PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS
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For those of you that may read my blog who are more interested in the technical side of photography, more so than just looking at the pictures, I really want to share some of what I have learned along the way with you! People often ask me what kind of equipment I use when shooting. Two or three years ago, I would have said something completely different, but after working in the field a while, I have come to realize the significance in quality equipment. And by that I mean, unfortunately, very expensive. After using a variety of different camera bodies and lenses, I have witnessed the extreme difference in quality.
my camera bag » Sarah Ainsworth Photography
Are you a stickler for little details? Well, if you’re a photographer, you had better be. Discovering the rule of thirds is a big milestone for any photographer. Suddenly, you realize that all you ever did before was center your subject right smack dab in the middle of the frame, because that’s where the camera’s focus grid is located. Makes sense right? The rule of thirds took you to new heights in your photographic journey, moving your subject off to one side or another in your frame, or to the top or bottom.
Divine Composition With Fibonacci’s Ratio (The Rule of Thirds on Steroids)
Select Macro Mode – this is a fairly obvious first step but I’m always surprised by how many digital camera owners haven’t explored the shooting modes that their camera has. Macro mode is generally symbolized with a little flower and when selected it will tell your camera that you want to focus on a subject closer to your lens than normal (the minimum distance allowed will vary from camera to camera – consult your instruction manual to find yours). Macro mode will also usually tell your camera to choose a large aperture so that your subject is in focus but the background is not. Use a Tripod – in macro photography a tripod can be particularly useful, even if you’re just shooting with a compact camera. Keeping your camera still not only improves your shots (getting rid of camera shake) but it allows you to play around with different settings without losing your composition.
Macro Photography Tips for Point and Shoot Digital Cameras
If you've got one of Canon's amazing video-capable DSLRs, you know you've got a powerful camera. What you may not know is that you can add some incredible features, for free, with an open-source firmware add-on called Magic Lantern. Here's how. Photo remixed from originals by Miss Katrina Beers and Carole Smith Note: if you've got a point and shoot camera, be sure to check out or guide on turning your point and shoot into a super camera .
Transform Your DSLR into a Supercharged, Professional Video Camera
Basics of Photography: The Complete Guide
We spent the last week learning all about the basics of photography, from the way your camera works to composing your photos to editing them in post. Here's the complete guide, along with a PDF of all the lessons and some additional resources fo learning more. With so many cameras available, figuring out how all the specifications and options translate into your everyday use is complicated.
Here's a neat little lighting exercise that has nothing to do with off-camera flash. When we talk about balancing light around here, it usually means balancing ambient with flash . But getting good photos of holiday lights involves a different kind of light balancing: Continuous ambient with fading ambient. You don't need a high-end camera for great results.
How to Photograph Christmas Lights
Top 10 Photography Hacks
Your digital camera, whether it's built in to your cellphone or it's a hefty DSLR, is an incredible creative tool. If you've only used it as it comes straight out of the box, however, you're only scratching the surface. Here are our top 10 photography hacks to supercharge your camera. It's difficult to take a good, steady shot if you have absolutely nothing with which to stabilize your camera. This problem is exacerbated by the need to click the camera's shutter, causing just a little extra movement that can mean the difference between a sharp and blurry photo. What's any easy way to solve this?
Create an Instant "Green Screen" with Your Computer's Display for Quick and Dirty Background Removal
Removing backgrounds from photos can be a little tedious, but when you have a solid color behind your subject the process becomes a lot easier. You may not think you have an evenly-lit solid color background in your toolkit, but your computer's display can actually be a quick-and-dirty tool for "green screening" your photos. Here's how it works. The process is really very simple. Pick something you want to take a picture of and remove its background that's smaller than your computer screen. (Those of you with large displays will obviously have an advantage here, but I use my 13" laptop all the time and it works fine.)
Become More Photogenic by Knowing How Genuine Facial Expressions Feel
Take a minute and try to imagine what you look like. Chances are the amount of detail you're able to conjure up in your mind's eye is about as detailed and accurate as a self portrait you made in grade school. When you're in a photo, however, you try to look good by replicating a visual memory.StolenCameraFinder is a clever webapp that can help locate your stolen camera by using a photo you've already taken with it. All you have to do is drag some photos on to the main page and it'll do its just in a matter of seconds. How does it work? Many cameras save serial number information in the EXIF data of every photo you take. StolenCameraFinder extracts this data and looks for that same serial number data elsewhere on the internet. If it finds it, you can find photos taken with that camera and potentially locate the thief.
StolenCameraFinder Locates Your Stolen Camera by Using Your Existing Photos
How Can I Take Better Photos in Low Light?
Dear Lifehacker, My camera takes great pictures in most lighting situations, but I get blurry and/or noisy photos when there's not a lot of light. Do you know how I can take better low-light photos without spending a bunch of money? Music by Gold'n TeasdaleHow Do I Figure Out How Many MegaPixels Are Necessary for Printing a Photo at a Specific Size?
Dear Lifehacker, I have a camera that's capable of more megapixels than I can fathom, and I know I don't need photos at such a high resolution, but I do want to be able to at least print full page photos. How can I determine how many megapixels are necessary to print a photo at a given size? This is easy to do but a bit harder to explain. First, we need to translate the megapixel rating of your camera to actual pixels.Learn to Properly Clean a DSLR Camera Lens
We've mentioned a few tips for cleaning your camera lens before , but if you haven't done it before, the Nikon Help Hotline shows us—in step by step video form—how it's done. While you certainly don't want to clean your lens every day or anything (only clean it if it looks like it needs a cleaning), any photographer should know how to properly clean the lens for quality pictures. You'll need a few things before you start, but you probably already have some of it lying around, like rubbing alcohol and microfiber cloths. Check out the video above to see a walkthrough of the process, and if you've got any of your own tried and true tips, share them with us in the comments.2010's coming to a close and everyone's in a rush to get their picture taken for holiday cards, albums, or even their brand new Facebook profiles. Here's how to use any camera you've got and some DIY tricks to take awesome portraits. Portrait photography can be tough at first because the human face changes from moment to moment. Capturing the best moment requires some persistence and skill, but the learning the basics isn't too difficult and can improve the quality of your portraits significantly. Here's a quick overview of what we're going to cover: