Depth of Field

Depth of field 

The amount of distance between the nearest and farthest objects that appear in acceptably sharp focus in a photograph. A preferred selection Depth of field ("DOF") in a focused subject in an image can be quite subjective. Remember this, adequate selection of DOF for one situation, application may be unacceptable for another photographer.

In simpler term, we define depth of field as the zone of sharpest focus in front of, behind, and around the subject on which, when lens is focused on a specific subject; with TTL (through the lens) SLR camera, DOF can be previewed in the viewfinder of a camera - the preview is very handy for critical type of work. For an example, when taking a product shot, when you require absolute certain if DOF is adequate to cover the object you intend to photograph Generally, the closer the subject to the camera, the more evenly with the distribution of depth of field in front and behind the subject. As distance of focus extends, DOF usually will be more behind than in front of the focused area.

 

A typical example of a photo with shallow depth of field control. (only the main subject of interest is enhanced by throwing other elements out of focus.)

  

A typical example of a photo with extended depth of field control (From near to far in sharp focus)

By Beatrice Chong Jia Chien

Source: http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/fototech/htmls/depth.html

 

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8 Factors to Consider when Choosing a DSLR

Here are a few factors to consider when looking for a DSLR:

1. Price – a good place to start when thinking about buying a DSLR is obviously price. DSLRs price range in price from some quite affordable deals at the lower end to extremely high prices at the professional end. Set yourself a budget for your purchase early on but make sure that you keep in mind that you’ll need to consider other costs of owning one including:

• Lenses (some deals offer ‘kit lenses’ but you should consider upgrading – see below for more on this)
• Batteries (all models will come with one but if you are travelling you might need a spare)
• Memory Cards (some models come with one but most are inadequate in terms of size. Even if you’re lucky enough to have one included you’ll probably want to upgrade to at least a 1 gigabyte card).
• Camera Bag (some dealers will throw one in – but once again don’t expect a high quality ‘free’ bag. Your DSLR is something worth protecting – invest in a good bag)
• Filters (at the least you’ll want to get a UV filter for each lens you purchase – but you might also want to consider other types down the track also).
• Extended Warrantees (there’s a variety of opinions on whether they’re good or not – but they’re worth considering)

2. What will You use it For? – when you head into a camera store to purchase any type of question the first thing most sales people will ask you what type of photography you want to do. It is well worth asking yourself this question up front as it will help you think through the type of features and accessories you’ll need.

Will this be a general purpose camera for recording ‘life’? Are you wanting to travel with the camera? Is it for sports photography? Macro Photography? Low Light Photography? Make a realistic list of the type of photography you will use it for (note I said ‘realistic’ – it’s easy to dream of all kinds of things you’ll photograph – but in reality most of us only do half what we think we will).

3. Size – DSLRs are all more sizeable than compact point and shoot cameras but there is a fair bit of variation in size between them also. Some photographers don’t mind carrying around weighty gear but if you’re going to use it for on the go photography (travel, bushwalking etc) then small and light models can be very handy.

4. Previous Gear - the attractive thing about DSLRs is that in many cases they are compatible with some of the gear you might already have.

• This is particularly the case for lenses. The chances are that if you have a film SLR that your lenses might well be compatible with a DSLR made by the same manufacturer. Don’t assume that all lenses will be compatible (particularly older gear) but it’s well worth asking the question as it could save you considerable money.
• If you have a point and shoot camera you might also want to look at the type of memory card that it takes as some models of DSLRs could also be compatible with them. This probably won’t be a major consideration as memory cards are considerably cheaper than they used to be but it could be a factor to consider.

5. Resolution – ‘how many megapixels does it have’ is a question that is often one of the first to be asked about a new camera. While I think ‘megapixels’ are sometimes over emphasised (more is not always best) it is a question to consider as DSLRs come with a wide range of megapixel ratings. Megapixels come into play as you consider how you’ll use your images. If you’re looking to print enlargements then more can be good – if you’re just going to print in small sizes or use them for e-mailing friends then it’s not so crucial.

6. Sensor Size – Another related question to consider is how big the image sensor is. The term ‘crop factor’ comes up when you talk about image sensor size – I’ll upack this further in a future article as it’s perhaps a little complicated for the scope of this one. In general a larger sensor has some advantages over a smaller one (although there are costs too). But I’ll unpack this in a future post (stay tuned).

