposure level without resorting to full manual exposure and losing the flexibility of auto exposure.



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n erstand n A e tu e Aperture is one of the three pillar s of photogr aphy, the ot her two being IS and Shutte r Speed. Wi hout a dou t, it is the ost talked about sub ect, becaus aperture ei ther adds a imension t a photogra h by blurri g the backg round, or m gically bri gs everything in focus. I n this articl , I will try t explain ev erything I know about aperture n very simple language.

1) What is Aperture? Si ply put, ap rture is a h le within a l ens, throug which light travels int the camera body. It is asier to understand the oncept if you just think about our e yes. Every amera that we know of today is des igned like hu an eyes. T e cornea in our eyes is l ike the fron element of a lens – it gathers all ex ternal light, then bends it a d passes it o the iris. epending o the amount of light, the iris can eit her expand or shrink, c ntrolling the size of the upil, which is a hole th t lets the lig ht pass furt er into the ye. The pu il is essenti ally what w ref r to as aperture in photography. T e amount o light that e nters the ret ina (which orks just li e the ca era sensor), is limited t the size of the pupil – the larger th e pupil, the more light e nters the ret ina. So, the easiest ay to remember aperture, is by ass ciating it aperture, while small pupil size equals mall aperture.

ith your pu il. Large pu pil size equ als large

2) ize of Ap rture – Large vs S all Aperture Th iris of the l ens that con trols the siz (diameter) of the apert ure is called “diaphrag purpose of the iaphragm i to block or stop all lig t, with the xception of the light th aperture. In ph tography, aperture is ex pressed in f -numbers (f r example /5.6). Thes known as “f-st ps” are a w y of descri ing the size of the apert ure, or how open or clo sm ller f-stop eans a larg r aperture, while a larg r f-stop means a smaller aperture. aw ward, since we are use to having l arger numb rs represen larger valu es, but not i f/1. is larger t an f/2.0 an much larg r than f/8.0.

” in optics. The sole t goes thro gh the f-numbers that are ed the aper ure is. A ost people find this this case. or example ,

Ta e a look at t his chart (i age courtes y of Wikipe dia):

Th size of the circle repre ents the siz of the lens aperture – t he larger th f-number, he smaller the aperture. Photograph

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3) What is Depth of Field? One important thing to remember here, the size of the aperture has a direct impact on the depth of field, which is the area of the image that appears sharp. A large f-number such as f/32, (which means a smaller aperture) will bring all foreground and background objects in focus, while a small f-number such as f/1.4 will isolate the foreground from the background by making the foreground objects sharp and the background blurry.

Image on left shot at f/2.8, Image on right shot at f/8.0 As you can see, just changing the aperture from f/2.8 to f/8.0 has a big effect on how much of WALL-E is in focus and how visible the background gets. If I had used a much smaller aperture such as f/32 in this shot, the background would be as visible as WALL-E. Another example:

Mailboxes - Aperture set to f/2.8 In the above example, due to the shallow depth of field, only the word “Cougar” appears sharp, while everything else in the front and behind of that word is blurred. If I had used a larger aperture such as f/1.4 and focused on one of the letters, probably only that letter would have been sharp, while everything else would have been blurred out. The larger the aperture, the smaller the area in focus (depth of field). Photography Tutorial Book


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4) Lens Apertures: Maximum and Minimum Every lens has a limit on how large or how small the aperture can get. If you take a look at the specifications of your lens, it should say what the maximum (lowest f-number) and minimum apertures (highest f-number) of your lens are. The maximum aperture of the lens is much more important than the minimum, because it shows the speed of the lens. A lens that has an aperture of f/1.2 or f/1.4 as the maximum aperture is considered to be a fast lens, because it can pass through more light than, for example, a lens with a maximum aperture of f/4.0. That’s why lenses with large apertures are better suited for low light photography. The minimum aperture is not that important, because almost all modern lenses can provide at least f/16 as the minimum aperture, which is typically more than enough for everyday photography needs.

This 50mm lens has a max. aperture of f/1.4 There are two types of lenses: “fixed” (also known as “prime”) and “zoom”. While zoom lenses give you the flexibility to zoom in and out (most point and shoot cameras have zoom lenses) without having to move closer or away from the subject, fixed or prime lenses only have one focal length. Due to the complexity of optical design for zoom lenses, many of the consumer lenses have variable apertures. What it means, is that when you are fully zoomed out, the aperture is one number, while zooming in will increase the f-number to a higher number. For example, the Nikon 18-200mm lens has a variable maximum aperture of f/3.5-f/5.6. When zoomed fully out at 18mm, the lens has an aperture of f/3.5, while when fully zoomed in at 200mm, the lens has an aperture of f/5.6. The heavy, professional zoom lenses, on the other hand, typically have fixed apertures. For example, the Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G lens has the same maximum aperture of f/2.8 at all focal lengths between 70mm and 200mm. Why is this important? Because larger maximum aperture means that the lens can pass through more light, and hence, your camera can capture images faster in low-light situations. Having a larger maximum aperture also means better ability to isolate subjects from the background



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Understanding ISO

ISO is one of the three pillars of photography, the other two being Aperture and Shutter Speed. ISO in digital photography is not complex, yet many new photographers have a hard time learning and understanding this fundamental aspect of photography. I suspect this is because of the way it is being taught. You see, ISO started out as a property of film, and it was much easier to visualize it in terms of the old technology. So that’s where I want to start my explanation, before bringing you into the 21st century with ISO today. ISO actually started out as ASA, which stands for American Standards Association. Decades ago, a commercial film manufacturer came up with a set of numbers to define the sensitivity of different types of film. That set of numbers was accepted by the American Standards Association, so all American manufacturers could use the same system. Later, the American standard was adopted by the International Standards Organization, so ASA became ISO. What does all that mean? Well, it means that the letters ISO didn’t really stand for anything except for the name of an organization. What is important is what ISO referred to, which was the sensitivity of the film. The emulsion on some films reacted quite slowly to light, and on other films much faster. Slower films had a smaller ISO number, like 25, 64, 100. Faster films had a higher number, like 200, 400, 800. A slow film needed a relatively high level of light to create a well-exposed photo. That meant that to take a photo in darker conditions, you would need to use a fairly wide aperture and/or a fairly slow shutter speed to get a result. On the other hand, a faster film reacted to light a lot more quickly, so it needed much less exposure to light to take a photo. Fast film sounds pretty good, doesn’t it? A chance to take a photo in any conditions without a tripod, and to freeze moving subjects with very fast shutter speeds. So why didn’t everyone just use fast films all the time? Photography Tutorial Book


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The answer is that the advantages of fast films came with a trade-off; loss of image quality. The grains of emulsion on a fast film were larger, so a photo taken on a film with ISO 400 or 800 had a rougher, ‘grainier’ look. This may not have been a problem in a small print, but became quite apparent with big enlargements. Consequently, most professional photographers preferred to use slower films of 100 or 64 ISO for most of their work. So is this just a lesson in ancient history? After all, you have a digital camera, so what does all this have to do with you. Well, it may surprise you to know that despite the huge revolution in technology, the essentials of ISO have not changed one bit. Your camera should allow you the option of adjusting your ISO setting. Just like in the days of film, if you set your ISO to a low number like 100, you will need more light to create a correct exposure. That means that you may need to keep a tripod handy for cloudy days, and in certain low-light situations you may not always get the aperture and shutter speed settings you want. If you set your ISO to 400 or 800, your camera will become much more sensitive to light; you will be able to shoot in exactly the same conditions without a tripod, and with greater flexibility to choose the aperture and shutter speeds you want. But here is the amazing part. Higher ISO settings still come with the same trade-off that once existed with film. Along with the speedier sensitivity to light, you can also expect the image to have a grainier finish. I don’t know if it is pixilation, or digital noise, or a combination of both, but it is generally understood that for all their advantages, high ISO photos come with a reduction of image quality that becomes more obvious the more you enlarge the image. So there you have a quick introduction to what ISO is all about. Perhaps I am just showing my age, but I find this subject easier to explain in old-technology terms. For many people it is easier to visualize when related to something solid like film, rather than something that happens on a computer chip. Anyway, I hope this helps you if you have had trouble understanding what ISO is all about.



