Some photography tips and tricks
Photography tips and tricks
Portrait photography techniques, tips and tricks
Tip 1. Focus on the eyes
While eye contact is not always desirable in a portrait, sharp eyes certainly are. Manually select an AF point that's positioned over one of your model's eyes, or use the central focus point to lock focus on their eye.
Then, with the shutter release half-pressed to keep the setting locked, recompose your picture before taking the shot.
Tip 2. Using a standard or telephoto lens
Wide-angle lenses are a great choice for photographing environmental portraits, where you want to show a person within a specific context. However, wide-angle lenses used close-up will distort facial features and creative unflattering pictures.
A better choice for portraits is either a standard lens or a short telephoto lens. The classic portrait focal lengths for a full-frame camera are 50mm, 85mm prime lenses and a 70-200mm zoom.
These will help to compress features and provide a more natural-looking result.
Tip 3. Use Aperture Priority mode
Aperture Priority gives you direct control over the aperture, and as a result the depth of field (DOF).
Fast prime lenses, such as 50mm f/1.4 and 85mm f/1.2 enable you to choose very large apertures for a shallow depth of field. This can help you create those creamy-smooth, out of focus backgrounds that give portraits a professional quality.
Working with such a narrow band of sharpness means that you need to be accurate with focusing - the entire portrait will look soft if you don't focus accurately on the eyes.
Tip 4. Using window light
You don't need an expensive home studio lighting kit to take amazing portraits - a window and a reflector can help you achieve stunning natural light portraits without spending too much.
Position your model at an angle to the window and use a white or silver reflector to open up any shadows across their face. A silver reflector will give a crisper quality of light than a white one, although the effect won't be as subtle.
Be aware of any color casts that may be introduced by features on the other side of the glass as well - a lush green lawn can give skin tones a sickly quality, while late evening sunlight on a patio will reflect lots of warm light.
Tip 5. High-key portraits
Deliberately choosing to over-expose a photo to create a 'high-key' effect results in a light and delicate look that can enhance feminine portraits and pictures of children.
The trick is not to blow the highlights in-camera, but rather brighten up the shot later in software such as Photoshop.
Shooting RAW files will give you the most editing head-room, as you'll be able to extract more detail across the tonal range in raw compared to JPEGs.
Best Places For Photography In India
Best-places-photography
Travelling is all about seeing new places and storing them in your memories to cherish forever after. And since photography plays such a major role in our travels today, there is no better way to enjoy a memorable trip than by heading out on one of the many photography tours in India. Photography tours are a great way to supplement your trip and the fact that they come in so many shapes and sizes only add to the fun.
There are many styles of photography tours in India which complement the many diverse sights to be seen in the country. From wildlife photography tours to cultural photography tours to tribal photography tours, there is a vast range of choice for you to pick from. You can choose to go on a single photography tour or even mix and match two or three tours to create a varied and engaging trip.
The best part about photography tours in India is that they allow you to experience the best sights and sounds around the region you are visiting, and commit them to memory. Since you are accompanied by a guide on these trips, you have the chance to explore the best places and interact in a smoother fashion with the locals, thereby getting the most out of your trip. If natural settings delight you, you can consider undertaking a photography tour to one of the many wildlife and bird sanctuaries around the country, from Tal Chapar Wildlife Sanctuary to Gir National Park amongst others.
Capturing beauty has been among the most revered art of all times. From sketching the Camera Obscura, to developing a film camera role, photography has evolved over a period. The different clicking errors were rectified with the invention of technology. Where a camera used to differently focus and capture, today it assists you, making life in the world of photography easier, better, faster and well-customized.
Too many people holding a DSLR would like to qualify automatically as skilled photographers, but it is unknowingly a separate study. Pursuing this study helps you realize the importance that light angles, background and exposure, play in capturing images. Photography is extremely popular among the youth and there are millions of photographers who use social media to post their talent.
For these photography skills, one thing that compliments would be a place of scenic beauty. Here we list down some of the most interesting locations pan India that the clicking community cannot resist from capturing.
Presenting a list of top places for photography in India:
Ladakh
Rajasthan
Varanasi
Madurai
Golden Temple, Amritsar
Caves of Maharashtra
Hampi
Tips for Click By Camera
If you’re just starting out with mobile photography, you should master these twelve techniques before anything else. Even if you’re an an accomplished iPhone photographer, you may well find that some of these tips and tricks have passed you by.
So, let’s get started with everything you need to know for taking amazing photos with your iPhone!
