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    !

    in photography, a shutter is a device that allows light to pass for a determined period of

    time, for the purpose of exposing photographic film or a light-sensitive electronic sensorto light to capture a permanent image of a scene. A shutter can also be used to allow

    pulses of light to pass outwards, as in a movie projector or signal lamp.

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    Shutter Speed Chart for Photographers

    Weve put together an easy to understand shutter speed chart that explains

    common situations in which you would choose a certain shutter speed.

    Enjoy!

    Shutter Speed Chart Reference

    BulbFor use in very low light conditions like night photography. With this

    setting the photographer controls how long the shutter stays open. Any movement within the frame or by the

    camera will show up as motion blur. A tripod must be used.

    1 second to 1/15For use in low light conditions, night photography, fireworks, etc. A tripod must be used to prevent motion

    blur.

    1/30thFor use when implying motion by panning with a moving object as a photo is taken.The subject appears sharp while the background becomes motion blur.

    Also used in darker conditions and requires a tripod to prevent motion blur.

    1/60th to 1/125thCommon shutter speeds for most existing light situations.

    These shutters speeds combined with small apertures (f/8 to f/166) result in large depth of field.

    1/250th

    Good for freezing human paced action like a person jogging.

    1/500thGood for freezing faster moving objects such as a car or runner.

    1/1000th and fasterGood for freezing objects that move faster than the eyes can see, such as a birds wings in flight or baseball

    pitch.

    Expanding on the Shutter Speed Chart

    Another great reference that expands on shutter speed is a book by Bryan Peterson Understanding Exposure shutter speed chart. Take a look when you have a chance. Its a must have for all photographers!

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    Understanding Shutter Speed

    Image by Nasim Mansurov.com - Dolphin - 1/1600 Shutter Speed

    Shutter Speed is one of the three pillars of photography, the other two

    being ISO and Aperture. Shutter speed is where the other side of themagic happens it is responsible for creating dramatic effects by

    either freezing action or blurring motion. In this article, I will try toexplain everything I know about shutter speed in very simple

    language.

    1) What is a Camera Shutter?

    Simply put, a camera shutter is a curtain in front of the camera sensor that stays closed until the camera fires.When the camera fires, the shutter opens and fully exposes the camera sensor to the light that passes through

    the lens aperture. After the sensor is done collecting the light, the shutter closes immediately, stopping the light

    from hitting the sensor. The button that fires the camera is also called shutter or shutter button, because it

    triggers the shutter to open and close.

    2) What is Shutter Speed?

    Shutter speed, also known as exposure time, stands for the length of time a camera shutter is open to exposelight into the camera sensor. If the shutter speed is fast, it can help to freeze action completely, as seen in the

    above photo of the dolphin. If the shutter speed is slow, it can create an effect called motion blur, where

    moving objects appear blurred along the direction of the motion. This effect is used quite a bit in

    advertisements of cars and motorbikes, where a sense of speedand motion is communicated to the viewer by intentionally

    blurring the moving wheels.

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    Waterfall - 5 Second Exposure (Shutter Speed)

    Motion can also be frozen to an extent with a camera flash, even at low shutter speeds. Take a look at this

    example:

    Caspian Tern - 1/250 of a second @ ISO 800

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    It was getting dark and even after increasing the sensor sensitivity to ISO 800, the camera still needed at least

    1/250th of a second to properly expose this bird. If I had shot the bird at that speed, the bird would have turnedout to be blurry, since it moved faster than 1/250th of a second. I used an external flash and fired the camera at

    1/250th of a second and as you can see, it helped me to freeze motion, despite having a low shutter speed for a

    bird in flight.

    All of the above is achieved by simply controlling the shutter speed. In summary, high shutter speeds freeze

    action, while low shutter speeds create an effect of motion.

    3) How shutter speed is measured

    Shutter speeds are typically measured in fractions of a second, when they are under a second. For example 1/4means a quarter of a second, while 1/250 means one two-hundred-and-fiftieth of a second or four milliseconds.

    Most modern DSLRs can handle shutter speeds of up to 1/4000th of a second, while some can handle much

    higher speeds of 1/8000th of a second and faster. The longest shutter speed on most DSLRs is typically 30

    seconds (without using external remote triggers).

    4) Fast, slow and long shutter speeds

    Fast shutter speed is typically whatever it takes to freeze action. For me, it is typically above 1/500th of a

    second for general photography and above 1/1000th of a second for bird photography.

    Slow shutter speed is considered to be the slowest shutter speed that you can handle without introducing

    camera shake. Some of the newer Nikon lenses such as the Nikon 70-200mm VR II have special vibration

    reduction technologies within the lens that can handle shutter speeds of up to 1/10th of a second (depending

    on photographers technique), hand-held!

    How about long shutter speed? Long shutter speeds are typically above 1 second, when you have to use a

    tripod to get acceptably sharp images (for low-light/night photography or to capture movement).

    5) How to set shutter speed

    Most cameras handle shutter speeds automatically through in-camera metering. When the camera is set to

    Auto mode, both shutter speed and aperture are automatically selected by the camera. When you shoot in

    Aperture Priority mode, you set the lens aperture, while the camera automatically sets the shutter speed.

    There are two ways to manually set the shutter speed:

    a) By setting the camera to Shutter Priority mode, where you set the shutter speed and the camera

    automatically selects the aperture.

    b) By setting the camera to Manual mode, where you set both shutter speed and aperture manually.

    I recommend letting the camera select the correct shutter speed for you. I personally shoot in Aperture

    Priority mode 99% of the time and I let my camera calculate the shutter speed for me.

    6) How to find shutter speed

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    Do you know how to find out what your camera shutter speed is set to? It is typically very easy to find the

    shutter speed. On Nikon DSLRs that have a top panel, the shutter speed is typically located on the top left

    corner:

    Nikon D90 Top Panel - Shutter Speed

    If you look through the viewfinder, it should also be the number on the bottom left side of the screen. On most

    DSLRs, you will not see the shutter speed as a fraction of a second it will typically be a regular number.When the shutter speed is slower than or equals to one second, you will see something like 1? or 5? (the sign

    indicates a full second).

    If you still cant find the shutter speed, set your camera to Aperture Priority mode, then look into the

    viewfinder and point at a really dark area. Remember the numbers in the display, then switch to a very bright

    area and see what number changes. The number that changes is your shutter speed.

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    Pro Tip: Minimum Shutter Speed in Photography When Shooting

    Handheld

    Did you know that when shooting handheld there is a minimum shutter speed

    in photography you must follow in order to have crisp looking photos? If youdidnt then dont feel bad because youre not alone. Most new photographers

    dont know this either and only learn it by sheer luck!

    You may have noticed that when you take some photos handheld that they end

    up coming out blurry or not very sharp. Many times the photo looks crisp on

    your preview monitor but when you sit down to review your photos you seethat theyre not sharp. You scratch your head and think to yourself I know I

    held the camera very still. Why are these blurry!

    What youre not aware of is that most photos shot handheld will come out blurry if you dont choose the rightshutter speed for your photograph because of a factor called camera shake. Camera shake occurs from the

    small natural movements of your hands. No matter how steady you think your hands are when shooting

    handheld they still move slightly and can end up causing motion blur. Thats because the shutter speed youchose is not fast enough to compensate for this slight movement. There is a minimum shutter speed you must

    follow when shooting handheld.