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Understanding Aperture Priority Mode When your camera is on fully AUTO mode, it uses all the fancy technology it has to determine a shutter speed and an aperture to use for a correct exposure. The Aperture-Priority AE Mode is a semi-automatic mode that allows you, the photographer, to tell the camera which aperture you want it to use — and let it automatically determine the appropriate shutter speed for a correct exposure. A “correct exposure” is simply a shutter speed and aperture combination determined by your camera’s light meter that will result in your image sensor receiving enough light to properly record your scene. Too much light and you get an “over-exposed” picture; too little light, and you get an “under-exposed” picture. All the fancy technology in your camera (and some cameras list a lot of features) whirl and twirl… and eventually return just two values: an aperture (how big a hole to open to let light in) and shutter speed (for how long to keep that hole open). In effect, you have taken control of the aperture setting. Everything else is on automatic, but you decide which aperture you want the camera to use depending on what you want to achieve in your picture. Command Dials

Main Command The way you typically change the aperture when in Aperture-Priority AE mode is by rotating the Command Dial. You use your thumb to rotate the Command Dial and you will see the aperture change on the screen.



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Sub-Command Dial Some cameras also have a Subcommand Dial, usually in front of the camera at the top of the handgrip and just below or above the shutter release button. Check your User’s Manual to see how your camera is set and whether you need to rotate the [Main] Command Dial or the Sub-command Dial to change aperture in Aperture-Priority Mode.

Selecting Aperture As you rotate the [Main] Command Dial (or Subcommand Dial, depending on your camera), you can see the aperture changing in the viewfinder. Here, the shutter speed (1/500 sec.) and aperture (f/5.6) are visible below the scene you’re taking.

Command Info Some cameras also allow you to view all the settings on a Command Info screen, as above. As you rotate the [Main] Command Dial (or Subcommand Dial, depending on your camera), you can see the aperture changing on the Command Info. Here, the shutter speed (1/320 sec.) and aperture (f/7.1) are displayed on the LCD screen.



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Depth of Field Just what do you want to achieve in your picture by selecting a particular aperture over another? You want to control the depth of field. Depth of Field is a fancy word that simply says how much of the picture you want to be sharply in focus.

Lots of Depth of Field - F9.0 Here’s an example of a picture with lots of depth of field using an aperture of F9.0. Notice how everything, from near to far, appears sharp in the picture. When taking landscape photographs, you would usually want this effect. And the way to achieve lots of depth of field using a DSLR is to use a small aperture, e.g. f/16. It is not always possible to use the smallest aperture available on your camera’s lens, so you have to use the smallest that gives a correctly exposed picture. In the example above, I used F9.0. An aperture has an associated “aperture value”. That’s what the number following the “f/” or “F” means. So an aperture of f/5.6 (or F5.6) has an aperture value of 5.6. An aperture of f/16 (or F16) has an aperture value of 16.The only thing you have to remember here is that the larger the aperture value, the smaller the aperture. The smaller the aperture value, the larger the aperture. So, f/16 (F16) is a small aperture and f/2.8 (F2.8) is a large aperture.

Shallow Depth of Field - F5.0 Here’s an example of a picture with shallow depth of field using an aperture of F5.0. Notice how only the main subject is sharply in focus and the background has been nicely thrown out of focus. When taking portraits, you would usually want this effect so your main subject stands out from a [potentially] distracting background. And the way to achieve a shallow depth of field using a DSLR is to use a large aperture, e.g. f/2.8. It is not always possible to use the largest aperture available on your camera’s lens, so you have to use the largest that gives a correctly exposed picture. In the example above, I used F5.0. The blurring effect of the background would have been even more pronounced were I able to use a larger aperture. So, if you have been wondering why your landscape pictures did not come out sharp all over or why your main subject did not have the same punch as the examples above, now you know! When set to AUTO, your camera selects both the aperture and shutter speed and does not really know what effect you want to achieve. You tell it from now on, and control how your pictures come out! Photography Tutorial Book


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Understanding Shutter Priority Mode The Shutter-Priority Tv Mode is an essential photography basics lesson. Shutter-Priority is a semi-automatic mode that allows you, the photographer, to tell the camera which shutter speed you want it to use — and let it automatically determine the appropriate aperture for a correct exposure. The main purpose of using the shutter-priority mode is to have a faster shutter speed to freeze the action of fast-moving subjects or to have a slower shutter speed to blur moving subjects in order to create a sense of motion. That’s why this is one of the photography basics you should be aware of how to use.

Selecting a Shutter Speed When the camera is in the shutter-priority mode, turning the command dial selects a shutter speed. As the command dial is being turned, a shutter speed value appears on the monitor. See the image below. Once the desired shutter speed appears, stop turning the command dial and the camera will use that shutter speed. The corresponding aperture also appears on the monitor so that you can determine if the aperture and shutter speed combination is an appropriate one. If the selected shutter speed may cause over- or underexposure, the shutter speed blinks when the shutter release button is pressed halfway down. Should this happen, select another shutter speed and try again. If you are satisfied with the combination, press the shutter release button to take a photo. Otherwise, turn the command dial for a new shutter speed.

The command dial can be turned in either direction: clockwise for slower shutter speed and counter-clockwise for faster shutter speed. If the displayed shutter speed does not change while the command dial is being turned, this means you have already reached the fastest or slowest shutter speed. Turning the command dial will either half or double the shutter speed. Note that if the corresponding shutter speed is longer than or equal to 1/4 second, it is shown in yellow on the monitor to indicate that noise may appear in the recorded image. Moreover, if the shutter speed is slower than 1/30 sec, the Camera Shake icon

will appear in the upper-right corner of the monitor.

Possible shutter speeds are 8 , 4 , 2 , 1 , 2, 4, 8, 15, 30, 60, 125, 250, 500, 1000, 2000. Thus, the fastest and slowest shutter speeds are 1/2000 sec and 8 seconds, respectively. 

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You can also use Exposure Compensation to increase or decrease exposure.

Why the Shutter-Priority Mode? A faster shutter speed is required to freeze a motion. On the other hand, to create a sense of motion ( i.e., motion blur), we should use a slower shutter speed. This is the basic concept of using the shutter-priority mode. But, a pair of steady hands is required if the shutter speed is less than 1/30 or even 1/60 second. Sometimes, a tripod will be very useful when shooting with a slow shutter speed. Photography Tutorial Book


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In the images below, the left one was taken with shutter speed 1/250 second. The vehicle is frozen as if it parks in the middle of the road. The middle image was taken with shutter speed 1/30 second. Motion blur shows a moving vehicle. The right image was taken with 1/4 second and ND4 plus ND8 Neutral Density Filters. The resulting image is under-exposed and has to be corrected with PhotoShop. But, the motion blur effect is much better than that of the middle one. Note that the background is sharp, indicating that the camera was fixed at a location without any movement.

1/250 sec

1/30 sec

1/4 sec

To show the motion of a subject, we can also pan the camera! That is, the camera moves in the direction of the subject. Thus, the subject will be sharp in the image, but the background and foreground become blurred. The following are examples. The moving subjects seem frozen, but the background is blurred.

While stopping the action with a faster shutter speed looks amazing, sometimes motion blur created by a slower shutter speed also shows a sense of motion. The following are two more examples. The right image, which was taken with a slow shutter speed ( i.e., 1/9 sec), gives us an impression that water is actually pouring down.

F3.9 and 1/60 sec


F10.3 and 1/9 sec


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Advance Techniques 

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Focus Stacking – How to Do It Today, we are going to teach you a cool trick of manipulating the depth of field within your photos called Focus Stacking. As a photographer you are eventually going to run into the problem of trying to create a large depth of field within a photograph but under certain circumstances you are unable to achieve it. The most common situations where this occurs are during Macro photography and Lowlight photography. In Macro photography you may not have a lens that goes to a very high f-stop. Or, you may be able to achieve a high f-stop but it still does not render the whole image in focus. This is where focus stacking saves the day! In Low-light photography you may want to avoid a long exposure time (slow shutter speed). You may want to freeze the motion in part of the image, like a moving subject, but also keep the depth of field throughout the whole photo without using a flash. Focus stacking allows you to capture large depth of field images in these low-light situations.

