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Tutoiials

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2 | a g e

Photography Tutorial Book

Forward from the Author

Hello and thank you for getting my
knowledge and tutorials from internet to help people who are interested in this great field. I love to see people learn
and produce good photography,.
page and start getting inspired with new ideas and techniques. With that being said, however, it wouldn't be a bad
idea to read the ebook in order because each technique
progresses.
This ebook wouldn't have been made possible to create without the help from all the photographers who have
contributed their images to this project.

If you have any questions, comments, suggestions, testimonials, corrections, new ideas or photo
you would like to see in future editions of this ebook, feel free to e
haroonkamran@gmail.com
I'm happy to answer questions and respond to feedback.
You can also find me on

Tweet me
https://twitter.com/#!/HaroonKam

Blog me
http://haroonkamran.blogspot.com/

Visit my site
http://www.haroonkamran.com/

And please
https://www.facebook.com/shkphotography
a g e
progresses.
Tweet me
Blog me
Visit my site
And please
Remember that all images in this
some other sources and there is no reason to believe about any violation
of their copyrights, it is all about helping others

Tweet me
Visit my site
And please like my Photography Page
Hello and thank you for getting my SHK Photography Tutorials
and produce good photography,. This ebook is structured so that at any point in time you can jump to just about any
haroonkamran@gmail.com , haroon.kamran@faceboo.com
my Photography Page

SHK Photography Tutorials
This ebook is structured so that at any point in time you can jump to just about any

haroon.kamran@faceboo.com
https://twitter.com/#!/HaroonKamran
my Photography Page

SHK Photography Tutorials
idea to read the ebook in order because each technique generally gets more difficult and complex as the ebook
haroon.kamran@faceboo.com
ran
my Photography Page
Remember that all images in this eBook are taken from internet and

SHK Photography Tutorials ebook! I have created this ebook to share my
generally gets more difficult and complex as the ebook
you would like to see in future editions of this ebook, feel free to e-mail me at
haroon.kamran@faceboo.com , info@haroonkamran@gmail.com
eBook are taken from internet and
By Sheikh Haroon Kamran
I have created this ebook to share my
mail me at
info@haroonkamran@gmail.com


If you have any questions, comments, suggestions, testimonials, corrections, new ideas or photos that

3 | a g e

Photography Tutorial Book By Sheikh Haroon Kamran

When LhaL shuLLer cllcks, anyLhlng else LhaL can be done afLerward ls noL worLh conslderaLlon.
Ldward SLelchen

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 sensor
to 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.

4 | a g e


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
Bulb
For 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 1/15
For use in low light conditions, night photography, fireworks, etc. A tripod must be used to prevent motion
blur.
1/30th
For 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 1/125th
Common 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.
1/500th
Good for freezing faster moving objects such as a car or runner.
1/1000th and faster
Good 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!

S | a g e


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 the
magic happens it is responsible for creating dramatic effects by
either freezing action or blurring motion. In this article, I will try to
explain 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 expose
light 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 speed
and motion is communicated to the viewer by intentionally
blurring the moving wheels.
<= Example of Motion Blur
Slow shutter speeds are also used to photograph lightnings or
other objects at night or in dim environments with a tripod.
Landscape photographers intentionally use slow shutter
speeds to create a sense of motion on rivers and waterfalls,
while keeping everything else in focus.
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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 turned
out 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 1/4
means 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.

9 | a g e


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 you
didnt 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 see
that 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 right
shutter 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 you
chose 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 in
photography 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 of at 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 a
photo 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 you how to choose the right shutter speed in order to capture the right
type 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 expose
light 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 frame
2. 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 speed for 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 within
the frame, like
a race car
zooming by or
a baseball
player hitting a
fast pitch, you
need to take a
few 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
11 | a g e


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 that
your 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 movements
within 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 camera
set 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 are
farther 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 a
physical 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, you
would 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 or
away). 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 in
photography. 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 be
relatively 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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In order to capture the best motion blur shots you need to set your camera on a tripod. Allowing the action to
blur within the frame requires a relatively slow shutter speed (one that is too slow for you to shoot handheld
without the whole image becoming blurry.) So, lock your camera down and allow the motion to pass in front
of your camera.
The right shutter speed you choose for creating motion blur is very dependent on how fast the subject is
moving and really requires experimentation. If it is a slow subject (like someone walking) we recommend that
you start with a shutter speed setting of 1/4 of a second. If the subject is fast moving (like a car racing by) we
recommend starting with a shutter speed setting of 1/500 of a second. Take a shot with these settings and then
adjust the shutter speed up or down depending on the effect you are going for to find the right shutter speed for
your photo.
We hope you enjoyed this tutorial on how to choose the right shutter speed for your photography. Leave a
comment below sharing your thoughts on this topics or a specific example of using shutter speed to capture a
certain effect.

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How to Choose the Right Aperture (f-stop) for Your Photograph
If youre a beginner photographer you may be wondering how to choose the right aperture setting (f-stop)
when taking a photo. When you turn the dial on your camera you see numbers like 5.6, 8, 16, 22 but dont
know what makes them different.
In this tutorial, were going to take the mystery out of the aperture setting and teach you how to know which is
the right aperture (f-stop) you should choose in any situation.
A Quick Definition of Aperture
Aperture is a hole within a lens, through which light travels into the camera body. The aperture setting (f-stop)
determines how large or small that hole is. The size of the aperture has a direct impact on the depth of field,
which is the area of the image that appears sharp. For a complete explanation of aperture read our post
Understanding Aperture.
Choosing the Right Aperture Setting for Your Photograph
After reading the above paragraph you now know that aperture affects depth of field within your photo. Before
you ever touch the shutter button you need to make a decision on how important the depth of field is for a
particular shot. Depending on if you need shallow depth of field or large depth of field will determine which
are the right aperture range of f-stops for you to choose. If depth of field is not a major concern than another set
of f-stops can be chosen.
Heres a more detailed explanation of when to choose certain apertures on your camera.
Choosing f/1.4 and lower to f/5.6
These f-stops are used when shallow
depth-of-field is very important.
These are the right aperture choice if
your goal is to isolate a subject from
its background. These f-stops allow
you to keep the main subject in focus
while the background becomes
blurred. These f-stops are great for
portrait shots or close ups of small
objects, like flowers, birds, etc.
Notice how in these portrait photos a
low f-stop was used to blur the
background and reduce distractions
from the main subject. Photos by
Tambako the Jaguar and Marina &
Enrique
Choosing f/8 to f/11
These f-stops are used when depth-of-field within a photo does not matter. You are not going for a particular
look and are more focused on capturing an overall nice shot. This is usually the case when shooting a scene
14 | a g e


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 objects
in the background (a car and a backdrop). Photo by Refracted Moments and the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas
Choosing f/16 to f/32 and higher
These f-stops are used when large depth-of-field is very important. These are the right aperture choice if your
goal 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 its
important 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

1S | a g e


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 lucky
photographers 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 a simple photography exercise that teaches you how to shoot better photos and train your
photographic eye.
The Photography Exercise
Grab your camera with a kit style lens, like an 18-55mm. This type of lens works best for this exercise
because 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 focal
lengths 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 camera
rendering 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 your
photographic 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 your
photographic 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 characteristics
make a great photo. But, most of all have fun!
16 | a g e


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 to
take 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 images
you need to be sure the
camera is getting enough
light into it. The aperture
and 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 every
sport.
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 too
dark 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 sports
photography you may be able to take shots as fast as 1/4000
th
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
17 | a g e


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 will
allow for faster
shutter speeds. In
well-lit conditions,
100 ISO may be
perfect. However,
if its cloudy out
you 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 of
at 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 will
be 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 freeze
the 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.

18 | a g e


How to Shoot Product Photography
Learning 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 photo
must 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 background
2. 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.
19 | a g e


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 from
the 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 side
lights 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 you
dont 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 turned
half way between the camera and a profile shot. Positioning the object in this way allows you to see
two 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 as
possible. Position the camera so it is straight on with the subject, then raise your tripod a few inches
and 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 length
prime 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 background
2. 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 a
photographer 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 shop
should 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 and
reinforce 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 surround
the box. This type of staging would resonate with a potential customer because
its 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 to
help 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. The
background 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 to
take 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 the
scene. 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 potential
customer 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 Photography
A 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 own
story 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 the
shape 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 your
subject 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 details
can 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 is
far 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 impossible
if 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 to photograph
animals!
Most zoos and wildlife parks set regular feeding times. The animals are used to this schedule and become more
active 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 very
important 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 will
require 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 enough
focal 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 when
photographing 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 have
been 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
perfect
position for a
shot when
you first see it
but in many
cases youll
need to wait
for it. Once
youve picked
the animals
you want to
capture give
yourself
extended 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 allows capturing wildlife photography from far away without disturbing them in their natural
environment. 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 the
background. 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 a
smaller 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 the
camera 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 focal
length 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 into
your 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 shutter
speed. 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 trim
it off later if you want.
There are lots of ways to attract wildlife, including putting out food, adding a small pond, growing
plants 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 any
additional tips please leave a comment below so that other photographers can take advantage of this
knowledge.

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Night Photography

Concert Photography Tips
Choosing 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 same
time 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 always
use 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 into
consideration. 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 you
head 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 what
works 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 out
the 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. You
may want to try a few shots as low as 1/40
th
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 and
shutter 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 data
information 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 the
different 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. If
the 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 is
recommended 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 Settings
Taking 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 of
low 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 the
camera. Invest in an inexpensive cable release or
wireless remote for your camera.
Ability to shoot in RAW format Some photos may
look completely dark in the viewfinder but if its not
clipping in underexposure the RAW format can allow
you 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 in
exposure 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 often
requires a photo to include both a foreground and background within the scene. A wide angle lens is
best for this shot.
Focusing at night can be very hard to do. A wide angle lens is more forgiving with focus because the
depth 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 to
its widest f-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 of f/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 its
a 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 high
ISO 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 a
brightly lit city with lights coming from every building. Its really just a matter of guessing which shutter
speed 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 exposure
3. Take a test shot and see how the exposure came out
4. Adjust your shutter speed up or down until the test shot has a proper exposure
5. 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 speed
of 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 settings
2. 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 camera
4. Set the focus ring to infinity (or focus on a close subject using the tips above)
5. Open your aperture to its widest setting
6. Set your camera to its highest ISO setting only during test shots to find a shutter speed that gives proper
exposure
7. Find out which slower shutter speed gives the same exposure at a lower ISO setting using the
arithmetic tips above.

