Posts Tagged ‘poses’

Abandoning your Film Cameras for the Power of Digital Photography

April 12th, 2010

My introduction to digital photography was probably a bit more dramatic than most people’s. To get the full picture – so to speak – let’s travel back in time to the salad days of my life as a fledgling photographer: six years ago!

Although digital photography was available even then, they had as yet to come into their own, or rather into my hands. Naturally enough, this meant that I was still lugging around my film SLR – that’s single lens reflex to all those out there who’re sitting around scratching their heads.

Anyway, along with my trusty camera, which I had spent a fortune to get by the way, I was also lugging around everything else that I needed along with it. Spare lenses, extra film, batteries, filters, basically the whole works. Having said that, even though I’m now almost fully digital through and through I still do carry most of the same things. The only thing that’s radically different in digital photography is the lack of film rolls.

I now don’t carry with me rolls and rolls of film, and I don’t need to wait eternally to reload the camera either. Instead I have learned to do a quick change of my memory cards even under the direst of weather circumstances.

Speaking of dire weather conditions it was on one of these days that I was introduced to digital photography.

The one great thing about digital photography though, was that I get to see the pictures I take immediately I take them. The small viewfinder that accompanies just about all new digital cameras is perfect for determining in an instant whether you need a reshoot or not. Of course the screen is generally too small to see too much detail but it works for the most part.

And if you really want to go high tech and see right then and there whether your photograph came out okay, all you need is a laptop computer. With digital photography your shooting abilities will increase manfold as you now also have the ability to store more shots as well. All you need to do is to transfer the pictures to the laptop and you have a newly emptied memory card just waiting to be filled.

If you’re somewhere in the middle of deepest Antarctica or somewhere equally cold of course, then you won’t want to spend time fiddling with all these gadgets and might only want to get back to blessed warmth. But digital photography as option is always open for you to take if you want to take the time and effort to empty out your memory cards while you’re out in the field shooting away.

For my part I prefer to have the laptop with me only on certain trips that I take. Like the ones where transportation and storage are easy and where I don’t have to lug the silly thing along with me everywhere I go, along with my digital photography equipment! You might of course feel differently about that, but as I like to say, each to his own. First things first though, you need to decide whether you like digital photography or not.

For many a professional photographer, the difference between choosing digital photography cameras over film cameras, is somewhat akin to the preference of manual transmission over automatic transmission cars for the professional driver. Although to a very great degree digital photography and manual photography are both the same, and they both yield almost identical results, in the end when push comes to shove, the manual car will always give them more power and control when they need it most.

And that’s why you’ll still see quite a lot of professional photographers hugging their old film SLR’s to their chest, refusing to part with it. It has nothing whatsoever to do with the inability to change and adapt as much as it is the knowledge that film cameras – for the moment at least – will yield far better results when push comes to shove.

For the beginning photographer though, digital photography is as good a way as any to go, and if you’re mainly an enthusiastic amateur, you’ll get along fine with your digital camera. It’s when you start going up in the stakes that you have to make a decision whether you want to upgrade with digital photography all the way, or whether you want to go for the film camera.

Then again, before we end this article, I just have to point out that technology is advancing in quantum leaps and bounds, and that there’s a huge possibility that you will see more and more people abandoning their film cameras for the power of digital photography.

Tags: artistic, cameras, composition, digital, digital photography, effects, equipment, lighting, photographs, photography, portrait, poses, techniques, tips

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Understanding Digital Photography: Techniques in Getting a Great Picture

April 11th, 2010

Have you heard of, “There is more than meets the eye?”

We use our eyes to view things in our environment. However, through time, man has devised ways on how to preserve the things normally seen and thus treasured, whether these are beautiful or not, and one of which is by using cameras.

The images that are captured by cameras can make our eyes see things that have happened before. Moreover, it enables the heart to wish for beautiful things to happen in the future.

These days, the biggest sellers in the camera market are the so-called digital SLR cameras. These are the modern gadgets that can trigger our creativity and seats of emotion.

Though relatively new, most people choose digital SLRs because it can be easily manipulated. However, having these cameras does not completely guarantee that the every captured image is great and perfect.

Following are some point by point guidelines that should be considered to maximize the expense of your digital cameras:

1. Simplicity

Zoom in to capture the part you want to emphasize. Thus, irrelevant objects or areas can be taken away or just allow them to soften.

2. Rule of thirds

When capturing a moving object, it is advisable to capture them moving into the imaginary tic-tac-toe frame from one of the two sides.

3. Shapes and lines

Capture a straight line at an angle by moving five to ten feet away to the side to capture at an angle.

4. Vantage point

To add significance or emphasis to an object, take a picture at a lower vantage point. Increasing the height away from the object can reduce its significance.

5. Balance

Pick out the dominant objects and arrange them so that they complement each other. However, unbalanced or asymmetrical objects are often more visually stimulating than balanced objects.

6. Framing

You can use the frames of your windows to capture an outdoor scene. You can also use doors and walls of a building to capture a person a walking person.

