25 Top Tips for Better · PDF file25 Top Tips for Better Photography Top Tip 1 Understand f Numbers The aperture is the hole through which light enters the camera. Its size is

25 Top Tips for

Better Photography

By

Malcolm Boone

http://www.photographyposingsecrets.com

25 Top Tips for Better Photography

Disclaimer

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, scanning or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. The purpose of this publication is to inform, educate and entertain, and it is not intended to support, induce, or condone any activity that might violate the laws of the country that it is published and/or purchased in, nor to deprive any individual or company of its lawful income. Neither the author nor the publisher shall have any liability to any person or entity derived from any alleged loss or damage arising from the use or misuse of the information contained herein. Whilst reliable sources have been sought in compiling this book, neither the author, publisher nor distributor can accept any liability for the accuracy of its contents nor the consequences of any reliance placed upon it. Reading beyond this point constitutes acceptance of the above.

25 Top Tips for Better Photography is © 2006 Malcolm Boone.

All rights reserved worldwide.

2 Specially presented by www.photographyposingsecrets.com


Table of Contents Understand f numbers.................................................................................4 Understand Shutter Speed...........................................................................4 Understand ISO...........................................................................................5 Know Your Camera ....................................................................................6 Control Depth of Field................................................................................7 Know when to focus manually ...................................................................8 Use a Tripod................................................................................................8 Avoid Camera Shake ..................................................................................9 Learn From Others....................................................................................10 Change Your Point of View......................................................................10 Try New Things ........................................................................................11 Improve Composition ...............................................................................12 Convert to Black and White......................................................................13 Shoot Silhouettes ......................................................................................13 Use Natural Lighting ................................................................................14 Use Natural Darkness ...............................................................................14 Ensure Correct Exposure ..........................................................................15 Try Fill-in Flash ........................................................................................16 Use the Power of Color.............................................................................17 Anticipate the Action ................................................................................17 Take Fewer Shots......................................................................................18 Analyse Your Work ..................................................................................19 Have an Efficient Workflow.....................................................................20 Manage Your Portfolio .............................................................................21 Keep Trying!.............................................................................................21



Top Tip 1 Understand f Numbers The aperture is the hole through which light enters the camera. Its size is

given by f numbers which can enable you to control how much light

enters the camera for a certain exposure. The smaller the f number, the

larger the aperture. So if you want to let more light enter the camera you

use a smaller f number. If you want to cut down the amount of light you

use a higher f number. Useful because all f numbers are identical

regardless of the focal length of a lens, so f/16 on a 50mm lens admits the

same amount of light as f/16 on a 300mm lens.

Top Tip 2 Understand Shutter Speed Controls how long the shutter is held open. This is called the exposure

time. Slower shutter speeds let in more light, fast shutter speeds let in less

light. For high light levels you generally want to use a fast shutter speed.

For low light levels, use a slow shutter speed. Also use a fast shutter

speed to capture a frozen image of movement. Use a slow shutter speed to

record movement as a blur.



Top Tip 3 Understand ISO ISO rating is the sensitivity of a sensor to light and is named after the

International Standards Organization. Lower ISO means less sensitive to

light. So a lower ISO rating will need more exposure to produce an

image. A higher ISO setting will mean the sensor is more sensitive to

light and so a shorter exposure will be needed to produce the same image.

When the ISO is doubled the sensor requires half as much exposure, and

when you halve the ISO the sensor needs twice as much light. For

example, if your camera suggested an exposure of 1/250sec at f/4 at

ISO200, at ISO 100 exposure would be 1/125sec at f/4, and at ISO 400 it

would be 1/500sec at f/4.

A digital camera’s sensor should be left at its lowest ISO rating (usually

100-200) for maximum imager quality. Use higher ISO settings when

working in low light or when trying to freeze motion. As ISO increases,

so does the amount of noise in the image.



Top Tip 4 Know Your Camera Perhaps the biggest temptation when you get a new camera is to start

taking pictures as soon as possible. However your photography will

benefit greatly from an understanding of your camera’s features.

Unfortunately this usually means wading through an uninspiring manual.

