Daily Photo Tips Archive
Page 87
These photography tips are a record of new entries to the Daily Photo Tips RSS feed since November 2007. There are currently 1567 tips in the database! Contact Me to comment or add tips.
Daily Photo Tip
If you've got a limited amount of time in a location, plan your day wisely. Try to optimize lighting potential for each location and minimize travel time between locations. (First published Dec 1, 2009)
22.Aug.08'Shift' is the offset of the camera lens to correct convergence due to perspective. Though traditionally a large-format movement, shift lenses are available for smaller formats too.
21.Aug.08Try repeating the shapes of your subject elsewhere in the frame. Repeated shapes attract the eye, encouraging the viewer to explore the photograph for longer.
20.Aug.08Use a lens hood to keep rain or snow off of your lens. Though your camera can probably get quite wet without malfunctioning, any drops of water on your front lens element will blur your photographs.
19.Aug.08When working with a low quality zoom lens, try to use the middle of the zoom range whenever possible. Poor quality zooms are typically sharpest in the middle third of their range.
18.Aug.08If you're using a digital camera body with a magnification factor, remember that you're effectively using a longer lens. This means you'll have to use shorter shutter speeds when hand holding your camera.
17.Aug.08Field colorimeters are tools for measuring the exact colour of light in the field. Some (but very few) photographers use them to precisely tune the white balance settings on their digital cameras.
16.Aug.08Whenever possible, use only ambient light to photograph pets or wildlife. A flash can make a photograph or a wild animal look fake or forced, and most animals will be startled by the bright burst of light.
15.Aug.08Many devices can be used to trigger your camera's shutter release. Depending on your application, many electronic timers and sensors can be used to fire your shutter at a specific time.
14.Aug.08The 'rule of thirds' says that main composition elements should be placed near the four intersections of lines drawn between opposite thirds of the frame. Following the rule strictly is restrictive and counter-creative.
13.Aug.08Whatever your equipment selection may be, try not to blame your gear for bad photos. This type of thinking absolves your of responsibility and does nothing to improve your skills.
12.Aug.08When converting a colour image to black and white in photo software, using a channel mixer combined with a saturation adjustment will provide very good control over grey levels, but can be difficult to execute well.
11.Aug.08Because the aperture on a rangefinder camera doesn't have to expand and contract as quickly as that of an SLR camera, the aperture can sometimes be manufactured to a higher quality.
10.Aug.08An 'element group' is a group of lens elements that work together to perform a specific optical task within the lens. A lens typically has several element groups.
09.Aug.08Be careful when using coloured filters to correct for suboptimal lighting conditions. Coloured filters can overwhelm and stifle the existing colours, resulting in a stunted and unrealistic palette.
08.Aug.08When used for black and white photography, coloured filters will lighten like colours and darken unlike colours in the final photo. Watch out – as with all filters, the exposure value will change!