Photography - Tips, Tricks, and My Favorite Photos
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A thousand words barely do a memory justice, but here's hoping...
Hope you enjoy some of my favorites and learning how to catch your memories on film, or digitally, also. If you see a little of what I love about my photos, or learned a little from the info, let me know by leaving a comment at the bottom and rating at the top of this page.
Thanks,
~Gail
Finding Your Way Around
Click On A Photography Subject Below, or Scroll Down to View Photos
- Some of My Favorite Photos
- Interested in Improving Your Photos?
- Get Ready to Read
- Manual Camera Settings
- Photo Composition - Depth of Field
- Photo Composition - Perspective
- Photo Composition - Positioning
- Photo Composition - Wide Angle or Telephoto
- Photo Composition - B & W vs. Color
- Let There Be Light
- Your Thoughts
Some of My Favorite Photos
Interested in Improving Your Photos?
My Start in Amateur Photography
Are you the person who snaps tons of photos with your point and shoot no matter where you go, hoping each time you hit the button that your photos will come out like the ones you see in magazines? If so, we already have a lot in common. On vacations and a lot of the places I go, I try and take as many pictures as possible because I love looking back and remembering what it felt like to be there. But, much more often than not what gets saved on my camera isn't half or even a tenth as beautiful or interesting as what I was looking at standing behind the lens. That feeling... the one of disappointment, is what got me into photography. I've always sort of had the attitude of, "if they could do it, I could do it," talking about the people taking great photos professionally. And so I set out to learn more about how to capture my life's most exciting, interesting, and heartwarming memories more accurately. Photography for Beginners
Get Ready to Read
Reading your way to great photos
I read the manual. Read it from front to back. Some people probably laugh at those of us who read product manuals, but because of that I took some really great pictures with a not so great camera, that I still get a kick out of. So what would be my first recommendation to someone looking to get into photography... go with the camera you already have, or just purchased, and learn how to use all of it's features. The manual will describe all of the camera's settings, like automatic and manual modes, or shutter and aperture priority modes, and nighttime... blah, blah, blah. When you have time, play with each mode and the settings that alter photos taken within that mode.
One of the things I couldn't wait to learn how to do was take a picture of something and have the background be blurry. That's one of the things that I always noticed about photos I liked. Having the subject in focus and the background out of focus, like the jar of shells to the left, really makes what you want people to look at stand out, to me it also seems closer to the way we see things in real life... one thing at a time.So, that was my big secret... reading the book (and I guess also an insatiable need to understand why pictures come out the way they do... but if you're online looking for tips, we've probably already got that in common). Once you understand what your camera is capable of, you can shy away from auto mode. Staying in the other modes will help you understand the changes you can make, and how those changes will affect each photo letting you alter setting to get the result you want. And, that's just the start.
Experiment! My husband complains that I take as many pictures as I do, but how else can you learn?!? From there, you can make choices about sticking to a particular mode that suits what you like photographing, or maybe moving on to a more advanced camera that allows more control with manual settings. Either way, understanding the camera you have now will help you decide what you need to photograph your subjects well, and whether or not you can do that with the camera you have. Also, learning little bits one at a time helps tremendously. Looking back, I'm glad I got into this hobby slowly... there is so much to learn, and the more you delve into photography, the more apparent it will become that beautiful photos come only sometimes by chance. For me anyways, it's more commonly trying to apply what I've learned about camera settings and how they affect the outcome of each photo. Taking a great photo with an expensive camera not knowing the basics would be like trying to do algebra without knowing addition or subtraction. Starting with a good base of knowledge will make it easier to understand and apply more advanced techniques later. Once you've got the basics of different settings available to you, start looking at photos you enjoy, and pin pointing why you like them so much. Take one aspect that you like in a photo and concentrate on controlling that one aspect in your photos by switching out of auto mode and into the mode on your camera associated with it.
The manual that came with your camera will fill you in on so many things, take a look, you'll probably be shocked at how much you can learn.
Manual Camera Settings
Choosing Your Options
Shutter Speed - The length of time your camera's film or photo sensor remains open to exposure is shutter speed. During this time duration light hits the sensor, thus imprinting your photo. By adjusting shutter speed, you can correctly expose photos on bright days and dark nights, as well as freeze fast motion or record motion over a period of time. In the photos below, on the left, the texture of the water is visible thanks to a quick shutter speed that froze the motion, in the shot on the right, the lapse in time blurs the motion of the water. Shutter speeds are measured in seconds, or fractions of seconds. Ranging from infinity to thousandths of a second.
