There are a couple of planning tips you will need to bear in mind before you take any night time photographs of cities:
You first want to choose a good viewpoint;
The second thing you will need is either a tripod or a solid base to place your camera on. Your viewpoint will depend a bit on what kind of shot you are after. I usually try to aim for somewhere that is above the ground (a set of steps, for example), but not always. There are many times that the best photos are taken at ground level.
You need a tripod or solid base because your camera's shutter will be open for several seconds, and you need to make sure the camera doesn't move during those seconds.
You will also need to make sure you secure your camera onto the tripod. If you can't find a solid surface to rest your camera on you can always try propping it up with something like a bag or jumper.
Once your camera is in place, make sure your shutter speed is set to a good few seconds. Start with about 15 seconds.
If you are unable to control the shutter speed, set it to "night" mode.
You are ready to take your pictures once you have everything arranged (camera on a solid surface and self timer primed).
The first thing you want to do is observe your scene. Does it contain everything that you wanted to be in it? If you are hoping to get streaking car headlights do you notice any traffic around?
Once you are happy with things, press the shutter button.
Your self timer will count down. Special Note! - If you are waiting for something to appear in your scene, you will need to remember that your shutter speed will have to count down first - time for this.
When the shutter clicks, wait. And wait, and wait . . . until it closes again. Remember that this will be a few seconds.
Then wait some more. Because of the long exposure digital cameras take longer than usual to process the photo, so your preview on your camera's LCD screen may take a while to show up.
This is just my opinion, but here are a couple of things that I think make a good night photography shot:
Neon lights Streaks of car headlights and tail lights Available light There is some advance planning that you need to do for these ideas. Whatever you choose for you subject you want to find an area where you can photograph safely.
Again, you will want to find your solid spot, or put your camera onto a tripod, and then take a few shots. Since neon lights flash you will want to keep the shutter open for a while in order to catch all the flashes.
For photographing streaks of car headlights and tail lights you will obviously want to find a spot that has a good bit of traffic, but again, be safe in your choice of locations.
One thing to try is to use something in the background as well; usually streaks of light photographed on their own can be a bit boring!
Then take your shot.
One thing to remember is that the longer you keep your shutter open, the more streaks you will capture. Obviously the more traffic you have the more streaks you will have!
Available light also has a part to play in creating a good night photography shot.
You will find that there are times when a scene looks its best when you set it amongst inky-black skies. By playing around you will also find that there are times when a little light works best, so photos just prior to dark really sets in are worth a try too.
The best bit of advice I can give you is to try both situations and see which captures the effect you are after best.
You also will want to play around with your shutter speed since there are times you will find that a 10 second exposure gets the look you are after. Sometimes you may need up to a minute.
If you practice you will soon get a feel for what you will need for any given situation.
------------
Looking into digital photography, ever want to start Learning Digital Photography? Get Great Tips on how to take Digital Photographs with This Free Report
Showing posts with label Photography. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Photography. Show all posts
Wednesday
Digital Photography Tips - How To Take Portrait Photography
Ever wonder why other photographers can take such good picture with people? Don't just envy others, you too can have fun with portrait photography if you practice the following tips.
1. The right mode
This is the simplest way to improve your portrait picture. Look into your camera setting, digital cameras nowadays are often equip with the 'portrait' mode. When this is selected, your camera will automatically adjust the setting and give you the right picture.
2. Getting close
Zoom in to your subject and try to blur the background to make your subject stand out. If you don't do that, your viewers will be distracted by the background and confuse with the message you want to convey with your picture.
3. Spontaneous
You don't need to be so serious with portrait photography. What you want is to capture the special moment. So, tilt your camera, zoom in, zoom out and you can even edit the picture. You can do anything as long as you capture the expression of the person in the moment.
4. Lighting
You need to be careful with the lightings when you are taking portrait photograph. If the light source is behind your subject, your subject will become darker. Unless you purposely want to do that, if not you should see before your snap the picture.
If you are using flash, make sure you select the red eye off feature when you are photographing under dim light. You don't want your subject to look like a red eye monster in the picture.