1. Clean The Lens
Your iPhone spends a lot of time in your pocket, a bag or in your hand, and as a result it will get dirty. Dirt, dust, grease and fingerprints on your lens will have a big effect on the quality of your photos.
There’s no point trying to take great photos if the glass of the lens is dirty. It will block light from entering the camera’s sensor and will leave smudges, blurs or dust spots on your images. A clean lens will ensure you get sharp, clear images with your iPhone.
You should clean the lens each time you take it out to take a photo. Use a soft lens cloth when doing this as any abrasive cleaners will scratch the glass over the lens and this will result in poorer image quality.
2. Set The Focus
The most important thing to look out for when taking a photo is to make sure that your subject is in sharp focus. To set the focus on the iPhone camera you simply tap the screen where your subject is in the frame. A small yellow square will appear to confirm the focus point.
If your subject is moving around, make sure you tap the screen just before you take the shot to ensure that they are in focus.
Once you’re happy that you have gotten a sharp photo of your subject, you can draw more attention to them if you wish by using one of the many apps available to blur the background as part of your editing process.
3. Adjust Exposure Manually
When you tap on the subject to focus on them, the camera will also use the focus point to set the exposure in the shot. Exposure simply refers to how bright or dark the image is.
Allowing the camera to set exposure on the focus point isn’t always ideal. For example, if the subject is in a dark area of the frame, this could lead to the overall image being over-exposed (too bright) or vice versa.
In iOS 8, Apple introduced a new manual exposure tool. When you set the focus by tapping the screen, a small sun icon appears on the side of the focus square. When you see the sun icon, simply swipe up or down on the screen to adjust the exposure slider.
Swiping up will brighten the overall image, and swiping down will darken it. When you’re happy with the exposure/brightness of the image, release your finger from the screen. This manual exposure slider allows for much greater control over the look of the final image.
As it turns out, the most important iPhone camera features are completely hidden from regular iPhone users. That's why we created this free video revealing 7 hidden iPhone camera features that every photographer should use. Click here to watch this video.
4. Hand-held or tripod mounted?
The simple act of setting up your camera on a tripod will slow you down, and this can be enough to make you concentrate a little harder on what it is you're photographing and what you hope to achieve. At the same time, locking your camera down for every shot you take can reduce your spontaneity, so don't be afraid to mix it up from time to time. If you religiously use a tripod, set out without it and see what happens, and if you normally travel without one, take it with you to see how slowing yourself down affects the results you get.
5. Keep Your Camera Steady
Keeping your camera still is particularly important when taking photos in low light or at night. When you take a photo in these conditions, the iPhone camera will need to use a slow shutter speed to allow more light to hit the sensor. The problem with this is that any movement of the camera will result in a blurred image.
Top 10 Most Famous Portrait Photographers
Top 10 Most Famous Portrait Photographers In The World
Travel portrait photography is not just about making a portrait, it is about capturing a moment, an emotion. And for this to happen, one must interact, love people and know how to catch the right moment.
Here is a top-10 list of photographers that are famous for their portraits of people from around the world.
1. Steve McCurry
Steve McCurry is famous for his photo ‘Afghan girl,’ taken in a refugee camp in Peshawar, Pakistan. This photo was named the most recognized photo of National Geographic. His other less famous photos are really worth a look!
Source: stevemccurry.com
2. Lee Jeffries
His collection of black and white portraits of homeless people is unique and stunning. He depicts a glimpse of hope in the eyes of his subjects. Simply touching…
Source: leejeffries.500px.com
3. Jimmy Nelsson
Jimmy Nelsson is well-known for his portraits of tribal and indigenous people taken in more than 16 countries. His photos will live to tell the tale. Nelsson’s book is now a collector’s item.
Source: beforethey.com
4. Rehahn
Rehahn is specially focused on photographing Vietnam, Rajasthan and Cuba. He is famous for catching the soul of his subjects. Rehahn is undoubtedly one of the best portrait photographers in the world.
Source: rehahnphotographer.com
5. Eric Lafforgue
Famous for his photos taken in North Korea, Eric Lafforgue has a story for each person he has photographed. From the tribes of Namibia to the Yezedis of Kurdistan, his tales are fascinating and his photos depict some real emotions.
Source: ericlafforgue.com
6. Manny Librodo
The ‘Photoshop wizard’ Manny Librodo’s photos don’t just tell a story, they are pure works of art.
Source: pbase.com
7. Lisa Kristine
Lisa Kristine is a humanitarian photographer who documents indigenous cultures in more than 100 countries and portrays the human dignity in all of us. She is famous for her role in exposing modern day slavery.
