Photography Tips for All

Photoshop is now one of the major computer programs around. The basis of it all, however, is the photographic image. Very often the quality of the original image can get overlooked or can be considered unimportant.

We hear sentences like: "Oh that'll do - we'll fix it later in Photoshop".

Perhaps it can, but starting off with a better photograph in the first place can save a lot of trouble later.
Well begun is half done. Here is the first of a series of tips to improve basic photography.

Landscapes are one of the most continually photographed subjects. Impressed by an attractive scene, most people quickly pick up the camera and snap. Unfortunately, the results are all to often disappointing.

The real scene has the direct experience of the sun's warmth, the breeze and general atmosphere. The photograph obviously misses these features.

The real scene also has a depth and the eye moves around the landscape, seeing objects close by and far away, and so deliberately putting some depth into the photograph can make a great difference to the effectiveness of the picture.

A few moments used to select the right viewpoint can be well spent so it's best to avoid shooting too quickly.

Look for ways to give the picture depth with a foreground, mid-ground and distance. This can often be achieved simply by moving one’s position just a few feet.

Standing near a path, hedge, fence or wall which stretches away into the distance will carry the eye from the foreground through to the distance, giving the picture the extra dimension of depth.

Rivers and streams, stretching into the distance, can be used to serve the same function with the added advantage of sparkling with light and reflecting a blue sky.

Whether the photograph is framed to give a vertical picture (portrait format) or horizontal picture (landscape format) will always be dictated by purely visual considerations.

Just what is visually most effective in any particular situation will determine whether we should take a landscape or portrait format photograph.

Street scenes are another popular subject in this category. Streets in villages, old market towns or the endless variety of town scenes in other countries provide a continuous source of interest.

Looking down a street automatically gives the picture a certain depth. Finding a suitable item for the foreground can help this along. This might be such things as a quaint shop front, a market stall, the wing of a car or a person.

In this way, the photograph will have a strong foreground and the street will carry the eye into the picture. But watch out for any rubbish lying around.

In real life, a couple of bin bags can go unnoticed in the general stimulus of a new environment, but they will shout out at you when you see the printed photograph.

So have a strong foreground, as well as the distance, and if possible have subject matter in the foreground, the middle-distance and the far distance.

Looking through an archway or standing by a tree so that the branches frame the picture will give a strong foreground and serve to give the photograph a good impression of the depth there will be in the actual scene.

Other objects can be found in the country to have a similar effect, such as flowering shrubs, gates, pieces of farm machinery or perhaps a charging bull.

Photography Tips

* Put depth into the photograph


* Have a strong foreground


* Don't shoot too quickly

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Learn How to Take Great Food Photographs

Taking great pictures of different food dishes isn't as easy as it appears to be in cook books and food advertisements. Great care should be exercised when taking these shots.

Things that need to be considered include the dish's angle, composition, lighting, as well as problems that may arise. Here are some guides to help you improve the quality of your pictures.

Lighting:
 Consider the lighting in the kitchen or venue where you will shooting the dishes. It is a good idea to know this in advance so that you no longer have to make adjustments right there in the venue.

Dark venues may be corrected by using a row of flourescent lighting which possesses diffusers. The drawback of this method is that the image will have a subdued shade of green. Depending on the camera that you have, it may have a setting that neutralizes the effects of flourescent lighting or a magenta filter may be used to compensate.

Stability of tripods:
 Since you are taking pictures of food, every shot is done at close range. Unlike shots taken at a distance, shots done in close up are sensitive to movement.

Any sudden moves and the picture will be ruined. Focusing on the subject also becomes easier when using a tripod or even just a stack of magazines.

Food presentation:
 To get that professional look, cut the dish in geometric shapes. Proper arrangement of the food is also important so that you will be able to showcase the dish's ingredients as well as its strengths.

Garnishing the food that you will shoot will enhance its natural colors, making it more appealing to the eyes.

Focusing on the subject: 
A rather dull photo will become vibrant and dynamic if care is taken when focusing and adjusting the field depth of the camera.

If your camera doesn't have manual focus, depressing the camera's shutter button halfway to lock the focus at that specific depth. Recomposing the focus can be done by changing the position of the camera while the shutter button is still depressed halfway.

Automatic cameras usually lack aperture or depth of field. Some purposely adjust the aperture such that the background becomes a blur to heighten the subject's features while others prefer that a wider depth of field is used to capture the whole scene.

These are some of the things that you should know regarding food photography. Constant practice will help you produce better shots. Follow your instincts. Sometimes this allows you to take better shots.

Learn how to use and get great photos from your digital camera everytime. Receive FREE tips by subscribing to my ezine Digital Photo Secrets Revealed.

Photography As A Hobby

Photography is considered as one of the rare hobbies that you can easily learn. Some may think that there's a trick in taking great shots. However, there are certain elements that you need to consider in order to enjoy the hobby of capturing wonderful pictures.