39 |


Common Photography Terms and Definitions
As a photographer, there are several
and definitions
that there are common terms that we reference throughout our
photography tutorials and knowing the definitions will help you to
follow the steps much easier.
Its also good to understand
definitions so youll feel comfortable participating in discussions
with other photographers. If youre ever looking for advice from
other photographers or want to talk about how you captured a
certain shot, using proper
great deal.
List of Common Photography Terms and Definitions
Aperture:
the aperture is measured in an
opening inside the lens allowing more light to hit the sensor. The larger the
opening inside the lens allowing less light to hit the sensor. Aperture numbers
f/5.6,
Aperture Priority (AV) Mode:
setting. In this mode, an
speed and ISO to achieve proper exposure.
Clipping:
intensity which can be represented. Clipping can occur in the highlights or
is an overexposed image of a sky where the clouds are clipped (or blown
Exposure:
photo
Exposure Compensation [EV +/
automatic exposure output by +/
JPEG:
compres
Depth
scene. An example would be a landscape photo that includes blades of grass closest to t
focus at the same time as a mountain range further away from the camera. Large depth
higher
portrait photo whe
requires a lower
F-stop:
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and definitions
certain shot, using proper
great deal.
Aperture: The size of the opening inside a lens that permits light to travel to the cameras sensor. The size of
/5.6, f/8, f/11, f
setting. In this mode, an
Clipping: Occurs in an image where the intensity in a certain area falls outside the minimum and maximum
Exposure: The amount of light that is allowed to fall on to a cameras sensor during the process of taking a
photograph.
JPEG: The term used to describe a type of digital compression used for digital images. This particular
compression ratio reduces file size by lowering picture quality.
Depth-of-field:
higher f/stop number, ex.
portrait photo whe
requires a lower
stop: Also known as aperture. See definition for aperture above.
and definitions that you should know and understand. Youll find
certain shot, using proper photography language will help you a
The size of the opening inside a lens that permits light to travel to the cameras sensor. The size of
f/16, f/22, f/32
setting. In this mode, an f-stop is chosen by the photographer and the camera
Occurs in an image where the intensity in a certain area falls outside the minimum and maximum
The amount of light that is allowed to fall on to a cameras sensor during the process of taking a
The term used to describe a type of digital compression used for digital images. This particular
sion ratio reduces file size by lowering picture quality.
field: The distance within a photo that is in focus. A large depth
/stop number, ex. f/22. A shallow depth
portrait photo where the person is in focus while the background is out of focus. A shallow depth
requires a lower f/stop number, ex.
Also known as aperture. See definition for aperture above.
As a photographer, there are several common photography
that you should know and understand. Youll find
these common photography terms and
photography language will help you a
the aperture is measured in an f-stop numb
/32
Aperture Priority (AV) Mode: A mode that can be selected on a camera that puts priority on the aperture
stop is chosen by the photographer and the camera
Exposure Compensation [EV +/-] : A dial or button on some cameras that allows you to override the
automatic exposure output by +/-2 stops.
The distance within a photo that is in focus. A large depth
/22. A shallow depth
re the person is in focus while the background is out of focus. A shallow depth
/stop number, ex. f/1.4.

common photography
stop number. For example
A mode that can be selected on a camera that puts priority on the aperture
A dial or button on some cameras that allows you to override the
2 stops.
/22. A shallow depth-of-field has less of the scene in focus. An example would be a
/1.4.

common photography terms
er. For example f
field has less of the scene in focus. An example would be a

terms
f/8. The smaller the
is an overexposed image of a sky where the clouds are clipped (or blown-out) resulting in loss of detail.

The distance within a photo that is in focus. A large depth-
The smaller the f-stop number, the large the
opening inside the lens allowing more light to hit the sensor. The larger the f-stop number, the smaller the
opening inside the lens allowing less light to hit the sensor. Aperture numbers include: f
stop is chosen by the photographer and the camera automatically adjusts the shutter
the shadows of a photo. An example
out) resulting in loss of detail.
-of-field has a deep focus within a
focus at the same time as a mountain range further away from the camera. Large depth-
stop number, the large the
stop number, the smaller the
include: f/1, f/1.4, f/2,
automatically adjusts the shutter
field has a deep focus within a
scene. An example would be a landscape photo that includes blades of grass closest to the camera that are in
-of-field requires a
re the person is in focus while the background is out of focus. A shallow depth-of
stop number, the smaller the
/2, f/2.8, f/4,
automatically adjusts the shutter
field has a deep focus within a
he camera that are in
field requires a
of-field

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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 the
tonal 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 is
to 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 the
photographer.
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 the
number 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 a
prime 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 on
the image.
White Balance: Human eyes compensate for lighting conditions with different colors of light. A digital
camera, 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 a
method 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 to
make a photo feel boring. Thats because its
symmetrical and predictable. By simply sliding
your subject over to one of the intersecting
lines 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 line
it 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 left
two 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 photographers
using 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 photographs
that 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. Its
these 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, there
is 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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I did not just stop at reading all the technicalities of photography. I also read forums, photographer blogs, and
anything else my greedy eyes could be graced with to find out how to take better photos. There is a world of
books and websites dedicated to the numbers and science behind photography. You should take all of that in.
However, what no technical book is going to teach you is the inspiration. This is where reading photographer
blogs really helped. I could see the shots professional photographers posted, enjoy the stories behind the shot,
and learn what drove the photographer to capture the scene. This in turn taught me how to find my own
inspiration.
Reading never ends by the way. I still pick up magazines, surf the net, and spend a good two or more hours a
day reading photography related material. I pick up new tricks, find new inspirations, and even try my hand at
styles that are not my own. This is all part of the growing, learning, and improving process.
For a list of photography books you should own, visit the Photography Book Reviews section of our website to
read reviews of some of the best photography books ever written.
Secret #2
This step may sound like reading, but it is very different. Do not just read everything you can on taking photos,
but also look at as many photos as you can muster. Analyze the photos you love and dislike. Find the common
threads that bind these likes and dislikes together. You may find that you thought you liked shooting candid
shots of people on the street, only to realize you were really enjoying the architecture in the buildings behind
the crowd.
There is another reason to devour as many photos as you can, and that is to help you find your style. So many
times you hear that you should find your niche and then set yourself apart in it. Let us face the facts that so
many people can now shoot photos this may seem like a daunting task, and it can be if you let it. Besides
looking for new angles to shoot old scenes, or new props/lighting to use, look for the more subtle things. These
maybe something as big as shooting HDR or something as small as leaning towards a cold tone photo over
warmer tones. The only way to find the nuances that really please you is to look at as many photos of every
style you can.
Secret #3
After you have read about things like ISO, aperture, and shutter speeds put what you have just read to the test. I
cannot tell you how many days I spent just shooting different apertures until I was fully comfortable with how
it changed my photos. The photos I took were nothing I would try to sell or even post online, but they still
reside on my hard drive as a reminder of the learning experience. I can always turn back to them and look at
the differences, and I still learn from them today.
The other part is shooting whenever the urge hits you. The only way to hone your skill and learn how to take
better pictures is to practice it A LOT. Just as athletes practice the same drills over and over, you should be
shooting images as often as you possibly can. Do not go thinking you need to lug around hefty lenses or giant
DSLR cameras for this. If all you have on you is the camera on your phone then so be it. You can still apply
your knowledge, and better yet your passion, to any image no matter how you capture it. I have a camera on
me at all times, it maybe a Sony point and shoot, my iPhone, or my D90. The key is to never leave home
without a camera as you never know where your next photo opportunity is going to hit.
Secret #4
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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 as
correct 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 I
will 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 of
your 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 is
the 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 my
pride 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 do
offer 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 and
reconsider 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 ISO
Understanding Aperture Priority Mode
Understanding Shutter Priority Mode

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Camera Exposure Explained
Camera exposure is defined as the total amount of light allowed to fall on the photographic image sensor of
your digital camera during the process of taking a photograph.
Camera exposure is controlled in three ways:
1. Aperture
2. Shutter Speed
3. ISO setting
What is Correct Exposure?
Correct camera exposure is defined as an exposure that achieves the effect the photographer intended. The
purpose of exposure adjustment (in combination with lighting adjustment) is to control the amount of light
from the subject that is allowed to fall on the image sensor, so that it falls into an appropriate region of the
sensors characteristic curve and yields a correct or acceptable exposure.
What is Overexposure and Underexposure?
A camera exposure may be described as overexposed when it has a loss of highlight detail, that is, when the
bright parts of an image are effectively all white, known as blown out highlights (or clipped whites).
A camera exposure may be described as underexposed when it has a loss of shadow detail, that is, the dark
areas indistinguishable from black, known as blocked up shadows (or sometimes crushed shadows,
crushed blacks, or clipped blacks).

Image by wikipedia.org
Can Overexposure and Underexposure Be Intentional?
Yes. As the image to the right shows, these terms are technical ones rather than artistic judgments; an
overexposed or underexposed exposure may be correct, in that it provides the effect that the photographer
intended. Intentionally over- or under- exposing (relative to a standard or the cameras automatic exposure) is
casually referred to as shooting to the right or shooting to the left, respectively, as these shift the histogram
of the image to the right or left.
Determining Exposure
The Zone System is another method of determining exposure and development combinations to achieve a
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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 metering mode.
Manual Exposure
In manual mode, the photographer adjusts the lens aperture and/or shutter speed to achieve the desired
exposure. Many photographers choose to control aperture and shutter independently because opening up the
aperture increases exposure, but also decreases the depth of field, and a slower shutter increases camera
exposure but also increases the opportunity for motion blur.
Manual camera exposure calculations may be based on some method of light metering with a working
knowledge of exposure values, the APEX system and/or the Zone System.
Automatic Exposure
A camera in automatic exposure (AE) mode automatically calculates and adjusts camera exposure settings in
order to match (as closely as possible) the subjects mid-tone to the mid-tone of the photograph. For most
cameras this means using an on-board TTL exposure meter.
Aperture priority mode gives the photographer manual control of the aperture, whilst the camera automatically
adjusts the shutter speed to achieve the exposure specified by the TTL meter. Shutter priority mode gives
manual shutter control, with automatic aperture compensation. In each case, the actual exposure level is still
determined by the cameras exposure meter.
Exposure Compensation
The purpose of an exposure meter is to estimate the subjects mid-tone luminance and indicate the camera
exposure settings required to record this as a mid-tone. In order to do this it has to make a number of
assumptions which, under certain circumstances, will be wrong. If the exposure setting indicated by an
exposure meter is taken as the reference exposure, the photographer may wish to deliberately overexpose or
underexpose in order to compensate for known or anticipated metering inaccuracies.
Cameras with any kind of internal exposure meter usually feature an exposure compensation setting which is
intended to allow the photographer to simply offset the exposure level from the internal meters estimate of
appropriate exposure. Frequently calibrated in stops,[10] also known as EV units, a +1 exposure
compensation setting indicates one stop more (twice as much) exposure and 1 means one stop less (half as
much) exposure.
Camera exposure compensation is particularly useful in combination with auto-exposure mode, as it allows the
photographer to bias the exposure level without resorting to full manual exposure and losing the flexibility of
auto exposure.

