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Photography Tutorial Book By Sheikh Haroon Kamran
!
in photography, a shutter is a device that allows light to pass for a determined period of
time, for the purpose of exposing photographic film or a light-sensitive electronic sensorto 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.
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Shutter Speed Chart for Photographers
Weve 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
BulbFor 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 1/15For use in low light conditions, night photography, fireworks, etc. A tripod must be used to prevent motion
blur.
1/30thFor 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 1/125thCommon 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.
1/500thGood for freezing faster moving objects such as a car or runner.
1/1000th and fasterGood for freezing objects that move faster than the eyes can see, such as a birds 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. Its 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 themagic happens it is responsible for creating dramatic effects by
either freezing action or blurring motion. In this article, I will try toexplain 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 exposelight 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 speedand motion is communicated to the viewer by intentionally
blurring the moving wheels.
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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 turnedout 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 1/4means 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 photographers 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 cant 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 youdidnt then dont feel bad because youre not alone. Most new photographers
dont 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 seethat theyre not sharp. You scratch your head and think to yourself I know I
held the camera very still. Why are these blurry!
What youre not aware of is that most photos shot handheld will come out blurry if you dont choose the rightshutter 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. Thats because the shutter speed youchose 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 inphotography should be. A good rule of thumb is to choose a shutter speed that is one over your focal
length.
Confused? Heres an example to help you understand how to choose the minimum correct shutter speed for
your photography:
Lets 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 its turned to on the barrel of your lens. By using the rule above youll 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 ofat least Thats
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 youll 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 aphoto 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 were going to teach youhow to choose the right shutter speed
in order to capture the righttype 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 exposelight 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 frame2. or, allowing the action to create motion blur within the frame
After making a decision youll then have an easier time choosing the right shutter speedfor 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 withinthe frame, like
a race car
zooming by or
a baseball
player hitting afast pitch, you
need to take afew 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 arms length in front of your face. Adjust your cameras focal length so thatyour 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 movementswithin 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 cameraset 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 friends hand is frozen even
though you used the same shutter speed that causes your hand to be blurry? Thats because objects that arefarther 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 aphysical 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
youre trying to capture a pair of boxers fighting from a distance of 10 feet using a focal length of 20mm, youwould 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 boxers 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 oraway). The reason for this is that a parallel motion requires less distance to travel to make a noticeable effect.
Its 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 inphotography. 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 youre going to berelatively 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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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 objectsin the background (a car and a backdrop). Photo by Refracted Moments and the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas
Choosingf/16 tof/32 and higher
These f-stops are used when large depth-of-field is very important. These are the right aperture choice if yourgoal 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 itsimportant 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 luckyphotographers 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 asimple photography exercise
that teaches you how to shoot better photos and train yourphotographic eye.
The Photography Exercise
Grab your camera with a kit style lens, like an 18-55mm. This type of lens works best for this exercisebecause 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 focallengths 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 thats closer to the camerarendering the object out of focus
etc.By forcing yourself to capture at least 10 different photos
youll 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 yourphotographic eye because youll 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 youll train yourphotographic 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 characteristicsmake a great photo. But, most of all have fun!
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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 cameras aperture, shutter speed, and
ISO settings. Of course, youll also have to make sure the images are in focus and youre in good position totake 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 imagesyou need to be sure the
camera is getting enough
light into it. The apertureand shutter speed need to
be balanced to achieve this. Remember, the lower the f-stop is, such as f/2.8, the more light youre 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 everysport.
Tip #2
When it comes to freezing the action in sports photography, youll need a fast shutter speed. If its too slow the
shots will generally be blurry. The best way to balance the shutter speed and aperture is to set the camera to
manual mode and experiment. Set the shutter speed at 1/500 th of a second and take a shot. If the image is toodark then youre 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 sportsphotography you may be able to take shots as fast as 1/4000th
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
doesnt 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
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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, youll
need a higher ISO
setting as it willallow for faster
shutter speeds. In
well-lit conditions,100 ISO may be
perfect. However,
if its cloudy outyou 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 dont have a tripod.
Tip #6
If you want to capture the action as close as possible youll need to get as close to the playing area as you can.
This isnt always possible though. In the case that youre quite a distance away youll need a telephoto lens ofat least 300mm to make up for the distance. But remember, the more you zoom in, the less light youll be
letting into the camera, which means youll need a slower shutter speed or lower f-stop setting.