    So what is the Minimum Shutter Speed in Photography?

    Depending on what the focal length of your lens is set at will determine what the minimum shutter speed inphotography should be. A good rule of thumb is to choose a shutter speed that is one over your focal

    length.

    Confused? Heres an example to help you understand how to choose the minimum correct shutter speed for

    your photography:

    Lets say you are using a telephoto lens at it is set at 300mm. How do you know its set at 300mm? Just look at

    the number its turned to on the barrel of your lens. By using the rule above youll need to choose a shutter

    speed of at least 1/300. This equals one over the focal length. If your lens was set at 90mm you would choose a

    shutter speed of at least 1/90. Make sense?

    You probably noticed in the above paragraph that we said choose a shutter speed ofat least Thats

    because this is the bare minimum shutter speed you can use for a sharp shot when shooting handheld one

    over the focal length. Often you need to choose a speed setting that is one or two faster. How do you know

    exactly which one to choose? It takes practice and depends on how shaky your hands are!

    If you need to use a slower shutter speed to achieve a good exposure then youll need to use a tripod. A tripod

    will allow you to use slower shutter speeds as they prevent the occurrence of camera shake.

    Now that you know how to choose the minimum speed for your shutter when taking photos you might be

    wondering how to achieve different effects with shutter speed. For more information on this topic check out

    another post we wrote on

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    How to Choose the Right Shutter Speed for Your Photograph

    Are you confused on how to choose the right shutter speed for your photograph? Have you ever taken aphoto and later discovered that the subject within the frame had unintended motion blur or you froze

    the action of something you really want to create a blur?

    In this article were going to teach youhow to choose the right shutter speed

    in order to capture the righttype of action within your photograph.

    A Quick Definition of Shutter Speed

    Shutter speed, also known as exposure time, stands for the length of time a camera shutter is open to exposelight into the camera sensor. If the shutter speed is fast, it can help to freeze action completely. If the shutter

    speed is slow, it can create an effect called motion blur, where moving objects appear blurred along the

    direction of the motion. To learn more about shutter speed read our post on Understanding Shutter Speed.

    Choosing the Right Shutter Speed for Action Shots

    Before you set out to take a photo you need to make a decision on what you want to achieve within the

    photograph.

    Decide on which one of these two effects you are going for:

    1. Freezing the action within the frame2. or, allowing the action to create motion blur within the frame

    After making a decision youll then have an easier time choosing the right shutter speedfor your photograph.It is important to set the appropriate shutter speed for the effect you are looking for and then adjust your

    aperture and ISO to achieve the correct exposure.

    1) How to Freeze Action within the Frame

    If you want to

    freeze the

    action withinthe frame, like

    a race car

    zooming by or

    a baseball

    player hitting afast pitch, you

    need to take afew things into

    consideration:

    The distance between the camera and the subject The focal length of your lens The direction in which the action is traveling: parallel or perpendicular to the camera

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    The distance between the camera and the subject affects shutter speed choice because the closer you are to

    the action the faster the shutter speed has to be. Objects that are close to the camera appear larger and fill more

    of the frame. Small movements require less distance to travel to create an exaggerated effect.

    To help you understand this concept set your camera in shutter priority mode and hold it in your right hand.

    Next, hold your left hand out at arms length in front of your face. Adjust your cameras focal length so thatyour hand fills the frame. Choose a 1/60 of a second shutter speed. Then, in a faster manner wave your hand

    back and forth and take a picture. Notice how moving your hands just a few inches seems like big movementswithin the frame and causes motion blur? Now, adjust your shutter speed to 1/500 of a second and take another

    picture; the motion of the hand should be captured still.

    To expand on the previous example have a friend stand one hundred feet away from you and keep your cameraset on the same focal length. Also, change your shutter speed back to 1/60 of a second. Then, have your friend

    wave their hand just as you did and take a photo. Notice how the action of your friends hand is frozen even

    though you used the same shutter speed that causes your hand to be blurry? Thats because objects that arefarther away from the camera take up less space within the frame and require larger movements (like waving

    arms) to create an exaggerated effect.

    The focal length you choose is affected in the same manner as the distance between the camera and the action.The only difference between the two is that the focal length is an optical change while the distance is aphysical change. A long focal length is just like moving closer to the action and requires a faster shutter speed

    while a shorter focal length is like moving farther away and requires a shorter shutter speed. For example, if

    youre trying to capture a pair of boxers fighting from a distance of 10 feet using a focal length of 20mm, youwould have to use a shutter speed of at least 1/500 1/1000 of a second to freeze the action. On the other hand,

    if you were at a distance of one hundred feet away with a focal length of 20mm you could use a slower shutter

    speed of 1/125 1/250 of a second for the same effect because the size of the boxers motions diminishes

    considerably.

    The direction in which the action is traveling (parallel or perpendicular to the camera) also affects the right

    shutter speed choice. The rule of thumb here is easy to understand. Subjects that move parallel to the camera(left or right and up or down) require faster shutter speeds than those that move perpendicular (toward oraway). The reason for this is that a parallel motion requires less distance to travel to make a noticeable effect.

    Its more difficult to see the change in distance when an object is perpendicular to the camera.

    2) How to Allow the Action to Create Motion Blur within the Frame

    Allowing the action to create motion blur within the frame is a creative way to use shutter speed inphotography. Popular uses of this technique include images such as the motion trails of a car zooming by and

    the smooth flowing water of a waterfall. Luckily, choosing a shutter speed to create motion within a photo is

    not as complicated as the steps to freezing action as you learned above.

    For the most part, when you are trying to capture the motion blur within a photograph youre going to berelatively close to the action. Therefore, focal length and distance is not as much of a concern on which shutter

    speed you choose. If you are really far away from the action then you will want to take those two things into

    consideration and follow the tips we outlined above in How to Freeze Action Within the Frame.

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    that does not have a lot of depth between the background and main subject (most everything within the scene is

    equal distance from the camera.) An example of this would be a man standing against a brick wall or a woman

    sitting on the hood of a car (The people and background elements are on equal field planes.)

    Notice how in these photos a medium f-stop was chosen because the subjects are relatively close to the objectsin the background (a car and a backdrop). Photo by Refracted Moments and the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas

    Choosingf/16 tof/32 and higher

    These f-stops are used when large depth-of-field is very important. These are the right aperture choice if yourgoal is to capture a scene with a lot of depth and have everything in focus from the foreground to the

    background. An example would be a landscape photo with flowers in the foreground and a mountain range in

    the background. Since there is a large distance (many miles) between the foreground and background itsimportant to choose an aperture that can render everything in focus.

    Notice how in these photos a higher f-stop was chosen because there are elements in the foreground and

    background that are important and a large depth of field is required for a good

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    Photography Exercise That Teaches You How to Shoot Better

    One of the keys to capturing great photos is having a good photographic eye. There are a few luckyphotographers out there that have a natural instinct for taking good photos, but most of us have to train

    ourselves on how to have it.

    Here is asimple photography exercise

    that teaches you how to shoot better photos and train yourphotographic eye.

    The Photography Exercise

    Grab your camera with a kit style lens, like an 18-55mm. This type of lens works best for this exercisebecause it covers a variety of focal ranges. Then, go out for a walk. Go anywhere you choose. At some point

    during your journey stop when you find an object that intrigues you. It can be anything like a flower, park

    bench, flag pole, street sign, etc.