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Simply put, aperture is a hole within a lens, through which light travels into the camera body. It is easier to
understand the concept if you just think about our eyes. Every camera that we know of today is designed like
human eyes. The cornea in our ey
it and passes it to the iris. Depending on the amount of light, the iris can either expand or shrink, controlling
the size of the pupil, which is a hole that lets the light
refer to as
camera sensor), is limited to the size of the pupil
So, the easiest way to remember aperture, is by associating it with your pupil. Large pupil size equals large
aperture, while small pupil size equals small aperture.
2) Size of Aperture
The iris of the lens th
purpose of the diaphragm is to block or stop all light, with the exception of the light that goes through the
aperture. In photography, aperture is expressed in f
known as f
smaller f
awkward, since we are used to having larger numbers represent larger values, but not in this case. For example,
f/1.4 is larger than f/2.0 and much larger than f/8.0.
Take a look at this chart (image courtesy of
The size of the circle represents the size of the lens aperture
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refer to as aperture
2) Size of Aperture
The iris of the lens th
known as f-stops are a way of describing the size of the aperture, or how open or closed the aperture is. A
smaller f-stop means a larger aperture, while a larger f
aperture in photography. The amount of light that enters the retina (which works just like the
2) Size of Aperture Large vs Small Aperture
The iris of the lens that controls the size (diameter) of the aperture is called diaphragm in optics. The sole
stops are a way of describing the size of the aperture, or how open or closed the aperture is. A
stop means a larger aperture, while a larger f
human eyes. The cornea in our eyes is like the front element of a lens
in photography. The amount of light that enters the retina (which works just like the
Large vs Small Aperture
at controls the size (diameter) of the aperture is called diaphragm in optics. The sole

Aperture is one of the three pillars of photography, the other two
being ISO
about subject, because aperture either adds a dimension to a
photograph by blurring the background, or magically brings
everything in focus. In this article, I will try to explain everything I
know about aperture in very simple language.
1) What is Apertur
es is like the front element of a lens
camera sensor), is limited to the size of the pupil the larger the pupil, the more ligh
aperture. In photography, aperture is expressed in f-
Take a look at this chart (image courtesy of Wikipedia

ISO and Shutter Speed
1) What is Apertur
es is like the front element of a lens
the size of the pupil, which is a hole that lets the light pass further into the eye. The pupil is essentially what we
the larger the pupil, the more ligh
aperture. In photography, aperture is expressed in f-numbers (for example f/5.6). These f
stop means a larger aperture, while a larger f-stop means a smaller aperture. Most pe
Wikipedia):
The size of the circle represents the size of the lens aperture the larger the f

Shutter Speed. Without a doubt, it is the most talked
1) What is Aperture?
es is like the front element of a lens it gathers all external light, then bends
pass further into the eye. The pupil is essentially what we
the larger the pupil, the more ligh
bers (for example f/5.6). These f
stop means a smaller aperture. Most pe
the larger the f
. Without a doubt, it is the most talked
it gathers all external light, then bends
the larger the pupil, the more light enters the retina.
bers (for example f/5.6). These f
stop means a smaller aperture. Most pe

the larger the f-number, the smaller the aperture.
t enters the retina.
bers (for example f/5.6). These f-numbers that are
stop means a smaller aperture. Most people find this
number, the smaller the aperture.
t enters the retina.
numbers that are
ople find this

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3) What is Depth of Field?
One important thing to remember here, the size of the aperture has a direct impact on the depth of field, which
is the area of the image that appears sharp. A large f-number such as f/32, (which means a smaller aperture)
will bring all foreground and background objects in focus, while a small f-number such as f/1.4 will isolate the
foreground from the background by making the foreground objects sharp and the background blurry.

Image on left shot at f/2.8, Image on right shot at f/8.0
As you can see, just changing the aperture from f/2.8 to f/8.0 has a big effect on how much of WALL-E is in
focus and how visible the background gets. If I had used a much smaller aperture such as f/32 in this shot, the
background would be as visible as WALL-E.
Another example:

Mailboxes - Aperture set to f/2.8
In the above example, due to the shallow depth of field, only the word Cougar appears sharp, while
everything else in the front and behind of that word is blurred. If I had used a larger aperture such as f/1.4 and
focused on one of the letters, probably only that letter would have been sharp, while everything else would
have been blurred out. The larger the aperture, the smaller the area in focus (depth of field).
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4) Lens Apertures: Maximum and Minimum
Every lens has a limit on how large or how small the aperture can get. If you take a look at the specifications of
your lens, it should say what the maximum (lowest f-number) and minimum apertures (highest f-number) of
your lens are. The maximum aperture of the lens is much more important than the minimum, because it shows
the speed of the lens. A lens that has an aperture of f/1.2 or f/1.4 as the maximum aperture is considered to be a
fast lens, because it can pass through more light than, for example, a lens with a maximum aperture of f/4.0.
Thats why lenses with large apertures are better suited for low light photography.
The minimum aperture is not that important, because almost all modern lenses can provide at least f/16 as the
minimum aperture, which is typically more than enough for everyday photography needs.

This 50mm lens has a max. aperture of f/1.4
There are two types of lenses: fixed (also known as prime) and zoom. While zoom lenses give you the
flexibility to zoom in and out (most point and shoot cameras have zoom lenses) without having to move closer
or away from the subject, fixed or prime lenses only have one focal length. Due to the complexity of optical
design for zoom lenses, many of the consumer lenses have variable apertures. What it means, is that when you
are fully zoomed out, the aperture is one number, while zooming in will increase the f-number to a higher
number. For example, the Nikon 18-200mm lens has a variable maximum aperture of f/3.5-f/5.6. When
zoomed fully out at 18mm, the lens has an aperture of f/3.5, while when fully zoomed in at 200mm, the lens
has an aperture of f/5.6. The heavy, professional zoom lenses, on the other hand, typically have fixed apertures.
For example, the Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G lens has the same maximum aperture of f/2.8 at all focal lengths
between 70mm and 200mm.
Why is this important? Because larger maximum aperture means that the lens can pass through more light, and
hence, your camera can capture images faster in low-light situations. Having a larger maximum aperture also
means better ability to isolate subjects from the background

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Understanding ISO

ISO is one of the three pillars of photography, the other two being Aperture and Shutter Speed. ISO in digital
photography is not complex, yet many new photographers have a hard time learning and understanding this
fundamental aspect of photography.
I suspect this is because of the way it is being taught. You see, ISO started out as a property of film, and it was
much easier to visualize it in terms of the old technology. So thats where I want to start my explanation,
before bringing you into the 21st century with ISO today.
ISO actually started out as ASA, which stands for American Standards Association. Decades ago, a
commercial film manufacturer came up with a set of numbers to define the sensitivity of different types of
film. That set of numbers was accepted by the American Standards Association, so all American manufacturers
could use the same system. Later, the American standard was adopted by the International Standards
Organization, so ASA became ISO.
What does all that mean? Well, it means that the letters ISO didnt really stand for anything except for the
name of an organization.
What is important is what ISO referred to, which was the sensitivity of the film. The emulsion on some films
reacted quite slowly to light, and on other films much faster. Slower films had a smaller ISO number, like 25,
64, 100. Faster films had a higher number, like 200, 400, 800.
A slow film needed a relatively high level of light to create a well-exposed photo. That meant that to take a
photo in darker conditions, you would need to use a fairly wide aperture and/or a fairly slow shutter speed to
get a result. On the other hand, a faster film reacted to light a lot more quickly, so it needed much less exposure
to light to take a photo.
Fast film sounds pretty good, doesnt it? A chance to take a photo in any conditions without a tripod, and to
freeze moving subjects with very fast shutter speeds. So why didnt everyone just use fast films all the time?
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The answer is that the advantages of fast films came with a trade-off; loss of image quality. The grains of
emulsion on a fast film were larger, so a photo taken on a film with ISO 400 or 800 had a rougher, grainier
look. This may not have been a problem in a small print, but became quite apparent with big enlargements.
Consequently, most professional photographers preferred to use slower films of 100 or 64 ISO for most of their
work.
So is this just a lesson in ancient history? After all, you have a digital camera, so what does all this have to do
with you. Well, it may surprise you to know that despite the huge revolution in technology, the essentials of
ISO have not changed one bit.
Your camera should allow you the option of adjusting your ISO setting. Just like in the days of film, if you set
your ISO to a low number like 100, you will need more light to create a correct exposure. That means that you
may need to keep a tripod handy for cloudy days, and in certain low-light situations you may not always get
the aperture and shutter speed settings you want. If you set your ISO to 400 or 800, your camera will become
much more sensitive to light; you will be able to shoot in exactly the same conditions without a tripod, and
with greater flexibility to choose the aperture and shutter speeds you want.
But here is the amazing part. Higher ISO settings still come with the same trade-off that once existed with film.
Along with the speedier sensitivity to light, you can also expect the image to have a grainier finish. I dont
know if it is pixilation, or digital noise, or a combination of both, but it is generally understood that for all their
advantages, high ISO photos come with a reduction of image quality that becomes more obvious the more you
enlarge the image.
So there you have a quick introduction to what ISO is all about. Perhaps I am just showing my age, but I find
this subject easier to explain in old-technology terms. For many people it is easier to visualize when related to
something solid like film, rather than something that happens on a computer chip. Anyway, I hope this helps
you if you have had trouble understanding what ISO is all about.
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Understanding Aperture Priority Mode
When your camera is on fully AUTO mode, it uses all the fancy
technology it has to determine a shutter speed and an aperture to use
for a correct exposure.
The Aperture-Priority AE Mode is a semi-automatic mode that allows
you, the photographer, to tell the camera which aperture you want it
to use and let it automatically determine the appropriate shutter
speed for a correct exposure.
A correct exposure is simply a shutter speed and aperture
combination determined by your cameras light meter that will result
in your image sensor receiving enough light to properly record your scene. Too much light and you get an
over-exposed picture; too little light, and you get an under-exposed picture.
All the fancy technology in your camera (and some cameras list a lot of features) whirl and twirl and
eventually return just two values: an aperture (how big a hole to open to let light in) and shutter speed (for how
long to keep that hole open).
In effect, you have taken control of the aperture setting. Everything else is on automatic, but you decide which
aperture you want the camera to use depending on what you want to achieve in your picture.
Command Dials

Main Command
The way you typically change the
aperture when in Aperture-Priority AE
mode is by rotating the Command
Dial. You use your thumb to rotate the
Command Dial and you will see the
aperture change on the screen.
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Sub-Command Dial
Some cameras also have a Sub-
command Dial, usually in front of the
camera at the top of the handgrip and
just below or above the shutter release
button.
Check your Users Manual to see how
your camera is set and whether you
need to rotate the [Main] Command
Dial or the Sub-command Dial to
change aperture in Aperture-Priority
Mode.

Selecting Aperture
As you rotate the [Main] Command Dial (or Sub-
command Dial, depending on your camera), you
can see the aperture changing in the viewfinder.
Here, the shutter speed (1/500 sec.) and aperture
(f/5.6) are visible below the scene youre taking.

Command Info
Some cameras also allow you to view all the
settings on a Command Info screen, as above. As
you rotate the [Main] Command Dial (or Sub-
command Dial, depending on your camera), you
can see the aperture changing on the Command
Info. Here, the shutter speed (1/320 sec.) and
aperture (f/7.1) are displayed on the LCD screen.