7. Future Upgrades - will you be in a position to upgrade your camera again in the foreseeable future? While entry level DSLRs are attractively priced they tend to date more quickly than higher end models and you run the risk of growing out of them as your expertise grows and you thirst for more professional features. Ask yourself some questions about your current level of expertise in photography and whether you’re the type of person who learns how to master something and then wants to go to a higher model that gives you more control and features. It’s a difficult question but you might find it’s worthwhile to pay a little more in the short term for a model that you can grow into.

8. Other Features

Most DSLRs have a large array of features that will probably overwhelm and confuse you at first as you compare them with one another. All have basic features like the ability to use aperture and shutter priority, auto or manual focus etc but there’s also a lot of variation in what is or isn’t offered. Here are some of the more common features that you might want to consider:

• Burst Mode – the ability to shoot a burst of images quickly by just holding down the shutter release – great for sports and action photography. DSLRs vary both in the number of frames that they can shoot per second as well as how many images they can shoot in a single burst.
• Maximum Shutter Speed – most DSLRs will have a decent range of speeds available to you but some will have some pretty impressive top speeds which will be very useful if you’re into sports or action photography.
• ISO Ratings - Similarly, most DSLRs will offer a good range of ISO settings but some take it to the next level which is useful in low light photography.
• LCD Size – It’s amazing how much difference half an inch can make when viewing images on your cameras LCD. I noticed this recently when testing a camera with a 2.5 inch screen after using my own 1.8 inch one. While it might not change the way you shoot photos (people tend to use viewfinders at this level to frame shots) it certainly can be nice to view your shots on a larger screen.
• Anti Shake – in the past few weeks a range of new DSLRs have been announced by manufacturers in the lead up to the Christmas rush. One of the features that is featuring more and more in them is anti shake technology. While it’s been common to get ‘image stabilisation’ technology in lenses the idea of it being built into camera bodies is something that is attractive.
• Dust Protection – another feature that has started appearing in the latest round of cameras is image sensor dust protection (and in some cases self cleaning for image sensors) – something that will help alleviate a lot of frustration that many DSLR photographers have. To this point this is a feature that is mainly on lower end DSLRs but it’s bound to appear on new professional models also.
• Connectivity – Getting photos out of your DSLR and into a computer or printer generally happens these days via USB but some people like FireWire and/or Wireless.
• Semi-Auto Modes – As with point and shoot cameras – many DSLRs (especially lower end ones) come with an array of shooting modes. These generally include ‘portrait’, ‘sports’, ‘night’ etc. If you rely upon these modes on your point and shoot you may well use them on your DSLR too. Higher end DSLRs often don’t have them.
• Flash – Generally professional grade DSLRs don’t offer built in flash and just have a hotshoe while entry level DSLRs include a built in flash.

By Beatrice Chong Jia Chien 

Source:http://digital-photography-school.com/how-to-buy-a-dslr-camera

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Camera Types

These are all film cameras but none the less some of the same features exist on digital cameras.

 For more than several decades the box camera (viewfinder) was the instrument of choice for the casual amateur photographer. Inexpensive and simple, it was, nevertheless, capable of excellent results under many conditions. Box cameras were normally fitted with a single-element lens, a limited range of aperture control, and a single-speed leaf shutter.   The Folding-Roll Film Camera  Second in popularity only to the box camera, the folding camera was manufactured in a variety of formats. Basically, though, it was a box camera whose lens was incorporated into a movable bellows that could slide back and forth on a rail, allowing the lens to change focuss. Lenses and shutters were often one-piece units. More elaborate models were first-rate instruments with high-quality optical systems and precision shutters. Many were fitted with coupled rangefinders. The most significant advantage they have over the box camera, however, was their compact design when folded, which made them easier to pack and transport.  There has been something of a minor renaissance in folding-roll film cameras in recent years, with appearance of several new professional instruments. They are appreciated for their large negative size and compact design. 

Range Finder Camera - Similar to a Viewfinder type camera this camera does not use a lens to view the subject but instead relies on a separate viewing system in the camera for aiming and for focus.  The range finder camera allows for accurate focus, however, by using two views of the same subject to adjust focus. In this camera there are two images in the viewfinder. One is usually only a portion of the viewer area and is usually slightly yellowish in color. The photographer adjusts the focus ring on the lens and as they do the two images move. When both on directly on top of each other they blend together and almost disappear signifying the camera is  in focus.  The rangefinder is accurate and usually very quiet and very light weight.  It is useful for taking pictures in low light conditions or for candids when quiet is important. These cameras can easily be identified by their double view windows in the front. 

