You could spend your entire lifetime studying how to make great landscape images. There are, however, a few key techniques that will improve your nature shots right away while you learn the subtleties of the craft. Keep these few tips (demonstrated in Figure below) in the back of your mind while shooting.
This image employs a few helpful landscape techniques. First, the horizon line is low in the frame, allowing for a “big sky.” There are dark tones at the top and bottom of the frame that lead the eye to the brighter tones in the middle third of the composition. The image was recorded in late afternoon, taking advantage of “magic light.” Finally, the picture was shot at high resolution, allowing for some cropping to fine-tune the composition.
1. Work with “magic light.”
Landscape pictures shot before 9:00 a.m. and after 5:00 p.m. look better, especially with digital cameras that have a hard time taming harsh midday sun.
2. Keep your compositions simple.
Clutter is the bane of powerful landscape imagery. Look for simple, powerful compositions, and skip the rest.
3. Don’t put the horizon line in the middle of the frame.
Landscapes become more powerful when the horizon line is in the lower or upper third of the composition. You can create a very dynamic composition by putting the horizon very low in the frame and letting sky dominate the scene.
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There are two ways to shoot items using tabletop photography: the hard way and the easy way. The hard way involves multiple studio lights, softboxes, umbrellas, and seamless backdrop paper. Professionals use this equipment to produce outstanding images for commercial advertising and high-end editorial work.
But if you just want a nice picture of your old 35mm camera to sell on eBay, you probably don’t want to set up an entire studio. So here’s the easy way:
- Find a window that you can set up a table next to. North-facing windows are great, but not necessary for this type of shooting. Cover the surface of the table with white paper, and if you can, create a white backdrop too. This will be your work area.
- Put your camera on a tripod (or another stable surface) and adjust it so it’s facing the item that you want to photograph on the table. Move both the subject and the camera to achieve the best lighting possible via the open window. Once everything is in place, make a tabletop reflector out of white cardboard, or cardboard (or another rigid material) covered with aluminum foil. Position the reflector opposite the light source (window) so it bounces light onto the shadowy side of the item.
- Set the white balance to Cloudy and put your camera on self-timer. Now trip the timer and stand back. After 10 seconds or so, the camera will take the shot for you to review. Continue refining your setup until you get the shot you want.
This simple setup can produce studio-like results with a fraction the cost or effort. Give it a try.
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Adding pictures of buildings and their interesting elements to your travel portfolio brings another dimension to your presentations. Point-and-shoot cameras aren’t ideal for architectural shooting, but if you follow these suggestions, you’ll be surprised by the results you can achieve.
You may have noticed a phenomenon called converging lines when taking pictures of large buildings. Instead of the structure standing straight and tall, the lines of the building slant inward so it looks like it’s falling backward. This effect becomes more pronounced the more you angle your camera upward to compose the shot. To some degree this is a natural effect that viewers accept. Even in real life, looking upward at a tall building creates converging lines. We don’t think about it much, but it can detract from your photos.
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Museums, aquariums and natural habitat parks provide opportunities for unusual shots. They also present some difficult challenges for the digital photographer, but nothing that can’t be overcome with a little ingenuity.
Before you get too excited at the prospect of shooting beautiful works of art in a museum, be sure to ask if it’s OK. Often you’ll discover that photography is allowed in some areas, but not in others. To avoid embarrassing confrontations, ask when you first enter the facility.
Even when you’re granted permission, you’ll probably be told that you can’t use a flash or set up a tripod. So here are a few tips to help you work around those constraints
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The keys to capturing effective action shots are to shoot at your camera’s highest resolution, use a fast shutter speed, and take measures to reduce shutter lag.
Two of the most important techniques for stopping action and capturing the decisive moment are to use a fast shutter speed (1/350th of a second for this shot) and to enable burst mode, which allows you to fire off a rapid series of frames. You can then pick the best image from the sequence.
Following these suggestions will improve the quality of your action shots:
1. First, set your camera at its highest resolution. You will probably want to crop your image later to bring the action closer. Having extra pixels actually extends the reach of your lens, which is very helpful for this type of photography.