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Depth of Field
Just what do you want to achieve in your picture by selecting a particular aperture over another?
You want to control the depth of field.
Depth of Field is a fancy word that simply says how much of the picture you want to be sharply in focus.
Lots of Depth of Field - F9.0
Heres an example of a picture with lots of depth
of field using an aperture of F9.0. Notice how
everything, from near to far, appears sharp in the
picture. When taking landscape photographs, you
would usually want this effect. And the way to
achieve lots of depth of field using a DSLR is to
use a small aperture, e.g. f/16.
It is not always possible to use the smallest
aperture available on your cameras lens, so you
have to use the smallest that gives a correctly
exposed picture. In the example above, I used
F9.0.
An aperture has an associated aperture value.
Thats what the number following the f/ or F means. So an aperture of f/5.6 (or F5.6) has an aperture value
of 5.6. An aperture of f/16 (or F16) has an aperture value of 16.The only thing you have to remember here is
that the larger the aperture value, the smaller the aperture. The smaller the aperture value, the larger the
aperture.
So, f/16 (F16) is a small aperture and f/2.8 (F2.8) is a large aperture.
Shallow Depth of Field - F5.0
Heres an example of a picture with shallow
depth of field using an aperture of F5.0. Notice
how only the main subject is sharply in focus and
the background has been nicely thrown out of
focus. When taking portraits, you would usually
want this effect so your main subject stands out
from a [potentially] distracting background. And
the way to achieve a shallow depth of field using
a DSLR is to use a large aperture, e.g. f/2.8.
It is not always possible to use the largest
aperture available on your cameras lens, so you
have to use the largest that gives a correctly
exposed picture. In the example above, I used
F5.0. The blurring effect of the background
would have been even more pronounced were I able to use a larger aperture.
So, if you have been wondering why your landscape pictures did not come out sharp all over or why your main
subject did not have the same punch as the examples above, now you know! When set to AUTO, your camera
selects both the aperture and shutter speed and does not really know what effect you want to achieve. You tell it
from now on, and control how your pictures come out!
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Understanding Shutter Priority Mode
The Shutter-Priority Tv Mode is an essential photography basics
lesson. Shutter-Priority is a semi-automatic mode that allows you, the
photographer, to tell the camera which shutter speed you want it to
use and let it automatically determine the appropriate aperture for
a correct exposure.
The main purpose of using the shutter-priority mode is to have a
faster shutter speed to freeze the action of fast-moving subjects or to
have a slower shutter speed to blur moving subjects in order to create
a sense of motion. Thats why this is one of the photography basics you should be aware of how to use.
Selecting a Shutter Speed
When the camera is in the shutter-priority mode, turning the command dial selects a shutter speed. As the
command dial is being turned, a shutter speed value appears on the monitor. See the image below. Once the
desired shutter speed appears, stop turning the command dial and the camera will use that shutter speed. The
corresponding aperture also appears on the monitor so that you can determine if the aperture and shutter speed
combination is an appropriate one. If the selected shutter speed may cause over- or underexposure, the shutter
speed blinks when the shutter release button is pressed halfway down. Should this happen, select another
shutter speed and try again. If you are satisfied with the combination, press the shutter release button to take a
photo. Otherwise, turn the command dial for a new shutter speed.

The command dial can be turned in either direction: clockwise for
slower shutter speed and counter-clockwise for faster shutter speed.
If the displayed shutter speed does not change while the command
dial is being turned, this means you have already reached the fastest
or slowest shutter speed. Turning the command dial will either half or
double the shutter speed. Note that if the corresponding shutter speed
is longer than or equal to 1/4 second, it is shown in yellow on the
monitor to indicate that noise may appear in the recorded image.
Moreover, if the shutter speed is slower than 1/30 sec, the Camera
Shake icon will appear in the upper-right corner of the monitor.
Possible shutter speeds are 8, 4, 2, 1, 2, 4, 8, 15, 30, 60, 125, 250, 500, 1000, 2000. Thus, the fastest and
slowest shutter speeds are 1/2000 sec and 8 seconds, respectively.
You can also use Exposure Compensation to increase or decrease exposure.
Why the Shutter-Priority Mode?
A faster shutter speed is required to freeze a motion. On the other hand, to create a sense of motion (i.e.,
motion blur), we should use a slower shutter speed. This is the basic concept of using the shutter-priority
mode. But, a pair of steady hands is required if the shutter speed is less than 1/30 or even 1/60 second.
Sometimes, a tripod will be very useful when shooting with a slow shutter speed.
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In the images below, the left one was taken with shutter speed 1/250 second. The vehicle is frozen as if it parks
in the middle of the road. The middle image was taken with shutter speed 1/30 second. Motion blur shows a
moving vehicle. The right image was taken with 1/4 second and ND4 plus ND8 Neutral Density Filters. The
resulting image is under-exposed and has to be corrected with PhotoShop. But, the motion blur effect is much
better than that of the middle one. Note that the background is sharp, indicating that the camera was fixed at a
location without any movement.

1/250 sec 1/30 sec 1/4 sec
To show the motion of a subject, we can also pan the camera! That is, the camera moves in the direction of the
subject. Thus, the subject will be sharp in the image, but the background and foreground become blurred. The
following are examples. The moving subjects seem frozen, but the background is blurred.

While stopping the action with a faster shutter speed looks amazing, sometimes motion blur created by a
slower shutter speed also shows a sense of motion. The following are two more examples. The right image,
which was taken with a slow shutter speed (i.e., 1/9 sec), gives us an impression that water is actually pouring
down.

F3.9 and 1/60 sec F10.3 and 1/9 sec

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Advance Techniques

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Focus Stacking How to Do It
Today, we are going to teach you a cool trick of manipulating the depth
of field within your photos called Focus Stacking.
As a photographer you are eventually going to run into the problem of
trying to create a large depth of field within a photograph but under
certain circumstances you are unable to achieve it. The most common
situations where this occurs are during Macro photography and Low-
light photography.
In Macro photography you may not have a lens that goes to a very
high f-stop. Or, you may be able to achieve a high f-stop but it still does
not render the whole image in focus. This is where focus stacking saves
the day!
In Low-light photography you may want to avoid a long exposure time
(slow shutter speed). You may want to freeze the motion in part of the
image, like a moving subject, but also keep the depth of field throughout
the whole photo without using a flash. Focus stacking allows you to
capture large depth of field images in these low-light situations.
So, what is Focus
Stacking?
Focus stacking is a trick
photographers use to simulate
a large depth of field within a
photo by taking several photos
of the same subject at different
focus points. Then, using a
program combine these
images together into one photo
(also known as image
stacking).
By using focus stacking you
are able to work around the
challenge of only being able to
acquire shallow depth of field
while taking a photograph.

How do I do it?
Capturing the Images
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1. First things firstyou must use a very sturdy tripod! The only way to achieve a flawless looking
photo is by using a sturdy tripod. You must eliminate all possibility of camera shift while you shoot
your images. Two tripods we recommend are Manfrotto 055XPROB Tripod Legs and Manfrotto 410
Junior Head.
2. Next, set up your shot. Compose your macro photography or low-light photo as you see fit.
3. Choose an aperture and turn the focus ring so that the closest part of the photo (usually the bottom)
is in focus.
4. Take a snapshot.
5. Now, heres the important part. Slowly turn your focus ring so that the focus of the image slides
upward in the photo while at the same time making sure to overlap the out of focus section of the depth
of field. This way no softness will be present in the final composite. More closely spaced focusing
distances produce sharper images, so its better to take more images than not enough, especially if you
have a very short depth of field in your photo. A larger depth of field will require less images to be
taken. Just practice this and you will get the hang of how many images you need to take.
Merging the Photos Together
Focus stacking requires a software package to merge your multiple images together.
We recommend these two:
Helicon Focus
Adobe Photoshop
Both software packages do a great job of aligning and merging images.
Personally, I own Adobe Photoshop because it allows me to further manipulate my photos. Helicon Focus is
only used for focus stacking.
Heres how you use Adobe Photoshop to stack your photos.
1. Open Photoshop and choose File > Automate > Photomerge
2. Under Layout select Collage
3. Under Source Files select Browse and choose all of your images for focus stacking.
4. At the bottom of the Photomerge window make sure the Blend Images Together check box is
selected.
5. Select Ok
Photoshop will now work its magic and produce a final composite of your images. You may see a slight blur
on the outside edges of your photo; if so just crop the image.
And there you have it! Youve now mastered focus stacking and can achieve large depth of field within photos
that wont allow it on scene.

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Out of Focus Foreground Framing
This is one of my favorite compositional techniques: it is something I do a lot. I think its becoming a signature
part of my style. I didnt realize this until a photographer friend showed me a photo he had taken (utilizing this
technique) and showed it to me saying it was his Jacinda shot or something like that. When shooting, I often
try to find something in the foreground which I can throw out of focus to frame the subject. It is a really simple
way to add depth and creativity to the photograph, as well as helping give the main subject more emphasis.
Here are some examples:
All you have to do is find something you can shoot behind. Be sure to use a wide aperture for this technique, to
throw the foreground out of focus as much as possible. This image uses an aperture of f2.2. In this wedding, I
used the groom and the flower bouquet to frame the brides face.

This next one is from a birthday party and uses the streamers in the room to frame the subject:
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If there are two people sitting or standing close to each other, try shooting through them.
?

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When things get in the way: use them to your advantage. This shot is taken from a birthday party, where
someone was trying to get in the way of my photo by waving a pink hat around. The result: one of my favorite
images from the event.

?The addition of this balloon not only frames the faces, but helps show the nature of the event.

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Use other faces:

I love long grass in photos! Long grass looks pretty when you throw it out of focus!

Use a wall. Just position your camera up against a wall to get some of that wall in the foreground out of focus!
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Set the camera close to the ground, and the out of focus ground in the foreground will add that extra depth to
your photograph!

Anyway, I hope that was helpful!
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Photography Lighting Techniques with One Light
If youre looking to get started in studio portraiture, this video will teach you three photography lighting
techniques using only one light.
These Photography Lighting Techniques Include:
#1) Rembrandt Lighting: This photography lighting technique is characterized by an illuminated triangle
under the eye of the subject, on the less illuminated side of the face. It is named for the Dutch painter
Rembrandt, who often used this type of lighting.
Heres how you achieve it:
Place the key light at a 45 degree angle from the camera and adjusted higher than your model pointing slightly
downward This light will create a triangle or diamond shape shadow underneath the eye that is farther away
from the light source.
Altering the distance between the key light and the model will subtly or dramatically enhance the Rembrandt
effect.
A reflector can be added at a 45 degree angle on the other side of the camera to reduce the harshness of the
shadows.
#2) Butterfly Lighting: This photography lighting technique is commonly used in photography for women, as
it is flattering for their face shapes; it is often called glamour lighting or paramount lighting. The term
butterfly lighting was created because of the shape of the shadow it creates under the subjects nose. It is not
generally used to light men for portraits, as it generally does not flatter male face shapes.
Heres how you achieve it:
Sit your model so she faces directly in to the camera. Place the light in front of the camera and at least one foot
above your subject and pointing downward. If the effect is too flat and you lose some of the contour of the
subjects features, raise the key light until attractive shadows form.
A reflector may be placed just below the edge of your frame to help spread of light. This reflector will soften
that shadow and eliminate a harsh contrast.
#3) Edge Lighting: This photography lighting technique is often used as an artistic glamour shot.
Heres how to achieve it:
Place the light to the side of your model and adjust it so that it is the same height as their face.
A reflector can be added on the other side of the model to help reduce the harshness of the shadows.