So, what is Focus Stacking? Focus stacking is a trick photographers use to simulate a large depth of field within a photo by taking several photos of the same subject at different focus points. Then, using a program combine these images together into one photo (also known as image stacking). By using focus stacking you are able to work around the challenge of only being able to acquire shallow depth of field while taking a photograph.

How do I do it? Capturing the Images



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1. First things first…you must use a very sturdy tripod! The only way to achieve a flawless looking photo is by using a sturdy tripod. You must eliminate all possibility of camera shift while you shoot your images. Two tripods we recommend are Manfrotto 055XPROB Tripod Legs and Manfrotto 410 Junior Head. 2. Next, set up your shot. Compose your macro photography or low-light photo as you see fit. 3. Choose an aperture and turn the focus ring so that the closest part of the photo (usually the bottom) is in focus. 4. Take a snapshot. 5. Now, here’s the important part. Slowly turn your focus ring so that the focus of the image slides upward in the photo while at the same time making sure to overlap the out of focus section of the depth of field. This way no softness will be present in the final composite. More closely spaced focusing distances produce sharper images, so its better to take more images than not enough, especially if you have a very short depth of field in your photo. A larger depth of field will require less images to be taken. Just practice this and you will get the hang of how many images you need to take.

Merging the Photos Together Focus stacking requires a software package to merge your multiple images together. We recommend these two: • •

Helicon Focus Adobe Photoshop

Both software packages do a great job of aligning and merging images. Personally, I own Adobe Photoshop because it allows me to further manipulate my photos. Helicon Focus is only used for focus stacking. Here’s how you use Adobe Photoshop to stack your photos. 1. 2. 3. 4.

Open Photoshop and choose “File > Automate > Photomerge” Under Layout select “Collage” Under Source Files select “Browse” and choose all of your images for focus stacking. At the bottom of the Photomerge window make sure the “Blend Images Together” check box is selected. 5. Select “Ok” Photoshop will now work its magic and produce a final composite of your images. You may see a slight blur on the outside edges of your photo; if so just crop the image. And there you have it! You’ve now mastered focus stacking and can achieve large depth of field within photos that won’t allow it on scene.



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Out of Focus Foreground Framing This is one of my favorite compositional techniques: it is something I do a lot. I think it’s becoming a signature part of my style. I didn’t realize this until a photographer friend showed me a photo he had taken (utilizing this technique) and showed it to me saying it was his ‘Jacinda shot’ or something like that. When shooting, I often try to find something in the foreground which I can throw out of focus to frame the subject. It is a really simple way to add depth and creativity to the photograph, as well as helping give the main subject more emphasis. Here are some examples: All you have to do is find something you can shoot behind. Be sure to use a wide aperture for this technique, to throw the foreground out of focus as much as possible. This image uses an aperture of f2.2. In this wedding, I used the groom and the flower bouquet to frame the bride’s face.

This next one is from a birthday party and uses the streamers in the room to frame the subject:



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If there are two people sitting or standing close to each other, try shooting ‘through’ them. ?



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When things get in the way: use them to your advantage. This shot is taken from a birthday party, where someone was trying to get in the way of my photo by waving a pink hat around. The result: one of my favorite images from the event.

?The addition of this balloon not only frames the faces, but helps show the nature of the event.



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Use other faces:

I love long grass in photos! Long grass looks pretty when you throw it out of focus!

Use a wall. Just position your camera up against a wall to get some of that wall in the foreground out of focus! Photography Tutorial Book


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Set the camera close to the ground, and the out of focus ground in the foreground will add that extra depth to your photograph!

Anyway, I hope that was helpful!



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Photography Lighting Techniques with One Light If you’re looking to get started in studio portraiture, this video will teach you three photography lighting techniques using only one light.

These Photography Lighting Techniques Techniques Include: #1) Rembrandt Lighting: This photography lighting technique is characterized by an illuminated triangle under the eye of the subject, on the less illuminated side of the face. It is named for the Dutch painter Rembrandt, who often used this type of lighting. Here’s how you achieve it: Place the key light at a 45 degree angle from the camera and adjusted higher than your model pointing slightly downward This light will create a triangle or diamond shape shadow underneath the eye that is farther away from the light source. Altering the distance between the key light and the model will subtly or dramatically enhance the Rembrandt effect. A reflector can be added at a 45 degree angle on the other side of the camera to reduce the harshness of the shadows. #2) Butterfly Lighting: This photography lighting technique is commonly used in photography for women, as it is flattering for their face shapes; it is often called glamour lighting or paramount lighting. The term “butterfly lighting” was created because of the shape of the shadow it creates under the subject’s nose. It is not generally used to light men for portraits, as it generally does not flatter male face shapes. Here’s how you achieve it: Sit your model so she faces directly in to the camera. Place the light in front of the camera and at least one foot above your subject and pointing downward. If the effect is too flat and you lose some of the contour of the subject’s features, raise the key light until attractive shadows form. A reflector may be placed just below the edge of your frame to help spread of light. This reflector will soften that shadow and eliminate a harsh contrast. #3) Edge Lighting: This photography lighting technique is often used as an artistic glamour shot. Here’s how to achieve it: Place the light to the side of your model and adjust it so that it is the same height as their face. A reflector can be added on the other side of the model to help reduce the harshness of the shadows.



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Maximize Depth of Field in Landscape Photography Have you ever got home after what you thought was a great day’s photography, only to upload your images and find that they were sharp in either the foreground or background but with the rest of the image not quite in focus? By applying the simple rules of Hyperfocal Distance you can be sure that you are shooting images which are sharp from foreground to background on almost every occasion. I will be using an image that I took recently of Castlerigg Stone Circle to show you how you can put these simple rules into practice so that you can obtain maximum depth of field (DOF) in all your landscape images. The hyperfocal distance is the point at which you should focus your lens to allow you to get maximum DOF. Once you’ve focused on this point, everything from half the hyperfocal distance to infinity will be sharp. This means that if you’re focused at a hyperfocal distance of 10 metres then, five metres to infinity will be sharp.If you simply focus on the subject itself, then only one-third of the area in front of that subject and two-thirds of the area behind it will be sharp. A simple cheat that will work most of the time, is to focus one third of the way into the scene. Whilst this works up to a point, to obtain maximum depth of field, you will need to calculate the hyperfocal distance correctly!

Step 1 So let’s imagine for a moment that I knew nothing about hyperfocal distance rules. I would set my camera to aperture priority (AV on most digital SLRs) and to f22 thinking that this f-stop would give me maximum depth of field. Because I would be using a tripod and shutter release, the shutter speed would not really be that relevant as there would be very little chance of camera shake. But I would choose a low ISO (160) to try to ensure that I got a good crisp image. With my chosen lens, I would set the focal length to 24mm to obtain the widest angle shot that I could to get in most of the stones in the circle. Because the stones are the main subject of the scene, I would focus on the stones in the foreground. The resulting image would appear sharp but diffraction would occur. This is caused when light passes sharp edges or goes through narrow slits deflecting the rays of light to produce fringes of light and dark bands which distort the image. Whilst this will not be noticeable on your LCD and you may think that it looks just fine, it will be more noticeable when the image is viewed at a larger size or printed. The following images show the results that I would get using the same ISO and focal length but changing my f-stop to f11, which is the optimum f-stop to get maximum depth of field for landscape photography, but focusing on various parts of the scene.

Step 2 In this image, I focused on the fells in the background. As you can see, the stones in the foreground are out of focus whilst the fells and a third of the distance from the fells backwards towards the camera are sharp and in focus.



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Step 3 In this image, I focused on the stones in the middle ground. Here the stones nearest to the camera are slightly out of focus, the stones in the middle ground and the fells in the background are sharp and in focus.