Source: lisakristine.com
8. David Lazar
These are breath-taking photos taken in Brazil, Bangladesh and Kenya. David Lazar is always in the pursuit of moments in life.
Source: davidlazarphoto.com
9. Joel Santos
The meaningful look of these portraits says it all. Joel Santos demonstrates the feeling of his subjects.
Source: joelsantos.net
10. Phil Borges
His photos of Tibetan refugees are unique and the hardship is felt throughout his work.
Source: philborges.com
Travel portrait photography is not just about making a portrait, it is about capturing a moment, an emotion. And for this to happen, one must interact, love people and know how to catch the right moment.
Here is a top-10 list of photographers that are famous for their portraits of people from around the world.
1. Steve McCurry
Steve McCurry is famous for his photo ‘Afghan girl,’ taken in a refugee camp in Peshawar, Pakistan. This photo was named the most recognized photo of National Geographic. His other less famous photos are really worth a look!
Source: stevemccurry.com
2. Lee Jeffries
His collection of black and white portraits of homeless people is unique and stunning. He depicts a glimpse of hope in the eyes of his subjects. Simply touching…
Source: leejeffries.500px.com
3. Jimmy Nelsson
Jimmy Nelsson is well-known for his portraits of tribal and indigenous people taken in more than 16 countries. His photos will live to tell the tale. Nelsson’s book is now a collector’s item.
Source: beforethey.com
4. Rehahn
Rehahn is specially focused on photographing Vietnam, Rajasthan and Cuba. He is famous for catching the soul of his subjects. Rehahn is undoubtedly one of the best portrait photographers in the world.
Source: rehahnphotographer.com
5. Eric Lafforgue
Famous for his photos taken in North Korea, Eric Lafforgue has a story for each person he has photographed. From the tribes of Namibia to the Yezedis of Kurdistan, his tales are fascinating and his photos depict some real emotions.
Source: ericlafforgue.com
6. Manny Librodo
The ‘Photoshop wizard’ Manny Librodo’s photos don’t just tell a story, they are pure works of art.
Source: pbase.com
7. Lisa Kristine
Lisa Kristine is a humanitarian photographer who documents indigenous cultures in more than 100 countries and portrays the human dignity in all of us. She is famous for her role in exposing modern day slavery.
Source: lisakristine.com
8. David Lazar
These are breath-taking photos taken in Brazil, Bangladesh and Kenya. David Lazar is always in the pursuit of moments in life.
Source: davidlazarphoto.com
9. Joel Santos
The meaningful look of these portraits says it all. Joel Santos demonstrates the feeling of his subjects.
Source: joelsantos.net
10. Phil Borges
His photos of Tibetan refugees are unique and the hardship is felt throughout his work.
Source: philborges.com
Tips To Emphesize Your Subject In Photography
- When you watch a movie there is one element that never changes: a leading character. The whole movie centers around this leading player and the story is created around this subject. It is no different with a still image, like a photograph. Each photo should have its lead character, called the subject, around which the image is created.
- Everything else is discovered by the eye in relation to this one focal point. How the eye moves into the rest of the image is determined by this point. So in order for you to create a successful image you need to emphasize the subject. This is done in one of several ways, so let’s take a look:
- GET IN CLOSER :When you get in really close to the subject it starts to fill the whole frame and the eye can no longer miss the subject. It powerfully directs your attention to the subject, as there is nothing else in the image to compete with it. It is a simple but dramatic emphasis of a subject. Use your feet more often when shooting and you will see just how dynamic the resulting images are.
- GET FURTHER AWAY :This may not seem a great idea in order to emphasize your subject. Picture this. The subject is a light house and there is an azure blue sky reflected in an ocean topped by white foam. The bold red and white lighthouse on the horizon is in stark contrast to the blue of the sky and ocean. It may not fill the image but it still dominates the scene in relation to the rest of it. Placed in the correct position it becomes even more striking.
- SELECTIVE FOCUS :Using a small aperture to control the depth of field, or depth of focus, lifts the subject out of a background that is now blurred by the very shallow depth of field. With the background details now blurred the subject stands out against it in clear focus. This simplifies the images and causes all attention to be focused on the subject.
- SUBJECT PLACEMENT :By placing your subject off center it creates a very pleasing image to the eye. Called the rule of thirds and discovered by the Greeks, it adds a dynamic element to your photo. Imagine a noughts and crosses or tic-tac-toe grid over the scene. Where the two horizontal lines intersect with the two vertical lines is where you place your subject thereby emphasizing it to great effect.