Twin-Lens Reflex Cameras  A medium-format camera--one that uses film larger than 35mm--the twin-lens reflex was immensely popular after World War II. It is fitted with two lenses of identical focal length, one mounted atop the other. The lower, or taking, lens focuses its image directly on the film, while the image produced by the upper viewing lens is reflected through 90 degrees by a mirror, and brought to focus on a horizontal ground-glass focusing screen. The light paths to the film plane and the focusing screen are equal, so that if the photographer brings the scene on the focusing screen to sharp focus, the image on the film plane will be equally sharp.    

Single-Lens Reflex Cameras  One of the most popular designs available today, the single-lens reflex (SLR) both views and photographs through one lens. Light passing through the lens is reflected by a mirror and brought to focus on a ground glass. The mirror causes a reversal of the image seen on the ground glass, but the addition of a pentaprism mounted over the ground glass allows the camera to be used at eye level, with the image seen upright and in proper left/right orientation. An instant before the exposure is made, the mirror swings upward, and the shutter is activated. A single control cocks the shutter for the next exposure, advances the film, and returns the mirror to focusing position.  

View Cameras and Technical Cameras  Cameras in this category are used almost exclusively by professional photographers. The most common film formats are 4 x 5 or 8 x 10 inches, the latter often used in the very large cameras found in portrait studios. Film for these cameras is loaded in the darkroom into two-sided holders, which are inserted at the back of the camera. Both the camera's back and front can be tilted in various positions, to permit the photographer to make certain types of corrections in the image. By raising the lens in relation to the film plane, when photographing a tall building, for example, the tendency for parallel lines to look as if they converge is eliminated. 

 Instant Cameras An instant camera will produce a finished print in from 20 seconds to about 4 minutes. The film, after exposure, is passed between two stainless steel rollers inside the camera. These rupture a chemical pod on the film and spread developing agent evenly over the film's surface. In the original Polaroid system it was necessary for the user to peel the finished print from the base material. Professional Polaroid films, both color and black and white, are still developed in this manner.  Beginning in 1972 with the all new model, the SX-70, Polaroid Instant Cameras eject the developing picture from the camera, and the film reaches its final development in full daylight. The process is completed in about 4 minutes. The Spectra, introduced in 1986, employs this type of technology and a more advanced type of electronic exposure control and automatic focusing system. Like the later SX-70 models, it employs an ultra-high-frequency sound emitter. An electronic circuit in the camera measures the time required for the sound to be reflected back from the object photographed. This time measurement is converted into a measurement of distance, and an electrical mechanism coupled to the focusing circuit sets the lens for the proper exposure.    

Disc Cameras  Since its introduction in the 1880s, flexible film has usually been rolled onto a spool or loaded into a cassette. In 1980 the Eastman Kodak Company introduced a new format for mass-market cameras. Fifteen images, each 5/16 x 3/8 inches, can be photographed on a piece of circular film about 2 1/2 inches in diameter, which is housed in a thin, light-tight film disc. Disc cameras are exceptionally compact, and most are fitted with an electronic flash and a motor that advances the disc after each exposure. 

Point and Shoot Cameras are a viewfinder type camera with added focus abilities that make it an ideal camera for vacation and travel snapshots. These cameras will often have an infrared focus system in them that bounces infra red light out of the camera like radar and determines the distance to the subject. Point and shoot cameras usually have a fairly wide angle lens and require you to get close to the subject to make a dominant photograph. For doing a group shot or a scenic or snap shot where there is a lot of material to include in a frame these cameras are ideal.  For the SCHS photo class this type of camera will work for assignments that do not require using special exposure or shutter techniques because these cameras are usually fully automatic. For a quick photo these are tops.