Step 4 Photography Tutorial Book


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I will now let you into the simple secret which will correct all the above focusing problems and allow you to obtain the maximum depth of field in your landscape images. Let’s start with the formula for calculating hyperfocal distance. Don’t worry about it; it’s much less complicated than it looks!

Focal length – This will, of course, be different for every image that you take. For my shot of Castlerigg Stone Circle I used my 24 to 105mm lens at its widest focal length i.e. 24mm. This value can be read off from the top of your lens barrel once you are happy with your composition. For fixed length lenses just use the fixed focal length of your prime lens. Circle of confusion – All you need to know here is that this constant differs depending on the type of camera that you are using and is based on what is considered to be acceptable sharpness in an 8 x10 print seen at normal viewing distance. The most popular values are as follows:

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Digital SLR = 0.02 35mm format and digital SLR full-frame = 0.03 6x6cm format = 0.06 4x5in format = 0.15 F-stop – The optimum f-number for landscape photography is considered to be either f11 or f13. My preferred f-stop is f11 as I find that this gives you the maximum depth of field without any diffraction occurring.

Step 5 Using the above formula, the hyperfocal distance for my shot was calculated as follows:-

Therefore, the hyperfocal distance is approximately 1.8 metres.

Step 6 Once you have calculated this figure, you now know the distance from your tripod that you need to focus on to obtain maximum depth of field. Without re-composing your photograph, you now need to identify an object which is that distance away from your tripod and set the focusing point on your camera on this object. Your camera will have a number of focusing points displayed on its LCD and you need to make active the focusing point that is covering this object. Again, you need to consult your camera’s manual if you are unsure how to make this focusing point active. Everything from this focusing point (i.e. the hyperfocal distance) to infinity and half way between this focusing point and the tripod will now be sharp and in focus. If you are unable to make a focusing point active on an object then switch your lens to manual focus and focus on the object manually.



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Step 7 In this image, I focused on the hyperfocal distance point of 1.8 metres which I estimated to be on the two stones in the left foreground. As you can see, the result is an image which is crisp and sharp from front to back. Also, half the distance between the hyperfocal point and the tripod (approx 0.9 of a metre) would also be pin sharp.

Conclusion OK, so calculating the hyperfocal distance is a bit more effort and you may need to carry a calculator around when you first start to use this technique. But providing that you stick to either f11 or f13 for your landscapes, you will soon remember the different hyperfocal distances for the lenses and focal lengths that you normally shoot at. To help you, I have set out two tables below which show the hyperfocal distances at various focal lengths for the most commonly used cameras. All you need to know is the focal length multiplier i.e. crop factor of your camera and choose the appropriate table. Your manual will help you here. Cut out the appropriate table, laminate it and put it into your gear bag. Believe me; you will be truly amazed at the results that you will you get from making such a small effort.



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Portrait Photography Poses 3-2 Technique After learning this 3-2 posing technique you’ll have a new photography trick that will add that extra “wow” factor to your photographs. Note: Some call this the 1-2-3 technique. This article was written by Benji Jones of Sonshine Studios. Please visit his website to learn more about these techniques and to view his photography training DVDs for sale.

What is the 3-2 Posing Tips Technique? The 3-2 technique is a method of posing female models in a way that is very pleasing to the eye. Its also a technique that draws a pleasing short light pattern on the face – which is always desirable!

How Do I Apply the Portrait Photography Poses 3-2 Technique? This trick is also known as the photograph 1-3-2 technique. Here’s how you do it: 1. Have your subject sit down with their body, face and eyes straight aimed straight at you. 2. Then, have the person turn their body, face and eyes at a 45 degree angle away from you to the left or the right – whichever is more flattering for your model. 3. Next, have your subject turn their head back to look straight at you. 4. Then, tell your model to turn and additional 15-20 degrees past the point of looking right at you. 5. Finally, have the person bring their eyes back to look at you. You now have mastered the portrait photography poses 3-2 technique! The body is in the #1 position, the face is in the #2 position, and the eyes are at #3. This trick can be used for all types of portrait shots: head shots, wast up, full length poses and more. Adding Light When adding studio lighting to this set up you want the light to be aimed toward the back of your subject. Since your model is turned away from the light source, but then turns their face back toward the light, it creates a pleasing short light pattern on the face in this position.



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Capturing Motion Blur Photography Capturing motion blur in photography is a great way to create stunning photographs. When we think of motion blur photography most people think of photographing sports or other fast moving objects like cars. While capturing a sharp image of a football player catching a pass or a Porsche zooming by a mountainside works well, there are other great (and often missed) opportunities to use motion and blur within your photographs. By mastering the basics of motion blur in photography you’ll add an extra weapon to your arsenal of photography skills that can be applied in an almost limitless amount of photographic situations. Today, we are going to share with you some tips on how to create motion blur photography.

Tips on Capturing Motion Blur Photography Use a Slow Shutter Speed The trick to creating motion blur in your photographs is to use a slow shutter speed. A slow shutter speed allows the shutter of your camera to stay open longer, which then allows the camera to capture the movement within the photo. The slower the shutter speed the more noticeable the movement. How long should your shutter speed be? The answer to that question depends on the subject within your photo and the mood you are trying to create. Which of the below would you rather have in your photograph? 1. Blurry subject and sharp background 2. Sharp subject and blurry background To achieve – a. Blurry subject and static background



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First of all, it’s very important that you keep your camera perfectly still. You can achieve this by using a tripod or sitting it on another still object. Since you are using a slower shutter speed any movement of the camera will result in the whole image becoming blurry, including the background. Your shutter speed choice depends on how fast the subject is moving. For example, trying to create motion blur in a photograph of a turtle walking by would require a slower shutter speed than a race car zooming by. A good rule of thumb is to start out with a shutter speed of 1/15 or 1/8. Take the shot and see if you like the effect. Ask yourself, “Is this too little or too much motion blur for my taste?” Depending on the answer will determine if you should raise or lower your shutter speed. In some cases you may have to lower your shutter speed to 4 sec, 15sec or 30 sec. Experiment until you find the perfect speed for your photo. To achieve – b. Sharp subject and blurry background Choosing a shutter speed for this type of motion blur photography is a lot easier. You generally have only one of two choices to make: 1/30 or 1/60. A good rule of thumb here is to use 1/30 for a subject that is traveling slower than 30mph and 1/60 for anything traveling faster. To achieve a sharp subject and blurry background the trick is to pan with your subject as you take the shot. This will keep your subject sharp and in focus while the background becomes motion blur. It may take several attempts to get a perfectly sharp subject while you are panning but don’t worry you’ll get there. Practice makes perfect in this situation!

Finally, Use Shutter Priority Mode Unless you love to shoot in Manual Mode, we suggest you turn your camera’s dial to Shutter Priority Mode (Tv) when capturing motion blur photography. Using Shutter Priority Mode will make taking these types of photographs a whole lot easier. Shutter Priority Mode is a mode that allows you to set your shutter speed and the camera chooses other settings (like Aperture) to ensure the shot is well exposed. It’s a very handy mode to play with as it ensures you get the movement effect that you’re after but also generally well exposed shots. Well, that’s it for capturing motion blur photography! We hope you enjoyed this article and ask that you please share it with other photographers and make a comment below. Photography Tutorial Book


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Photography Tricks Revealed: How to Make Someone Levitate or Fly

I had one of those flying dreams , the kind that we all have at one point or another. This one though, felt particularly special, and I felt the need to record it somehow. Words would have failed to capture how I felt, so I decided to illustrate it in a photo. My photo turned out much better than I thought it would. What I thought was going to be an experiment in how to do levitation photography tutorial trick turned out to be one of the best photo projects that I’ve ever done. An old man saw me editing my levitation photography photos and took great interest in it since he was a pilot, and curious about anything that flew. He pointed to the photo on my screen and said, “May your spirit always soar like that” which made me smile.

Levitation Photography Tutorial and Trick Revealed: How I Did It I wasn’t going to show anyone the un-edited photos to keep up the story that I was a flying superhero, but I’ve been asked “How did you do that levitation photography trick?” and “How to make levitation photos”; too many times to keep it a secret. So here’s everything, step by step in this levitation tutorial.