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Maximize Depth of Field in Landscape Photography
Have you ever got home after what you thought was a great days photography, only to upload your
images and find that they were sharp in either the foreground or background but with the rest of the
image not quite in focus?
By applying the simple rules of Hyperfocal Distance you can be sure
that you are shooting images which are sharp from foreground to
background on almost every occasion. I will be using an image that I
took recently of Castlerigg Stone Circle to show you how you can put
these simple rules into practice so that you can obtain maximum depth
of field (DOF) in all your landscape images.
The hyperfocal distance is the point at which you should focus your
lens to allow you to get maximum DOF. Once youve focused on this
point, everything from half the hyperfocal distance to infinity will be sharp. This means that if youre focused
at a hyperfocal distance of 10 metres then, five metres to infinity will be sharp.If you simply focus on the
subject itself, then only one-third of the area in front of that subject and two-thirds of the area behind it will be
sharp.
A simple cheat that will work most of the time, is to focus one third of the way into the scene. Whilst this
works up to a point, to obtain maximum depth of field, you will need to calculate the hyperfocal distance
correctly!
Step 1
So lets imagine for a moment that I knew nothing about hyperfocal distance rules. I would set my camera to
aperture priority (AV on most digital SLRs) and to f22 thinking that this f-stop would give me maximum depth
of field. Because I would be using a tripod and shutter release, the shutter speed would not really be that
relevant as there would be very little chance of camera shake. But I would choose a low ISO (160) to try to
ensure that I got a good crisp image. With my chosen lens, I would set the focal length to 24mm to obtain the
widest angle shot that I could to get in most of the stones in the circle. Because the stones are the main subject
of the scene, I would focus on the stones in the foreground. The resulting image would appear sharp but
diffraction would occur. This is caused when light passes sharp edges or goes through narrow slits deflecting
the rays of light to produce fringes of light and dark bands which distort the image. Whilst this will not be
noticeable on your LCD and you may think that it looks just fine, it will be more noticeable when the image is
viewed at a larger size or printed.
The following images show the results that I would get using the same ISO and focal length but changing my
f-stop to f11, which is the optimum f-stop to get maximum depth of field for landscape photography, but
focusing on various parts of the scene.
Step 2
In this image, I focused on the fells in the background. As you can see, the stones in the foreground are out of
focus whilst the fells and a third of the distance from the fells backwards towards the camera are sharp and in
focus.
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Step 3
In this image, I focused on the stones in the middle ground. Here the stones nearest to the camera are slightly
out of focus, the stones in the middle ground and the fells in the background are sharp and in focus.

Step 4
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I will now let you into the simple secret which will correct all the above focusing problems and allow you to
obtain the maximum depth of field in your landscape images. Lets start with the formula for calculating
hyperfocal distance. Dont worry about it; its much less complicated than it looks!

Focal length This will, of course, be different for every image that you take. For my shot of Castlerigg Stone
Circle I used my 24 to 105mm lens at its widest focal length i.e. 24mm. This value can be read off from the top
of your lens barrel once you are happy with your composition. For fixed length lenses just use the fixed focal
length of your prime lens.
Circle of confusion All you need to know here is that this constant differs depending on the type of camera
that you are using and is based on what is considered to be acceptable sharpness in an 8 x10 print seen at
normal viewing distance. The most popular values are as follows:-
Digital SLR = 0.02
35mm format and digital SLR full-frame = 0.03
6x6cm format = 0.06
4x5in format = 0.15
F-stop The optimum f-number for landscape photography is considered to be either f11 or f13. My preferred
f-stop is f11 as I find that this gives you the maximum depth of field without any diffraction occurring.
Step 5
Using the above formula, the hyperfocal distance for my shot was calculated as follows:-

Therefore, the hyperfocal distance is approximately 1.8 metres.
Step 6
Once you have calculated this figure, you now know the distance from your tripod that you need to focus on to
obtain maximum depth of field. Without re-composing your photograph, you now need to identify an object
which is that distance away from your tripod and set the focusing point on your camera on this object. Your
camera will have a number of focusing points displayed on its LCD and you need to make active the focusing
point that is covering this object. Again, you need to consult your cameras manual if you are unsure how to
make this focusing point active. Everything from this focusing point (i.e. the hyperfocal distance) to infinity
and half way between this focusing point and the tripod will now be sharp and in focus. If you are unable to
make a focusing point active on an object then switch your lens to manual focus and focus on the object
manually.
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Step 7
In this image, I focused on the hyperfocal distance point of 1.8 metres which I estimated to be on the two
stones in the left foreground. As you can see, the result is an image which is crisp and sharp from front to back.
Also, half the distance between the hyperfocal point and the tripod (approx 0.9 of a metre) would also be pin
sharp.

Conclusion
OK, so calculating the hyperfocal distance is a bit more effort and you may need to carry a calculator around
when you first start to use this technique. But providing that you stick to either f11 or f13 for your landscapes,
you will soon remember the different hyperfocal distances for the lenses and focal lengths that you normally
shoot at. To help you, I have set out two tables below which show the hyperfocal distances at various focal
lengths for the most commonly used cameras. All you need to know is the focal length multiplier i.e. crop
factor of your camera and choose the appropriate table. Your manual will help you here. Cut out the
appropriate table, laminate it and put it into your gear bag. Believe me; you will be truly amazed at the results
that you will you get from making such a small effort.
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Portrait Photography Poses 3-2
Technique
After learning this 3-2 posing technique youll have a new photography trick that will add that extra wow
factor to your photographs. Note: Some call this the 1-2-3 technique.
This article was written by Benji Jones of Sonshine Studios. Please visit his website to learn more about these
techniques and to view his photography training DVDs for sale.
What is the 3-2 Posing Tips Technique?
The 3-2 technique is a method of posing female models in a way that is
very pleasing to the eye. Its also a technique that draws a pleasing short
light pattern on the face which is always desirable!
How Do I Apply the Portrait Photography
Poses 3-2 Technique?
This trick is also known as the photograph 1-3-2 technique. Heres how
you do it:
1. Have your subject sit down with their body, face and eyes straight
aimed straight at you.
2. Then, have the person turn their body, face and eyes at a 45 degree
angle away from you to the left or the right whichever is more
flattering for your model.
3. Next, have your subject turn their head back to look straight at
you.
4. Then, tell your model to turn and additional 15-20 degrees past
the point of looking right at you.
5. Finally, have the person bring their eyes back to look at you.
You now have mastered the portrait photography poses 3-2 technique!
The body is in the #1 position, the face is in the #2 position, and the eyes
are at #3. This trick can be used for all types of portrait shots: head
shots, wast up, full length poses and more.
Adding Light
When adding studio lighting to this set up you want the light to be aimed
toward the back of your subject. Since your model is turned away from
the light source, but then turns their face back toward the light, it creates
a pleasing short light pattern on the face in this position.
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Capturing Motion Blur Photography
Capturing motion blur in photography is a great way to create stunning photographs.
When we think of motion blur photography most people think of photographing sports or other fast moving
objects like cars. While capturing a sharp image of a football player catching a pass or a Porsche zooming by a
mountainside works well, there are other great (and often missed) opportunities to use motion and blur within
your photographs.
By mastering the basics of
motion blur in photography
youll add an extra weapon
to your arsenal of
photography skills that can
be applied in an almost
limitless amount of
photographic situations.
Today, we are going to share
with you some tips on how to
create motion blur
photography.

Tips on Capturing Motion Blur Photography
Use a Slow Shutter Speed
The trick to creating motion blur in your photographs is to use a slow shutter speed.
A slow shutter speed allows the shutter of your camera to stay open longer, which then allows the camera to
capture the movement within the photo. The slower the shutter speed the more noticeable the movement.
How long should your shutter speed be?
The answer to that question depends on the subject within your photo and the mood you are trying to create.
Which of the below would you rather have in your photograph?
1. Blurry subject and sharp background
2. Sharp subject and blurry background
To achieve a. Blurry subject and static background
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First of all, its very important that you keep your camera perfectly still. You can achieve this by using a tripod
or sitting it on another still object. Since you are using a slower shutter speed any movement of the camera will
result in the whole image becoming blurry, including the background.
Your shutter speed choice depends on how fast the subject is moving. For example, trying to create motion
blur in a photograph of a turtle walking by would require a slower shutter speed than a race car zooming by.
A good rule of thumb is to start out with a shutter speed of 1/15 or 1/8. Take the shot and see if you like the
effect. Ask yourself, Is this too little or too much motion blur for my taste? Depending on the answer will
determine if you should raise or lower your shutter speed.
In some cases you may have to lower your shutter speed to 4 sec, 15sec or 30 sec. Experiment until you find
the perfect speed for your photo.
To achieve b. Sharp subject and blurry background
Choosing a shutter speed for this type of motion blur photography is a lot easier. You generally have only one
of two choices to make: 1/30 or 1/60.
A good rule of thumb here is to use 1/30 for a subject that is traveling slower than 30mph and 1/60 for
anything traveling faster.
To achieve a sharp subject
and blurry background the
trick is to pan with your
subject as you take the shot.
This will keep your subject
sharp and in focus while the
background becomes motion
blur.
It may take several attempts
to get a perfectly sharp
subject while you are panning
but dont worry youll get
there. Practice makes perfect
in this situation!
Finally, Use Shutter Priority Mode
Unless you love to shoot in Manual Mode, we suggest you turn your cameras dial to Shutter Priority Mode
(Tv) when capturing motion blur photography.
Using Shutter Priority Mode will make taking these types of photographs a whole lot easier.
Shutter Priority Mode is a mode that allows you to set your shutter speed and the camera chooses other settings
(like Aperture) to ensure the shot is well exposed. Its a very handy mode to play with as it ensures you get the
movement effect that youre after but also generally well exposed shots.
Well, thats it for capturing motion blur photography! We hope you enjoyed this article and ask that you please
share it with other photographers and make a comment below.
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Photography Tricks Revealed: How to Make Someone Levitate or Fly

I had one of those flying dreams, the kind that we all have at one point or another. This one though, felt
particularly special, and I felt the need to record it somehow. Words would have failed to capture how I felt, so
I decided to illustrate it in a photo.
My photo turned out much better than I thought it would. What I thought was going to be an experiment in
how to do levitation photography tutorial trick turned out to be one of the best photo projects that Ive ever
done.
An old man saw me editing my levitation photography photos and took great interest in it since he was a pilot,
and curious about anything that flew. He pointed to the photo on my screen and said, May your spirit always
soar like that which made me smile.
Levitation Photography Tutorial and Trick Revealed: How I Did It
I wasnt going to show anyone the un-edited photos to keep up the story that I was a flying superhero, but Ive
been asked How did you do that levitation photography trick? and How to make levitation photos; too
many times to keep it a secret. So heres everything, step by step in this levitation tutorial.
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This weekend I threw a ladder, chair, and some other odds and ends into the car, and went out scouting for a
location to experiment with my levitation. I found a row of miserable looking warehouses in the industrial part
of town, with no one around to bother me. I knew I found the right spot when I saw a wide open space in the
back of a warehouse with the perfect grey backdrop to contrast with the yellow dress I was wearing.