Often there is a quick start section. You can read this first and take a few

shots, but don’t forget to return to the manual to find out what else your

camera is capable of. Familiarize yourself with how to adjust settings,

and activate functions and special modes. Become familiar with your

camera’s menus so that you can quickly change settings so you are ready

to capture any shot.

Once you feel you know how to set up your camera take some

experimental shots, keeping a record of the settings you used. This

exercise will show you how the various functions and settings can change

the images you produce.



Top Tip 5 Control Depth of Field Depth of field is the area in front of and behind the point your camera

focuses on that is also in focus. Large depth of field means there is a large

area in focus; small depth of field means only a small area is in focus.

You will probably want to use different depths of field for different types

of shot. If you want an image to draw attention to one object, as in a

portrait shot, you will want a small depth of field. This will blur the

background and emphasize the model. However for a landscape shot you

will probably want a large depth of field to keep everything in focus.

The aperture, the focal length of the lens, and the distance between the

camera, the subject and the background, determine depth of field.

Aperture is the most important factor that controls depth of field. A wide

aperture (low f number) reduces depth of field; a small aperture (high f

number) increases it. If possible set your camera to aperture priority. This

means you can set the aperture and the camera will automatically select

the appropriate shutter speed. If depth of field is not important in an

image select a mid-range aperture for the best color saturation.

At any aperture using a lens of shorter focal length gives greater depth of

field. A longer focal length gives a smaller depth of field.

Lastly, the further the camera is from the subject, the greater the depth of

field.



Top Tip 6 Know When to Focus Manually Autofocusing may be a helpful camera feature at times, but sometimes it

can be frustrating as the silicon chip hunts around and focuses on

practically everything except the object you want. Most problems occur

when you try to focus on objects that have no texture, like a plain white

surface, or when objects are crossing your line of sight. In these situations

it is best to focus manually. Landscape shots are also better focused

manually as you can choose where to focus to maximize depth of field.

Top Tip 7 Use a Tripod For certain shots it is vital you use a tripod to keep the camera steady. If

you are working at the low ISO range any camera shake will blur the long

exposure image. Indoor shots, night shots, blurred motion and telephoto

shots all benefit from the use of as tripod.

When you purchase a tripod also invest in some sort of remote release.

This means you will not have to risk camera shake when you press the

shutter button on the camera.

However the best benefit of a tripod is it can slow down the picture taking

process. Having set up you can step back and think about the shot you are

about to take and how to improve it.



Top Tip 8 Avoid Camera Shake Ideally you should take your tripod with you whenever you intend to use

your camera. However if this is not practical perhaps you could keep a

small cushion or beanbag with your kit. If this impractical it is best to

brace the camera against a doorframe, fence or any such stable object.

Hold the camera by cupping the lens (underneath, on top or the side) with

your left hand and holding the grip with your right. You may want to

invest in a vertical control grip that attaches to the camera and adds that

bit of weight to make it more stable. Not only can you comfortably hold

the camera on its side, but also the extra battery gives you longer camera

usage.

When taking a hand held shot keep your back straight, legs slightly apart

and elbows tucked in. Squeeze the shutter button, don’t jab at it, and

exhale just before pressing the button so your body is more relaxed.

Lastly use a shutter speed that matches the focal length of the camera.

1/60sec for 50mm, 1/250sec for 200mm, 1/500sec for 300-500mm, etc.



Top Tip 9 Learn From Others Study the work of experts. Look for photography books where the author

gives details of how the images were produced. Find out if there is a local

photography club. A good club will share knowledge, ideas and

enthusiasm. They may have their own experts or arrange talks by visiting

names. Use the internet to find out if your favorite photographer is

running a seminar, workshop or photographic holiday.

My ‘Photography Directory’ gives more details on workshops, holidays,

tip sites, and online forums, etc.

Top Tip 10 Change Your Point of View Many photographers keep their camera at eye-level and never think of

trying new angles and viewpoints. Try shots from the top of a ladder or

building. Place your camera on the ground or lay down with your lens

pointing upwards. Look for a structure or object that could frame your

shot, like a doorway, arch or the branches of a tree. Just try something

different to see if it gives your image more impact.



Top Tip 11 Try New Things If you feel comfortable shooting portraits get out and shoot some

landscapes. If you have mainly taken pictures of static objects try

capturing something in motion. If you have never shot at night get your

warm clothes on and give it a try. Your skill as a photographer will

develop as you become familiar with different techniques, stretch your

abilities and imagination, and become more confident.