With the exception of video cameras, there is nothing greater than capturing precious moments in photographs. They preserve those moments you are part of.

You may enjoy those memories captured with your family, friends, and events and you can even share it with them. To enjoy this hobby, you need to first learn the skills and techniques of photography. You can undertake training in technical skills to master the art of capturing photographs.

You also need to consider acquiring different materials you will need to enjoy this wonderful hobby. Here are some beginner tips for learning photography.

1. Get to know what interests you. Focus yourself on a particular topic so that you can fully understand your chosen subject. It is important to have full knowledge on the subjects you want to photograph.

2. You may invest in a self-focusing SLR with the newest features with all the whistles and bells. You may also get an automatic focus camera that can read details on every captured subject.

3. If you choose to venture into nature photography, it is important to consider the location of shots. Make sure to that sunlight will not affect any of your shots. Position yourself behind the sun so that it will be use for lighting to create clearer shots.

4. Practice taking photos in your home or in your backyard. You can capture images that are not within your subject. Sometimes you may even create great shots on unexpected and unplanned moments.

5. It is advised to take photos steadily using a tripod. You can produce great images when you use the right angles. It is very important to pay attention to the size, shape and position of the subject

6. When there is no available sunlight on the subject, you must have artificial lighting to support the brightness and color of the photograph. Although the camera has a flash, it is sometimes insufficient in supplying the needed light in creating a clear image.

These are only some guides for you to enjoy photography as a hobby. You may enjoy capturing images as long as you have the right materials and good technical skills.

Many believe that beginners taking photography as a hobby can end up professional photographers.

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Photography Just What Does It Mean?

Photography got its name from the Greek words "photos" which means light and "graphein" meaning to draw. The first person to use this term was the scientist Sir John Herschel in the year 1839. 

Thus, photography means the method or process of registering images with the aid of light, related radiation, on a medium that is made of sensitive materials.

The first image - 
During one summer day in the year 1827, the Frenchman Joseph Nicephore Niepce was able to achieve the creation of the first image that was fixed by working on it for 8 hours.

His compatriot, Louis Jacques Mande Daguerre on the other hand was able to lower exposure time to a period of less than 30 minutes as well as preventing the captured image from disappearing.

Daguerre and the daguerreotype - 
Daguerre was the first to invent the most practical process for developing pictures during their time. He was born to a place in close proximity to Paris, France. Before experimenting on photography, he was a professional painter of various scenes in operas.

After many years of experimentation with light and its effects on images, Daguerre was able to develop a process to make pictures that were more efficient and effective. He sold the rights to the French government then wrote a book describing his invention.

The pinhole camera - 
Ibn Al-Haytham, who lived in the middle ages, was a greatly known in the field of optics. The pinhole camera was invented by Al-Haytham with the resulting image viewed upside down. A European named Della Porta was able to re-invent the pinhole camera, this enabled him to publish information regarding the pinhole camera.

The flashbulb - 
An Austrian named Paul Vierkotter is credited to be the first person to invent the flashbulb. He used a wire coated with magnesium which was placed in a glass globe that was vacuum sealed. This was later replaced with an aluminum foil inside an enclosure filled with oxygen.

The flashbulb became commercially available in the year 1930. It was patented by a German national, Johannes Ostermeier. The flashbulbs were called "vacublitz". General Electric, a company engaging in suh ventures made their own version which was termed "Sashalite".

Instant photos -
You can take instant pictures using a polaroid camera. This type of camera was created by Edwin Land. His work on photography enabled a new age in photography wherein pictures can be obtained instantly. The exposure time was no longer a factor.

These are some fast facts that wil help you understand more the history of photography. Having a clear idea of how photography started will help you with your passion for pictures.

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Tell A Compelling Story

What Story Are You Wanting To Tell?
There are many reasons to take a particular picture. You can be just taking a recording of a moment or you may be trying to capture the emotion of the moment.

Is it a picture you want to give to someone else because you know they will want to keep that moment in their mind forever?

Is it a picture that you will add to other shots so you have a complete recording of a particular event?

The reason why this question is so important is because it will effect the picture in ways of how you frame it, the exposure, and many other factors. If you are trying to capture a particular emotion, the focal point will be the face of your subject and you may want to blur out the background slightly to give it that special effect.

If it is an event, you may want to make sure that you have something commemorating the event in the background of your subject.

An example would be that if you wanted to take a picture of the excitement on a five year old child's face when they first see their birthday present, you will want to make sure you have something in the background like a banner wishing the child a Happy 5th Birthday.

Always stop before taking the shot and think about what you are trying to tell so you will always capture that perfect picture.

Learn how to use and get great photos from your digital camera everytime. Receive FREE tips by subscribing to my ezine Digital Photo Secrets Revealed.