 Electronic Imaging  The world's first electronic still camera, the Japanese Canon, uses a cluster of light-sensitive electronic CHARGE-COUPLED DEVICES (CCDS), instead of film, at the focal plane. Each light sensor on a CCD is called a pixel. The pixel converts light into an electronic signal, which is recorded on a magnetic disc in the camera. The more dense the grouping of pixels, the sharper the resulting picture, which is recorded in full color. Once recorded, the image can be "played" on a television set by inserting the magnetic disc in a still video recorder, or a paper print can be made using a new 3-color electrostatic process. The quality of the image, while not as fine as that on the photographic film, is still very good and certainly will be improved during the coming years. At the present time the system will be used primarily by photojournalists, who will be able to transmit the information on the magnetic disc over ordinary telephone lines by using a Canon analog transceiver. A picture taken in Los Angeles can be viewed in full color a few minutes later in New York City.  Massive research efforts and increased production can be expected eventually to lower cost of all-electronic still systems. Traditional film, however, will dominate the market for the foreseeable future.

By Beatrice Chong Jia Chien 

Source:  http://scphoto.com/html/types.html

Read more on: http://photography.about.com/od/cameratypes/a/PointAndShoot.htm

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How to photography Silhouettes in 8 Easy Steps

I normally talk about the importance of using a flash when taking shots into the sun to give sufficient light to add features to your subject but there are also times when making your subject featureless apart from their outline against a bright background can be most effective – or when in other words silhouette is a worth exploring.

Silhouettes are a wonderful way to convey drama, mystery, emotion and mood to the viewers of your photos and often stand out in an album because of the combination of their simplicity but also the story that they convey. I love them because they don’t give the viewer of a clear picture of everything but leave part of the image up to their imagination to wonder about.

The basic strategy you’ll need to employ in taking silhouette shots is to place your subject (the shape you want to be blacked out) in front of some source of light and to force your camera to set its exposure based upon the brightest part of your picture (the background) and not the subject of your image.
In doing this your subject will be under exposed (and very dark, if not black).

There are a lot of very technical descriptions going around on how to take great silhouette shots that you might want to look up but let me attempt to run through some basic steps that should get you the results you’re after. In essence what we’re trying to do is make your camera think that it’s the bright parts of the picture you are most interested in.

Here’s how to do it:
Image by No Pip No!

1. Choose a Strong Subject
Almost any object can be made into a silhouette, however some are better than others. Choose something with a strong and recognizable shape that will be interesting enough in its two dimensional form to hold the interest of those viewing your image. Silhouettes can’t draw on the colors, textures and tones of subjects to make them appealing – so the shape needs to be distinct.

2. Turn off your Flash

If you have your camera in automatic mode your camera will probably want to use its flash which will ruin the silhouette. Basically you want as little light on the front of your subject as possible – so the flash has to go (basic – but I’ve seen a few attempted silhouette shots with the flash firing).

3. Get Your Light Right

When it comes to lighting your subject you’ll need to throw out a lot of what you’ve learnt about normal photography and think a little backwards. Instead of lighting the front of your subject, in silhouettes you need to ensure that there is more light shining from the background than the foreground of your shot – or to put it another way – you want to light the back of your subject rather than the front. The perfect light for this is placing your subject in front of a sunset or sunrise – but really any bright light will be able to do the trick.

4. Frame your image

Frame your shot so you are shooting with your subject in front of a nice plain, but bright background. Usually the best backgrounds will be a bright cloudless sky with the sun setting. You want to position the brightest light source behind your subject (either so that they hide it or so that its in the background somewhere).

5. Make silhouetted shapes distinct and uncluttered

If there is more than one shape or object in the image that you’re attempting to silhouette, try to keep them separated. ie if you are silhouetting a tree and a person don’t have the person stand in front of the tree or even leaning on it as it will merge them into one shape and as a result your viewers could be confused about what the shape is.
Also when framing you’ll probably want to photograph silhouetted people as profiles rather than looking straight on. This means that more of their features (nose, mouth, eyes) are outlined and they are more likely to be recognized.

6. In Auto Mode

Most modern digital cameras have automatic metering which are pretty good at sensing how to expose a photograph so that everything is well lit. The problem with this is that most cameras are so smart that they will light up your subject instead of underexposing it to get a silhouette so you need to trick it. Most cameras work out the exposure levels in auto mode when you push your shutter half way down (at the same time that they focus). So point your camera at the brightest part of your picture and then press the shutter halfway down (don’t let go). Then move your camera back to frame your shot with the subject where you want it and then finish taking the shot. With most digital cameras this will result in a silhouetted subject. In effect what you’re doing is tricking your camera into thinking that the bright part of the image is the mid tone of it so that anything darker than it will be exposed as a nice dark shadow.
Some digital cameras also have ‘spot’ or ‘centered’ metering modes that you can switch on which helps with the above technique as they will set the metering on the central spot of your frame rather than multiple spots. This means you can accurately tell your camera exactly which bit of the bright background you want it to set the exposure on.