    Now, make it your goal to take at least 10 different shots

    of the object that intrigued you. Capture a variety of focallengths and angles.

    Types of shots can include:

    Wide shot showing location and surroundings Close up with blurred background Low angle looking up at it High angle looking down at it Frame the object with another object Vertical framing and horizontal framing

    Focus on another object thats closer to the camerarendering the object out of focus

    etc.By forcing yourself to capture at least 10 different photos

    youll end up with a good sample.

    At the end of this photography exercise look through the

    photos you took and pick three that you think are the best.Examine those three photos carefully and ask yourself what

    characteristics these have that led you to this decision.

    Thinking about each photo in this way will train yourphotographic eye because youll learn what traits make a

    good photo. To get the most out of this photography exercise its best that you repeat it several times. Make

    sure to choose a variety of subjects to photograph. The more you practice the better youll train yourphotographic eye.

    Want to make this photography exercise more exciting?

    Take another person with you on your journey and have them choose the subject for you to capture. Better yet,

    take another photographer with you and examine each of your photos together to find out what characteristicsmake a great photo. But, most of all have fun!

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    7 Action Sports Photography Tips You Should Know

    Do you want to capture great looking sports photos? Then read these action sports photography tips below

    and discover how to take sports photos that get noticed.

    The most important aspects of taking good action sports photos are the cameras aperture, shutter speed, and

    ISO settings. Of course, youll also have to make sure the images are in focus and youre in good position totake the shots.

    Below, are some important tips for you to learn from so you can take better shots?

    Action Sports

    Photography

    Tips

    Tip #1

    For sharp, crisp imagesyou need to be sure the

    camera is getting enough

    light into it. The apertureand shutter speed need to

    be balanced to achieve this. Remember, the lower the f-stop is, such as f/2.8, the more light youre letting in.

    Also, the faster the shutter speed the more light is needed to expose the photo. When the shutter speed is

    slower more light gets in to the camera because the sensor is exposed for a longer period of time. The faster the

    shutter speed, the lower the F-stop needs to be. Remember this important action photography tips for everysport.

    Tip #2

    When it comes to freezing the action in sports photography, youll need a fast shutter speed. If its too slow the

    shots will generally be blurry. The best way to balance the shutter speed and aperture is to set the camera to

    manual mode and experiment. Set the shutter speed at 1/500 th of a second and take a shot. If the image is toodark then youre not getting enough light in the camera. In this instance, slow the shutter speed down until

    your action sports photography shots are at the right exposure or adjust the aperture to a lower f-stop. The

    easiest way is to set the f-stop as low as you can and keep taking photos at various shutter speeds until the

    balance between shutter and aperture provides the right exposure match. In well-lit instances of sportsphotography you may be able to take shots as fast as 1/4000th

    of a second. action sports photography tips.

    Tip #3

    In low-light conditions you may not be able to get a properly exposed photo simply because your lens aperture

    doesnt go low enough. A lens that gives you an f2.8 aperture or lower may be needed for very low-light action

    photography.

    Tip #4

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    The ISO setting has to be correct as well in sports photography. This indicates the sensitivity of the image

    sensor to light. The lower the number, such as 100, the lower the sensitivity is and the finer the grain will be.

    Therefore a sports photo shot at 1600 ISO will be quite a bit grainier (noise).

    Tip #5

    In darker

    conditions, youll

    need a higher ISO

    setting as it willallow for faster

    shutter speeds. In

    well-lit conditions,100 ISO may be

    perfect. However,

    if its cloudy outyou may want to

    experiment at 200

    or 400. If you want less noise, try and get your shots with a lower ISO setting. However, if the conditions are

    dark, you may need to use 1600, especially if the subject is moving and you dont have a tripod.

    Tip #6

    If you want to capture the action as close as possible youll need to get as close to the playing area as you can.

    This isnt always possible though. In the case that youre quite a distance away youll need a telephoto lens ofat least 300mm to make up for the distance. But remember, the more you zoom in, the less light youll be

    letting into the camera, which means youll need a slower shutter speed or lower f-stop setting.

    Tip #7

    Timing is very important in sports photography. Its important to know the rules and how the sport youre

    covering is played. To get great sports action shots you can pre-focus on a location where you know there willbe plenty of it taking place. This will help you to be ready for the action before it plays out and ensure you

    have a properly focused image.

    A Recap of Action Sports Photography Tips

    To sum up these tips, you need to have adequate camera equipment and lighting. A manual camera is definitely

    easier to work with in sports photography as it gives you more options. Long and fast lenses are ideal for

    action shots and high ISO settings are usually needed in darker conditions. A fast shutter speed helps to freezethe action while panning can show speed in an image. If youre following an athlete with your camera, a

    continuous shooting mode is highly recommended. Most importantly, to take a crisp, clear shot, make sure

    youre in focus.

    Tell us what you think of these action sports photography tips or share your own by leaving a comment below.

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    How to Shoot Product PhotographyLearning product photography lighting is one of the most important things you can do to help sell a product.

    Prospective customers viewing items online or in a magazine cant see or touch the item in person, so a photomust showcase an items beauty and detailed qualities; which is best achieved by following important set ups

    when lighting for product photography.

    There are two types of product photography you can shoot:

    1. An object on a white, black or colored background2. An object in its natural environment

    In Part 1 of this 2 part article on how to shoot product photography, we are going to teach you how to shoot

    objects on a white, black or colored background.

    What You Need for Product Photography Lighting

    In order to shoot the best product photography you are going to need several things:

    A dslr camera 18-55mm lens Tripod A tabletop photo kit OR 2-3 500 watt continuous lights with stands and a tabletop background with

    seamless white, black and/or colored backdrops. *We recommend two for you to choose from below.

    All of these items can be found inexpensively on Amazon.com through this link: Product Photography

    Equipment.

    Two tabletop photo kits we recommend include:

    Setting Up and Lighting for Product Photography

    Set Up Tabletop Photography and Position the Camera

    If you opted to buy a tabletop kit (which is recommended when starting out) follow the instructions on how to

    set it up.

    If you chose to purchase your own lights with stands and a tabletop background follow these instructions. A

    detailed photo is also below.

    Set up the seamless background so that the back of the material is vertical against a wall (or flat object)and the bottom is horizontal on a table.

    Place your object in the middle of the horizontal section of the backdrop material. Position your camera so that it is directly across from the vertical background of the material.

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    Lighting the Product

    Position one light directly above and close to your object. Position the other two lights to each side and close to your object but slightly toward the camera. You

    want a 20-30 degree angle with the lights pointing toward the subject.

    We position our lights in the manner described above in order to eliminate as many shadows as possible fromthe object. If you did not flood the object with light from all angles you would end up with ugly harsh shadows

    on the subject.

    The light above should be bright enough to adequately illuminate the subject. The lights on the sides should be

    bright enough to make the background an even white as well as eliminate shadowing. Try to position the sidelights so that they are casting the same amount of light on the object. You dont want one light to overpower

    the other.

    If your lights have adjustable dimmers use those to control the amount of light casting on your set up. If youdont have adjustments just move the lights further away from the set up to reduce the amount of light or closer

    to increase it. There is no scientific method for this placement. Try to figure it out with your eyes.