Aperture - The opening in your camera's lens that allows light on to the photo sensor is the aperture. The aperture size or f/stop, affects how much light gets to the sensor. By changing this setting you alter not only light, but also depth of field. (More on depth of field under 'composition'). The pictures below illustrate how max apertures blur portrait backgrounds, like the bee on the left, while min apertures keep whole images in focus, like the historic building on the right. Aperture size is measured in stops, noted as f/stops, where the stop is a fraction, thus low f/stops are large apertures and high f/stops are smaller.
Photo Composition
Using your flash during the day with bright backgrounds, like on a beach, can really help keep subjects from getting washed out.
Photo Composition - Depth of Field
Defining Your Subject From Your Background
Now that depth of field is a little clearer, a more advanced term that goes along with this subject is bokeh (pronounced like "oak" with a "B"). If shallow depth of field shots are something you are seriously interested in, and plan to develop your hobby into something more than just a way to spend your leisure time, bokeh may become more and more important to you. This is a pretty simplified explanation, but for this purpose, the term is used to describe the shape of patches of light that are out of focus when using shallow depths of field. In the close-up photo of snow, above, the bottom right corner is in focus, the rest of the photo isn't. The shape of the spots of light not in focus is bokeh. A different example could be... say you're photo subject is a friend at a night time cookout, to get a great shot, you stop down your lens - the aperature is wide open to let in as much light as possible - and in the background are a string of novelty patio lights. You snap your photo and look at the results. Your friend's face is sharp and clear, and in the background are a few blurry patio lights. Look closely at the blurry lights. Are they circular, or are they more like stop signs maybe with a few more sides? That specific shape, or the appearance of them, is bokeh. What ever the shape, it is a direct mirror image of the shape of your lens aperture for that shot. More expensive lenses have apertures that are more circular than straight lined, and also each 'line' may be curved to create the illusion of being more circular, allowing for smoother edges. This probably wouldn't matter to most of us, however in more advanced photography it does. For now, being aware that there are differences between lenses, and that higher quality lenses will create smoother bokeh, is start. Chase by Chance
Depth of Field: The background is blurry, so Chase stands out as the subject
Flash: Banked it off the white ceiling so it wouldn't wash Chase out
Zoom: Got the close up personal shot from about 10+ feet away
Perspective: Kneeling eye to eye for a more natural look, rule of threes - he's not centered
This is my nephew Chase this past Christmas. My Nikon D40x Camera was my new toy, and the guitar in the picture was one of his. Believe it or not, his favorite Christmas gift that night was a scrubbing bubbles toilet wand, which we also have many pictures of. But, that's beside the point. This picture came totally by chance. I was messing with the flash that came with all the other accessories my husband got for me, and I had just chosen a new manual setting and was leaning against the couch making sure the flash was on when Chase seemed, for a split second, to be taking an interest in what I was doing as much as me. I looked up, and there he was. I didn't think anything of it until I saw the picture on the camera screen. WOW, the money shot! Maybe it's because I think he's the coolest little guy in the world, or maybe it's a good picture. Or, maybe it's both. I think we all kind of have pictures we like to look at... the ones in photo albums with tons of finger prints on them from pointing, or the ones on our computers that are flagged as favorites... well... this will always be one of my favorites. He's just too cool.
Become A Portrait Pro
Adjusting your aperture in manual mode to the smallest number will blur backgrounds and make close subjects stand out, the closer the better!
Emmy's Happy Face
Depth of Field: Emmy stands out from the blurry background
Rule of Three's: She's off to the right instead of smack dab in the middle
Perspective: We're at her level
All my life, well, pretty much all my life, I've hated cats. Until this one. Her name is Emmy. Justin used to call her MJ. When Justin and I first met, he had his own place, complete with two cats, two dogs, and as many fish as the guppies he had could pump out. When we decided to move in together half way between where we both worked, it meant that all the furry pets would have to find other homes (no pets allowed at the new apartment). MJ went to my Mom. But, not before convincing me that not all cats were Evil. What you see in the photo is what my Step-Dad calls her, 'Happy face.' It's more like her only face. If you consider being photogenic her being able to portray her cuddly friendly manner through her expression, she's not. But, she was able to get me to come over from the other side.