Heres the original, un-edited photo. Not so magical, is it? You didnt expect this for the trick did you? The
thing I love about self-potraiture is that you can both direct and model exactly what you have in your head. On
the other hand, youre risking out-of-focus and out-of-frame photos, like this one.
I actually left the shoot feeling dejected, because I didnt think I would get anything usable. But I did get just
this one photo which was surely a stroke of luck, because it was the only photo in the entire batch that could
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have possibly worked. I tried all kinds of stupid things like jumping on couch cushions and balancing myself
on a ladder.

First of all ,jumping on couch cushions is scary as hell, because theres a good chance that youll either fall on
the concrete, or land through the cushion cracks. This probably would have worked out better with a mattress
or trampoline.
Second of all, its really hard to fake movement by balancing on different objects. It also doesnt help that Im
completely out of shape. I ended up balancing myself on a ladder, a chair, and a wine crate, while throwing my
head upwards to get some movement in my hair for my levitation.
And yes, I did look like a complete idiot in the warehouse parking lot.
Photoshop Levitation Photography Trick
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There actually wasnt too much photoshop trickery involved. Most of it was removing the supports underneath
me. The ladder unfortunately covered up my foot, so I had to replace it with a foot from another photo. The
dress was flat where I took away the wine crate underneath my stomach, so I adjusted it so that it looked like it
was flowing. I removed the remote in my hand that I used to take the picture, and exaggerated the arches in my
back and neck to enunciate that soaring feeling.
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Composition

I then started thinking about composition for my how to make levitation photos. How low did I want to be to
the ground? Should the ground be tilted or flat? Should I be levitating, flying upwards, or falling? I finally
decided to place myself in the middle of the frame, hovering over a flat ground. Simplicity is always best.
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Coloiing Piocessing

And finally, I edited the colors, which made the biggest difference of all for this photography tricks. My goal
was to alter the photo just enough so that it felt surreal, but didnt feel overedited. I played with the levels to
darken the photo, then balanced the colors so that I didnt look like a ghost. I then desaturated the photo since
my dress was a screaming yellow, and then applied a warm photo filter on top of it all to even things out.
Inspiration and Resources for How to Do Levitation Photography
If you like this photo, you should definitely check out work from Miss Aniela, who is queen of how to do
levitation photography tutorial trick and my inspiration. Her photos arent done with a digital SLR, which
really just goes to show that you dont need fancy equipment to express your imagination.

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Photo Composition Technique The Feinberg Rule
What the Feinberg Technique #1 is is a guideline for where to crop
(frame) photos and other 2D visual imagery like paintings, drawings,
etc. Its used to balance a composition within a set area so that it
doesnt look like its off-balance or has too much open space (negative
space) on one side of the image compared to the other.
Heres an example of how this technique is applied. If you look at
this photo, youll notice a couple of things. First, there is no
alignment to the Rule of Thirds grid (the bottle isnt aligned to the
one third grid). Secondly, youll notice that the main subject, the
bottle, is tilted and off-center. This in itself would normally cause
some tension in the image.
With these two details in consideration, you still get the sense that
youre looking at a well-balanced composition that seems to work
just fine.
So what is it that makes this photo look like its balanced and
properly cropped? Well, its actually nothing to do with the main
subject at all, but rather everything to do with where the background
elements are touching the edge of the image. Basically, where the
photo is cropped.
The Feinberg technique measures each point around the edge of the image and then compares the location of
those points to the opposite edge. If they match up, you end up with better cropped image. Lets look a little
more closely to how this works.
If you look at the photo to the right, youll see where Ive marked the points
at which certain objects touch the edge of the overall image.
Each colored arrow is related to its counterpart on the opposite edge of the
image. For example, the top purple arrow is almost exactly the same length as
the bottom purple arrow. The length of these arrows represents the distance
from the image corner to the point where an object touches the edge of the
image.
The goal with this Feinberg Technique #1 is to learn how to crop an image or
photo so that each point(s) has an equal counterpart (or spacing) on the
opposite edge.
An important item to consider here is that the measurement of these points
dont always need to originate from the same edge as its counterpart. For
example, the purple arrow is measured from the left edge of the photo. With a
different image, you could crop the top from the left and the bottom from the
right. You just need to make sure that they are equal in length.
This photo could be tightened up just a bit more than it is compositionally but I think you get the point
here. When youre framing your photos or cropping them in a photo editor, try to see if you can employ this
technique. Its a very useful technique when youre not really sure how to crop a more complex photo.

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now to Man|pu|ate erspect|ve and Depth |n hotography

One of the biggest challenges you face as a photographer is trying to render a three-dimensional world into a
two-dimensional photo. This makes perspective and depth in photography very important. Depending on
how you capture a photo will affect how close objects appear to each other within a scene, which will either
strengthening or weakening the perceived depth.
In this tutorial, were going to teach you how to manipulate perspective and depth in photography. Well show
you how to enhance the sense of space and distance with your photos as well as how to make them look flat.
Use Converging Lines
A strong sense of depth in a photo can be created by using converging lines. Converging lines are parallel lines
that move away from the foreground and converge into the background. An example are the lines on a road or
train tracks that merge together as they approach a horizon. Although theyre really equal distance apart from
each other they converge as they move further away from us.
In order to enhance perceived depth within a photo its best to use a wide angle lens to capture converging lines.
The wide angle lens helps to emphasize the distance within your photo by elongating the converging lines. If
on the other hand you want to reduce the sense of depth within a photo you should use a telephoto lens. This
lens will compress the perceived distance between converging lines making the photo look more flat.

Photos by awngnasuha and Rob Warde
Overlap Perspective
Another way you can show depth within a photo is by using overlapping perspective. People instinctively
know that if an object overlaps another object (or partially hides the object) its perceived as being closer to the
camera. Also, objects in the foreground appear bigger than objects in the background which also enhances the
impression of depth in photography.
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A good trick to improve the impression of depth in a photograph is to frame it so that an object is very close in
the foreground compared to the background. For example, you could shoot a wide landscape photo of a
mountain range that includes flowers in the lower left corner that are close to the camera. The flowers close in
the foreground will enhance the impression of depth as they will appear larger than the mountain in the
background. On the other hand, if you wanted to reduce the sense of depth in the photo you would remove the
flowers from the frame. This would eliminate the reference point of depth in the photo and make it appear flat.

Notice how the photo on the left has deep depth just by including the fence post on the bottom of the frame.
Compare that to the photo on the right that appears flat without a foreground element in the frame. Photo by
Universal Pops
Lens Choice is Important
Just remember that with either trick you use from above to enhance or reduce perspective and depth in your
photographs lens choice is important. A wide angle lens increases the perceived distance between elements in a
photo which results in a deep perspective. A telephoto lens compresses the distance between objects and
reduces the sense of depth and perspective.
Its up to you to determine which type of perspective and depth you want in your photography. Both are correct
and can produce equally amazing photos. We recommend when on location you try both types of perspectives
and then later choose which you think looks best.
We hope you enjoyed this tutorial on perspective and depth in photography. Tell us what you think by leaving
a comment below!

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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 you didnt 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 see that 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 right
shutter 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 you
chose 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 in
photography 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 of at 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 How to Choose the Right Shutter Speed for Your Photograph. Its very detailed and
has many sample photos!
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Mastering Lines in Photography
Pow Lo use PorlzonLal Llnes ln hoLography
Pow Lo use verLlcal Llnes ln hoLography
Pow Lo use ulagonal Llnes ln hoLography
Pow Lo use Curved Llnes ln hoLography

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Mastering Lines in Photography

In this post were going to teach you how to Master Lines in Photography.
You may not have known this but using lines in photography can be very powerful because lines
create a sense of direction and movement within the frame. Lines have the ability to convey certain
feelings and moods within a photograph. Lines also have a unique ability to lead the viewers eyes
around a photo.
By learning how various types of lines in photography affect an image, ex. horizontal, vertical,
diagonal and curved, youll be able to capture better photographs because youll know which to use
and why when your trying to create a certain feeling in the image.
Over the next few posts we are going to teach you how to master lines in photography. We suggest
that after you read each article that you go out and practice what youve learned. Learning how to use
lines doesnt just happen overnight. It takes practice to become great at it.

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How to Use Horizontal Lines in Photography
Using lines within a photograph can be very powerful because they create a sense of direction and
movement within the frame.
In this post, we are going to teach you how to use horizontal lines in your photograph to create a certain mood
and feel. Other types of lines you can use within photos include: vertical lines, diagonal lines and curved lines.
Horizontal Lines Convey Stability and Peace
For the most part horizontal lines portray a sense of stability and peace. Just think about the many photos
youve seen of a landscape horizon, sun setting, person sleeping, etc. with a dominant horizontal line. You
probably felt the same way that most others feel when they look at these photos: a sense of peace and stability.
It doesnt matter how many dominant horizontal lines are within a photograph. It could be one, two, three or
more. The affect on the viewer is still the same: calm, gentle and restful.
In contrast, vertical lines convey power, strength or growth. Including vertical lines within a photo can disrupts
the peacefulness that horizontal lines convey.
Knowing the effect horizontal lines have on your photos will help you to shoot better photographs because
youll know how to use them to your advantage. For example, take a look at the two photos below. Both
contain a single dominant horizontal line. The photo on the left has a horizontal line formed by the receding
ocean while the photo on the right has a horizontal line made up from the tree tops.
Both photos have a horizontal line, but which one feels more calm and stable to you?

You probably chose the photo on the left of the ocean as being more calm and stable. Thats because it lacks
any other contrasting lines. The vertical lines within the photograph of the trees disrupt the calming effect
horizontal lines portray. That photo feels more dynamic simply from those vertical lines.
So how can you use this to your advantage? The next time you want to ensure that your photo portrays a sense
of calmness you should position your camera so that it eliminates any contrasting lines like vertical and
diagonal.