Image by muha

7. Manual Mode

If this technique doesn’t work and your camera has controls to allow manual exposure or exposure compensation you might like to try some of your own settings. The beauty of digital is that you can experiment to your hearts content until you get the result you’re after.
A simple way to start using manual mode is to look at the shutter speed and aperture that it suggests in automatic mode and to start from there. If in auto mode your subject is too light (ie you need to make it darker) stop down the shutter speed a stop or two and see what impact that has. Use the ‘bracketing’ technique that I described in my previous tip on sunrises and sunsets to get a variety of shots at slightly different exposures.

8. Focusing

In most cases you’ll want the subject which is silhouetted to be the thing that is in focus most crisply. This can mean that the process described in point 4 can be a little tricky as pushing your shutter half way down to get the metering right also means that you’ll focus on that spot in the background. To get around this you can use two strategies. Firstly if your camera has manual focusing you might want to try that. Pre focus your shot before you meter your shot.
The other strategy is to use Aperture to maximize your depth of field (the amount of your image that is in focus). Set a small aperture (ie a larger number) to increase the depth of field – this means you’re more likely to have a sharper foreground and background in your shots.

One last tip on Silhouettes – while a total silhouette with a nice crisp and black subject can be a powerful shot, also consider the partial silhouette where some detail of your subject is left. Sometimes a touch of light on them makes them slightly more three dimensional and ‘real’. This is the beauty of bracketing your shots as it will leave you with total and partial silhouettes to choose form.


By : Felicia Tan
Source :http://digital-photography-school.com/how-to-photograph-silhouettes

Read more: http://digital-photography-school.com/how-to-photograph-silhouettes#ixzz1wPpNSoyi

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25 Photo Composition Tips

Copyright Scott Bourne 2009 - All Rights Reserved

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS by Nicole Young, Rich Legg & Other iStock Contributors

One of the most common problems facing new photographers – and some of us OLD photographers – is finding a great composition. Like pizza, it’s a matter of taste, but there are some fairly standard agreed-upon guidelines for a good composition. On March 20 I wrote a piece for the blog called Five Composition Tips – http://photofocus.com/2009/03/20/five-photo-composition-tips-twipphotocom/ I’ve decided to expand on this. I also want to note these are GUIDELINES, not rules. For each of these points you could make an opposite artistic argument. Go there if you must, but if you do, you miss the point of the list. Concentrate on the basics first, then you have earned the right to get fancy and ignore them.

1. Be clear on your subject. What story are you trying to tell with the photo?

2. Draw attention to the subject. This can be done by simply getting closer, by using selective focus, by using color, by lighting just the subject, by framing the subject in a doorway or window, etc.

3. Simplify. Simple is best. Remove anything that doesn’t help you tell the story.

4. When in doubt, leave it out. If there is something in your field of view that is not relevant to the subject or doesn’t somehow support the subject, get rid of it.

5. Check your negative space. Don’t leave too much negative space and when you do have negative space, be sure you use it right. Leave room for the subject in the frame unless you have a specific reason not to.

6. Fill the frame. You can rarely go wrong by filling the frame with the main subject. Many of the best pictures are the simplest ones. You don’t have to add background for the sake of adding background.

7. Check the edges of the frames. Don’t cut off feet or hands of your subject half way. If you want to exclude those appendages, make sure we know you meant to do so. Make a clean crop well above the wrist for instance if you don’t want to include the hands.

8. Check for intruders. Is there something popping into the picture from the side? Is there a tree branch, power line, telephone poll, etc., that creeps into the shot and steals attention from the subject? Re-compose and remove it.

9. Remember POV – Point of View. Shoot up on objects to make them more powerful. Shoot down on subjects to diminish them or make then look less imposing.

10. Use the rule of thirds. Draw a Tic-Tac-Toe board over your picture in your mind. Position the subject at one of the four intersecting corners in the grid.

11. When making portraits, always keep the eyes above the center line in the photo.

12. Strive for balance. Look at the composition and determine if there’s something out of place that tilts the viewer’s attention one way or the other.

13. The eye goes to the brightest part of the scene first. So don’t let anything in the photo other than the main subject be brighter than the subject.

