101 replies to this topic

[petesie]

I could do with some horizon leveler when I'm rolling down the Soi's at half past daft o'clock.....

[pacman]

Enter Pacman

He is cracking his knuckles in front of the keyboard as I type no doubt.

No doubt you are right BB & I agree with everything you have written so far.

If I may, I am happy to share two of the earliest pieces of advice I was given by a famous photographer when I first took an interest in photography. He wasn't famous then, he was a schoolteacher of mine who went on to become a multi award winning photographer.

The first will sound completely patronising but it still needs to be said to anyone new to photography wanting to improve. Learn to press the shutter button without moving your hands. Simple but so many people fail to do it. The slightest jerk of hands results in blurring.

The next was drummed into me & I think of it everytime I look through a viewfinder - learn to see what is there. Yes, it didn't make sense to me either when I was told but simply put, whatever you can see in the viewfinder or the LCD screen will be in your picture.

If you have ever taken a picture of people & regretted all the wasted space around them, that the subject matter was too small lost in the middle of their surroundings, that was exactly what you were looking at when you pressed the shutter.

I have handed a camera to someone to take a picture after I have framed it & they immediately started walking backwards "in order to get everything in". They want to argue that I have asked them to stand too close. I haven't, it is just that they haven't learn to look through the viewfinder or at the screen & see everything is visible.

Another case in point - posing people for a group shot without noticing there is a rubbish bin or tree or something else right in the middle of the shot. I look at many pictures where the item in the foreground is the main subject & the people aren't. And with auto focus, chances are that bin is nice & sharp, the people standing behind aren't.

These are things that most people here have figured out a long time ago so I apologise for writing the obvious.

One other thing that I see all the time & I am guilty of myself. That is, relying on the auto metering when the light is failing. Or when it is too dark & the subject matter is too large or too far away to use the flash.

The auto metering will simply keep dropping the shutter speed till it is no longer possible to capture a sharp photo due to the slow speed. Handheld shots are possible down to 1/30 second for average photographers. With image stabilised cameras, 1/15 is OK & pros can go lower because they use the technique of locking their arms to their side & staying perfectly still.

The pros will also look at what shutter speed is displayed. The end result of relying on auto exposure in failing light is inevitably blurred pictures.

Then you need a tripod. And I can't see anyone reading this wanting to carry a tripod on their holiday.

This is all the most basic stuff but as my teacher used to remind me, get them right & the rest is only detail.

[rxpharm]

Fantastic tips bumblebee and pacman!

For those of you with DSLRs and an external flash, it is a good idea to bounce the flash head off the ceiling (if it is light colored) or use a diffuser to soften the flash for indoor shots.

I use something called the "Flip-it", which is quite flexible and works well. The latest photos from the July/Aug 2010 Guess Bar updates show the results.

Here are some photos of the "Flip-it"


Link to website: Demb Flash Products

[petesie]

Then you need a tripod. And I can't see anyone reading this wanting to carry a tripod on their holiday.

Erm...I wasn't listening.....I just picked up a wee Manfrotto 785B which weighs bugger all and small enough to fit in my case, comes complete with a head....mainly intended for home video/small camera use but I find it ok for my DSLR......so as a monger/holiday tripod it should do the trick....

[Bumblebee]

Thanks guys, this is what Kliome and I had in mind, more BMs adding their tips and building up a bank of useful information. The more knowledgeable photographers among us know a lot of this stuff already, so by keeping it simple enough it should benefit the guys who perhaps seldom use a camera except for special occasions such as trips to Los. Cheers.

[Bumblebee]

Horizons Part 2:

Let's stay on the beach for a bit longer. Usually when you take photos of the horizon you can align it on the horizontal on the rule of thirds grid.

If the sky is clear it can be best to align it on the upper line to emphasise the vastness of the sea and if there is a cloudy sky you are normally best to place it on the lower line to give a more dramatic sky. It really depends on which of the two you are trying to emphasise. To place it in the middle of the frame cuts it in two and is not very appealing to the eye. This applies to landscape also of course.

Attached Files

•  p27.jpg   151.24KB   23 downloads
•  p28.jpg   197.01KB   27 downloads

[Bumblebee]

Sunsets:

Sunsets follow the same horizon rules, and I usually place the sun where the lines on the rule of thirds grid intersect rather that in the middle. Of course you can use landscape or portrait here, depending on the effect you are trying to achieve. The palm tress add a nice natural frame for the main subject of the photo. It's good to use these frames whenever the opportunity arises.

Beach Road never looked so good.

Attached Files

•  p29.jpg   141.66KB   30 downloads
•  p30.jpg   146.95KB   1113 downloads
•  p31.jpg   137.7KB   31 downloads

[Bumblebee]

Another horizon shot, with the sailing boat almost on the intersection of bottom and left hand lines on the grid. I placed the boat here to give the effect of it sailing into the photo.

Attached Files

•  p32.jpg   232.47KB   29 downloads

[Bumblebee]

Autofocus Lock:

Another useful tool to use when trying to compose photos is the auto lock of the shutter button. In most cameras the focus, some cameras like my Panasonic can focus on a few points at the same time, is in the middle, but if we want to shoot the subject off centre how can be do this while keeping them in sharp focus.

Well it's quite simple. Aim the camera with the subject in the centre of the frame. Half press down the shutter button, thus locking the focus on the main subject. Usually a green light or box will indicate the subject is in focus. While still holding the button halfway down, move the camera to create the composition you want. When you are happy with the image, press the button the rest of the way down. Presto you have the sharp photo you wanted.

http://www.dummies.c...cus-camera.html

http://www.ephotozin...-explained-4867

[FatboyUK]

Great stuff BB and co....I will certainly look at incorporating these tips in my next batch of photo's.....

The grid is already set up, and all I'll remember is "Two Thirds".

[Bumblebee]

Great stuff BB and co....I will certainly look at incorporating these tips in my next batch of photo's.....

The grid is already set up, and all I'll remember is "Two Thirds".

Good man FB, let's see who else uses them. It will be easy enough to tell when BMs start posting pics taken after this thread was started.

[pacman]

The Rule of Thirds. Excellent advice there BB & something that should be engraved onto the brain of anyone wanting to take better photos.

I was out for a walk earlier along the Beach Road promenade (aka the Coconut Bar) & between the many ladies out offering their services (definitely the B team at that time of morning) I saw a couple admiring the view. (Stop crying BB, it will still be there when you come back)

He had a little Point'N'Shoot camera, so small it didn't even have a zoom lens. Therefore what lens it would have must be a mild wide angle. From memory I think most manufacturers of these little cheapies opt for a lens with the equivalent focal length of 35 mm on a Full Frame camera. A compromise but fine for most situations.

He asked his wife to pose for a photo. She smiled & waited while he peered into the LCD on his camera. He waved her back with his arm. Then he called her to move further back, then finally with her some 15 metres from him, he took her picture. ONE PHOTO!!!!!

How he couldn't notice that she would be no more than a dot on the screen demonstrates once again that people see what they want, not what is there. They will be so disappointed with that picture. It is completely useless. She should have been standing 2 metres away or less.

And with the cost of pictures being ZERO once you have paid for your memory card, why stop at one photo? I take half a dozen in that situation. At least. The objection that I have taken the picture isn't the point, in one pic eyes might be shut, the next someone isn't smiling, I just click away knowing that one pic will always be better than the rest. Try it, it is the simplest way to maximise the moment.

It is exactly what Pro's do. They aren't cleverer with magical powers, they just take 100 times more pictures in the knowledge that the ones they use will have all the elements just right.