Tip #7
Timing is very important in sports photography. Its important to know the rules and how the sport youre
covering is played. To get great sports action shots you can pre-focus on a location where you know there willbe 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 freezethe action while panning can show speed in an image. If youre following an athlete with your camera, a
continuous shooting mode is highly recommended. Most importantly, to take a crisp, clear shot, make sure
youre 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 PhotographyLearning 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 cant see or touch the item in person, so a photomust showcase an items 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 background2. 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.
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 fromthe 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 sidelights so that they are casting the same amount of light on the object. You dont 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 youdont 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.
Heres 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 turnedhalf way between the camera and a profile shot. Positioning the object in this way allows you to seetwo 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 aspossible. Position the camera so it is straight on with the subject, then raise your tripod a few inchesand 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 lengthprime 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 background2. An object in its natural environment
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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 aphotographer 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 clients product style and what the shopshould 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 andreinforce 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 youre 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 surroundthe box. This type of staging would resonate with a potential customer becauseits 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 tohelp 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. Thebackground 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 stores 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 products 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 totake 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 dont 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 its more important to put your creativity aside,
and let the product speak for itself.
Lighting
For most product photography its 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.
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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. Its 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 thescene. 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 cant 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 potentialcustomer and set your photographs apart from the work of other photographers!
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Nature Photography How to Shoot Silhouette Photography Photographing Animals at the Zoo Capturing Wildlife Photography from a Distance
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How to Shoot Silhouette PhotographyA 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 viewers mind to wander and create their ownstory within an image.
Like many photographers, youve probably seen great silhouette photography and often wondered how did
they do that? Today, were going to teach you everything you need to know about shooting silhouette
photography. Once you master this technique youll 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 theshape is ambiguous or hard to make out youll lose your viewers interest.
If youre 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 cant 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 yoursubject 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 semi-automatic 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 detailscan 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.
Heres 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 isfar 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 cameras light meter to determine shutter speed.
Point your cameras light meter toward the light source in the background and then zoom in to fill the frame.Next, adjust your cameras 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 youve 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 were 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 impossibleif 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 tophotograph
animals!
Most zoos and wildlife parks set regular feeding times. The animals are used to this schedule and become moreactive 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. Youll 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. Its veryimportant to have sharply focused eyes when youre 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 willrequire 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
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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 enoughfocal length to
capture these
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Get Down on They Animals 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 whenphotographing 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 animals eye level in
your zoo photography.
Patience Wins
Our final tip is to be patient when shooting zoo photography. You wont believe how many great shots havebeen 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
perfectposition for a
shot when
you first see it
but in many
cases youllneed to waitfor it. Once
youve picked
the animalsyou want to
capture give
yourselfextended periods of time to camp out at their enclosures. This way youll hopefully see them in a variety of
positions and with different expressions. Thats the key to capturing the best shots!
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Capturing Wildlife Photography from a Distance
Unless youre 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 dont like
us to getting too close to them and will often hide from view (making our jobs as photographers very difficult!)
If youd like to capture great wildlife photography youll have to learn the tricks of the trade for photographing
animals from a distance. Tricks were going to teach you in this tutorial.
Lets 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 allowscapturing wildlife photography
from far away without disturbing them in their naturalenvironment. 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 dont select the right aperture they will blend into the environment reducing the
effectiveness of your photo.
When capturing wildlife photography its usually best to use a large aperture setting. Large apertures (or low f-stop numbers) allow more light to hit your cameras 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 thebackground. 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 asmaller 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 thecamera and reduces motion blur. For example, if youre 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 focallength 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 its important to use a large aperture setting to allow for more light intoyour camera. A large aperture allows you to use a faster shutter speed. While on location, if youre not getting
the correct exposure for your shot we recommend that you raise your ISO setting before lowering the shutterspeed. 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, youll find additional tips for capturing wildlife photography.
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 cameras
settings. Otherwise, the opportunity may be lost and youll 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.
Dont crop the image too tight; allow a little room for the environment they are in, you can always trimit off later if you want.
There are lots of ways to attract wildlife, including putting out food, adding a small pond, growingplants 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 anyadditional tips please leave a comment below so that other photographers can take advantage of this
knowledge.