14. Add depth by including strong foreground objects in shots where the background is also important.

15. Shoot vertically to enhance tall objects or to emphasize height. Shoot horizontally to emphasize width.

16. Use patterns, particularly repeating patterns to make pictures more interesting.

17. Use leading lines to attract the viewer’s eye where you want it to go.

18. Use S-curves or shapes as a more relaxed casual way to lead your eye through the composition. A road or a stream are good examples of this approach.

19. Start by shooting at your subject’s eye level. For example, get down low when making a child or animal’s portrait rather than standing over them and shooting down on them.

20. Make sure there is separation between multiple subjects to avoid unsightly merges.

21. Don’t center everything unless there’s a reason.

22. Don’t let the horizon fall dead center in the picture.

23. Don’t let the horizon cut through the head of any human or animal subject.

24. Don’t let the horizon merge with objects that are important to your image and make sure it is level.

25. Right before you make the photo take a second, look up, look down, look all around and make sure there’s nothing you’re missing.

By : Felicia Tan
Source : http://photofocus.com/2009/11/30/25-photo-composition-tips/

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Tutorial How to take Panning Photos

                                      

Panning is a technique that can produce amazing results (if you perfect it…. or get lucky) but is also one that can take a lot of practice to get right.

The basic idea behind panning as a technique is that you pan your camera along in time with the moving subject and end up getting a relatively sharp subject but a blurred background.

This gives the shot a feeling of movement and speed. It’s particularly useful in capturing any fast moving subject whether it be a racing car, running pet, cyclist etc.

I’ve found that panning seems to work best with moving subjects that are on a relatively straight trajectory which allows you to predict where they’ll be moving to. Objects that are moving side to side are challenging and can result in messy looking shots as the motion blur can be quite erratic.

Photo by wvs

How do you do it? 

• Select a slightly slower shutter speed than you normally would. Start with 1/30 second and then play around with slower ones. Depending upon the light and the speed of your subject you could end up using anything between 1/60 and 1/8 – although at the slower end you’ll probably end up with camera shake on top of your motion blur.
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• Position yourself in a place where your view of the subject will not be obstructed by anyone or anything else. Also consider the background of your shot. While it will be blurred if there are distracting shapes or colors it could prove to be distracting. Single coloured or plain backgrounds tend to work best.
• As the subject approaches track it smoothly with your camera. For extra support of your camera if you’re using a longer lens or are feeling a little jittery you might like to use a monopod or tripod with a swivelling head.
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• For best results you’ll probably find that setting yourself up so that you’re parallel to the path of your object (this will help with focussing).
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• If you have a camera with automatic focus tracking you can let the camera do the focussing for you by half pressing the shutter button (depending upon it’s speed and whether it can keep up with the subject)
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Photo by WisDoc
• If your camera doesn’t have fast enough auto focussing you’ll need to pre-focus your camera upon the spot that you’ll end up releasing the shutter.
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• Once you’ve released the shutter (do it as gently as possible to reduce camera shake) continue to pan with the subject, even after you’ve heard the shot is complete. This smooth follow through will ensure the motion blur is smooth from start to finish in your shot.
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• If you have an older digital camera or one that is of a more entry level point and shoot variety you could also have to contend with the dreaded ‘shutter lag’ problem. Shutter lag is when there is a slight delay from when you press the shutter to when the picture is actually taken. If you experience shutter lag you’ll need to learn to anticipate the moment to take the shot and will definitely need to continue to pan well after you’ve taken the shot.

Read more: http://digital-photography-school.com/mastering-panning-to-photograph-moving-subjects#ixzz1w41BjIyn

A variation on the Panning Technique

There are no rules with panning and you might also like to experiment with using your flash while panning. This slow synch flash technique will only work if the subject is close enough or your flash is powerful enough to have an impact – but will help to further freeze your main subject while giving the background the motion blur you’re after.

If you do use a flash you’ll want to test a variety of settings to get it looking right. In some cases you’ll probably need to pull back the strength of your flash by a half or a third.

Panning and Patience

Photo by J Catlett

If you’re going to try panning for the first time you should approach it with an experimental attitude. It can be a lot of fun but can also be quite frustrating. If you’re at a special event where you have fast moving subjects (like a car race etc) you’ll probably want to mix up your style of shooting. Don’t just use this technique all day – instead also shoot some shots at fast shutter speeds. This way you’ll end up with a variety of shots and will probably end up with some useful ones instead of just having a collection of blurry unusable ones.

