How should I clean my DSLR’s lens? A Post By: Darren Rowse I’ve noticed that my DSLR’s lens has lots of smudges on it that are starting to impact the quality of my images but I’m too scared to clean it because I’m worried about scratching it. Do you have any suggestions? – Chris Cleaning your camera’s lenses should be a regular (although not too regular) part of any camera owner’s maintenance. While you do need to be very careful during this process it’s not something to be frightened about. Use a UV or Skylight filter Before I get into cleaning techniques let me share a tip that all DSLR users should consider. Lens hoods can also help protect the end of your lens as do the lens caps for both the front and back end of your lens that come with it – always use them! Lens Cleaning Fluid In most camera stores you’ll find an alcohol based lens cleaning fluid that is well worth having. Cleaning Tissues To apply the cleaning fluid grab yourself some lens tissues. Cleaning Cloth Blowers Brushes Silica Gel
Transform Your DSLR into a Supercharged, Professional Video Camera @ForestFire0: On the contrary, these cameras are already getting a lot of play in independent and commercial video for the following reasons. 1. They're relatively cheap. 2. 3. 4. 5. And while there's only been a few commercially released projects that have been shot on these cameras, more and more shorts are popping up on Vimeo that were shot on them, and a lot of people are getting behind this at the independent level. I Draw Cars Sketchbook & Reference Guide For as long as we can remember, we’ve been drawing pictures whenever a piece of paper ended up in front of us and there was a writing implement nearby. Most of the time it’s just to pass time in meetings about project charters, TPS reports and lengthy discussions about what “we actually do here,” but we enjoy it regardless. Realistically, the final product is never anything worth writing home about because we never figured out how to properly draw anything worth hanging on the fridge – but that’s about to change.
Divine Composition With Fibonacci’s Ratio (The Rule of Thirds on Steroids) 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. Enter Fibonacci’s Ratio… Also known as the Golden Mean, Phi, or Divine Proportion, this law was made famous by Leonardo Fibonacci around 1200 A.D. Since the Renaissance, artists and architects have designed their work to approximate this ratio of 1:1.618. This ratio can be used in many ways to compose a photograph. Video 1: Natures Number: 1.618 Video 2: Nature by Numbers Video 3: Golden Ratio Ok, hopefully that made things a bit more clear? This one is slightly different.
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Become More Photogenic by Knowing How Genuine Facial Expressions Feel Can you tell the difference between a real smile and a fake one? There's a neat test you can take to find out. [www.bbc.co.uk] I got 13 out of 20 right, which is apparently a really good score. Based on overall test results, people seem to be notoriously bad at telling real from fake. I concentrated not on the eyes or the mouth, but on how quickly they test subjects returned from smiling to a neutral expression. There's some interesting insight on the post-test page, I'm pasting it for the benefit of anyone who doesn't want to take the test. "Most people are surprisingly bad at spotting fake smiles. Although fake smiles often look very similar to genuine smiles, they are actually slightly different, because they are brought about by different muscles, which are controlled by different parts of the brain. Genuine smiles, on the other hand, are generated by the unconscious brain, so are automatic. Bottom line, if you want your fake smile to look real, you kinda have to make it real.
Hidden Cabinet This is a hidden cabinet large enough to fit two remote controls, a wallet, a watch, and a bunch of other small items. Using this guide to direct you through this project will facilitate the process. The cabinet is hidden by a faux DVD collection that flips upward when pressed inward. WHY: My TV was mounted onto the wall using a bulky bracket. From the left and right sides of the TV, the brackets would show. This secret door is also a fairly nice way to conceal electronics. Cost: Roughly $25 Every part seen in this guide can easily be purchased at your local hardware store. This project should probably be done before the assembly of the outer cabinet, it will make measurements easier.
How Can I Take Better Photos in Low Light? All good tips. Some of those do indeed involve spending a good deal of money but they are spot on. In general (film or digital) you just need to remember that in order to get a good photo, you need to get a certain amount of light on to the sensor or film. There are three basic controls you have over this: 1) Open the aperture wider. The larger the aperture, the more light gets in. 2) Leave the shutter open for longer. 3) Use more sensitive film or set the ISO higher. Taking any photo (but particularly low light photos) is a matter of balancing these things depending on what kind of shot you need. Using a flash is one way to help with this but you typically want the light to be diffused in some way (point the flash up or otherwise bounce it off of something) so you don't end up with a subject that looks like a deer in headlights while the background is black.
MAKOTO TOJIKI / PROFILE Makoto Tojiki is an artist and designer who uses light as his primary medium of expression. Tojiki, a 1998 industrial design engineering graduate of Kinki University, devoted his personal time to experimenting with light while employed as an industrial designer. In 2003, he launched his career as a full-time artist. 1975: Born in Miyazaki, Japan. 1998: Graduated Kinki University Kyushu faculty of engineering industrial design. 1998-2003: Inhouse designer. His most recent "No Shadow" series is inspired by the interconnectedness of light and shadow and how they can be manipulated and controlled.