    Choosing the Best Angle for the Product

    The key to shooting great product photography is choosing the best angle for the product. Generally, this is

    where most photographers fail. They just place the object in the center of the tabletop background, snap the

    photo and go on their way. This results in a flat and boring photo.

    Heres how you should angle the camera toward the object in tabletop photography:

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    Most products look best when viewed at a 3/4 angle turn to the camera. This means the object is turnedhalf way between the camera and a profile shot. Positioning the object in this way allows you to seetwo sides of the object at once while enhancing its depth.

    Many products also look good with slight downward angle. This angle shows as much of the product aspossible. Position the camera so it is straight on with the subject, then raise your tripod a few inchesand tilt the camera down. This also helps enhance the depth of the object and by allowing the viewer to

    see three sides instead of two. *You can also try a slight upward angle by lowering your camera a few

    inches.

    Camera Settings and Focal Length

    Its very important that your object be in perfect focus so that viewers can see complete detail. To ensure that

    you achieve this in your product photography follow these rules:

    Place your camera on a tripod to reduce all possibility of camera shake. Set your ISO to its lowest setting 100, 200 or lower. This will reduce grain in the photo. Set your aperture to f/8 or f/11. Adjust your shutter speed until you reach a properly exposed image. Use the histogam on your camera

    to make sure your white and black levels are within proper range.

    We recommend using an 18-55mm lens on your camera because it offers an advantage to using a fixed lengthprime lens. For the most part you want to keep your focal length around 50mm to capture the object without

    any distortion. However, if you want to exaggerate the depth of the object and make it look bigger you can also

    choose a lower focal length and then move the tripod closer. This can be very effective for small items like

    cars, trains, or jewelry.

    We also explained that there are two types of product photography you can shoot:

    1. An object on a white, black or colored background2. An object in its natural environment

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    In Part 2 of this article for Product Photography, we are going to teach you how to shoot objects in their

    natural environment.

    Why Shoot Products In Their Natural Environment?

    Shooting products in their natural environment can be a very persuasive tool to help generate sales for a store

    or shop. Showcasing products in this manner helps to bring a business as close to an in-person shopping

    experience as possible. The customer is able to envision the product as if they already own it. As aphotographer your goals it to capture the most appealing product shots.

    Our Most Important Tip

    This may sound obvious but the best way to learn how to compose great product photography shots is to find

    other online merchants, magazines and blogs that represent your clients product style and what the shopshould reflect. A furniture store, for example, would display its products differently than a toy store. Take

    notes of how different merchants displays their products.

    Below, is a list of attributes you should think about when studying other merchant photos and developing a

    style for your product photography shots.

    Developing a Style of Product Photography

    Choose A Depth of Field and Stick With It

    When developing your style for a particular product photography shoot thinks about which type of depth of

    field you want to exhibit in your photos.

    Its best to pick either a large depth of field or shallow depth of field and stick to it for every product shot. You

    want the viewer to have a similar experience while looking at each product and not feel like the photos were

    taken by different photographers. Choosing a depth of field style will help to strength the user experience andreinforce the product brand.

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    Adding Background and Supporting Elements

    When deciding on the types of background and supporting elements just use

    your common sense.

    For example, if youre taking a photo of a jewelry box it would make sense to

    place the box on a table and include some jewelry inside it. To add additional

    interest to the photo you could place some jewelry pieces on the table surroundthe box. This type of staging would resonate with a potential customer becauseits a scene they are familiar with going through the jewelry box to find the

    right one!

    Another trick is to take other products that the merchant sells and use those tohelp support the main product. This will do two things for you: 1) make it easy

    to set up an appealing background and 2) encourage interest in other products

    the merchant sells.

    A final way to stage a background for product photography is to remove any

    distracting elements from it. Take the photo below for example. Thebackground only consists of a table and wall drawing the focus to the product

    itself.

    Using Color

    Its best to use a consistent color scheme for each stores products that you are

    photographing.

    You can go in either two directions when developing a color style:

    1. Muted background and product color taking center stage. Think of a bright red pillow on a tan couch.2. Or, complimentary colors from the opposite end of the color wheel to the products dominant color.Think of a bright red pillow on a green or yellow couch.

    Whichever color scheme you choose just make sure to follow it through for each image you take.

    To shoot with a more neutral background and just small pops of color here and there. My taste and many of the

    things in my shop, leans towards texture and detail, rather than color. But when I do feature color, I like it totake center stage. Using colors from the opposite ends of the color wheel, or color combinations that are

    slightly off is a great way to create a unique look. My current favorite pairings are lavender and red, and

    turquoise and chartreuse.

    It is really important to depict the color of a product in its truest form. Buyers dont want to be surprised when

    an item they receive is markedly different from what they saw in your shop. It can be tempting to over or under

    saturate to achieve a look, but here is the rare occasion when its more important to put your creativity aside,

    and let the product speak for itself.

    Lighting

    For most product photography its usually best to provide enough light so that the product and background are

    evenly lit with minimal shadows. This allows the viewer to see all of the details of the product.

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    To achieve a correctly lit scene we recommend that you use as many soft lights as needed for the size of your

    scene. Large scenes require more lights while smaller scenes require less. Its really just a matter of trial and

    error.

    When you position your lights make sure to place them in a manner that floods the entire scene with light.

    Take the example above for example. The photographer used two umbrella lights to cast soft light onto thescene. The lights where positioned at the same angle from behind the camera so that the whole scene was

    evenly lit. Both lights are having the same wattage of power too.

    Finally, Keep It Consistent

    I cant stress enough how important it is for you to keep the style of all of the photos consistent for a particular

    product photography shoot. Paying close attention to this rule will provide the best experiences for potentialcustomer and set your photographs apart from the work of other photographers!

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    Nature Photography How to Shoot Silhouette Photography Photographing Animals at the Zoo Capturing Wildlife Photography from a Distance

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    How to Shoot Silhouette PhotographyA very powerful, yet often neglected photo technique is silhouette photography.

    Silhouette photos are visually powerful because they combine simplicity with a sense of mystery and drama.

    Not being able to see the details of the main subject causes the viewers mind to wander and create their ownstory within an image.

    Like many photographers, youve probably seen great silhouette photography and often wondered how did

    they do that? Today, were going to teach you everything you need to know about shooting silhouette

    photography. Once you master this technique youll be sure to have a photo album full of intriguing photos

    that take people breathe away!

    Choosing a Subject for Silhouette Photography

    The best silhouette photos include a strong subject. When choosing a subject makes sure that it has a strong

    and recognizable shape. You want your viewers to instantly know what the subject is by its dark outline. If theshape is ambiguous or hard to make out youll lose your viewers interest.

    If youre going to include more than one subject in your silhouette photography photo make sure to keep them

    separated. If you have one subject in front of another then they will end up merging together and could confuse

    your viewer by not recognizing the shape.

    For example, take the photo on the left below of the silhouette of the man and the cross. Notice how separation

    makes each object recognizable. Contrast that with the photo on the right. We can tell from the hair in the

    silhouette that its of a person but cant really tell what they are doing. Their outline has merged with other

    objects and has made them unrecognizable.

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    Lighting Your Subject

    To create a silhouette you need to have the main source of light shining on the back of your subject, not the

    front. When positioned correctly the light will be shining toward your camera. Its usually best to have yoursubject stand directly in front of your light source, however having the light slightly above or to the side can

    also work.