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Photographer Beware
Since horizontal lines portray a sense of stability and peacefulness you need to be aware of the fact that they
can also make a photo feel static and boring. A good trick to add some interest to the photo would be to
include a subject that acts as the point of interest, like a person, tree, building, etc. Take a look at the photo
below. Its dominated by horizontal lines but including the sleeping cat in the top left corner adds interest to the
photo. While its provokes a calming feeling and static it also keeps us interested by having a subject to connect
with.

now to Use Vert|ca| L|nes |n hotography
Lines within a photograph can create a sense of direction and movement within the frame.
In this post, we are going to teach you how to use vertical lines in your photograph to create a certain mood
and feel. Other types of lines you can use within photos include: horizontal lines, diagonal lines and curved
lines.
Vertical Lines Convey Power and Strength
Vertical lines have a unique ability of portraying a sense of power, strength and growth within a photograph.
They also make a photo feel more dynamic. The reason behind this is because most of us associate vertically
dominant objects, like buildings and skyscrapers to be more powerful than us; especially if the object is taller
than us. Studies have shown that we associate taller people to be more powerful and influential than shorter
individuals, which is why the same translates into photographs. Growth is also associated with vertical lines
because most living objects, like trees grow vertically upward (see photo of the sprout below).
Additionally, vertical lines convey a sense of strength because often you cant fill the entire frame of a photo
with a vertically dominant object without having to point upward at it. (Imagine trying to photograph a
skyscraper from the street below.) Because of this factor you often have to move far away from a vertically tall
object to capture it completely in the frame, like in the photo of the building below.
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In contrast, horizontal lines convey stability and peace. Just think about how peaceful you feel when you look
at a photo of a landscape horizon. Horizontal lines make us feel calm.
Knowing the effect vertical lines have on your photos will help you to shoot better photographs because youll
know how to use them to your advantage. For example, take a look at the beach photo below. Normally this
would make you feel calm and peaceful because it is is has horizontal lines formed by the horizon. By
choosing to include the vertical lines of the fence in this picture the photo now has energy and becomes very
dynamic. You cant help but feel more agitated as you stare at this photograph. The dominant vertical lines
have given power and strength to this photo.
Below are two more examples of how vertical
lines can increase the power and strength of a
photo. Notice how the tall vertical lines in the
photo on the left with the man walking adds
strength to image. If the building did not have
such dominant vertical lines this photo would not
be as powerful. Because of the lines, it looks as if
the building is towering over the man as he walks
away. Height is exaggerated with the vertical
lines. Now look at the photo on the right of the
tree trunks. The dominant vertical lines in this
photo also add strength in addition to giving off a
sense of growth.
A unique trick is demonstrated by these two photos. You can use to accentuate the impact vertical objects in
your photographs. Just hold your camera in vertical framing by turning the camera sideways. This allows you
to emphasize the height by further lengthening the vertical subject.
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now to Use D|agona| L|nes |n hotography
In this post, we are going to teach you how to effectively use diagonal lines in your photograph. Other types
of lines you can use within photos include: horizontal lines, vertical lines and curved lines.
Diagonal Lines Lead the Eye and Make Photos More Dynamic
Diagonal lines are a great way for a photographer to lead the viewers eye within a photograph. They also
make a photo feel more dynamic as opposed to horizontal/vertical lines which tend to make a photo feel static
or stable.
In our culture, we are taught to read left to right and we scan photographs in the same manner. Our eyes start
on the left side of an image and scan to the right. Knowing this fact allows you to compose a better photograph
because youll know how to lead the viewers eye naturally within the photo and help pull them into the
scene.
Take the photo of the rock climber below for example. The diagonal cracks in the rock face lead our eyes.
They draw our attention from the lower left foreground and up toward the climber in the upper right
background. If the orientation of the image had been reversed, such that the cracks had been oriented from
upper left to lower right, this effect would not have been the same. We would have felt as if we were pulling
away from the scene.
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Diagonal lines, by nature, have the ability to make your photos more dynamic. This can be very useful in all
types of photography and can be achieved in several ways. Diagonal lines in photography do not always have
to be distinct lines as with the cracks in the rock face photo above. Diagonal lines can also be implicit and still
give the same effect.
Take the photo of the photographer below on the left for example. Doesnt this photo feel very dynamic to
you? A lot of energy is coming from this capture. At first glance, you may only see one diagonal line created
by the background horizon that starts in the top left of the frame and extends to the bottom right. While not
immediately obvious and after closer inspection youll see that the legs and arms of the photographer also form
diagonal lines. These lines subconciously intersect the background line formed by the horizon and make this
photo more dynamic.

The photo above brings up another unique feature of diagonal lines in photos. The more competing diagonal
lines you have within the frame, the more dynamic the photograph feels to the viewer.
Another tip is you can instantly create a diagonal line in a photo where none are present simply by tilting your
camera about 30-45 degrees to one side.
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In portrait photography you can make a photograph feel more dynamic by forming diagonal lines with the
subjects torso, limbs and face. Take the photos below for example. The photo on the left feels dynamic just by
having the girl position herself so that she forms a diagonal line within the frame. The photo on the right feels
even more dynamic because the girls body forms diagonal lines with her arms, legs and torso. Her diagonal
lines compete with the diagonal lines of the arrows painted in the background adding even more energy to
the photo.

How to Use Curved Lines in Photography
In this post, we are going to teach you how to use curved lines in your photographs. Other types of lines you
can use within photos include: horizontal lines, vertical lines and diagonal lines.
Curved Lines Add Beauty and Grace to a Photo
Curved lines have a unique ability to add beauty and grace to a photo. The smooth contour of curved lines help
soften the subject within a photograph as opposed to straight lines, like horizontal/vertical/diagonal which tend
to make a photo feel more rigid and dynamic.
Curved lines in photography allow our eyes to explore an image in a smooth, free-flowing manner. Curved
lines are more romantic, or dramatic than straight lines. This occurs because the viewer has something to
follow with their eyes. Curved lines suggest more of a journey, whereas straight lines lead the viewer to the
destination very quickly. It takes longer to follow a curved line than it does a straight line within a photograph
which helps soften a photo and add beauty and grace to it.
The next time you want to make a photo feel more beautiful, try incorporating curved lines within it.
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Take the photos below for example. Compare the shape of the curves in the womans body to that of the tall
man standing vertically still. How does each photo make you feel? Youll probably agree that the photo of the
woman feels softer and more sensual while the photograph of the man feels rigid and tight. This response
comes from the different types of lines present in each photograph. If the
woman had been laying flat on her side the photo would not have felt as
sensual.

Curved Lines Lead the Eye in a Photo
A popular technique with photographers is to use curved lines in photography to pull the viewer into a
photograph. The most common type of curve used is the S Curve.
S Curves have more of an impact than just plain curved lines. By nature, S Curves are symmetrical and
balanced on each side which gives them strength. Other types of curves are often asymmetrical and the affect
on the viewer may be unpredictable. S Curves on the other hand are predictable and usually elicit the same
response from viewers: charm and grace. That is why you see this type of curve used most often in
photography.
Take the photos below for example. Do you notice how the S Curve of the train tracks slowly pull you into the
photo? Your eyes
subconsciously wander
through the photo following
the track to its destination. If
this was a train track was
made up of straight vertical
lines you would have been
pulled abruptly into the
image. Similarly, the photo of
the sand dune contains an S
Curve that gives your eyes a
longer journey to follow
which helps to soften the
photo and add beauty and
grace to it.

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Creative Ways to Use Hard Light in Photography
Its a shame that many photographers have come to fear the use of hard light in photography.
Why do they fear it? Because, theyve been taught that soft diffused light is the only type of good lighting.
Soft light is known for smoothing out imperfections and softening shadows within a photograph; traits which
tend to make a photo look more appealing. Hard light in photography has been known as the enemy because it
accentuates the shadows and imperfections within a photograph.
In this article, were going to teach you creative ways on how to use hard light in photography. After
learning these tricks youll know how to achieve amazing photos with hard light that other photographers
never imagine capturing!
If you want to read in more detail about the differences between hard light and soft light check out our
previous article on Hard Light vs Soft Light in Photography.
Otherwise, heres a quick reminder of how to create hard light in photography:
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2. use a bare bulb or bare bulb flash - wlLhouL a reflecLor or dlffuser Lhe llghL ls smaller and more polnLed
Direct sunlight and a flash without diffusion are two great examples of hard light.
Now, onto the hard light in photography tips!
Capture a Shadow Portrait
Most photographers focus too much on a direct subject and dont think to capture the shadows it casts. By
using hard light in this way you can create stand-alone portraits of people or objects that tell a unique story.
Take a look at the sample photos below and notice how hard light was used to create interesting shadow
portraits. How did they do it? Its simple. By positioning a hard light so that it shines directly onto a subject
which casts the shadow against a wall.

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Use Heavy Shadows to Create Dramatic Looks
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look ouL for naLural occurrences of hard llghL LhaL's casLlng dark shadows onLo a scene. A greaL Llme of day for hard
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Create the GOBO Effect
A trick with hard light that is often under utilized is using the GOBO effect. The GOBO effect is when an
object is is placed between the light and the subject and its shape is used to cast shadows on to the subject. Lots
of things can be used to create a GOBO effect, including: window blinds, plant leaves, cardboard cutouts,
screens, etc.
This trick can
also be used
with soft light
but when using
hard light in
photography its
best to use an
item that
creates clear
and sharp
outlines of the
pattern.
Samples of the
GOBO effect
are below.
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Show Off Textures in the Skin
Hard light can be used to show off the textures of the skin in a photograph. You can achieve this effect by
positioning your hard light source to one the side of your subject, rather than straight on. This positioning
causes each ridge and texture in the skin to cast a hard shadow emphasizing its details. Take a look at the
photo below of the older persons hand to see how effective this technique can be. Showcasing the texture of
the hand really emphasizes the age of this person. Hard light can also emphasize the muscles and strength of a
person. The photo of the fighter below displays this effect. Positioning the hard light to the left side of the
fighter creates shadows that emphasize his strength.

Utilize a Strong Backlight
Another great use of hard light in photography is to use it as a backlight to make your subjects pop off the
background. In the photo of the couple below the photographer used the hard lighting within the scene to
create a silhouette of the two people. You can also use hard light as a backlit rim light to create a dramatic
portrait. The photo of the woman below can easily be accomplished with a flash triggered from behind the
subject.

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Ten Ways to Take Better Portrait