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This weekend I threw a ladder, chair, and some other odds and ends into the car, and went out scouting for a location to experiment with my levitation. I found a row of miserable looking warehouses in the industrial part of town, with no one around to bother me. I knew I found the right spot when I saw a wide open space in the back of a warehouse with the perfect grey backdrop to contrast with the yellow dress I was wearing.

Here’s the original, un-edited photo. Not so magical, is it? You didn’t expect this for the trick did you? The thing I love about self-potraiture is that you can both direct and model exactly what you have in your head. On the other hand, you’re risking out-of-focus and out-of-frame photos, like this one. I actually left the shoot feeling dejected, because I didn’t think I would get anything usable. But I did get just this one photo which was surely a stroke of luck, because it was the only photo in the entire batch that could



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have possibly worked. I tried all kinds of stupid things like jumping on couch cushions and balancing myself on a ladder.

First of all ,jumping on couch cushions is scary as hell, because there’s a good chance that you’ll either fall on the concrete, or land through the cushion cracks. This probably would have worked out better with a mattress or trampoline. Second of all, it’s really hard to fake movement by balancing on different objects. It also doesn’t help that I’m completely out of shape. I ended up balancing myself on a ladder, a chair, and a wine crate, while throwing my head upwards to get some movement in my hair for my levitation. And yes, I did look like a complete idiot in the warehouse parking lot.

Photoshop Levitation Photography Trick



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There actually wasn’t too much photoshop trickery involved. Most of it was removing the supports underneath me. The ladder unfortunately covered up my foot, so I had to replace it with a foot from another photo. The dress was flat where I took away the wine crate underneath my stomach, so I adjusted it so that it looked like it was flowing. I removed the remote in my hand that I used to take the picture, and exaggerated the arches in my back and neck to enunciate that “soaring” feeling.



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Composition

I then started thinking about composition for my how to make levitation photos. How low did I want to be to the ground? Should the ground be tilted or flat? Should I be levitating, flying upwards, or falling? I finally decided to place myself in the middle of the frame, hovering over a flat ground. Simplicity is always best.



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And finally, I edited the colors, which made the biggest difference of all for this photography tricks. My goal was to alter the photo just enough so that it felt surreal, but didn’t feel overedited. I played with the levels to darken the photo, then balanced the colors so that I didn’t look like a ghost. I then desaturated the photo since my dress was a screaming yellow, and then applied a warm photo filter on top of it all to even things out.

Inspiration and Resources for How to Do Levitation Photography If you like this photo, you should definitely check out work from Miss Aniela, who is queen of how to do levitation photography tutorial trick and my inspiration. Her photos aren’t done with a digital SLR, which really just goes to show that you don’t need fancy equipment to express your imagination.



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Photo Composition Technique – The Feinberg Rule What the Feinberg Technique #1 is is a guideline for where to crop (frame) photos and other 2D visual imagery like paintings, drawings, etc. It’s used to balance a composition within a set area so that it doesn’t look like its off-balance or has too much open space (negative space) on one side of the image compared to the other. Here’s an example of how this technique is applied. If you look at this photo, you’ll notice a couple of things. First, there is no alignment to the “Rule of Thirds” grid (the bottle isn’t aligned to the one third grid). Secondly, you’ll notice that the main subject, the bottle, is tilted and off-center. This in itself would normally cause some tension in the image. With these two details in consideration, you still get the sense that you’re looking at a well-balanced composition that seems to work just fine. So what is it that makes this photo look like it’s balanced and properly cropped? Well, it’s actually nothing to do with the main subject at all, but rather everything to do with where the background elements are touching the edge of the image. Basically, where the photo is cropped. The Feinberg technique measures each point around the edge of the image and then compares the location of those points to the opposite edge. If they match up, you end up with better cropped image. Let’s look a little more closely to how this works. If you look at the photo to the right, you’ll see where I’ve marked the points at which certain objects touch the edge of the overall image. Each colored arrow is related to it’s counterpart on the opposite edge of the image. For example, the top purple arrow is almost exactly the same length as the bottom purple arrow. The length of these arrows represents the distance from the image corner to the point where an object touches the edge of the image. The goal with this Feinberg Technique #1 is to learn how to crop an image or photo so that each point(s) has an equal counterpart (or spacing) on the opposite edge. An important item to consider here is that the measurement of these points don’t always need to originate from the same edge as it’s counterpart. For example, the purple arrow is measured from the left edge of the photo. With a different image, you could crop the top from the left and the bottom from the right. You just need to make sure that they are equal in length. This photo could be tightened up just a bit more than it is – compositionally – but I think you get the point here. When you’re framing your photo’s or cropping them in a photo editor, try to see if you can employ this technique. It’s a very useful technique when you’re not really sure how to crop a more complex photo.



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!" One of the biggest challenges you face as a photographer is trying to render a three-dimensional world into a two-dimensional photo. This makes perspective and depth in photography very important. Depending on how you capture a photo will affect how close objects appear to each other within a scene, which will either strengthening or weakening the perceived depth. In this tutorial, we’re going to teach you how to manipulate perspective and depth in photography. We’ll show you how to enhance the sense of space and distance with your photos as well as how to make them look flat.

Use Converging Lines A strong sense of depth in a photo can be created by using converging lines. Converging lines are parallel lines that move away from the foreground and converge into the background. An example are the lines on a road or train tracks that merge together as they approach a horizon. Although they’re really equal distance apart from each other they converge as they move further away from us. In order to enhance perceived depth within a photo its best to use a wide angle lens to capture converging lines. The wide angle lens helps to emphasize the distance within your photo by elongating the converging lines. If on the other hand you want to reduce the sense of depth within a photo you should use a telephoto lens. This lens will compress the perceived distance between converging lines making the photo look more flat.

Photos by awngnasuha and Rob Warde

Overlap Perspective Another way you can show depth within a photo is by using overlapping perspective. People instinctively know that if an object overlaps another object (or partially hides the object) its perceived as being closer to the camera. Also, objects in the foreground appear bigger than objects in the background which also enhances the impression of depth in photography.



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A good trick to improve the impression of depth in a photograph is to frame it so that an object is very close in the foreground compared to the background. For example, you could shoot a wide landscape photo of a mountain range that includes flowers in the lower left corner that are close to the camera. The flowers close in the foreground will enhance the impression of depth as they will appear larger than the mountain in the background. On the other hand, if you wanted to reduce the sense of depth in the photo you would remove the flowers from the frame. This would eliminate the reference point of depth in the photo and make it appear flat.

Notice how the photo on the left has deep depth just by including the fence post on the bottom of the frame. Compare that to the photo on the right that appears flat without a foreground element in the frame. Photo by Universal Pops

Lens Choice is Important Just remember that with either trick you use from above to enhance or reduce perspective and depth in your photographs lens choice is important. A wide angle lens increases the perceived distance between elements in a photo which results in a deep perspective. A telephoto lens compresses the distance between objects and reduces the sense of depth and perspective. Its up to you to determine which type of perspective and depth you want in your photography. Both are correct and can produce equally amazing photos. We recommend when on location you try both types of perspectives and then later choose which you think looks best. We hope you enjoyed this tutorial on perspective and depth in photography. Tell us what you think by leaving a comment below!



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Pro Tip: Minimum Shutter Speed in Photography When Shooting Handheld Did you know that when shooting handheld there is a minimum shutter speed in photography you must follow in order to have crisp looking photos? If you didn’t then don’t feel bad because you’re not alone. Most new photographers don’t know this either and only learn it by sheer luck! You may have noticed that when you take some photos handheld that they end up coming out blurry or not very sharp. Many times the photo looks crisp on your preview monitor but when you sit down to review your photos you see that they’re not sharp. You scratch your head and think to yourself “I know I held the camera very still. Why are these blurry!” What you’re not aware of is that most photos shot handheld will come out blurry if you don’t choose the right shutter speed for your photograph because of a factor called camera shake. Camera shake occurs from the small natural movements of your hands. No matter how steady you think your hands are when shooting handheld they still move slightly and can end up causing motion blur. That’s because the shutter speed you chose is not fast enough to compensate for this slight movement. There is a minimum shutter speed you must follow when shooting handheld.