    Its also important to turn off your flash in silhouette photography. If your camera is in an automatic or semi-automatic mode it may try to compensate for the lack of lighting on the front of your subject by firing the flash.

    In silhouette photography your goal is to have as little light on the front of your subject as possible so turn

    the flash off.

    Framing the Silhouette

    When framing your silhouette you can follow the standard photography rule of thirds or be creative. Its up to

    you! Just make sure you achieve a proper balance in your shot.

    Focusing

    Focusing is fairly easy. Just set your focus so that its on your main subject. This will render an outline of a

    black subject that is nice and sharp. Focusing anywhere else could cause your subject to have a blurry outline

    and reduce the power of the photo.

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    Achieving Proper Exposure in Silhouette Photography

    Proper exposure is achieved in silhouette photography when the main subject is completely black and details

    can be seen within or around the light source. If done correctly, a partial silhouette where some of the detailscan be seen in the subject can also be a nice shot. Sometimes a touch of light on them makes them slightly

    more three dimensional and real.

    Heres how you achieve proper exposure:

    First, choose an aperture.

    The aperture you choose is really dependent upon the perspective and depth of your shot. If the background isfar away from the subject then you should choose a higher f/stop number (ex. f/22). This will maximize your

    depth of field and render a sharp foreground and background. If the background is relatively close to the

    subject a lower f/stop number can be chosen since depth of field is not much of an issue (ex. f/8).

    Second, use your cameras light meter to determine shutter speed.

    Point your cameras light meter toward the light source in the background and then zoom in to fill the frame.Next, adjust your cameras shutter speed so that it reads a proper exposure. When you zoom back out to adjust

    your framing and then take the shot the background will be exposed properly to show detail while the subject

    will be completely (or almost) black.

    We hope you enjoyed this tutorial on silhouette photography. Leave a comment below sharing your thoughts

    and attempts youve made at this type of photography

    .

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    Photographing Animals at the Zoo

    A zoo or wildlife park is a great place for you to capture amazing animal photos. In this tutorial were going to

    share with you tips on photographing animals at the zoo like pro!

    One of the most popular reasons photographers are drawn to taking pictures of animals at zoos is because the

    wildlife is habituated to people. This makes it easy to capture great photos that otherwise would be impossibleif trying to shoot in the wild. If natural wildlife photography interests you be sure to read out other article on

    How to Capture Wildlife Photography from a Distance.

    Tips on Photographing Animals at the Zoo

    Go at Lunchtime

    One of the best tips we can give you for taking photos of animals at a zoo is to show up during the feeding

    times. In fact, this is a secret trick professional photographers have been using for years tophotograph

    animals!

    Most zoos and wildlife parks set regular feeding times. The animals are used to this schedule and become moreactive around this time since they know they are going to be fed. Do yourself a favor and call the zoo or

    wildlife park ahead of time to find out the feeding times for the animals you are interested in capturing and

    show up about a half hour early. Youll be sure to get some great shots as the animals star to stir!

    Focus on the Eyes

    Just like in portrait photography the eyes are the windows to the soul for zoo photography too. Its veryimportant to have sharply focused eyes when youre photographing animals because they provide an

    immediate point of contact within a photo. Even if the rest of your shot is out of focus, make sure they eyes are

    in focus on every shot.

    Use A Fast Shutter Speed

    Most animals are very skittish and move very quickly. Often, they jerk their heads left and right at the slightest

    sound. To get great zoo photography make sure to use a fast shutter speed. Every animal is different so it willrequire practice while on location to choose the best shutter speed for your shot. As a rule of thumb, it is

    always better to sacrifice depth of field by using a larger aperture setting in order to freeze the action of an

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    animal with a faster shutter speed. This can also help isolate your subject from the foreground and background

    by reducing the sharpness within these areas and eliminate distractions when you are photographing animals.

    Use a 70-200mm Lens

    The best lens for you to use for zoo photography is a 70-200mm lens. This lens is a great choice because it

    allows you to photograph animals that are both far away and close. Most animals outside are protected by a

    fence and this lens lets you zoom in close enough to animals that are far away to get a close up shot. Inside,most animals are protected by a glass which allows you to physically get closer to them. This lens is also a

    great choice

    because it has a

    short enoughfocal length to

    capture these

    types of shots

    as well.

    Get Down on They Animals Level

    The best animal shots are ones that are taken at eye level. Most shots can be achieved by kneeling down or in a

    standing position, however there will come a time when you have to get into uncomfortable positions whenphotographing animals. If necessary, lay down on your stomach or find a higher vantage point (steps or a

    chair) to get the best shots. Whatever it takes make sure you capture your photos on the animals eye level in

    your zoo photography.

    Patience Wins

    Our final tip is to be patient when shooting zoo photography. You wont believe how many great shots havebeen missed by photographers that decided to pack up their gear and move on after only waiting a few minutes

    for an animal to appear or change positions. Occasionally you may stumble upon an animal that is in the

    perfectposition for a

    shot when

    you first see it

    but in many

    cases youllneed to waitfor it. Once

    youve picked

    the animalsyou want to

    capture give

    yourselfextended periods of time to camp out at their enclosures. This way youll hopefully see them in a variety of

    positions and with different expressions. Thats the key to capturing the best shots!

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    Capturing Wildlife Photography from a Distance

    Unless youre taking photos at a zoo you most likely be capturing wildlife photography from a distance.

    Wild animals become very skittish when humans encroach on their natural environments. Animals dont like

    us to getting too close to them and will often hide from view (making our jobs as photographers very difficult!)

    If youd like to capture great wildlife photography youll have to learn the tricks of the trade for photographing

    animals from a distance. Tricks were going to teach you in this tutorial.

    Lets get started.

    Use a Telephoto Lens

    Since wild animals usually hide from us photographers when we get too close its important to use a telephoto

    lens. This allowscapturing wildlife photography

    from far away without disturbing them in their naturalenvironment. A good focal length for capturing wildlife is a lens that is between 200-400mm.

    Use a Large Aperture

    The best wildlife photos are ones where the subject is isolated from the background . By nature, animals

    have camouflage and if you dont select the right aperture they will blend into the environment reducing the

    effectiveness of your photo.

    When capturing wildlife photography its usually best to use a large aperture setting. Large apertures (or low f-stop numbers) allow more light to hit your cameras sensor, which creates a narrow depth of field for your

    photo. Narrow depth of field is ideal for photographing wildlife as it helps to isolate your subject from thebackground. Even if the animal has strong camouflage for its environment a narrow depth of field will blur the

    background and help the subject stand out from its surroundings.

    Notice how using a large aperture setting has separated these animals from the background by blurring it. If asmaller aperture was used the animals would blend in to the background through their natural camouflage.

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    Use an Appropriate Shutter Speed

    In our first tip you learned that capturing wildlife photography requires a long focal length (200-400mm).

    Since this is the case you need to pay close attention to the shutter speed that you choose. Long focal lengths

    require faster shutter speeds.

    A good rule of thumb is that the minimum shutter speed you can choose on your camera (when shooting

    handheld) is one over the focal length. This helps account for the slight camera shake from hand holding thecamera and reduces motion blur. For example, if youre using a focal length of 300mm, the slowest shutter

    speed you can use handheld is 1/300th for a sharp photograph.