- SIMPLIFY YOUR BACKGROUNDS :By placing the subject on a simple, plain single color background there is no doubt as to which is the subject. Making sure that the color of your subject and the background contrast with each causes the subject to be clearly emphasized. You may need to change your viewpoint or angle of view in order to exclude clutter and keep the background simple. Remember that less is more and the KISS principle applies here.
The key to a great a photographs is a clear subject. Knowing where to place it in a photograph as you learn digital photography, allows you to emphasize the subject to great effect with stunning photo results. Happy shooting!
Night Photography Camera Settings
Night Photography Camera Settings Tips for Beginners
Night photography can be much more rewarding than photography during the day. Because everything looks different at night, you don’t need to go somewhere exotic to get great pictures. Bridges, attractions, and buildings are usually brightly lit at night, and places that might seem rather pedestrian during the day – can make stellar photography subjects at night. Further, you can take your time when photographing at night, more so than during the day. There are generally less people out, and you don’t have to worry about the light changing.
The main challenge when photographing at night is getting a proper exposure. During the day, you can just walk around and hand hold your camera without worrying about camera shake. In addition, because of the amount of available light during the day, you don’t need to worry about shooting at a high ISO and the resulting digital noise. At night, however, hand holding is generally not an option and digital noise can be a major problem.
The principles of exposure work the same way at night as during the day – you will just need a lot more time to allow light into your camera. It goes without saying that you will need a tripod to stabilize your camera, and a remote shutter release to keep from moving anything during the exposure. But with these changes made, you can get out and explore the night with your camera. When you do, here are some tips to keep in mind to help you maximize the experience.
# 1. Work in Manual Mode
The first tip is to make sure you are shooting in Manual mode. In Manual mode, you will set the shutter speed, aperture, and ISO. This puts you in complete control over you camera.
When shooting at night, your camera will be on a tripod and you will be working slowly. There is no need to use any automatic mode because of the speed provided. Further, there might be a little trial and error with the exposure settings (the camera can be easily fooled by the great differences in bright and dark areas of the picture) and you want to make sure you have plenty of control over this process. Manual mode gives you that control.
When shooting at night, your camera will be on a tripod and you will be working slowly. There is no need to use any automatic mode because of the speed provided. Further, there might be a little trial and error with the exposure settings (the camera can be easily fooled by the great differences in bright and dark areas of the picture) and you want to make sure you have plenty of control over this process. Manual mode gives you that control.
#2. Shoot in Raw
When shooting at night, it is particularly important to make sure you are shooting in Raw format. The Raw files coming out of most cameras are 14 bit files, whereas JPEGS are only 8 bit files. The more bits, the higher the range of available colors and the smoother the transitions between them.
The reason shooting in Raw is even more important at night, is that most of the colors that a camera can capture are at the top (bright) end of the scale. The range of available colors at the low (dark) end of the scale is extremely limited. At night, your pictures will almost always include a large dark portion. A JPEG file, with its reduced color options, you will likely introduce banding in your pictures.
The reason shooting in Raw is even more important at night, is that most of the colors that a camera can capture are at the top (bright) end of the scale. The range of available colors at the low (dark) end of the scale is extremely limited. At night, your pictures will almost always include a large dark portion. A JPEG file, with its reduced color options, you will likely introduce banding in your pictures.
#3. Find a Tripod or Something for Support
It will take your camera a minimum of 10 seconds to record a night image. This means the shutter speed is at least 10 seconds, so if you were to hand-hold the camera, the photo would certainly be blurry. You need a good tripod or to at least set your camera on a ledge or something where it can remain perfectly still for 10 seconds.
#4. Choose proper settings
Proper settings will always depend on the situation. Nevertheless, there are some ways you should bias your settings when shooting at night. Here are a few:
Aperture: Open up your aperture more at night than you would during the day (i.e., use a lower f/number). Most night photographs tend to be of shots on a narrower plane than shots during the day. Further, the background and sky will be black anyway and you will not need as large a depth of field. The larger aperture also has the benefit of letting more light into the camera.
ISO: Keep your ISO setting as low as you can. Night photography always means there will be dark areas in your pictures, and these dark areas inevitably lead to digital noise. Raising the ISO will compound the problem.
Shutter speed: Whereas shutter speed might be the first exposure setting you worry about during the day, it should generally be the last one you think about at night. Since you will be shooting from a tripod, you can let the shutter stay open as long as you need. If you have traffic (streaking lights), a fountain, or running water in your picture, the longer shutter speed will actually benefit your pictures anyway. The only exception is high winds, or other instability impacting your rig.