5. Positioning
New photographers like to take portrait photography with the subject in the middle. There is nothing wrong with that but your picture might look better if you can get your subject to the side with lightly blurred background. If you can do this well, you will be able to show different perspective of your subject.
Author: Michael Wong
Digital Photography Tips - Removing The Background
Ever since the development of digital camera, photographers are able to adjust their pictures and that includes removing the background they dislike. As the technology matures, removing the background can be fast and easy.
But why do photographers want to remove the background?
Just to let you know, sometimes photographers are force to take their pictures.
Let's picture this, after a long wait, you finally snapped the take off of the grey falcon. But when you look back at the picture, you found that you accidentally snapped your fingertip along with the falcon.
Now, you will not get the same picture again. What are you going to do? Delete the once in a life time picture or remove the disturbing background?
If you are like any photographer, you will choose the latter.
Sometimes, the background looks just nice with your subject on the LCD screen. But when you see it as a picture, something is just not right. That is when you need to remove whatever is disturbing in the background to make your final picture looks better.
After much talk about removing the background, how do you do that?
The most popular way to do that is by using photo editing software.
Before the development of the software, photographers need to remove the background in the dark room. They need to use a special solution and monitor the process. If they are not careful, they might spoil the picture.
Today, there are a lot of photo editing software that can free you from this tedious job. Furthermore, they are so user friendly that even a non-professional can use it. Some software even allows you to plug in some codes for different purposes. After that, you will have more choices to alter the background.
But why do photographers want to remove the background?
Just to let you know, sometimes photographers are force to take their pictures.
Let's picture this, after a long wait, you finally snapped the take off of the grey falcon. But when you look back at the picture, you found that you accidentally snapped your fingertip along with the falcon.
Now, you will not get the same picture again. What are you going to do? Delete the once in a life time picture or remove the disturbing background?
If you are like any photographer, you will choose the latter.
Sometimes, the background looks just nice with your subject on the LCD screen. But when you see it as a picture, something is just not right. That is when you need to remove whatever is disturbing in the background to make your final picture looks better.
After much talk about removing the background, how do you do that?
The most popular way to do that is by using photo editing software.
Before the development of the software, photographers need to remove the background in the dark room. They need to use a special solution and monitor the process. If they are not careful, they might spoil the picture.
Today, there are a lot of photo editing software that can free you from this tedious job. Furthermore, they are so user friendly that even a non-professional can use it. Some software even allows you to plug in some codes for different purposes. After that, you will have more choices to alter the background.
Some internet users are willing to pay for photographs for their tasks. Now, with the help of the software, you can keep the subject and replace the background with what your clients need. If they want a grey falcon taking off from a building, you can easily swap the ledge with a building with the photo editing software.
Author: Michael Wong
Better Photography - Move in Closer
Photoshop is now one of the major computer programmes around. The basis of it all, however, is the photographic image.
Very often the quality of the original image can get overlooked or can be considered unimportant. We hear sentences like: "Oh that'll do - we'll fix it later in Photoshop". Perhaps it can, but starting off with a better photograph in the first place can save a lot of trouble later.
Well begun is half done.
Everyone seems to have some sort of camera now, whether it's a high-end digital camera or a basic compact or the camera within a mobile phone.
Taking a good and attractive photograph can be easier than some people think. Good photographers instinctively follow certain guidelines and principles when taking their photographs. The good image just seems to make itself.
These guidelines can be identified and implemented by anyone and with a little practise the improved images will come along.
Here is one of a series of tips that can be used to make the process of taking photographs more successful.
Move in Closely, then Closer
When photographing any subject it can be useful and effective to move in closely to the subject, then move in more closely still.
The simple act of moving in very close to the subject can greatly increase the subject's impact and can serve to attract and concentrate one's attention in a way that a more general shot cannot.
Trying to photograph the whole of a large church, for example, might not be too successful – there might be a shortage of space, which prevents you from getting back far enough, the conditions might be dull and overcast, or perhaps the building as a whole has little architectural charm. Concentrating on one carving could be visually more effective.
Similarly, any historic town will be full of detailed features, carvings, signs, lanterns and so on, which enhance the feel of the period, showing workmanship and character which might not come across so effectively in a general photograph.