    If you use a tripod you may be able to use a slightly slower shutter speed for your shot. But, one over the focallength is a good place to start. In general, capturing wildlife requires a fast shutter speed because animals move

    around a lot and often in quick bursts. Faster shutter speeds allow you to capture an animal in motion without

    the subject becoming a blur. The best way to figure out which shutter speed to choose is to experiment.

    If Necessary Raise ISO over Lowering Shutter Speed

    As we mentioned in our second tip its important to use a large aperture setting to allow for more light intoyour camera. A large aperture allows you to use a faster shutter speed. While on location, if youre not getting

    the correct exposure for your shot we recommend that you raise your ISO setting before lowering the shutterspeed. An increase in image noise is more acceptable than sacrificing the sharpness of your subject by

    lowering the shutter speed.

    Additional Tips for Photographing Wildlife

    Below, youll find additional tips for capturing wildlife photography.

    Be aware of wildlife laws so you do not negatively affect the environments or get into trouble. Whenever you seen an opportunity always take the first shot quickly regardless of your cameras

    settings. Otherwise, the opportunity may be lost and youll end up with nothing. After this first shot,then you can start adjusting the settings to improve your photo.

    Try to capture animals doing something (this makes most appealing photos). When an animal is walking or flying try to compose the shot with an area for them to look into or walk

    into.

    Dont crop the image too tight; allow a little room for the environment they are in, you can always trimit off later if you want.

    There are lots of ways to attract wildlife, including putting out food, adding a small pond, growingplants that attract butterflies and adding bird and other boxes.

    We hope you enjoyed this tutorial on capturing wildlife photography from a distance. If you have anyadditional tips please leave a comment below so that other photographers can take advantage of this

    knowledge.

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    Night Photography

    Concert Photography TipsChoosing Night Photography Settings

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    Concert Photography Tips:

    Shooting Concerts like a Pro!

    One of the most fun and invigorating types of photography for anyone to capture is shooting concerts! What

    makes concerts so unique? Its that they can be really challenging for you as a photographer while at the sametime be very rewarding. In this article were going to share some important concert photography tips for you

    to learn (or help improve) your photos when shooting concerts.

    Coming away from photographing concerts with top-quality photos can be done as long as your camera is

    good enough to capture low-light shots. One of the first concert photography tips we can give you is to alwaysuse a dslr camera when shooting concerts. While most concertgoers take small point-and-shoot digital cameras

    to see their favorite bands or user their phone camera when photographing concerts but these dont produce the

    best shots. Youll always get the best results with a dslr camera.

    Before we share with your our concert photography tips we one important reminder for you to take intoconsideration. The only problem you may face when taking a bigger dslr camera and lens to a venue these days

    is security. Some bands dont allow high quality photos to be taken by fans since they cant make money off

    selling them. Always contact the venue before hand to ask if its allowed for you to bring your dslr before youhead out to start shooting concerts.

    Concert Photography Tips

    Use Manual Mode

    Most concerts take place in darkened venues and even if you get past security flashes usually arent allowed.Unless youre directly in front of the stage when photographing concerts a flash isnt going to do much good

    anyway, other than illuminate the persons head in front of you. Setting your dslr in manual mode is the best

    choice when shooting concerts since you can set the shutter speed, aperture, and ISO levels. Always set the

    white balance appropriately before the concert starts to help reduce time when editing your photos later.

    Shoot in the Highest Resolution Possible

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    This is probably the easiest of our concert photography tips. When shooting concerts always shoot in the

    highest resolution your camera supports. Often, if you didnt buy a pre-sale ticket (or spend a lot of money)youll end up in a seat that is far away from the stage. Shooting in a high resolution allows you to crop the

    shots later to create good looking close up photos and no one will ever think you were far away!

    Choosing ISO and Shutter Speed

    When youre photographing concerts youll have to experiment with the ISO and shutter speed to see whatworks the best in each venue. Our best advice here is for you to try to keep the ISO as low as you can to cut outthe photo noise. The higher the ISO setting the more noise (grain) will be in your photo. For some shots this is

    acceptable, but for most its not.

    If you want to freeze the performers when shooting concerts youll need a relatively fast shutter speed. Youmay want to try a few shots as low as 1/40th of a second and see if they are bright enough. If they are, keep

    trying a faster shutter speed until the photos are too dark. When they are too dark, you can simply slow down

    the shutter speed until the exposure is good. Using a slower shutter speed and panning can also help create a

    blur effect.

    Photos by YODCOX!,

    Use Aperture to Your Advantage

    If you find that your photos are still too dark after experimenting with the previous concert photography tips on

    ISO and shutter speed youll need to adjust your aperture. Another great way to balance the aperture andshutter speed is to keep the same shutter speed, but open the aperture wider until the photos are light enough.

    When photographing concerts in a dark venue it is important to have a fast lens that opens up to a very large

    aperture, like f/2 or wider. A good tip here when shooting concerts like this is for you to record the EXIF datainformation for your photos. This will enable you to go back to them and see which ISO, aperture and speed

    settings produced the best shots so that you can use this knowledge at the next concert.

    Focusing at Concerts

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    Low-light photography for concerts is similar to shooting a boxing match since there is limited light and its all

    focused on the stage. However, the lighting conditions and intensity constantly change at concerts due to thedifferent colored spotlights. In addition, you never really know what your subjects going to do next when

    photographing concerts. Like sports photography, anticipation can help quite a bit, as can Al servo or auto-

    focusing as it allows you to follow your subject while keeping them in focus as they move about the stage. Ifthe venue is really dark, a cameras auto focus system may find it difficult to focus on the subject. If this is the

    case, its a good idea to switch to manual focus while photographing concerts.

    Lens Choice for Distance

    Depending where youre located in the venue when shooting concerts, you may need to use a telephoto or

    zoom lens or even a teleconverter to close in on the performers as tight as you like. A 300 mm lens or higher isrecommended for this and the lower the aperture the better, as it will allow more light in the camera. A 2.8 lens

    or faster is recommended for photographing concerts since you can then use a slower shutter speed and ISO if

    needed. If youre not too far from the stage though, a 70-200 mm, 2.8 lens or anything faster is ideal.

    We hope you enjoyed these concert photography tips and learned some good information on how to achieve

    better photos when shooting concerts. Leave a comment on your favorite tip below!

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    Choosing Night Photography SettingsTaking photos at night can be a real challenge for many photographers. Most photographers dont know

    how to set up their camera with the correct night photography settings. This often results in photos coming

    out too dark or grainy with a lot of visual noise.

    What most photographers dont know is that the trick to night photography is finding the right combination oflow aperture, low ISO and slow shutter speed. In this photography tutorial, were going to teach you how to

    achieve great looking photos at night by explaining everything to you in a full night photography settings

    guide.

    Camera Requirements for Night Photography

    Camera requirements are pretty simple for night photography. Heres what your dslr camera needs to have:

    Manual Exposure Mode Allows you to independently set aperture, ISO and shutter speed.

    Bulb setting Allows manual control over shutter speed to take exposures longer than 30 seconds. Connection for shutter release cable or Wireless remote setting This is very important because the

    slightest vibration of camera shake can cause motion blur in your photographs. It is not advisable to

    press the shutter release button on the camera because

    pressure from your finger can cause movement of thecamera. Invest in an inexpensive cable release orwireless remote for your camera.