Now that Justin and I have a house of our own, we're up to three cats. Simba, Martin, and Paris. The fish never left us and are still going strong. I love dogs and can't wait till we can have one, or two. But, we live in town, don't have the space, or the time. For now, I guess I can admit that I'm a cat person too (Martin is on my lap kneading me in a way that would put any baker to shame).
Photographing Pets
Photo Composition - Perspective
How You View Your Subject Can Make a Big Impact, or None At All
Getting down on the ground, or up in a tree to snap photos will give them a unique aspect that makes them stand out.
Worm's Eye View
There's nothing really fancy about this photo, but it is a good example of a few things. For starters, perspective. Taking the photo at a few inches above the water level gives a much different view than standing would have, and it also helps the viewer notice the fluid movement of the water. A narrow aperture, and longer shutter speed create the smooth motion of the water between the rocks.
Photo Composition - Positioning
Photo Subject Placement Matters
Sticking with the Rule of Three's. View landscapes split in thirds: 1/3 sky, 1/3 ocean, 1/3 beach. View subjects 1/3 of the width or height of the photo away from its edge: slightly top left, top right, bottom left, or bottom right.
Pretty Flower
Hi, my name is Gail, and I take pictures of flowers. Well, if my husband described my obsession with taking pictures of flowers to you, you'd think I should attend meetings to help control myself too.
All joking aside, if there is a flower in sight, and I have a camera, you might as well go shopping, get something to eat, come back, make sure I'm still there, find something else to do, then meet me some where later. I am addicted. And, I can't stop. But, it's fun for me. Flowers are beautiful, so why shouldn't I take pictures? A family relative of mine is even known in our area for his exquisite garden and one of a kind flowers, some named for family members... maybe it's in my blood. Who knows!
For me, part of the allure of flowers is that, most of the time, pictures of them are done close up and I love close ups. Photos of flowers are what got me into the technical side of photography... what's going on inside the camera and why pictures come out the way they do... too bright, or not like you thought it would look, or else really great. Things like lighting and exposure, aperture, shutter speed... and that's just for starters. To boot - how better to experiment with photos than with a subject that's hard to make look bad. There are many other choices that wouldn't be so forgiving of my amateur mistakes. Also, I think looking back on pictures that I've taken, the ones I like the most always seem to be of flowers. Anyhow... this is just one of many that catch my eye scrolling through the evidence of my recent adventures.
Another fun subject I've been enthralled with lately is water... using light and time to either freeze the movement or soften it... maybe I'm a nerd... but photography is so much fun, and the challenge of trying to learn new techniques and implement them, and there being so many different niches within the whole big umbrella of photography to focus on... it's all so exciting to me... so many ways to go and things to learn!
Close-Up Photography
Photo Composition - Wide Angle or Telephoto
How to Best Reach Your Subject
With that out of the way, choosing to focus in on your subject and make it the star or your one photo show, or panning way out to include everything you can is up to you. Consider the effect your going for, close and personal or awe inspiring grandeur. On point and shoot cameras you are somewhat limited. But none the less, the same concepts still apply. Zooming in will create a narrow field of view, zooming out will provide a wider viewing angle. Ever notice that sometimes photos seem to have closed off a lot of what you liked about the image you thought you took? Or, maybe you've seen photos of homes in magazines that make rooms look huge, but when you take pictures of your rooms for insurance purposes, you notice you can only get one wall at a time. Moving beyond the options given by the lens of a point and shoot camera, by being able to choose your lens for a single lens reflex (SLR, or DSLR for Digitals), gives you many more creative options when it comes to controlling the angle of view for your photo. With a wide angle lens, say 18mm and less, landscape shots will take on a representation more similar to your memory, and photos of your home will include more of the room than would be possible with a point and shoot. The wider the angle of view though, the more you'll notice that straight lines start to curve... ever see photos that are completely round, include seemingly everything around the camera, and are really distorted? That's a super wide angle, or fish eye, lens. Not for everyone, but at least you know they're out there. Trade the wide angle lens for a telephoto, and distant objects now seem much more accessible. Just like in night time photos though, you'll need a tripod when using a lens zooming into a really far away subject. Movement is the enemy. To make sure a little twitch while the shutter is open doesn't ruin your shot, you can also use a remote shutter release, pretty cheap wireless accessory kind of like using a TV remote to snap your photo instead of the button on the camera itself, or use the delay built into the camera, usually two or ten seconds.