Top Tip 12 Improve Composition Many people see something they want to record, raise the camera and

take a picture. Often they end up with something that could have been

improved if only they had thought about how to compose the shot.

Think about how your picture will be framed. Are there converging or

diagonal lines that can lead your viewer’s eye to your object of focus?

Can you shoot from a viewpoint that arranges your key elements into a

triangle or other familiar shape?

Think about balance in your picture. Is there something in one half of the

frame that dominates the picture? Unbalanced complexity or color can

create disharmony in the resulting image.

The most popular means of composing a picture is the rule of thirds.

Imagine two vertical and two horizontal lines dividing your shot into a

grid. Place the main focus of your picture on one of the four points where

the lines intersect. Other vertical or horizontal elements, like the side of a

building or the horizon, can also be placed along one of the imaginary

lines.

Don’t imagine these are rules that must always be followed, but give

them a try and see if they produce better-looking images.



Top Tip 13 Convert to Black and White If you always use color try converting to black and white. You’ll see that

it’s not just a question of using some software to greyscale an image. For

best results you have to start thinking about the way colors convert to

different tones and the use of light and shade in your pictures.

Top Tip 14 Shoot Silhouettes By shooting silhouettes you are subtracting a lot of textures and color.

This leaves you to concentrate on the positioning of elements within your

pictures and how models are posed. This can be valuable experience

when you come to take color shots.

To shoot silhouettes simply place your subject between the camera and a

bright background or source of light. Your camera’s meter will select the

exposure for the brighter light and present your subject as a solid shape.



Top Tip 15 Use Natural Lighting Nature can provide some of the most striking lighting effects, particularly

when the sun is low in the sky. The light is naturally warm and produces

long shadows that can add to the impact of your shots. If you are aiming

for dawn shots get to the location at least half an hour before sunrise so

you can be in place for any pre-dawn lighting effects. For evening shoots

get to the location a couple of hours before sunset so you can shoot as the

light progressively changes.

Top Tip 16 Use Natural Darkness Many scenes are transformed at the end of the day as artificial

illumination produces colors unavailable at other times of the day. Some

of the best images are produced during the twilight period just after the

sun has set. It is light enough for the sky to still have some color and dark

enough for artificial lighting to have an impact. Long exposures can

transform moving vehicles into light trails and moving pedestrians into

ghostly blurs.

One common problem is underexposure, so bracket up (see the next tip)

to at least the next stop above the metered exposure.

This is a great time to experiment. Set your camera to its highest ISO and

move the camera while the shutter is open. For example, we’ve all seen

shots of car light trails taken from a road side, but how many of this type

of shot have you seen taken from a moving car?



Top Tip 17 Ensure Correct Exposure Digital cameras can produce exposure errors if you are shooting towards

bright lights, a bright sky or highly reflective surfaces like snow or sand.

The best way to try different exposures is to take a shot at the exposure

your camera has set, and then try other exposures over and under that

setting. This is called bracketing.

Your camera may have an autobracketing feature that allows you to set

the extent of the bracket, e.g. plus or minus half a stop. The camera will

then automatically take the three different exposures when you press the

shutter button. You can then compare the images to guide you to the

correct exposure.

Some cameras may have an exposure compensation facility that allows

you to override the metered exposure by up to five stops in half stop

increments.



Top Tip 18 Try Fill-in Flash Fill-in flash is a technique that adds sparkle and boosts the colors of an

object photographed in daylight. It can be used in exterior portrait shots

to soften shadows on the skin tones and add sparkle to the eyes. It helps

to avoid your subject squinting as they would if you were using front

lighting.

Flashguns may have variable power so you can adjust the output. The

ideal flash to daylight ratio is 1:4, achieved by setting your flashgun to ¼

power. The daylight to flash ratios that work best are between 1:2 and 1:8

for just hint of flash.

If you do not have a flashgun with variable output, see if your camera has

a flash exposure compensation facility. If it does, setting it to -1 stop will

give a daylight to flash ratio of 1:2, -2 stops gives a ratio of 1:4, and -3

stops produces a ratio of 1:8. If your camera does not have this facility,

but it is possible to use the flash in daylight you might want to experiment

with changing the distance between the camera and your subject. Consult

your camera’s manual to see if it gives the range of your flash in daylight.