7. Indoor photographs

You can use natural lighting when you are taking candid shots so that the subjects will not be bothered by the flash coming out of the camera.

8. Camera adjustments

The aperture allows light to enter. You must learn how to adjust this properly and appropriately so that images will not appear as either very bright or very dim.

Lowering the shutter speed allows the image to be more exposed to light. You must learn the proper length of exposure so that images will not appear as blurry.

9. ISO speeds

Digital cameras have ISO speeds ranging from 100 to 800. The higher the ISO, the higher the camera’s sensitivity to light’s exposure. Be sure to master using this element along with the camera’s aperture and shutter speeds.

10. Lens/Filters

There are digital cameras that allow additional lenses to be attached to the main lens, or the lenses can be completely interchangeable.

Lenses can be categorized as follows:

a. macro lens – allows you to get closer to objects like insects and flowers

b. wide-angle lens – used for capturing landmarks, and large and wide sceneries

c. telephoto lens – allows longer zooms that let you get close to objects that are rather unsafe

Filters, on the other hand are used to:

a. soften the effect of the image
b. provide blurring on the edges for portraits that have sensitive moods
c. add light flares for the image to be more dramatic
d. to reduce glare so that pictures appear more saturated, crisp, and vivid.

However, if you still want to improve on the images that you have taken, the following list of software can allow touch-ups:

• Adobe Photoshop
• Apple’s iPhoto
• Corel Paint Shop Pro
• Google Picasa
• LView

Once you have understood and mastered the important points on digital photography and capturing pictures, you will soon realize that the keys in getting great pictures are: “Even a simple aim and shoot camera” and “Creative ME.”

Digital Camera Review

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Digital Photography Tips to Prevent the 5 Most Familiar Digital Shooting Mistakes

March 30th, 2010

1. Avoid Excessive Contrast

2. Use the appropriate Camera Settings

3. Use the appropriate photographic techniques

4. Miss-with the Flash

5. Excessive JPEG compression

Compact digital cameras are brilliant, offering more versatility and restraint than many conventional compact haze cameras. However, like most high-tech plans, you may find it frustrating if you aren’t receiving the outcome you want.

For best outcome you should understand how to get the best out of your camera in every shooting clause and know how to stop shared mistakes. Here’s a conduct to help you forestall the top 5 digital photography no-nos.

Digital photography tipped # 1- Avoid undue disparity

On living with harsh sunlight many digital similes can be precious by very high compare.Like untold shadow areas and very snappish highlights.

Excessive brightness is more problematic with a debit of conscript in the burned out areas, for example the brides dress or filthy coastline.

You can accepted ultimate differ from photo control software (such as Adobe Photoshop or Ulead Photoimpact) but even the most sophisticated software cannot truthful highlights by adding factor that was not captured by the camera.

preventive techniques: To preclude high disparity recall the following tips

- If your camera offers compare adjustment contain, exclusive the colors choice, not high disparity backdrop

- Select the low location in cheerful conditions which will help neutralise diverge and evaluate the highlights and shadow areas. You can forever raise the disparity in situation production. (Photo contact)

- Make surely your focus is situated in even lighting or better still, a sheltered quarter and not in diverse lighting (both sun and shadow across the theme)

- If your photographing people or subjects that are close by (1-2m), use your cameras in built update to cram in shadow areas. You will essential to disable the certain jiffy sort and instead change the bulletin on form on.

Note. Your cameras sparkle may not be real if your topic is a long space away, so try to get close to your issue or standing manually so the sun is behind you when charming the photo.

Overexposing merely compounds the conundrum so catch the exposure on your LCD protect and if you think it is overexposed, adjust the exposure with exposure compensation (e.g. -0.5) and take it again. That’s the beauty of digital!!!

The best shooting conditions: Naturally, exposure and differ will not be a catch if the lighting conditions are right to launch with. Overcast or somewhat unclear time are best for creating even lighting conditions for photos with balanced differ.

Also the light is regularly softer in the early morning and deceased morning and it is easier to locate manually with the sun behind you when it is junior in the sky and not directly overhead.

Digital photography tipped # 2- Use the appropriate camera settings

Digital cameras, especially high end guess models regularly multitude an enormous scope of adjustment options besides exposure and contrast check, such as fair tally dominate, ISO, serration and digital property.

If you have invested in a report-packed camera, you will be tempted to use them all but if you don’t understand them or use the mistaken site you may be disappointed with the results. Here’s a short overview of some of the important skin.

- White remainder is a figure that is very important to the end answer of your photograph. White total refers to the colour temperature of the light and the damage venue can stroll your complete icon an extent of unnatural colours (e.g. blonde, green or blue).

Many cameras have different pre-set sallow weigh settings for fluorescent, tungsten, burst, sunlight or auto. The routine white rest location takes out the guess work a lot of the time and is regularly the most convenient situation.

Again you can always hardship the white balance by merely charming an examine look beforehand and checking it on your cameras LCD monitor.