If you want to practice panning (and it is something that you need to practice – a lot), head out into a busy part of your city and practice on passing traffic. That way you have a never ending supply of subjects.

Also keep in mind that it’s unlikely that your main subject will ever be completely sharp and in focus. This technique is about getting a relatively sharp subject in comparison to it’s background. Some blurring of your main subject can actually add to the feeling of motion in the shot.

Read more: http://digital-photography-school.com/mastering-panning-to-photograph-moving-subjects#ixzz1w414oGBJ

By: Iskandar
Source: http://digital-photography-school.com/mastering-panning-to-photograph-moving-subjects

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Tutorial How to take Photos of Waterfalls

I had been to a waterfall near my city and here are a few things that I learned for taking photos of waterfalls. All the photos that you see here were taken at that fall.


1. Be there at the right time


Photography is all about light and in outdoor photography, light is all about timing. The light is golden during the dawn and dusk. You will get better textures and colors during that time.


To take a photo as you see above, I needed an exposure of approx 1 seconds. The early morning and the overcast sky helped a lot. I could not have done that during broad day light.

2. Carry the right equipments


Usually you will have to trek some distance to reach a waterfall, it makes sense to carry only the most useful equipments. Here is what you need:


a. A camera that has creative modes like Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority, Manual Mode etc
No, your cell phone will not be able to take these photos
And even the cheapest DSLR will take better photos than the most expensive compact camera.


b. A Lens.
You just need one lens. It could be your kit lens, the 18-200mm or my favorite, the 16-85mm.
Keep all other lenses at home. They just add weight in your bag.


c. A tripod.
You will be working with some very slow shutter speeds. You will need a stable base where you can keep your camera.
Having a stable tripod is a must.


This completes the list of MUST HAVE equipments.


But if you have it, also bring along your Circular Polarizing Filter, ND Filter and the Graduated ND Filter.
If you do not know what they are, ignore them. You do not need them right now.

3. Find the right point of view

When you reach the location of the fall, do not start firing your camera and taking photos of everything around you.


Keep your camera in your bag and take a walk in that area. Look around you and ask yourself ... what makes this place beautiful.
Once you find an answer to that question, you will find out the best point of view to take your photos.


4. Shoot in the right mode

The reason why you need a camera with modes like Shutter, Aperture, Manual etc is because the only way to get the cotton like texture of water is to shoot in slow shutter speed.
Here is what you need to do


a. Set your camera in Shutter Priority Mode


b. Set the ISO to the lowest possible number (i.e. approx ISO 100 or ISO 50).


c. Set your shutter to approx 1 sec and click a photo.


d. If the photo is overexposed, it means that there is a lot of light falling on the sensor.
Now is the time to use your ND filter. If you do not have it, put your black sun-glasses in front of the lens. Try this again.
If even this does not help, then wait for the sun to go down so that the atmosphere becomes darker.


e. If that does not work, then increase the shutter speed to less than a second and see if this helps.
Remember that the faster the shutter speed, less fluffy will be your water.


That is it. Try out various shutter speed to find out what works for you.


Remember, even experts do not get the perfect shot in their first attempt.


5. Take care of exposure

The problem with long exposure is that your sky will blow out. You will get pure white sky in almost all your photos.


To take care of this, do the following


a. Set your file type to RAW.


b. Set your exposure compensation to -1 or -2 EV so that it under-exposes your photo i.e. makes your photo look dark but makes your sky look ok.


c. Then you will have to use Adobe Lightroom or Photoshop to selectively correct the exposure.


The reason we shoot in RAW is that RAW will help you recover almost 2 stops of data from dark areas (aka shadows) and one stop of data from bright areas (aka highlights) in your photo.
You will not get this benefit if you shoot in JPEG format.


6. Take care of the depth of field


In your photos of waterfall, usually you will want the entire scene to be in focus and sharp. The only way to get it is to shoot in aperture priority mode and set an aperture of F11 or higher.


7. Be aware of what is there in your photo (Composition)
When you are taking photos of waterfall (or for that matter any landscape) break your photo into three parts... i.e. the foreground, the background and something in between. Try to make sure that you have something interesting in all these three parts of your photo.


I hope you find these tips interesting.


Happy clicking.


By: Iskandar
Source: http://digital-photography-school.com/forum/tutorials/71164-how-take-photos-waterfalls.html

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