Daily Photo Tips Archive

21.Sep.08High-key photographs (ones that strongly emphasize light and white tones) can lend an ethereal, ghostly, or spiritual mood to their subject. Consider if this lighting style would suit any of your subjects.

20.Sep.08Lines can seem to continue on forever even if they don't pass through the edges of the photograph. Lines that pass behind an object or fade into fog or smoke will seem to be almost infinitely long.

19.Sep.08A 'found' photograph conveys a different feeling than a 'set up' one, even if they appear very similar. Though both can be art, and may be visually the same, how the photo was made will change how the viewer feels.

18.Sep.08If you work with photographic film, or are storing film for use as an emergency backup, be sure to keep it cool. A freezer makes good long term storage, and a fridge makes good short term storage.

17.Sep.08Mid-range cameras will often include a landscape mode. On this mode, the camera will try to set the aperture as small as possible to maximize depth of field. The result is similar to macro mode.

16.Sep.08'EV' stands for 'exposure value', and refers to the amount of light available to the sensor. A change in exposure value could result from a change in aperture, shutter speed, lighting, ISO, or some combination of the above.

15.Sep.08Digital backs for large format view cameras are extremely expensive and impractical for most field use. At the time of this writing, most non-commissioned large format field work is still done on film.

14.Sep.08Don't always centre your subject in the frame. Experiment with different placements for your subjects, and think about how each affects the photograph's mood.

13.Sep.08Try not to confuse technical and artistic qualities of photographs. Though many works of art are technically well executed, the opposite is not necessarily true.

12.Sep.08Lenses that produce a nearly circular stopped down aperture (using many aperture blades) tend to produce better bokeh, and will also create less distracting out-of-focus highlights.

11.Sep.08When converting a colour image to black and white in photo software, a simple desaturation is the easiest method, but provides no control over the grey levels in the final image.

10.Sep.08Large format cameras are cameras with a very large image plane, typically 4 x 5 inches or 8 x 10 inches. Large format cameras are expensive and difficult to use, but produce highly detailed images.

09.Sep.08Extension tubes are a cheaper alternative to macro lenses, fitting in between a lens and the camera body. This magnifies the image the lens produces, but also exaggerates its flaws.

08.Sep.08Always use techniques to enhance the feeling or theme of your photograph. Using a technique for the sake of using it only results in a trite, self-conscious photograph.

07.Sep.08Any flat lens filter is more prone to flare than the elements in the lens itself. In direct light, the flare will cause reduced contrast in your photographs.