    Ability to shoot in RAW format Some photos maylook completely dark in the viewfinder but if its not

    clipping in underexposure the RAW format can allowyou to pull out the details by adjusting exposure in post-

    processing Connection to mount onto a tripod This is very

    important because night photography requires very long

    exposures and no one can hold a camera steady long

    enough to capture sharp images. Night shots vary inexposure time and can require between 30 seconds to

    thirty minutes of exposure time.

    Selecting a Lens

    We recommend that you only use a wide angle lens for night photography.

    Heres why:

    The most intriguing night shots are ones where you can tell they were taken at night. This oftenrequires a photo to include both a foreground and background within the scene. A wide angle lens isbest for this shot.

    Focusing at night can be very hard to do. A wide angle lens is more forgiving with focus because thedepth of field is so large. Being a tad off in focus is not as noticeable as when using a telephoto lens.

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    How to Focus at Night

    At first it may seem impossible to focus at night. Auto focus doesnt work because it cant detect a subject

    through a dark viewfinder. The same thing goes when trying to focus by eye you cant see anything. So, what

    do you do?

    Set your focus ring to the infinity setting . This makes everything up until infinity within your scene in

    focus.

    If youd rather focus on a closer subject in the foreground then you can either guess the distance between the

    lens and the subject and change your focus ring setting to match, or use a flashlight to illuminate the subject

    and look through the viewfinder to adjust proper focus.

    Choosing an Aperture Setting

    When youre shooting night photography depth-of-field is usually not a factor because youre lens is set to

    focus to infinity. This takes all of the guesswork out of choosing an aperture setting. Just open your lens up toits widestf-stop. Your goal in night photography is to allow as much light as possible into the camera. So, if

    your lens opens up to maximum off/5.6, choose that setting.

    Choosing an ISO Setting

    The ISO setting on a camera is a gift and a curse for night

    photographers. Its a gift because you can boost the setting when

    shooting in a dark location in order to brighten up the image and itsa curse because the more you boost the ISO the more noise it

    introduces into the photo. High ISO settings cause photos to look

    grainy and lower quality.

    When choosing the ISO night photography setting on your camera try

    to keep it as low as possible (for example ISO 100 or 200). This will

    give your photos a higher quality look by reducing the noise. With that being said youll want to use a highISO setting when doing your test shots. Well explain more about this in the next section on choosing a shutter

    speed.

    Choosing a Shutter Speed

    Shutter speed is the most difficult night photography setting to choose on your camera because every scene is

    lit differently. Scenes can vary from a pitch black landscape with only the moon providing any light to abrightly lit city with lights coming from every building. Its really just a matter of guessing which shutterspeed will work for your situation and making adjustments from there. The only draw back is that in night

    photography there are times when youll have to use shutter speeds that last as long as 10-30 minutes to get a

    proper exposure. But, instead of wasting an hour just to take two test shots were going to teach you a trick on

    how to figure out proper exposure for your scene in a fraction of that time.

    Heres what we recommend you do when trying to choose a shutter speed for night photography:

    1. Set your ISO to the highest setting possible on your camera

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    2. Choose a shutter speed you think will give an acceptable exposure3. Take a test shot and see how the exposure came out4. Adjust your shutter speed up or down until the test shot has a proper exposure5. Finally, use arithmetic to find the same exposure at a lower ISO setting. This reduces noise and

    captures high quality photos. Each time you reduce the ISO one step (for example, from 400 to 200),the camera needs to let in half as much more light for the same exposure. So, if you had a shutter speed

    of 1/500 at 400 ISO, going to 200 ISO would let you get the same exposure at 1/250 second

    providing the aperture remains unchanged. Another example would be a test shot with a shutter speedof 1 minute at 1000 ISO which is the same exposure as a ten minute shutter speed at 100 ISO and very

    little noise.

    Also, keep in mind that because night photography requires longer shutter speeds, its often unavoidable to

    prevent light trails from moving objects with lights in your scene like cars. Just embrace it.

    A Final Tip

    When starting out in night photography we recommend that you start taking photos at dusk when the sun sets.

    At first, youll still be able to use the light meter within your camera to achieve proper exposure, but as it gets

    darker youll learn how to manually adjust the settings on your camera to compensate for this change.

    A Recap: Proper Night Photography Settings

    1. Use a camera with full manual settings2. Always use a shutter release cable or wireless remote and a tripod to prevent camera shake and motion

    blur

    3. Attach a wide angle lens to your camera4. Set the focus ring to infinity (or focus on a close subject using the tips above)5. Open your aperture to its widest setting6. Set your camera to its highest ISO setting only during test shots to find a shutter speed that gives proper

    exposure7. Find out which slower shutter speed gives the same exposure at a lower ISO setting using the

    arithmetic tips above.

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    Fisheye Lens: A lens with a wider than normal angle of view that produces an image that is foreshortened in

    the center and increasingly distorted in the periphery

    Focal Length: The distance from the surface of a lens or mirror to its focal point. Also known as focal

    distance.

    Focus: The area of an image that is sharp and clear. Focus is controlled by automatically by the internal

    mechanism of a camera or manually by a focus ring.

    Histogram: A feature that can be turned on for some cameras that shows a graphical representation of thetonal range (lightness and darkness) within a photo. This is useful to determine if an image is over exposed,

    underexposed or if clipping is occurring.

    ISO: Measures the sensitivity of the cameras sensor. The lower the number the less sensitive your camera isto light, which results in finer image grain. Higher numbers used in darker situations to get faster shutter

    speeds. The trade off however is more noticeable grain in the shot.

    Manual Mode: A mode that can be selected on a camera that gives you independent control over the aperture,

    shutter speed and ISO. Priority is not given to a specific setting. Proper exposure is determined by thephotographer.

    Megapixels: A measurement of digital photo quality. A one-megapixel image is made up of one million

    pixels.

    Memory: The electronic storage space for the purpose of storing pictures. Most cameras store memory on an

    SD card that is inserted into the camera.

    Overexposure: Exposing an image so that it looks washed-out or white-looking. This occurs when too much

    light is exposed on the image.

    Pixels: A contraction of the term Picture Element. It is the smallest element of a digital image, a single dot

    of light or ink.

    Pixel Count: The number of pixels that go into making each image. The higher the pixel count the more

    realistic an image is likely to appear.

    Post-Processing (PP): The act of using software to correct or enhance an image after it has been captured.

    Common adjustments include improving tonal range, enhancing saturation, changing colors, adding artistic

    elements, etc.

    PPI: An acronym for pixels per inch, and is used to describe an element in picture quality. The higher thenumber of pixels displayed per inch, the better the picture will appear to the human eye and the less easily

    viewers will notice individual pixels.

    Prime Lens: A lens that only has one focal length. You cannot zoom in or out with this lens. An example of aprime lens would be a 50mm lens. A fixed focal length enables a prime lens to allow more light into the

    camera by having a smaller aperture, ex.f/1.2, compared to a zoom lens that may only be able to open up to

    f/4.

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    RAW/NEF: An uncompressed file format that is shot by a camera. A photo is capture in its purest form

    without any data loss. Canon introduced the RAW picture format, while Nikon calls this format NEF.

    Saturation: The term used to describe the brightness of colors within an image. A highly saturated image has

    bright and vibrant colors. A low saturated image has dull and muted colors.

    Sensor: The digital strip within the camera that converts incoming light into an electrical signal.

