Photography Tips Guide

Posts Tagged ‘Cameras’

Correct composition is without doubt one of the most important factors when seeking to take that perfect photograph, composition being most critical when taking landscapes.

But what is “composition” and why is it so important?

In essence, composition is all about putting together objects in your viewfinder in such a way as to emphasise the bits you want to, making them stand out in just the right way. These objects include anything in the foreground, the background, those that “frame” the picture, and most importantly light. I’m sure you’ve seen many landscape photographs with so many objects in them that you’ve honestly had no idea what the subject actually was? Was it the mountain? Well, it could have been, but it’s sort of obscured by that tree. No, how about the waterfall, but that’s not very centred, and anyway I’ve never seen a sky that colour before.

The truth of the matter is that most successful photographic compositions are in fact quite simple, there may be numerous objects but there is never any doubt as to what the subject actually is.

Another great truth is that no matter how expensive your camera equipment is, that without a knowledge of composition, you’ll never be able to “capture” the essence of the image you see. Worse still, someone with a cheaper set up, and who knows about composition, will more than likely be producing better photographs…

Annoyingly, some people seem to have the knack for creating well composed images, while others have to shoot and shoot whilst they hone their composition skills. The important thing to remember is that wherever you start, you will only get better with practice.

With landscapes the challenge is to capture an image so that the subject is presented in the way that you want it to be, which for many means learning new ways of seeing what is in front of you.

Besides the subject, there is of course “light”, it can make all the difference between a fantastic picture and a dull and uninteresting one. Make sure you note the lights direction, intensity and colour (yes the colour of light changes quite dramatically, e.g. at the beginning and end of the day).

Besides the colour of the light, the position of the sun in the sky also has a major impact on a photograph, as when the sun is low it produces marvelous shadows that enhance the subjects shape and give it that important 3d effect.

There is another thing about taking photographs when the sun is low in the sky, as this means that it is either early or late in the day and thus its intensity is not at its height, which in turn means that the range of contrast (the difference between the deep shadows and highlights) is low, something that really helps capturing the details in both (especially with digital cameras).

The viewpoint is the next vital ingredient, but just what is the best? Here only you can tell, you just have to move around the subject, looking at it from different angles and from different heights, not to mention different focal lengths from the very wide to the telephoto. All of these will have dramatic impact on the image you capture and there is no real formula to follow, except perhaps one.

This composition “formula” centres on something called the “thirds”. Take any image and divide it into three equal part both lengthwise and height wise and you end up with 2 vertical and 2 horizontal lines, placing anything on these vertical lines can really emphasize them, whilst placing anything on the intersections can be really powerful. Bearing these “thirds” in mind when composing your photograph could make all the difference.

To sum up, when taking your photographs, decide what your subject is, from which viewpoint and angle it looks the best, decide where to place it, and most importantly, make sure that the light is right, after all with landscapes there is normally always another day.

im looking for a camera that has fantastic camera and is almost comparable to a good SLR. im looking for a stylish point and shoot that still has fantastic quality. i looked into the Sony T100 and placed an order, but had to cancel because the product was backordered and would take a month to ship. the day i cancelled, they announced the T200, so i said, thats a good thing. but if there is anything else, let me know. i want something for an amateur photographer who wants to shoot great scenery and epic shots with the sun and stuff like that. but i also plan to take pics of parties and my friends. so let me know of some good cameras. 8.1 megapixel or higher

I’m thinking about buying a digital camera, because the picture on my phone is really bad(I want to put pictures on my computer). However, I know nothing about cameras. Any suggestions on what I should look into or what’s a good buy for someone starting out? Also are there other things not included with the cameras that I would need to buy(batteries, programs, charger, etc)? How much would all those things cost about? I would like to go to a store and ask some of these questions but I’m afraid that they would just care more about selling me an expensive product rather than telling me what would be best suited for me. Are there any stores that you would recommend? and would buying it from a pawn shop be a better deal perhaps, just wondering.
Remember, I’m not planing to use it as an advance photographer, just something fairly simple. Thanx:-)