Top Tip 19 Use the Power of Color Color can determine the important focus or mood of a picture. Bold

colors will grab the attention. Think of a color wheel (the colors of a

rainbow pulled round into a circle). Adjacent colors like blue and green

or red and orange are easy on the eye and can create a soothing image.

Colors on opposite sides of the wheel, like blue and yellow or red and

green create a greater impact because they are mismatched.

Top Tip 20 Anticipate the Action Sports and wildlife photography offer many peak moments, but a

person’s glance or reaction, or a shaft of sunlight suddenly coming

through cloud onto a landscape can make a picture. To get that one

defining instant at the peak moment, do not just hold down the shutter

button and hope that repeated exposures will capture the decisive

moment. It’s too possible that the instant will be lost in the midst of

shutter lag. Instead get into the habit of anticipating the action and

pressing the shutter button when it’s about to happen. If necessary,

practice with a swinging object. See if you can capture the moment it

passes behind or in front of something else. This practice is especially

important with a new camera. You must know instinctively how much lag

there is between pressing the shutter button and the moment captured in

the image.



Top Tip 21 Take Fewer Shots In much the same way that just holding the shutter button down is a lazy,

unrefined technique, so is taking too many identical shots. It is better to

get into the habit of deciding how to get the best shot at the time instead

of taking dozens of pictures and deciding which is best when they are all

tiled on your computer screen. Of course you may want to use this

approach if you are practicing, but don’t make it your standard approach.

Not only will you improve your technique and quality, you will also save

all that storage space and time you use downloading and selecting the

best image.



Top Tip 22 Analyse Your Work Get into the habit of analyzing your pictures with a view to learn from

your mistakes. Ask yourself whether you could have improved the

composition, lighting, or depth of field. Are there any distractions in your

image, or another viewpoint that would have worked better? Could you

have used a filter to improve the image?

If you have Photoshop you can access EXIF data by going to File, then

Info. This displays all the technical data recorded by your camera for

each picture. The date and time, ISO and flash settings, aperture and

shutter speed, etc. If you do not have Photoshop you could record this

information yourself. If a picture suffers from underexposure, camera

shake, or any number of other problems you can work out ways to

improve the shot next time.

You can also take several images with different settings to see what

works best. For example, if you are not sure which shutter speed to use

for freezing or blurring movement shots takes several images and

compare them. The EXIF data will tell you how your camera can

reproduce the effects you want.



Top Tip 23 Have an Efficient Workflow You need to have an efficient system for transferring pictures from your

camera to your computer. As soon as a picture is stored on your computer

delete it from the camera. This cuts down the confusion that can occur. If

an image is in the camera it needs to be downloaded. As soon as images

are downloaded you can start shooting again.

You also need to decide how to file images so they can easily be found.

You may want to use a folder for each type of photography, i.e. one for

landscapes, another for portraits, etc. Alternatively you may want to have

a folder for each date you used your camera or some other form of

number system. Whatever system you use it should enable you to find

images quickly and easily.



Top Tip 24 Manage Your Portfolio Eventually you may find that your photography folders need further

organization. There is image-cataloguing software that can search for and

collect specific images from different folders using keywords or

categories. The images can then be organized into an album or collection.

You must also routinely backup your images. If your computer’s hard

drive stops working or becomes corrupted you could lose your entire

photo collection. Store backups on CDs, DVDs, or an external hard disk.

Ideally these backups are stored at different locations to overcome the

possibility of fire or theft. Perhaps you could email your most precious

images to a friend’s computer or upload them to a website.

Top Tip 25 Keep Trying! If you want to become a better photographer you will need to cultivate

your patience and persistence. Remember, there are no failures, only

feedback. Consider it part of your apprenticeship. There are probably

many things you do today that once seemed too complex to master. Take

the long-term view, see improvements, no matter how small, and

remember to enjoy your photography. You’re on the path to

improvement.


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25 Top Tips for Better · PDF file25 Top Tips for Better Photography Top Tip 1 Understand f Numbers The aperture is the hole through which light enters the camera. Its size is