    Shutter Priority (TV) Mode: A mode that can be selected on a camera that puts priority on the shutter speed

    setting. In this mode, a shutter speed is chosen by the photographer and the camera automatically adjusts the

    aperture and ISO to achieve proper exposure.

    Shutter Speed: The duration, for which the cameras aperture is opened, thereby allowing light to stream in.

    Longer shutter speeds leave the aperture open longer, letting more light in and resulting in more exposure.Shorter shutter speeds leave the aperture open for less amount of time, letting less light in and resulting in less

    exposure.

    Telephoto Lens: A lens has a long focal length. Often used to capture subjects that are a far distance away (ex.

    200-500mm). This lens compresses the visual distance between objects in the foreground and background.

    TIFF: An acronym for Tagged Image File Format. While there is no loss of information in this format, the

    resulting file sizes are also very large.

    Tonal Range: The term used to describe the quality of tone ranging from an images darkest shadow through

    to the brightest highlight details, including all of the transitions in between these extreme levels.

    Wide Angle Lens: A lens that has a short focal length. Often used to capture wide scenic shots (ex. 12-18mm).

    This lens emphasizes the distance between objects in the foreground and background.

    Underexposure: Exposing an image so that it looks dark. This occurs when not enough light is exposed onthe image.

    White Balance: Human eyes compensate for lighting conditions with different colors of light. A digitalcamera, however, requires a reference point that represents white. It then calculates all other colors based upon

    this setting.

    Zoom: The process of optically enlarging a portion of the picture. This is the process of changing the focal

    length and magnification of the lens physically, without altering the quality of the recorded digital image.

    The Rule of Thirds in Photography Composition

    Every photographer must learn about the Rule of Thirds.

    The rule of thirds is one of the most fundamental principles of photographic composition. In short, its amethod of framing your photographs in a way that places your subject in one of the most appealing spots

    within the image.

    The theory behind the rule of thirds is that if you break an image up into thirds, so you have 9 equal parts

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    (imagine a grid), and place your subject on one of the intersecting lines youll have a photograph that is much

    more attractive to the viewer. See the image below.

    The Rule of Thirds Adds Interest to Photographs

    The reason that the rule of thirds is so popular

    among photographers is because placing a

    subject in the middle of a photograph tends tomake a photo feel boring. Thats because its

    symmetrical and predictable. By simply sliding

    your subject over to one of the intersectinglines of the grid your photo immediately

    becomes more appealing because its

    asymmetrical and unpredictable. This makes

    for better photography composition.

    The next time you go to take a photograph,

    imagine the intersecting lines of the rule of

    thirds grid on top of your viewfinder. Then,place your subject on one of the four

    intersecting points. See image of the sheep

    below.

    If you have a vertically tall subject, just line it

    up so that it touches either both of the left or

    right points.

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    If you have a horizontally long subject, just lineit up so that it touches either the two top or

    bottom points. See the images below for

    examples.

    If you have a dominant vertical and horizontal

    subject within the frame, choose either the lefttwo points or right to point and the top two

    points or bottom two points to align each with.

    The photo below is a perfect example of how to

    approach this type of shot.

    We hope you enjoyed this photography tutorial

    on the rule of thirds in photography. Please

    share this tutorial with other photographersusing the buttons below

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    Six Secret Steps for How to Take Good Photos

    Learn them today!

    Do You Want to Know the Secrets for How to Take Good Photos?

    Wouldnt it feel great if every time you pushed the shutter button you knew you would be capturing an award-

    winning photograph?

    Well, now you can! And this article is going to teach you just how to do it!

    Youve probably been wonderingWhat is it that pro photographers know about taking good photographsthat you dont? How did they learn how to take good photos that command attention, are balanced perfectly in

    composition, and rake in tons of cash for their photography business?

    By reading every word in this article youll soon learn that its not as hard as you think!

    For years, pro photographers have been using the Six Secret Steps listed below for how to take good photos. Itsthese six steps (and these six steps alone) that will instantly make your photos more engaging, more balanced,

    and more profitable.

    So lets get on with it!

    The Six Secret Steps for How to Take Good Photos

    Secret #1

    Yeah, everyone out there has this first secret listed somewhere in the how to take photos handbook. But, thereis a good reason for it. When I decided to pursue my passion of photography, I had no idea what a rule of

    thirds was, or even how ISO and white balance factored into a photo. I just knew I liked to click a shutter

    button. It was not until I had a horrible stock submission experience that I realized I had a lot more to learn.

    Thus, I started reading about photography.

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    This step on how to take good photos is a bitter pill to swallow up front, but there is a reason I am telling you

    to FORGET about post processing. Almost any photographer you talk to will tell you to get the image ascorrect in the camera first, and then post process it to a final result. This is great, once you have basics down

    pact. If you end up depending on software like Lightroom, Aperture, or Photoshop to fix white balance,

    exposure, or ghosting, then you are just making more work for yourself in the end. I am the first to admit that Iwill use Lightroom to fix crops, increase saturation, and even add a bit of vibrancy. Before I do any of these

    adjustments, I try to get the look I want right out of the camera. When you are comfortable getting the look you

    want out of the camera, then you can add on your software of choice to put the final changes onto your photos.

    Secret #5

    This the hardest secret for most people to handle when learning how to take good photos. Getting critiques ofyour photographs. Critiques are the hardest things to find, let alone take. We all love great praise, and

    sometimes it is all we need. Sadly, we learn from the hard honest critiques the most. You may know these

    mean reviews as your white balance is off, poor framing job, not sharp enough, or even the dreaded what isthe point here. While these kinds of critiques can hurt ones pride, it should not crush your desire to improve.

    Some of the best learning experiences I encountered were from the few words that may have stomped on mypride in an image. These drove me back to learn more, try harder, and expand on the feedback I received. Then

    when I came around again, the words were of praise and a pat on the back as I improved and grew.

    Critiques can be hard to find. While friends and family are nice, they sadly may not want to hurt your feelings.

    This is where the Internet has come to your aid. Sure, it sucks to have some anonymous person tell you your

    photo sucks and leave it at that, but they obviously had nothing constructive to say. The few people that dooffer honest feedback are worth ever letter they spill out to help you get better. If you can get into gallery

    shows, or have a peer rate your work even better. The best critique is the one you learn from.

    Secret #6

    The most important thing you can do during all of this is have fun. I admit it, I say this a lot. However, when

    things become a chore, or you start to dread what you are doing, well, sadly you may need to sit down andreconsider things. When you have fun and enjoy this beautiful art we call photography it will show in your

    images. It does not matter what kind of images you love to capture, if you are having fun and have a passion

    for what you do, the results of your labor will be that much better.

    Getting great at photography is not some mysterious language that is harder to find than some holy grail. It is

    just a matter of work and love. You ultimately never stop learning, and you skills will continue to grow as you

    continue on your photography journey. Enjoy the ride as you only get to do this life thing once.

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    Explained&

    Understanding

    Camera Exposure Explained

    Understanding Aperture

    Understanding ISOUnderstanding Aperture Priority Mode

    Understanding Shutter Priority Mode

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    greater tonality range over conventional methods by varying the contrast of the film to fit the print contrast

    capability. Digital cameras can achieve similar results (high dynamic range) by combining several different

    exposures (varying only the shutter speeds) made in quick succession.

    Today, most cameras automatically determine the correct exposure at the time of taking a photograph by using

    a built-in light meter, or multiple point meters interpreted by a built-in computer, see mete


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