New York, New York
This is a shot of New York City from our ship as we left for the Caribbean in 2006. It's one of the first shots taken using my FinePix F30. It's also one of the first pictures that made me think, "Wow, this picture looks pretty good!" It's neat to see the progression of the pictures I've taken using a disposable camera, then a first generation 2.0 megapixel digital point and shoot, and on up. I'm sure it has something to do with gaining more knowledge as well, but it was with this camera that I really started to want to learn more about how to make pictures look better and better. I think that's why I like this one so much.
Trunk Bay - One of The 'Top 10' Beaches in The World
This photo of Trunk Bay, one of the top ten beaches in the world, was also taken on our honeymoon. Even though the location is stunning, and is featured on bazillions of post cards, what I see looking at this scene is more than just that. It kind of reminds me of what it was like to explore the world for the first time on my own. Justin and I were together, but when I say on my own, I really mean without parents. It was a first for the both of us. It was the greatest feeling in the world to be able to get away from home, and see some of the most gorgeous places in the world by ourselves. Maybe it's too sappy, but it's almost symbolic of us venturing off into the future as a married couple and finding things that would be equally as great as Trunk Bay.
Not to mention, isn't this just an awesome picture! Then again, how could a place like that look bad? One thing I won't forget about it was the snorkeling... it was really fun to put on the mask and snorkel and flippers and then head out to see what you could find... then finding a Tarpon (really big fish), as big as I was! AHHH... scary, but still awesome! And the sand, it was blindingly white. Beautiful. It's been three years ago now, and I can vaguely remember someone talking about some movie star trying to sell two islands he owned... boy would I love to have trouble like that!
Luscious Landscapes
Photo Composition - B & W vs. Color
Deciding Which Medium Suits Your Photo Best
This isn't the end of this topic... much more to come.
Sheriff William Owen Smith's Indian Banyan
Believe it or not, this picture only shows part of one very large Banyan tree, planted in 1873, in Lahaina, Hawaii. It covers about an acre in the center of town. Maybe this is old news to some people, but to me, seeing something like that is the sort of thing that makes me feel pretty small in this world. The large cluster of trunks that is toward the back and to the right in the photo is the main trunk... there are 16 total. The other 'trunks' began as aerial roots that lowered from the branches and grew into the ground from above. How cool is that?!? If this isn't one of the coolest things you've ever seen you're crazy! We're from Pennsylvania, so the trees we have for the most part grow up, not really out. Just seeing this tree, and walking through it, and under it, was a really different experience. It almost felt like it was alive and watching you, or watching over you. And, this tree wasn't even the best part of our time in town.
If you ever travel to Hawaii, make sure that Lahaina is one of your stops... there are great local shops, and also beaches near by (within a few miles) with great snorkeling - vibrantly colored fish, sea-turtles, and sand that is sort of like salt and pepper, black and white pebbles. A really cool place.
Black & White Photography
In low light, a tripod, and the 2 or 10 second timer, will reduce movement of your camera and make sure photos stay in sharp focus.
Let There Be Light
Using Light in Photographs
Think of your film, or digital photo sensor as your eye. You've just seen a movie in the theater and now you head outside on a sunny day. Practically blinded by the light, you squint your eyes and blink like crazy trying to give your eyes time to adjust to the brightness. This situation is what makes for crummy white photos, where as when you walked into the theater a few hours earlier, wide eyed, and not blinking as much makes for photos that show mostly black.