A detail can tell a better story than trying to include too much. One beautiful bloom isolated from a whole flower bed can have greater impact. A general picture of birds with lots of surrounding area can be rather boring whereas a real close-up might be more interesting, and it is quite feasible to take close-ups of animals, even with standard cameras, in parks or nature reserves where the wildlife is not too wild any more and is more accustomed to people. What they really want from you is food, so go armed with some of their favourite morsels.
Focusing on a subject close-up has an added bonus. The background will be thrown out of focus which increases the emphasis on the subject itself. You won't actually notice this while looking through the viewfinder of a compact, point-and-shoot camera. This is because the viewfinder is separate from the lens, but the effect will be seen in the print.
There is an unlimited supply of material for close-up photography:
the head of a friendly cow;
a much-repaired country gate;
a sheet of plastic caught on barbed wire;
barnacles on a rock;
frost and snow on branches with berries.
With a lifetime's familiarity with the home environment, most people don't notice the everyday objects of town and country, much less would they photograph them, but every place will have a wealth of objects which are unique to that particular area.
When visiting foreign countries, suddenly we notice the different letter boxes, doors, bicycles and styles of dress. These "routine" items serve well to sum up the character of a region and become good triggers to remind us of a visit.
A few words about framing up the camera for such close-up shots. It can happen that the final picture cuts out a little part of the subject when you are sure you included it when taking the photograph. This is due to the frame inside the viewfinder not always being an accurate representation of the area the lens will be photographing. Although this is usually a problem only with some of the cheaper cameras, when first using a new camera, it can be useful to do a little testing on a close-up. Carefully frame up a subject, such as a spread out newspaper, take a photograph of it and compare what is covered by the finished print. This will be a good guide as to how accurate the viewing frame is.
Tips
* Move in closely, then even closer
More photography tips can be found here: Photography Tips
A reminder then that better photography makes later work in Photoshop easier.
Photoshop In A Day
Very often the quality of the original image can get overlooked or can be considered unimportant. We hear sentences like: "Oh that'll do - we'll fix it later in Photoshop". Perhaps it can, but starting off with a better photograph in the first place can save a lot of trouble later.
Well begun is half done.
Everyone seems to have some sort of camera now, whether it's a high-end digital camera or a basic compact or the camera within a mobile phone.
Taking a good and attractive photograph can be easier than some people think. Good photographers instinctively follow certain guidelines and principles when taking their photographs. The good image just seems to make itself.
These guidelines can be identified and implemented by anyone and with a little practise the improved images will come along.
Here is one of a series of tips that can be used to make the process of taking photographs more successful.
Move in Closely, then Closer
When photographing any subject it can be useful and effective to move in closely to the subject, then move in more closely still.
The simple act of moving in very close to the subject can greatly increase the subject's impact and can serve to attract and concentrate one's attention in a way that a more general shot cannot.
Trying to photograph the whole of a large church, for example, might not be too successful – there might be a shortage of space, which prevents you from getting back far enough, the conditions might be dull and overcast, or perhaps the building as a whole has little architectural charm. Concentrating on one carving could be visually more effective.
Similarly, any historic town will be full of detailed features, carvings, signs, lanterns and so on, which enhance the feel of the period, showing workmanship and character which might not come across so effectively in a general photograph.
A detail can tell a better story than trying to include too much. One beautiful bloom isolated from a whole flower bed can have greater impact. A general picture of birds with lots of surrounding area can be rather boring whereas a real close-up might be more interesting, and it is quite feasible to take close-ups of animals, even with standard cameras, in parks or nature reserves where the wildlife is not too wild any more and is more accustomed to people. What they really want from you is food, so go armed with some of their favourite morsels.
Focusing on a subject close-up has an added bonus. The background will be thrown out of focus which increases the emphasis on the subject itself. You won't actually notice this while looking through the viewfinder of a compact, point-and-shoot camera. This is because the viewfinder is separate from the lens, but the effect will be seen in the print.
There is an unlimited supply of material for close-up photography:
the head of a friendly cow;
a much-repaired country gate;
a sheet of plastic caught on barbed wire;
barnacles on a rock;
frost and snow on branches with berries.