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Night Photography
Concert Photography TipsChoosing 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? Its that they can be really challenging for you as a photographer while at the sametime be very rewarding. In this article were 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 alwaysuse 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 dont produce the
best shots. Youll 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 intoconsideration. The only problem you may face when taking a bigger dslr camera and lens to a venue these days
is security. Some bands dont allow high quality photos to be taken by fans since they cant make money off
selling them. Always contact the venue before hand to ask if its allowed for you to bring your dslr before youhead 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 arent allowed.Unless youre directly in front of the stage when photographing concerts a flash isnt going to do much good
anyway, other than illuminate the persons 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
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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 didnt buy a pre-sale ticket (or spend a lot of money)youll 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 youre photographing concerts youll have to experiment with the ISO and shutter speed to see whatworks 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 outthe 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 its not.
If you want to freeze the performers when shooting concerts youll need a relatively fast shutter speed. Youmay want to try a few shots as low as 1/40th 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 youll need to adjust your aperture. Another great way to balance the aperture andshutter 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 datainformation 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 its all
focused on the stage. However, the lighting conditions and intensity constantly change at concerts due to thedifferent colored spotlights. In addition, you never really know what your subjects going to do next when
photographing concerts. Like sports photography, anticipation can help quite a bit, as can Al servo or auto-
focusing as it allows you to follow your subject while keeping them in focus as they move about the stage. Ifthe venue is really dark, a cameras auto focus system may find it difficult to focus on the subject. If this is the
case, its a good idea to switch to manual focus while photographing concerts.
Lens Choice for Distance
Depending where youre 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 isrecommended 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 youre 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 SettingsTaking photos at night can be a real challenge for many photographers. Most photographers dont 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 dont know is that the trick to night photography is finding the right combination oflow aperture, low ISO and slow shutter speed. In this photography tutorial, were 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. Heres what your dslr camera needs to have:
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 thecamera. Invest in an inexpensive cable release orwireless remote for your camera.
Ability to shoot in RAW format Some photos maylook completely dark in the viewfinder but if its not
clipping in underexposure the RAW format can allowyou to pull out the details by adjusting exposure in post-
processing 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 inexposure 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.
Heres why:
The most intriguing night shots are ones where you can tell they were taken at night. This oftenrequires a photo to include both a foreground and background within the scene. A wide angle lens isbest for this shot.
Focusing at night can be very hard to do. A wide angle lens is more forgiving with focus because thedepth 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 doesnt work because it cant detect a subject
through a dark viewfinder. The same thing goes when trying to focus by eye you cant 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 youd 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 youre shooting night photography depth-of-field is usually not a factor because youre lens is set to
focus to infinity. This takes all of the guesswork out of choosing an aperture setting. Just open your lens up toits widestf-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 off/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 itsa 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 youll want to use a highISO setting when doing your test shots. Well 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 abrightly lit city with lights coming from every building. Its really just a matter of guessing which shutterspeed will work for your situation and making adjustments from there. The only draw back is that in night
photography there are times when youll 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 were going to teach you a trick on
how to figure out proper exposure for your scene in a fraction of that time.
Heres 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
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2. Choose a shutter speed you think will give an acceptable exposure3. Take a test shot and see how the exposure came out4. Adjust your shutter speed up or down until the test shot has a proper exposure5. 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 speedof 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, youll still be able to use the light meter within your camera to achieve proper exposure, but as it gets
darker youll 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 settings2. 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 camera4. Set the focus ring to infinity (or focus on a close subject using the tips above)5. Open your aperture to its widest setting6. Set your camera to its highest ISO setting only during test shots to find a shutter speed that gives proper
exposure7. Find out which slower shutter speed gives the same exposure at a lower ISO setting using the
arithmetic tips above.
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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 thetonal 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 cameras sensor. The lower the number the less sensitive your camera isto 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 thephotographer.
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 thenumber 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 aprime 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 cameras 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 images 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 onthe image.
White Balance: Human eyes compensate for lighting conditions with different colors of light. A digitalcamera, 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, its amethod 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 youll 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 tomake a photo feel boring. Thats because its
symmetrical and predictable. By simply sliding
your subject over to one of the intersectinglines 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 lineit 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 lefttwo 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 photographersusing 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?
Wouldnt it feel great if every time you pushed the shutter button you knew you would be capturing an award-
winning photograph?
Well, now you can! And this article is going to teach you just how to do it!
Youve probably been wonderingWhat is it that pro photographers know about taking good photographsthat you dont? 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 youll 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. Itsthese 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, thereis 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.
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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 ascorrect 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 Iwill 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 ofyour 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 isthe 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 mypride 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 dooffer 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 andreconsider 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 ISOUnderstanding Aperture Priority Mode
Understanding Shutter Priority Mode
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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 mete