One other setting to check is the Long Exposure Noise Reduction, which will be in your camera’s menu. If you enable this option, the camera will make two exposures, one normal and one with the shutter closed, which the camera will use as a comparison to filter out noise from the normal picture. Photos taken with this option enabled will take twice as long to expose, but will be less noisy.
Aperture: Open up your aperture more at night than you would during the day (i.e., use a lower f/number). Most night photographs tend to be of shots on a narrower plane than shots during the day. Further, the background and sky will be black anyway and you will not need as large a depth of field. The larger aperture also has the benefit of letting more light into the camera.
ISO: Keep your ISO setting as low as you can. Night photography always means there will be dark areas in your pictures, and these dark areas inevitably lead to digital noise. Raising the ISO will compound the problem.
Shutter speed: Whereas shutter speed might be the first exposure setting you worry about during the day, it should generally be the last one you think about at night. Since you will be shooting from a tripod, you can let the shutter stay open as long as you need. If you have traffic (streaking lights), a fountain, or running water in your picture, the longer shutter speed will actually benefit your pictures anyway. The only exception is high winds, or other instability impacting your rig.
One other setting to check is the Long Exposure Noise Reduction, which will be in your camera’s menu. If you enable this option, the camera will make two exposures, one normal and one with the shutter closed, which the camera will use as a comparison to filter out noise from the normal picture. Photos taken with this option enabled will take twice as long to expose, but will be less noisy.
#5. Exposing at Night
If you are not totally comfortable with exposure, then doing some night photography will get you there in a hurry. You will have your camera on a tripod in unchanging light, so you can take as much time as you need to think through the exposure, and get it right. You’ll be forced to take into account the highlights and shadows when you meter, then study them on your histogram. Taking test shots, and making adjustments, will help you see the interrelationships between the exposure controls.
When you follow these steps, you are likely to get some great shots. Every city lights up its major attractions, bridges, and museums – often in colorful ways. A scene that might be boring during the day could be a great photo at night. Often, because of the effects of the lights, you’ll actually be surprised at what you end up with. Taking your time and applying these tips to nail the exposure will help you maximize the experience.
When you follow these steps, you are likely to get some great shots. Every city lights up its major attractions, bridges, and museums – often in colorful ways. A scene that might be boring during the day could be a great photo at night. Often, because of the effects of the lights, you’ll actually be surprised at what you end up with. Taking your time and applying these tips to nail the exposure will help you maximize the experience.
Two Some Tricks Of Photography
Hotshoe PEZ Dispenser for kids
- Shooting photos of kids can be quite the feat. It seems like they are interested in looking at everything BUT the camera. I have two kids of my own, and I know that the only way to get them to smile and look at the camera is with a good bribe.
- The perfect solution is to buy a simple PEZ dispenser on the hotshoe of your camera! The base of the PEZ dispenser is a tiny bit wider than a standard hotshoe, so you'll have to trim it just slightly with a kitchen knife before the shoot.
- Then, when the kids are being good and looking at the PEZ dispenser, you can have them come up and grab a little candy periodically during the shoot. It's pure genius.
Day to night in a flash
- Sometimes you're out shooting portraits on a bright sunny day and the light just looks too… natural. I often find this is the case when shooting a wedding or engagement when I'm shooting at a park or other outdoor location and I get bored with the same lighting in every shot.
- One trick that I really enjoy is to turn up the power on my flash to the max. This will, obviously, make the subject extremely bright. If you change your camera settings to expose for the subject, it will make the background look extremely dark because the flash didn't hit it.
Remove the lens for macro
Remove the lens for macro
- This is the coolest camera trick I've seen in a long time. If you take off your lens and hold it in front of the camera, you get a macro lens! I was really skeptical about this, but I just tried it and it worked like a charm.
- There are four things you need to know about using this trick:
- Your camera won't take a picture with the lens off unless you're in manual mode.
- The best focal length seems to be around 50mm, so either a 50mm prime or an 18-55mm kit lens would be perfect!
- Obviously, you lose autofocus since your lens isn't attached to the camera. Focus is achieved by simply moving closer to or further away from the subject, and
- The camera can't open up the aperture, so you'll do it with your hand. On the back of the lens (the side you mount on the camera), move the little plastic slider piece that controls the aperture. If you look in the lens while doing it, you'll see the hole open up.