So What is the Minimum Shutter Speed in Photography? Depending on what the focal length of your lens is set at will determine what the minimum shutter speed in photography should be. A good rule of thumb is to choose a shutter speed that is one over your focal length. Confused? Here’s an example to help you understand how to choose the minimum correct shutter speed for your photography: Let’s say you are using a telephoto lens at it is set at 300mm. How do you know its set at 300mm? Just look at the number it’s turned to on the barrel of your lens. By using the rule above you’ll need to choose a shutter speed of at least 1/300. This equals one over the focal length. If your lens was set at 90mm you would choose a shutter speed of at least 1/90. Make sense? You probably noticed in the above paragraph that we said choose a shutter speed of “at least …” That’s because this is the bare minimum shutter speed you can use for a sharp shot when shooting handheld – one over the focal length. Often you need to choose a speed setting that is one or two faster. How do you know exactly which one to choose? It takes practice and depends on how shaky your hands are! If you need to use a slower shutter speed to achieve a good exposure then you’ll need to use a tripod. A tripod will allow you to use slower shutter speeds as they prevent the occurrence of camera shake. Now that you know how to choose the minimum speed for your shutter when taking photos you might be wondering how to achieve different effects with shutter speed. For more information on this topic check out another post we wrote on How to Choose the Right Shutter Speed for Your Photograph . It’s very detailed and has many sample photos!



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Mastering Lines in Photography 

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Mastering Lines in Photography

In this post we’re going to teach you how to Master Lines in Photography. You may not have known this but using lines in photography can be very powerful because lines create a sense of direction and movement within the frame. Lines have the ability to convey certain feelings and moods within a photograph. Lines also have a unique ability to lead the viewer’s eyes around a photo. By learning how various types of lines in photography affect an image, ex. horizontal, vertical, diagonal and curved, you’ll be able to capture better photographs because you’ll know which to use and why when your trying to create a certain feeling in the image. Over the next few posts we are going to teach you how to master lines in photography. We suggest that after you read each article that you go out and practice what you’ve learned. Learning how to use lines doesn’t just happen overnight. It takes practice to become great at it.



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How to Use Horizontal Lines in Photography Using lines within a photograph can be very powerful because they create a sense of direction and movement within the frame. In this post, we are going to teach you how to use horizontal lines in your photograph to create a certain mood and feel. Other types of lines you can use within photos include: vertical lines, diagonal lines and curved lines.

Horizontal Lines Convey Stability and Peace For the most part horizontal lines portray a sense of stability and peace. Just think about the many photos you’ve seen of a landscape horizon, sun setting, person sleeping, etc. with a dominant horizontal line. You probably felt the same way that most others feel when they look at these photos: a sense of peace and stability. It doesn’t matter how many dominant horizontal lines are within a photograph. It could be one, two, three or more. The affect on the viewer is still the same: calm, gentle and restful. In contrast, vertical lines convey power, strength or growth. Including vertical lines within a photo can disrupts the peacefulness that horizontal lines convey. Knowing the effect horizontal lines have on your photos will help you to shoot better photographs because you’ll know how to use them to your advantage. For example, take a look at the two photos below. Both contain a single dominant horizontal line. The photo on the left has a horizontal line formed by the receding ocean while the photo on the right has a horizontal line made up from the tree tops. Both photos have a horizontal line, but which one feels more calm and stable to you?

You probably chose the photo on the left of the ocean as being more calm and stable. That’s because it lacks any other contrasting lines. The vertical lines within the photograph of the trees disrupt the calming effect horizontal lines portray. That photo feels more dynamic simply from those vertical lines. So how can you use this to your advantage? The next time you want to ensure that your photo portrays a sense of calmness you should position your camera so that it eliminates any contrasting lines like vertical and diagonal.



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Photographer Beware Since horizontal lines portray a sense of stability and peacefulness you need to be aware of the fact that they can also make a photo feel static and boring . A good trick to add some interest to the photo would be to include a subject that acts as the point of interest, like a person, tree, building, etc. Take a look at the photo below. Its dominated by horizontal lines but including the sleeping cat in the top left corner adds interest to the photo. While its provokes a calming feeling and static it also keeps us interested by having a subject to connect with.

#$%!" Lines within a photograph can create a sense of direction and movement within the frame. In this post, we are going to teach you how to use vertical lines in your photograph to create a certain mood and feel. Other types of lines you can use within photos include: horizontal lines, diagonal lines and curved lines.

Vertical Lines Convey Power and Strength Vertical lines have a unique ability of portraying a sense of power, strength and growth within a photograph. They also make a photo feel more dynamic. The reason behind this is because most of us associate vertically dominant objects, like buildings and skyscrapers to be more powerful than us; especially if the object is taller than us. Studies have shown that we associate taller people to be more powerful and influential than shorter individuals, which is why the same translates into photographs. Growth is also associated with vertical lines because most living objects, like trees grow vertically upward (see photo of the sprout below). Additionally, vertical lines convey a sense of strength because often you can’t fill the entire frame of a photo with a vertically dominant object without having to point upward at it. (Imagine trying to photograph a skyscraper from the street below.) Because of this factor you often have to move far away from a vertically tall object to capture it completely in the frame, like in the photo of the building below. Photography Tutorial Book


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In contrast, horizontal lines convey stability and peace. Just think about how peaceful you feel when you look at a photo of a landscape horizon. Horizontal lines make us feel calm. Knowing the effect vertical lines have on your photos will help you to shoot better photographs because you’ll know how to use them to your advantage. For example, take a look at the beach photo below. Normally this would make you feel calm and peaceful because it is is has horizontal lines formed by the horizon. By choosing to include the vertical lines of the fence in this picture the photo now has energy and becomes very dynamic. You can’t help but feel more agitated as you stare at this photograph. The dominant vertical lines have given power and strength to this photo. Below are two more examples of how vertical lines can increase the power and strength of a photo. Notice how the tall vertical lines in the photo on the left with the man walking adds strength to image. If the building did not have such dominant vertical lines this photo would not be as powerful. Because of the lines, it looks as if the building is towering over the man as he walks away. Height is exaggerated with the vertical lines. Now look at the photo on the right of the tree trunks. The dominant vertical lines in this photo also add strength in addition to giving off a sense of growth. A unique trick is demonstrated by these two photos. You can use to accentuate the impact vertical objects in your photographs. Just hold your camera in vertical framing by turning the camera sideways. This allows you to emphasize the height by further lengthening the vertical subject.



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#!%!" In this post, we are going to teach you how to effectively use diagonal lines in your photograph. Other types of lines you can use within photos include: horizontal lines, vertical lines and curved lines.

Diagonal Lines Lead the Eye and Make Photos More Dynamic Diagonal lines are a great way for a photographer to lead the viewer’s eye within a photograph. They also make a photo feel more dynamic as opposed to horizontal/vertical lines which tend to make a photo feel static or stable. In our culture, we are taught to read left to right and we scan photographs in the same manner. Our eyes start on the left side of an image and scan to the right. Knowing this fact allows you to compose a better photograph because you’ll know how to lead the viewer’s eye naturally within the photo and help pull them into the scene. Take the photo of the rock climber below for example. The diagonal cracks in the rock face lead our eyes. They draw our attention from the lower left foreground and up toward the climber in the upper right background. If the orientation of the image had been reversed, such that the cracks had been oriented from upper left to lower right, this effect would not have been the same. We would have felt as if we were pulling away from the scene.



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Diagonal lines, by nature, have the ability to make your photos more dynamic. This can be very useful in all types of photography and can be achieved in several ways. Diagonal lines in photography do not always have to be distinct lines as with the cracks in the rock face photo above. Diagonal lines can also be implicit and still give the same effect. Take the photo of the photographer below on the left for example. Doesn’t this photo feel very dynamic to you? A lot of energy is coming from this capture. At first glance, you may only see one diagonal line created by the background horizon that starts in the top left of the frame and extends to the bottom right. While not immediately obvious and after closer inspection you’ll see that the legs and arms of the photographer also form diagonal lines. These lines subconciously intersect the background line formed by the horizon and make this photo more dynamic.