Blinking is like your camera's shutter. Holding your eyes wide open lets in a lot of light, where squinting will keep some light out. You're photos need the same adjustment. You'll be able to tell the speed of the shutter because you'll actually here it when you take your photo, it's the classic sound associated with snapping pictures. Take notice to how quickly the sound is over, or how drawn out it may be. Shutter speeds can range from fractions of seconds or last for as long as you'd like. Really quick speeds are useful for bright sunny days outside, or very well lit indoor subjects. Also, fast shutter speeds will freeze motion very well. Usually night time photos will come out blurry and grainy... simply because the shutter was open long enough to let in the correct amount of light, also letting in the subject's movement. The longer exposure times that occur with slow shutter speeds really don't lend themselves to motion shots, at least not at this early stage of the game. And, slowing down your shutter speed, only slightly, can have enough of an effect as you need. Later using slow shutter speeds will be a great way to take some very dramatic photos. For now, just knowing it's an option is important. When you have time to experiment, try using slow shutter speeds to take some creative photos. The trick is not to move your camera, so if this is something that interests you, look into a monopod or tripod. There are some really neat opportunities for creative shots here.
If the camera's shutter speed is like you blinking, then squinting is comparable to the lens aperture. What's this? Point your camera toward your face and look into the lens, not at the surface, but actually inside. See the circle that's made up of a bunch of flat sides. If you push down your shutter release half way, depending on what kind of camera, you'll see the size of that circle change. The open circle is the aperture and acts very similarly to the pupil in your eye. Open, it lets in a lot of light, and closed it blocks more than it lets in. If you've ever heard the term, "Stopping," in reference to photography, aperture was the subject and is measured in stops. Stops range from maximum aperture, low numbers, to minimum aperture, high numbers... this seeming inverse is easily understood once you know that the numbers are actually fractions, the explanation of which I'm certainly not qualified to give. Moving on, an aperture that would be used on a sunny day, to let in minimal light would be a high number, say f/22, while at night to let in all the light possible, f/2.8 would be better. As many other things are more than what they seem, aperture does not only control light. Stopping up or stopping down can also create interesting photos by influencing one of my favorite aspects of photography, depth of field. More on that in the future. For now, spend some time adjusting your aperture and choosing different f/stops for different situations.
Now that you have a brief explanation and understanding of shutter speed, and aperture, using both adjustments in conjunction with one another can greatly improve the look of your photos. Most current digital cameras out there will show you a simple light meter either through your viewfinder or on the display. Play around, see what combinations work well on sunny days and under clouds and indoors. Use your light meter to predict how the photo will turn out... will it be too bright, or too dark? Practice, Practice, Practice. At first, manually adjusting shutter speed and aperture was pretty daunting for me, but the more you do it, the more second nature it will become. And, the more control you will have over capturing sports like motion during the day, and clear crisp still shots at night. Eventually you can add more tools like flash, and filters, and so on, but getting used to manually controlling how much light makes it's to the film or photo sensor is what's important. Also, most cameras have shutter speed and aperture priority mode. In these modes, you can choose which one of the two settings you'd like control of, and the camera will automatically make the other adjustment for you. To start out with this may make transitioning from auto to manual modes less shocking, and you'll quickly learn how one aperture adjustment affects shutter speed, and visa versa. Go out, experiment, and have fun playing with two of the most powerful tools you have to control exposure, the possibilities are endless!
Creativity with slow shutter speeds yields amazing photos. Tripods still the camera so we can see the cool effects time produces. Blur the movement of water, create those cool headlight streaks in night time urban settings, or make people disappear in photos of tourist attractions. But remember, letting in as little light as possible using other means may be necessary.
Your Thoughts
Good, bad, or ugly... let me know what you think. And, don't forget a star rating!
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Myrle-Beach-Photography
May 25, 2010 @ 7:55 pm | delete
- This is a great lens. Very nice photos. If anyone is in the myrtle beach area, come check me out at Myrtle Beach Photography
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bob
Apr 21, 2010 @ 12:52 am | delete
- GUAAAARRR! I will now take lot's of great photos. GUAAAARRR!!! thankyou
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interstellaryeller Aug 14, 2009 @ 2:35 pm | delete
- Great photo's. thanks for sharing. 5*
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hlkljgk Jul 8, 2009 @ 3:28 pm | delete
- great info here. nice photos to boot. :)
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FarAwayJoe
Jul 4, 2009 @ 5:14 pm | delete
- Very informative lense with a lot of useful tips. The part about reading the manual made me smile. Although I love reading books, I hate reading manuals. No wonder, that my photos don't come even close to yours.
Cheers
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