As a professional portrait and fine art photographer, I work in a studio
environment photographing children and families as well as special
occasions on a daily basis. I prefer to shoot on location and have had
the opportunity to do so a few times a month.
After photographing the number of portraits weekly that I do, Ive put
together several pointers that help me make the photos better every
time. Here, Ill share ten ways to make a portrait better every time
1) Get it right in the camera!!!
What I mean is make sure that the exposure is correct at the time you
shoot the photo. Dont rely on post production to fix every mistake.
Something I do to make sure my exposure is right is look at the meter
on my camera. Every camera is a little different but all have some sort
of meter to judge exposure. It may have a numerical system which 0
will be correct. With this type of system negative numbers will be darker and positive numbers will be
brighter.
There are still times you may want to adjust to make the photo lighter or darker but make sure your exposure is
where you want it to be in your final image. This will also help keep down
the amount of work done in editing and save more time for shooting.
2) Posing is Paramount!!!!
Posing will make or break a photo. Posing is of course the way you
position a person for a photo. There are many different schools of thought
on this topic. I am a cross between classic posing and a more modern feel.
With portrait photography you want to have symmetry to everything you
do. A great to pose a family of three or four is in a triangle, Mom and Dad
with the children on their laps, which would give a nice triangle
composition to the photo. I would suggest finding posing ideas online by
browsing a stock photo firm likeiStockphoto. You can find great
photography there that will inspire you to try new things.
Posing should look natural and not stiff. If a child is sitting posed and
looks uncomfortable fix it because the discomfort will come though in the
photo. That goes really for any portrait subject. Again Im a huge supporter
of getting things right before pressing the shutter.
3) Dont Come to Close!!!
Close-ups are great but only if they can be framed and sold.
This was a problem I ran into when I first started photographing portraits that were going to be printed in
different sizes. I was unaware how much of a difference there was between an 810 and a 57 or even a wallet
size photo. I shoot a little loose as far as framing. This is the one thing that I say leave until editing. Try and
leave plenty of space for cropping to different sheet sizes around whomever youre photographing. Cutting off
limbs of people in the photo is not good. Watch out for that it will save you many headaches.
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About a month after starting to work in a studio on a regular basis I had a very large group come in to have a
family portrait done. This group had between 20 30 subjects. I photographed the family and did the entire
sessions. We looked though the photos and they picked their favorites and was ready to purchase. I was sizing
a making sure all my photos were centered when I realized I had not shot enough room for cropping on the
group photo. It was either fix it or return their money. The family had already left. I had to call them and
apologize for the under site and have them come in for another shoot to retake their photo. This cost not only
time and money but another trip for 20-30 people for another photo. I made this mistake only once.
4) Act Like a Kid!!!!!
I do this on a daily basis and it is one of my favorite parts of the day. Parents want natural smiles, not the
cheesy ones we all give when someone asks us to.
To capture photos that have a child smiling or even better laughing takes making a fool of yourself sometimes.
I make noises and play peek-a-boo. I dance with silly hats on my head and sing childrens songs. I do whatever
it takes to get the photo the parents want.
Some people reading this may be thinking that you would never catch yourself doing
any of that. Thats fine; I would just suggest not photographing children.
Today, kids have some awesome things to entertain them from video games to iPods and some even cell
phones. To be able to have an edge at being a children and family photographer you need to think like a kid.
5) Be Prepared!!!
This may seem out of place here but I want to just mention it. Always be prepared for any shoot ahead of time.
If you are shooting outdoors make sure you have plenty of batteries as well as memory cards. It may seem
basic but you will miss shots if you dont have what you need with you. I always carry and extra set of
batteries for my camera as well as anything else I may need to be powered (i.e. Flash, computer, and
cellphone). Its always better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it. I think my mom told me
that some time ago.
The topic of being prepared is also in relation to missing shots because of messing with gear. I will usually set
my lights in the studio for a group of shots. This helps me to focus my attention on capturing awesome photos
and not on my equipment. When on location its a little tougher because conditions change quickly. I still do
try to find a place that will give me a good twenty minutes of light so that I have time to focus and allow my
subject time to relax.

6) Use Props!!!!
Using props and things that the subject enjoys will make the photos more memorable. With high school seniors
or graduates I will always ask them to bring in a prop that is special to them or that represents what they did in
101 | a g e


school. Some teens bring in musical instruments or sports uniforms. Some may bring in a laptop if they are
into web design or graphics. I encourage them to even bring their best friend a on some occasions. This not
only makes the photos more relaxed it also helps to possible recruit another senior photo client.
Make sure you use good composition when using props. Do not let the prop be the focus of the photo let the
person be the focus. Also try and use the same idea as with the family portraits and using the triangle idea. It
makes things more flattering.
7) Shoot at 45 Degree Angles!!!
Shooting with your subject turned at a 45 degree angle is the most basic way to make your portraits come out
10 times better right away. Having a person stand with their shoulders flat towards the camera will look like a
mugshot and I have to admit I have never seen a good mugshot. It makes the face look flat and compressed
where having the subject turned at a 45 degree angle will add a three dimensional look to the face. It will also
make the face thinner and show less wrinkles and blemishes on the face. You also want to think about hand
placement when posing a subject. With a woman having her put her hands on her hips is ok but only when she
is angled. The wider the elbows are the wider the subject will look. In most cases if not all they will not like
that photo if shot looking WIDE.
8 ) Focus on the small stuff!!!
This is very important. I always look over my subjects to make sure there is nothing that the parents would not
want in the photos. Things such as wristbands and temporary tattoos. I also check for bruises and dirt on the
subjects faces. Strings and untied shoes are also on my checklist of details. Glare on glasses is also something
to fix at the time of shooting. Bringing the chin down or turning the head slightly away from the light source
will help reduce glare. I probably sound like a broken record but try and fix anything that needs to be fixed
before shooting even one photo. It will save you time with every step of the process.
9) Lights, Camera, Action!!!!
I have not talked much about gear and setups. I prefer to handle that without the subject realizing it. For most
of the things I do I use nice even light. I try and make sure that whatever the subject does especially children I
will have lighting that will work for it. I like larger soft boxes or reflectors to control light. There are
sometimes when I smaller light source is a very good way to create interesting effects. With these special
effects type shots it takes the subject being a little more stationary. I would suggest having a parent close by for
small children to help to keep them still. Make sure to also to keep cords and light stands out of the way of
subjects for safety as well as making sure that the gear will not be damaged.
10) Have Fun!!! Enjoy what you do. It will show in the portraits you capture.
Portraits are a fun experience and should be for everyone including you. A smile goes a long way in helping to
create awesome portraits. Please always remember to help the subject relax and be natural. It will speak
volumes not only in making portraits but also in advertising your photography. Word of mouth is still a great
way to get your name out there. When people have fun with you they will send friends to have fun with you as
well.

102 | a g e


The Golden Hour in Photography (Magic Hour)
Did you know that theres a certain time of day that produces the most amazing light for outdoor
photos? A time of day referred to as the golden hour in photography.
If youve ever taken a photo outside you know that lighting affects how your photo comes out. You may have
composed an amazing landscape or portrait shot, but if the lighting is not perfect it usually results in a less than
desirable photograph one thats dull and flat.
Fortunately, professional photographers have discovered that if they take photos during a certain time of day
they usually come out looking the best. The term used for this time of day is the golden hour in photography.
In this tutorial, were going to teach you everything you need to know about the golden hour and how you
can use it to your advantage.

1he golden hour ls whaL causes Lhls beauLlful warm llghL across Lhls landscape. lL also add a hlnL of warmLh Lo Lhe
!efferson Memorlal bulldlng.
What is the Golden Hour?
The golden hour (also known as the magic hour) is a time of day when the sun casts the most appealing light. It
varies depending on the season, but a general rule is that its present during these two times of day:
1. Around 1 Lo 1 1/2 hours after sunr|se (dawn)
2. and, 1 Lo 1 1/2 hours before sunset (dusk)
During these times the sun is low in the sky, which produces soft, diffused and warm lighting. This type of
lighting usually results in better looking photographs as opposed to hard light that comes from the mid day sun.
*Hard light can be effective if used correctly. For more details on hard light check out our tutorial on Creative
Ways to Use Hard Light in Photography.
Light that occurs during the golden hour produces less contrast than any other time during the day. This
reduces the possibility of both dark shadows and bright highlights from occurring within the same scene. This
is a common problem that happens during the mid day and can result in losing important details of your subject
in the shadows or blown out highlights. Its for this reason that many photographers swear by the golden hour
and refuse to shoot photos any other time of day!
103 | a g e


Another feature of light during the golden hour is that it produces a warm glow. This happens because the sun
is very low in the sky. As a result the light passes through much more of the atmosphere. This filters out blue
tones and creates a warm light. Trying to match this type of outdoor lighting is nearly impossible without
purchasing expensive equipment.
Perfect for All Types of Photography
One of the greatest aspects of shooting during the golden hour is that it produces very beautiful photos. This
makes it perfect for all types of photography. Landscape photos benefit from the low contrast and warming
effect just as well as portraits, flowers, architecture, etc. So, take advantage of this free light source and start
capturing your images during the golden hour!

1he golden hour adds a Louch of glow Lo a swan. lL also warms up Lhe porLralL of a young glrl and produces low
conLrasL.

104 | a g e


Hard Light vs Soft Light in Photography
Have you ever heard of the terms hard light and soft light in photography?
When you take a photograph inside or outside the scene must be illuminated by light in order to capture the
photo. Light comes in two forms: hard light and soft light. Depending on which type of lighting is in your
scene will greatly affect how your photo looks. Well begin by introducing the gray zone.
Understanding the Gray Zone
In every photograph theres a variation of light between the brightest and darkest areas. This gradient of light is
what photographers call the gray zone. Depending on what type of lighting is in the scene, hard or soft,
determines how harsh the transition is within this gray zone.
Hard Light
Hard light casts hard shadows
and creates high contrast
within an image. There is not
much of a gray zone in these
photos. You see this type of
light when you are outside on a
very sunny day. Imagine
looking at a building where the
side facing the sun is
illuminated while the opposite side is in shadow. Be sure to check out our other tutorial on Creative Ways of
Using Hard Light in Photography.
Soft Light
Soft light wraps around a subject and fills in the shadows creating low contrast within an image. There is
a lot of gray zone in these photos. You see this type of light when you are outside on a cloudy day. Imagine
looking at a building where all sides are evenly illuminated.
What Causes a Light to be Hard or Soft?
There is only one thing that causes hard light or soft light in photography. And, that is the size of the light
source relative to the subject. Its not how bright the light source is or how much it has been diffused. Its all
about its size. The bigger the light, the softer it becomes.
A large light source wraps light around a smaller subject and fills in the shadows. This also lowers the contrast
and creates a slow transition of dark to bright areas in the gray zone.
A small light source directs light onto a larger subject creating hard shadows and high contrast which also
results in a fast transition of dark to bright in the gray zone. Sometimes a light can be so hard that there is no
gray zone transition whatsoever!

10S | a g e


Hard light Small light source, Large subject Soft light Large light source, Small subject

A Detailed Example
Heres an example to help you understand the difference between hard light vs soft light in photography:
Imagine the sun shining light on a landscape scene. The sun is a small dot in the sky compared to the wide
open landscape, which makes the sunlight is hard. This results in photos with dark shadows and bright
highlights without much of a gray zone in between.
Now imagine a cloudy day. The clouds act as a diffuser for the sun and spread the light causing it to be bigger
than the landscape below. The shadows are filled in and there is a larger gray zone in between the shadows and
highlights. Sometimes if the light is diffused enough you may not see any change of brightness/darkness in the
gray zone because the subject is evenly lit.
Creating Hard Light and
Soft Light in Photography
Youll find that some photos look
better using hard light while others
look best with soft light. This is
especially true in portrait
photography. Most photographers
prefer soft light in portraits because
its more flattering. Soft light helps
to smooth out the skin and hide
imperfections. The light is even
across the subject. Hard light, on the other hand, draws attention to imperfections because you see dark
shadows in these areas.
There are two ways to soften a light source:
1. Move Lhe llghL closer Lo Lhe sub[ecL - Lhe closer Lhe llghL Lhe more lLs lllumlnaLed
2. use a reflecLor or dlffuser - Lhese accessorles spread Lhe llghL maklng lL larger. Lxamples lnclude uslng an
umbrella Lo reflecL Lhe llghL or flash and/or uslng a large sofLbox llghL.
And, two ways to harden a light source:
1. Move Lhe llghL farLher from Lhe sub[ecL - Lhe farLher away Lhe llghL Lhe less Lhe sub[ecL ls lllumlnaLed
2. use a bare bulb or bare bulb flash - wlLhouL a reflecLor or dlffuser Lhe llghL ls smaller and more polnLed

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