The photo above brings up another unique feature of diagonal lines in photos. The more competing diagonal lines you have within the frame, the more dynamic the photograph feels to the viewer. Another tip is you can instantly create a diagonal line in a photo where none are present simply by tilting your camera about 30-45 degrees to one side. Photography Tutorial Book


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In portrait photography you can make a photograph feel more dynamic by forming diagonal lines with the subject’s torso, limbs and face. Take the photos below for example. The photo on the left feels dynamic just by having the girl position herself so that she forms a diagonal line within the frame. The photo on the right feels even more dynamic because the girl’s body forms diagonal lines with her arms, legs and torso. Her diagonal lines compete with the diagonal lines of the arrows painted in the background – adding even more energy to the photo.

How to Use Curved Lines in Photography In this post, we are going to teach you how to use curved lines in your photographs. Other types of lines you can use within photos include: horizontal lines, vertical lines and diagonal lines.

Curved Lines Add Beauty and Grace to a Photo Curved lines have a unique ability to add beauty and grace to a photo. The smooth contour of curved lines help soften the subject within a photograph as opposed to straight lines, like horizontal/vertical/diagonal which tend to make a photo feel more rigid and dynamic. Curved lines in photography allow our eyes to explore an image in a smooth, free-flowing manner. Curved lines are more romantic, or dramatic than straight lines. This occurs because the viewer has something to follow with their eyes. Curved lines suggest more of a journey, whereas straight lines lead the viewer to the destination very quickly. It takes longer to follow a curved line than it does a straight line within a photograph which helps soften a photo and add beauty and grace to it. The next time you want to make a photo feel more beautiful, try incorporating curved lines within it.



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Take the photos below for example. Compare the shape of the curves in the woman’s body to that of the tall man standing vertically still. How does each photo make you feel? You’ll probably agree that the photo of the woman feels softer and more sensual while the photograph of the man feels rigid and tight. This response comes from the different types of lines present in each photograph. If the woman had been laying flat on her side the photo would not have felt as sensual.

Curved Lines Lead the Eye in a Photo A popular technique with photographers is to use curved lines in photography to pull the viewer into a photograph. The most common type of curve used is the S Curve. S Curves have more of an impact than just plain curved lines. By nature, S Curves are symmetrical and balanced on each side which gives them strength. Other types of curves are often asymmetrical and the affect on the viewer may be unpredictable. S Curves on the other hand are predictable and usually elicit the same response from viewers: charm and grace. That is why you see this type of curve used most often in photography. Take the photos below for example. Do you notice how the S Curve of the train tracks slowly pull you into the photo? Your eyes subconsciously wander through the photo following the track to its destination. If this was a train track was made up of straight vertical lines you would have been pulled abruptly into the image. Similarly, the photo of the sand dune contains an S Curve that gives your eyes a longer journey to follow which helps to soften the photo and add beauty and grace to it.



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Creative Ways to Use Hard Light in Photography Its a shame that many photographers have come to fear the use of hard light in photography. Why do they fear it? Because, they’ve been taught that soft diffused light is the only type of good lighting. Soft light is known for smoothing out imperfections and softening shadows within a photograph; traits which tend to make a photo look more appealing. Hard light in photography has been known as the enemy because it accentuates the shadows and imperfections within a photograph. In this article, we’re going to teach you creative ways on how to use hard light in photography . After learning these tricks you’ll know how to achieve amazing photos with hard light that other photographers never imagine capturing! If you want to read in more detail about the differences between hard light and soft light check out our previous article on Hard Light vs Soft Light in Photography . Otherwise, here’s a quick reminder of how to create hard light in photography: ' ()*+*) , "+))

Direct sunlight and a flash without diffusion are two great examples of hard light. Now, onto the hard light in photography tips!

Capture a Shadow Portrait Most photographers focus too much on a direct subject and don’t think to capture the shadows it casts. By using hard light in this way you can create stand-alone portraits of people or objects that tell a unique story. Take a look at the sample photos below and notice how hard light was used to create interesting shadow portraits. How did they do it? Its simple. By positioning a hard light so that it shines directly onto a subject which casts the shadow against a wall.



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Create the GOBO Effect A trick with hard light that is often under utilized is using the “GOBO effect”. The GOBO effect is when an object is is placed between the light and the subject and its shape is used to cast shadows on to the subject. Lots of things can be used to create a GOBO effect, including: window blinds, plant leaves, cardboard cutouts, screens, etc. This trick can also be used with soft light but when using hard light in photography its best to use an item that creates clear and sharp outlines of the pattern. Samples of the GOBO effect are below.



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Show Off Textures in the Skin Hard light can be used to show off the textures of the skin in a photograph. You can achieve this effect by positioning your hard light source to one the side of your subject, rather than straight on. This positioning causes each ridge and texture in the skin to cast a hard shadow – emphasizing its details. Take a look at the photo below of the older person’s hand to see how effective this technique can be. Showcasing the texture of the hand really emphasizes the age of this person. Hard light can also emphasize the muscles and strength of a person. The photo of the fighter below displays this effect. Positioning the hard light to the left side of the fighter creates shadows that emphasize his strength.

Utilize a Strong Backlight Another great use of hard light in photography is to use it as a backlight to make your subjects pop off the background. In the photo of the couple below the photographer used the hard lighting within the scene to create a silhouette of the two people. You can also use hard light as a backlit rim light to create a dramatic portrait. The photo of the woman below can easily be accomplished with a flash triggered from behind the subject.



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Ten Ways to Take Better Portrait

As a professional portrait and fine art photographer, I work in a studio environment photographing children and families as well as special occasions on a daily basis. I prefer to shoot on location and have had the opportunity to do so a few times a month. After photographing the number of portraits weekly that I do, I’ve put together several pointers that help me make the photos better every time. Here, I’ll share ten ways to make a portrait better every time 1) Get it right in the camera!!! What I mean is make sure that the exposure is correct at the time you shoot the photo. Don’t rely on post production to fix every mistake. Something I do to make sure my exposure is right is look at the meter on my camera. Every camera is a little different but all have some sort of meter to judge exposure. It may have a numerical system which 0 will be correct. With this type of system negative numbers will be darker and positive numbers will be brighter. There are still times you may want to adjust to make the photo lighter or darker but make sure your exposure is where you want it to be in your final image. This will also help keep down the amount of work done in editing and save more time for shooting. 2) Posing is Paramount!!!! Posing will make or break a photo. Posing is of course the way you position a person for a photo. There are many different schools of thought on this topic. I am a cross between classic posing and a more modern feel. With portrait photography you want to have symmetry to everything you do. A great to pose a family of three or four is in a triangle, Mom and Dad with the children on their laps, which would give a nice triangle composition to the photo. I would suggest finding posing ideas online by browsing a stock photo firm likeiStockphoto. You can find great photography there that will inspire you to try new things. Posing should look natural and not stiff. If a child is sitting posed and looks uncomfortable fix it because the discomfort will come though in the photo. That goes really for any portrait subject. Again I’m a huge supporter of getting things right before pressing the shutter. 3) Don’t Come to Close!!! Close-ups are great but only if they can be framed and sold. This was a problem I ran into when I first started photographing portraits that were going to be printed in different sizes. I was unaware how much of a difference there was between an 8×10 and a 5×7 or even a wallet size photo. I shoot a little loose as far as framing. This is the one thing that I say leave until editing. Try and leave plenty of space for cropping to different sheet sizes around whomever you’re photographing. Cutting off limbs of people in the photo is not good. Watch out for that it will save you many headaches. Photography Tutorial Book