With a lifetime's familiarity with the home environment, most people don't notice the everyday objects of town and country, much less would they photograph them, but every place will have a wealth of objects which are unique to that particular area.
When visiting foreign countries, suddenly we notice the different letter boxes, doors, bicycles and styles of dress. These "routine" items serve well to sum up the character of a region and become good triggers to remind us of a visit.
A few words about framing up the camera for such close-up shots. It can happen that the final picture cuts out a little part of the subject when you are sure you included it when taking the photograph. This is due to the frame inside the viewfinder not always being an accurate representation of the area the lens will be photographing. Although this is usually a problem only with some of the cheaper cameras, when first using a new camera, it can be useful to do a little testing on a close-up. Carefully frame up a subject, such as a spread out newspaper, take a photograph of it and compare what is covered by the finished print. This will be a good guide as to how accurate the viewing frame is.
Tips
* Move in closely, then even closer
More photography tips can be found here: Photography Tips
A reminder then that better photography makes later work in Photoshop easier.
Photoshop In A Day
Monday
Learn Digital Photography - Using Your Digital Camera The First Time
Consumers have gone digital ever since the technology improved and became cheaper. Nowadays, digital cameras are build to be affordable and user friendly. Gone are the days when we buy specific ISO films for specific occasion.
Still, you need to learn about digital photography before you start using your camera.
1. Understand the features
Do you know how wide your camera lens is? Do you know the smaller the lens size (mm) the more you can fit into your picture? How much is the optical zoom of your camera? Do you know optical zoom is more important than digital zoom when you are taking a picture?
Besides, cameras nowadays don't just take photos. Cameras like compact digital cameras are capable of taking video too. Can you benefit from this feature?
Digital camera is just a tool to the vast world of photography. If you really want to learn digital photography, you need to realize the potential of your camera.
2. Read the manual
Unless you are really into photography, a lot of consumers didn't read the manual. If you are one of them, probably you have even misplaced the manual now.
But the fact is, your untouched manual is a very good guide for your digital photography hobby. It often surprises the consumers because their camera can do a lot more than they think.
3. Learn the basics
The basic of using a digital camera is to look at the subject from the LCD screen or eyepiece, focus on the subject manually or automatically, snap the picture and view it on TV or PC.
You will only know how to make your pictures unique after you master the basics.
4. Experiment
One of the best ways to understand the potential of your digital camera is to experiment with it.
Capture the subject with different mode and compare which of them is better. Sometimes capturing a picture under dim light with flash off is better than setting the flash on.
Since your pictures are stored digitally, you don't need to worry about spending money on film. The maximum wastage can only be battery power which is also rechargeable.
Still, you need to learn about digital photography before you start using your camera.
1. Understand the features
Do you know how wide your camera lens is? Do you know the smaller the lens size (mm) the more you can fit into your picture? How much is the optical zoom of your camera? Do you know optical zoom is more important than digital zoom when you are taking a picture?
Besides, cameras nowadays don't just take photos. Cameras like compact digital cameras are capable of taking video too. Can you benefit from this feature?
Digital camera is just a tool to the vast world of photography. If you really want to learn digital photography, you need to realize the potential of your camera.
2. Read the manual
Unless you are really into photography, a lot of consumers didn't read the manual. If you are one of them, probably you have even misplaced the manual now.
But the fact is, your untouched manual is a very good guide for your digital photography hobby. It often surprises the consumers because their camera can do a lot more than they think.
3. Learn the basics
The basic of using a digital camera is to look at the subject from the LCD screen or eyepiece, focus on the subject manually or automatically, snap the picture and view it on TV or PC.
You will only know how to make your pictures unique after you master the basics.
4. Experiment
One of the best ways to understand the potential of your digital camera is to experiment with it.
Capture the subject with different mode and compare which of them is better. Sometimes capturing a picture under dim light with flash off is better than setting the flash on.
Since your pictures are stored digitally, you don't need to worry about spending money on film. The maximum wastage can only be battery power which is also rechargeable.
Author: Michael Wong
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)