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Speaking of the flash, how many times have you seen hundreds of cameras firing off from the stands during a sporting event in a large stadium? Alas, what a waste of film, battery power, and space on memory cards.
The flash range of most point-and-shoot cameras is about 10 feet. That means that if you’re shooting from the stands, you’re illuminating a couple of rows of seats in front of you, and that’s about it. Instead, turn off your flash and use existing-light techniques. If you can adjust your camera’s ISO setting, bump it up to 200 or 400. This will increase your camera’s light sensitivity.
When you take the shot hold the camera very steady, because the shutter speed will be slow and you’ll want to minimize camera shake, which degrades image quality. Better yet, use a tripod if the situation allows.
Even if you hold the camera steady, the action on the playing field will blur, so try to make your exposures right after, or before, the action.
Obviously, you’re not going to get Sports Illustrated shots from the cheap seats. But for memorable occasions, such as your hometown team winning the NCAA championship, it’s great to have a few well-exposed images from the event to keep in your scrapbook.
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Your subjects are vulnerable to red eye in dimly lit rooms when their pupils are open wide. The effect is actually caused by the light from the flash bouncing off the retina and being reflected back into the picture-taking lens. Point-and-shoot cameras are notorious for causing red eye, because the flash is so close to the lens; this makes for a perfect alignment to catch the reflection from the retina.
Even though many cameras provide a setting to reduce red eye, they don’t always work well and actually can be irritating to both subject and photographer. Instead, try following these suggestions when shooting in low light:
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Weddings are portrait heaven. Your subjects look sharp, are happy, and are in pretty settings. All you have to do is have your camera ready for the opportunities as they present themselves. Here are a few tips for great wedding shots:
1. Rule one is to not interfere with the hired photographer’s shots. If you want to “follow in his wake” for special posed portraits, simply ask permission to shoot a couple of frames after he finishes. Most pros will accommodate these polite requests.
2. Next, turn on your flash and leave it on, indoors or out.
PRO TIP
If your camera accepts an external flash, consider getting a flash bracket to elevate the light source above the camera. A dedicated cord connects the flash to the camera’s hotshoe. Elevating the flash eliminates red eye and moves distracting shadows out of the frame.
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Make sure you pack a spare memory card and extra batteries when you hit the road with your digital camera. These compact picture-takers are perfect travel companions, but you don’t want to run out of storage space or juice halfway through your trip.
When you’re on the road, approach your travel photography the same way a director thinks about filming a movie scene. The first frame, often called the establishing shot, is of the point of interest itself, such as an old church. The second image is a nicely framed portrait, with an element of the structure included in the picture. If the subject warrants it, you might even want to move in very close for a third shot, or several follow-ups.
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Children are a challenge for many consumer digital cameras, primarily because of shutter lag. In short, kids move faster than some digicams can react. But with a few adjustments, you can capture excellent images regardless of the type of camera you have.
One of the most important adjustments is to get down to kid level when shooting. This is “hands and knees” photography at its best, as shown in figure below. If you need to, get on your belly for just the right angle. Getting down to their level will instantly make your shots more engaging.
Go where the kids are to get good shots. Don’t be afraid to get down on the ground, and once you’re there you might want to turn on the fill flash to help you stop action and evenly illuminate the portrait.
Next, get close. Then get closer. This may seem impossible at times with subjects who move so fast, but if you want great shots, you’ve got to keep your subjects within range.
Now turn on the flash, regardless of whether you’re indoors or out. Not only will this provide even illumination, but the flash helps “freeze” action, and you’ll need all the help you can get in this category. Keep in mind, however, that the flash range of most digicams ends at around 8 feet.
Finally, use the “focus lock” technique described in the practical example “Capturing the Decisive Moment”. By doing so, you can reduce shutter lag and increase your percentage of good shots.
Some of the most rewarding pictures you’ll ever record will be of children. Like the child-rearing process itself, kid photography requires patience—but the results can far surpass the effort.
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