- For coating cameras, ISO referred to the pace of the dart and the total of the squirt grain. High ISO films (400/800) were good for low light situations or sharp action sport photography.

Low ISO (100/200) films were good for regular lighting conditions and portraits as you could enlarge the likeness lacking it looking rough.

SO for digital adopts the same colors as covering. In digital cameras, ISO refers to the sensitivity of the antenna to light or the sign to racket ratio.

The signify means the figure that you want and clatter refers to the raze of pixilation: what you don’t want. When shooting in low light you could desire a high ISO (400 or 800) so the sensor’s sensitivity is heightened and can capture a better exposure, but reminisce that this may exhibit more digital sound than a low ISO (100 or 200).

Another allowance of digital cameras is that you can change the ISO for each figure you take to match the lighting term. With a layer camera, the ISO had to stay the same for the whole pictures which inevitably intended that you could be trapped with the criminal ISO movie in your camera.

- Some cameras allocate you to adjust the saturation, colour tonal variety and serration. These features are worthwhile experimenting with as they can enhance some metaphors with great results.

Portraits can look more flattering with less roughness, for example. Nevertheless often birth-looking imagery are achieved lacking these enhancements or the same effects can be achieved in postproduction using control software.

So play around with these features first before you open taking important photos. Once you understand the realize you can use it only when you want to get that outcome.

- preventive rate: Digital photography allows you to experiment without killing money on mist or processing so take help of this and take as many photos as you can, analyzing what mechanism and what doesn’t. This is often the best way to enhance your photography.

Digital photography tipped # 3 Use good photographic techniques

Digital photography applies the same principles and techniques as are worn in conventional photography. A good digital photo desires to coalesce creativity and strict dexterity. It wants a piquant, interesting issue and a good composition besides nominal aspects of exposure, focus, vigor-of-ground, lighting and contrast.

Often the summit and shoot tailor of photography may be smart and cool but also, a bit hit and neglect and achieving a good result becomes a matter of fortune somewhat than flare.

- Use gravity of pasture to enhance your portraits and landscape shots. Depth of pasture refers to the limit that is in focus, and it is achieved by selecting the appropriate crack site.

For landscapes you should have most extent of province (large number in the opening site) for sharp focus in both the foreground and the background/horizon.

For successful portraits you should have a shallow strength of area, so the business is in focus while the background is out of focus (a small number in the aperture situation).

Most cameras will have depiction and landscape fashion settings which take the appropriate aperture setting for you and all you have to do marshal the persona.

- preventive system: The digital camera’s rear test can be worn instead of the viewfinder and gives a more accurate preview of the figure. It could also be held up to an arm’s span away to give you added flexibility in composition and perspective.

Be creative and shoot from a scope of different angles with up high or down low. Always ensure that your specialty is intense and interesting and your composition is not muddled or includes something that detracts from the idea (a daggy drivel bin in an exquisite landscape, for example).

Take the same photo from different angles, zoom in for tighter framing, or capture it in both horizontal and landscape orientation.

- Always look at habits of improving the visual interest of the figure using the camera’s functions. It will only price you time, not money. Remember with digital, you can always remove the ones you don’t like and you must only download and design the best ones!

Digital photography tipped # 4- Don’t lose-use the flaunt

The speed is a valuable appear of any camera, allowing you the flexibility to photograph subjects in low light or add impart second to capture conscript in shadow areas, but it has its limitations.

The current is only effective within a certain breadth and cannot illuminate subjects at aloofness (for example photographing the bride and tutor from the back of the church) or a large subject (the interior of an infinite mineral cave). The second should never be used when photographing fireworks or soil flute windows.

- preventive system: When the flash is ineffective or unavailable, try using a support. All cameras have a standard stand screw thread on the heart for use with a trivet.

This allows you to achieve longer exposures without the annoying haze of camera shake. Long exposures can emit very creative effects plus blurring the rush of water down a waterfall, or capturing the trail of car headlights along a road at night.

Using a tripod also offers you the plus of capturing the ambient light which is often very appealing and you also can avoid the harsh gloom and red eye stimulate which is one of the downsides of the in built flash.

Digital photography tipped # 5- Avoid excessive JPEG compression

Digital cameras allocate you to limited the resolution of each likeness to ensemble the necessary harvest, so understanding resolution and smooth magnitude is very important to your digital photography.

For printing and enlarging the photo, you should capture at the chief resolution unfilled in the camera. The record resolution employs a low reading or no compression of the sleeve, so the maximum total of information is retained.

This also means that it requires more recall so fewer metaphors can be stored on the cameras memory license. If you want to storeroom more images on your card, you can select a lesser resolution column with greater amount of JPEG compression. However, this may force on your choices when you desire to harvest the folder.

You may only be able to email the record or announce it on a website as it is too small to imprint. If you do photocopy the low res icon it may look pixilated without much detail or roughness, which has low visual draw.

If you desire to rearrange your image in postproduction, you will require to capture the supreme resolution free as editing (cropping, adjusting contrast, brightness etc) will affect a loss in quality.