Do you have an interest in photography but don't know where to start? Do you want to have more control over the photos that your camera takes? Are you looking to take the next step in your photography but are, perhaps, a little intimidated? Then this series is just for you! We will take a closer look at shooting in manual mode in this four part series: Aperture Shutter speed ISO Hints & Tips. At the end you should have a better understanding of how to shoot in manual mode. But do't worry - no fancy jargon here (or the least amount possible!) and we have plenty of photos to help you out along the way. Ready to get started? Aperture The easiest way for me to define "aperture" is, it is the size of the hole that allows light in when you are taking a picture. Aperture … [Read more...]
Tips for Shooting in Manual Mode
If you have been keeping up with our Shooting in Manual Mode series, you hopefully have a better understanding of Aperture, Shutter Speed and ISO. In this final installment, here are three more tips to help you master manual mode. White Balance White balance has to do with the idea of color temperature. Color temperature is a way of measuring the quality of your light source. Different kinds of light can make the whites in a photo appear to have a colorcast to them. Fluorescent lights make whites appear bluish and Tungsten lights make whites appear yellow. Your camera has settings to help control the white balance of your images. [sc:adsense ] Manual Focus Shooting in manual mode is not the same thing as shooting in manual focus. Manual mode allows you to control the way your … [Read more...]
Understanding Shutter Speed
Shutter speed is one of the three parts of photography, ISO and Aperture are the other two. Shutter speed is responsible for freezing action or blurring motion. What is Shutter Speed? Shutter speed is the length of time a camera shutter is open to expose light to the camera sensor. With a fast shutter speed, you can completely freeze action. If the shutter speed is slow, you will create a blurred effect. Moving objects will appear blurred along the line of the motion blur. Another use for slow shutter speeds is used to shoot images at night, to photograph lightning, and to create a sense of motion with rivers or waterfalls. If you remember nothing about shutter speed, remember this: high shutter speeds freeze action and low shutter speeds create motion. Shutter speed is measured … [Read more...]
4 Tips and Tricks for Amazing Bokeh Photography
The word bokeh is Japanese for blur, and is coveted by many photographers. It describes the effect found in out-of-focus parts or shapes in an image. Bokeh happens in the parts of a picture that extend beyond the depth of focus. If you want to create your own bokeh images, here are some tips to get you started: Get Your Camera Settings Right To create bokeh, you will need a large aperture and a short focal distance. By setting your camera to Aperture Priority mode, you will be able to dictate the exposure of the picture based on the aperture you select. It will need to be large to let in lots of light, something like f/1.8 up to f/4. A large aperture also gives you a shallow depth of field. [sc:adsense ] Get Close for Best Depth of Field For the best bokeh, you will want … [Read more...]
4 Creative Photo Ideas for the Summer Months
Do you need some new photography ideas for the hot Summer months? Below are four photo ideas to get your creative juices flowing and help you improve your photography skills: Flower Portraits Your local farmers market or floral store should provide a nice variety of blooms and foliage to use in your photography shoot. Whenever possible, use natural light and white poster board or aluminum foil as an inexpensive reflector for shadows. Keep your background clutter-free and use a tripod, remote release and low ISO for the best floral photos. Focused Perspective Focused perspective is a fun technique that “tricks” the viewer into believing that certain objects are smaller or larger than they really are. All you need to take a forced perspective photo is a camera, creativity, a willing … [Read more...]