You’ve been snapping away with your nifty little point and shoot camera for a while now and you’ve discovered you really like taking pictures and want to get more creative and have more control over your photos. Naturally the next step is to upgrade to an SLR camera. But which one? There is a ridiculous number of products out there with all sorts of buttons and dials that do this or that. This article attempts to give a brief overview of the things that are actually important when considering which camera to buy.
Firstly, let’s dispel one of the most common myths associated with upgrading equipment. Buying a new camera will not make you a better photographer. Repeat: it will NOT make you a better photographer. Not instantly, not in 2 years time, not in 10 years. What will make you a better photographer is you. Your willingness to learn and develop your skills. Sure a high end camera will give you more control over your image making, but that’s just it; its you controlling the camera, and therefore the end image. Ok, now that we’re on the same track, a few things to think about.
How many megapixels do I need?
We are going to assume that you are looking at digital cameras here, although I should point out that there are some excellent film cameras around at much less expense. So don’t discount film altogether (it’s not dead just yet!). But to answer the question, we first need to answer another: What do you want to do with your photos? If you only want to post your photos on the web, e-mail them or make small prints to put in a photo album, the resolution you need for this is quite low. To give you an idea, a camera with 2 megapixels will create an image that can make a good quality 6 x 4 print (standard photo album size). Most entry level SLR cameras start at around 6 megapixels. Therefore if this is all you want to do with your images, the amount of megapixels does not need to be a major concern. If, however, you want to make large sized prints, you may need a higher resolution camera. While entry level SLR’s often produce very good quality prints up to a certain size, more pixels gives you the freedom of being able to enlarge even further. While image software programs can increase the size of your photos they will lose some quality. Starting with a larger image means that fewer pixels are added by the program and less quality is lost.
Is brand important?
Not as important as some would have you think. While photographers will continue to debate the Nikon vs Canon issue, my belief is that it is a moot point. Both companies produce some excellent products and some pretty ordinary ones. What should be foremost in your mind is build quality. How many plastic parts does the camera have versus metal ones? Metal parts can be replaced, while plastic parts are usually set into a mould and cannot be. Potentially this could mean the difference between having to buy a new part or a new camera a few years down the track. Check how the camera feels in your hand. If it feels solid and sturdy, it probably is. Quality between brands doesn’t differ greatly until you get into the higher end cameras. This is where Nikon and Canon come to the fore and other brands that don’t target this market drop off. However if you decide you don’t need a higher end camera, don’t discount other brands.
What about features?
Cameras come with all sorts of different modes and features. Some of them seem to be included for no other reason than to be a selling point for that particular model. It takes a little research to discern which are actually going to be useful. There are, however, some that you should factor into your considerations. Firstly, what mode settings does the camera have? Many entry level SLR’s have similar settings to point and shoot cameras. I.e. Portrait, landscape, low light etc. While these make things easy, the point of moving up to an SLR camera is to gain more control over your photos. You will never gain the control you want without learning how to use a camera in full manual mode.
Other features, such as a built if flash or cable release socket, may be important to you depending on the type of photography you want to do. If you like to shoot portraits, a built in flash can be a huge help in lighting shadows. If you are interested in landscape photography, you will at some point want to set you camera up on a tripod to capture a low light scene. Using a cable release allows you to press the shutter without actually touching the camera, removing the camera shake that blurs a picture.
One final consideration.
This is possibly the most important of all. Make sure the camera you choose is comfortable and easy to use. Check that you can reach all the buttons easily while shooting and that the dial and menu configurations are logical. This allows you to learn your gear easily so that you can concentrate on the most important thing: taking pictures.

The Cannon Digital Rebel XTi (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?…
Or the Nikon D40x (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?…
I will be using it primarily for close up’s, nature shots, landscapes, action shots of my friends and I snowboarding, and general family usage.
If there are any photographers that can help me out with this desision I would really appreciate it.
Also, what do you think of the lenses that come with these cameras? Are they worth buying or should I buy the camera body and a different lense?