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About a month after starting to work in a studio on a regular basis I had a very large group come in to have a family portrait done. This group had between 20 – 30 subjects. I photographed the family and did the entire sessions. We looked though the photos and they picked their favorites and was ready to purchase. I was sizing a making sure all my photos were centered when I realized I had not shot enough room for cropping on the group photo. It was either fix it or return their money. The family had already left. I had to call them and apologize for the under site and have them come in for another shoot to retake their photo. This cost not only time and money but another trip for 20-30 people for another photo. I made this mistake only once. 4) Act Like a Kid!!!!! I do this on a daily basis and it is one of my favorite parts of the day. Parents want natural smiles, not the cheesy ones we all give when someone asks us to. To capture photos that have a child smiling or even better laughing takes making a fool of yourself sometimes. I make noises and play peek-a-boo. I dance with silly hats on my head and sing children’s songs. I do whatever it takes to get the photo the parents want. Some people reading this may be thinking that you would never catch yourself doing any of that. That’s fine; I would just suggest not photographing children. Today, kids have some awesome things to entertain them from video games to iPods and some even cell phones. To be able to have an edge at being a children and family photographer you need to think like a kid. 5) Be Prepared!!! This may seem out of place here but I want to just mention it. Always be prepared for any shoot ahead of time. If you are shooting outdoors make sure you have plenty of batteries as well as memory cards. It may seem basic but you will miss shots if you don’t have what you need with you. I always carry and extra set of batteries for my camera as well as anything else I may need to be powered (i.e. Flash, computer, and cellphone). It’s always better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it. I think my mom told me that some time ago. The topic of being prepared is also in relation to missing shots because of messing with gear. I will usually set my lights in the studio for a group of shots. This helps me to focus my attention on capturing awesome photos and not on my equipment. When on location it’s a little tougher because conditions change quickly. I still do try to find a place that will give me a good twenty minutes of light so that I have time to focus and allow my subject time to relax.

6) Use Props!!!! Using props and things that the subject enjoys will make the photos more memorable. With high school seniors or graduates I will always ask them to bring in a prop that is special to them or that represents what they did in Photography Tutorial Book


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school. Some teens bring in musical instruments or sports uniforms. Some may bring in a laptop if they are into web design or graphics. I encourage them to even bring their best friend a on some occasions. This not only makes the photos more relaxed it also helps to possible recruit another senior photo client. Make sure you use good composition when using props. Do not let the prop be the focus of the photo let the person be the focus. Also try and use the same idea as with the family portraits and using the triangle idea. It makes things more flattering. 7) Shoot at 45 Degree Angles!!! Shooting with your subject turned at a 45 degree angle is the most basic way to make your portraits come out 10 times better right away. Having a person stand with their shoulders flat towards the camera will look like a “mugshot” and I have to admit I have never seen a “good” mugshot. It makes the face look flat and compressed where having the subject turned at a 45 degree angle will add a three dimensional look to the face. It will also make the face thinner and show less wrinkles and blemishes on the face. You also want to think about hand placement when posing a subject. With a woman having her put her hands on her hips is ok but only when she is angled. The wider the elbows are the wider the subject will look. In most cases if not all they will not like that photo if shot looking WIDE. 8 ) Focus on the small stuff!!! This is very important. I always look over my subjects to make sure there is nothing that the parents would not want in the photos. Things such as wristbands and temporary tattoos. I also check for bruises and dirt on the subjects faces. Strings and untied shoes are also on my checklist of details. Glare on glasses is also something to fix at the time of shooting. Bringing the chin down or turning the head slightly away from the light source will help reduce glare. I probably sound like a broken record but try and fix anything that needs to be fixed before shooting even one photo. It will save you time with every step of the process. 9) Lights, Camera, Action!!!! I have not talked much about gear and setups. I prefer to handle that without the subject realizing it. For most of the things I do I use nice even light. I try and make sure that whatever the subject does especially children I will have lighting that will work for it. I like larger soft boxes or reflectors to control light. There are sometimes when I smaller light source is a very good way to create interesting effects. With these special effects type shots it takes the subject being a little more stationary. I would suggest having a parent close by for small children to help to keep them still. Make sure to also to keep cords and light stands out of the way of subjects for safety as well as making sure that the gear will not be damaged. 10) Have Fun!!! Enjoy what you do. It will show in the portraits you capture. Portraits are a fun experience and should be for everyone including you. A smile goes a long way in helping to create awesome portraits. Please always remember to help the subject relax and be natural. It will speak volumes not only in making portraits but also in advertising your photography. Word of mouth is still a great way to get your name out there. When people have fun with you they will send friends to have fun with you as well.



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The Golden Hour in Photography (Magic Hour) Did you know that there’s a certain time of day that produces the most amazing light for outdoor photos? A time of day referred to as the “golden hour in photography. ” If you’ve ever taken a photo outside you know that lighting affects how your photo comes out. You may have composed an amazing landscape or portrait shot, but if the lighting is not perfect it usually results in a less than desirable photograph – one that’s dull and flat. Fortunately, professional photographers have discovered that if they take photos during a certain time of day they usually come out looking the best. The term used for this time of day is the “golden hour in photography”. In this tutorial, we’re going to teach you everything you need to know about the golden hour and how you can use it to your advantage.

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What is the Golden Hour? The golden hour (also known as the magic hour) is a time of day when the sun casts the most appealing light. It varies depending on the season, but a general rule is that its present during these two times of day: ' .'''1,&'( , '''1,)&'*(

During these times the sun is low in the sky, which produces soft, diffused and warm lighting. This type of lighting usually results in better looking photographs as opposed to hard light that comes from the mid day sun. *Hard light can be effective if used correctly. For more details on hard light check out our tutorial on Creative Ways to Use Hard Light in Photography . Light that occurs during the golden hour produces less contrast than any other time during the day. This reduces the possibility of both dark shadows and bright highlights from occurring within the same scene. This is a common problem that happens during the mid day and can result in losing important details of your subject in the shadows or blown out highlights. Its for this reason that many photographers swear by the golden hour and refuse to shoot photos any other time of day! Photography Tutorial Book


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Another feature of light during the golden hour is that it produces a warm glow. This happens because the sun is very low in the sky. As a result the light passes through much more of the atmosphere. This filters out blue tones and creates a warm light. Trying to match this type of outdoor lighting is nearly impossible without purchasing expensive equipment.

Perfect for All Types of Photography One of the greatest aspects of shooting during the golden hour is that it produces very beautiful photos. This makes it perfect for all types of photography. Landscape photos benefit from the low contrast and warming effect just as well as portraits, flowers, architecture, etc. So, take advantage of this free light source and start capturing your images during the golden hour!

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Hard Light vs Soft Light in Photography Have you ever heard of the terms “hard light” and “soft light” in photography? When you take a photograph inside or outside the scene must be illuminated by light in order to capture the photo. Light comes in two forms: hard light and soft light . Depending on which type of lighting is in your scene will greatly affect how your photo looks. We’ll begin by introducing the gray zone.

Understanding the Gray Zone In every photograph there’s a variation of light between the brightest and darkest areas. This gradient of light is what photographers call the “gray zone”. Depending on what type of lighting is in the scene, hard or soft, determines how harsh the transition is within this gray zone.

Hard Light Hard light casts hard shadows and creates high contrast within an image. There is not much of a gray zone in these photos. You see this type of light when you are outside on a very sunny day. Imagine looking at a building where the side facing the sun is illuminated while the opposite side is in shadow. Be sure to check out our other tutorial on Creative Ways of Using Hard Light in Photography.

Soft Light Soft light wraps around a subject and fills in the shadows creating low contrast within an image. There is a lot of gray zone in these photos. You see this type of light when you are outside on a cloudy day. Imagine looking at a building where all sides are evenly illuminated.

What Causes a Light to be Hard or Soft? There is only one thing that causes hard light or soft light in photography. And, that is the size of the light source relative to the subject. Its not how bright the light source is or how much it has been diffused. Its all about its size. The bigger the light, the softer it becomes. A large light source wraps light around a smaller subject and fills in the shadows. This also lowers the contrast and creates a slow transition of dark to bright areas in the gray zone. A small light source directs light onto a larger subject creating hard shadows and high contrast which also results in a fast transition of dark to bright in the gray zone. Sometimes a light can be so hard that there is no gray zone transition whatsoever!



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