Wednesday, 28 February 2018

Some tips for taking photographs in the Summer

Long summer days

There must be more photographs taken in the summer than any other season. Today, more people own a camera of one sort or another than ever before; it maybe a digital slr, a modest compact or a mobile phone, and they’re all snapping away during those long, warm summer days, and it’s no wonder, there’s so many subjects to photograph. So with the right technique and a little thought before you press the shutter you could capture some really great images.

Image by Luis Hernandez

 The summer landscape.

Unlike winter, summer is filled with green landscape, colourful flowers and blue skies. As with all landscape photography you need to make use of the available light and there’s plenty of that in the summer months.

The time of the day can have a dramatic effect on your photograph; around midday the sun can be harsh for a landscape shot, but wait ’til the evening and the light becomes softer and warmer, especially nearer the ‘magic hour’; a chance to shoot sublime summer sunset perhaps?.

Image by HPUPhotogStudent

People

If you’re taking a picture of  someone, try getting in close with your camera. This lovely, well captured image below by  A Witt  is a good example.

 

Avoid having the sun behind your subject (unless your going for a silhouette shot) but if you have no choice then use a fill-in flash to lighten your subjects face.

A candid shot of someone can work well, with some people, having a camera pointing at them can make them feel self conscious- we’ve all seen those fake cheesy grins- so try photographing them when they’re not aware of the camera, or try photographing them from a distance using a telephoto or zoom lens; people will feel more relaxed when the camera is further away.

Colour

There’s no shortage of colour in the summer months, it can be found anywhere, from a field full of  sunflowers to the bright summer clothing seen in the town and city parks. Colour can add real impact to your photographs, so keep a look out for subjects containing bright, vivid or contrasting colours.

 

These brightly coloured crocs by lizjones112  makes  for an eye catching image.

A colourful field of sunflowers by Bert Kaufmann

Two colourful well managed shots by Laris Sa

This image above of  someone dozing in the shade by Linda Cronin, really captures a lazy summer day.

A tranquil summer sunset captured by kennymatic

This image of some cherries looks so good I can almost taste them, image by Linda Cronin

A good close-up of a sunflower. Image by hello-julie

And yet another lovely summer image by Linda Cronin, you know how to take a good shot Linda!

Just listen to the barley rustling in the breeze. Image by Simistef

A very atmospheric shot by PhillipC

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Tuesday, 27 February 2018

How to photograph silhouettes

Silhouettes

When photographing subjects against a bright background, such as a sunset, you’d probably use your flash to help lighten your subject. But there are times when making your subject appear featureless, apart from the outline, will convey more mystery, drama and mood to your image, we’re talking silhouettes.

© A Webber

The image above was taken at sunset, by metering for the bright sky in the background the oak tree stands out  clear and sharp in silhouette.

Detail

When composing a photograph for a silhouette shot, you’re looking for crisp, sharp detail. Choose  subjects that will stand out with clear recognizable shapes, the subject matter could be anything: animals, birds, trees and plants, architecture and, of course, people. Try not to clutter your image with too many overlapping shapes as that could lead to a confusing image. If you’re photographing several people at once, try keeping each person separate and clearly outlined, and if you photograph them in profile, their features will be more distinct for a more recognizable shot.

© A Webber

The image above shows two walkers on the beach. I hadn’t planned for them to be in silhouette, I just wanted some foreground interest, but as the sea and sky was very bright, that’s exactly how they came out; in silhouette.

 No flash

If you’re shooting in auto mode, your cameras flash may pop-up, so make sure you switch it off, otherwise it will just defeat the objective; you want a bright background with your subject lit from behind.

© A Webber

In the image above the Para glider was disappearing into the sunset; a good chance to snap him in silhouette.

Light reading

Depending on what camera you have, take a meter reading from the bright background by pressing your shutter down halfway then recompose your shot on your subject and press the shutter down all the way, this should make your subject under exposed and appear in silhouette, but, the problem is, if you shoot in auto mode your camera may find it difficult to focus properly on a dark shape, to remedy this either use a high f/stop (small aperture)  to increase your depth of field; this will help to keep the foreground and background sharp, or, focus using manual mode.

A great image above by  Public Domain Photos  of someone standing in profile against a sunset.

Here’s some more striking images of silhouettes:

 

A simple but striking shot of a ”methane pipeline” by Kaibara87


Another great silhouette by keepwaddling1

This silhouette of some Cranes in flight is awesome, Image by me’nthedogs

Another great shot from me’nthedogs

No mistaking these little critters, love this shot. Image by Chris Samuel

A perfectly captured silhouette of  the Arizona state fair  by Kevin Dooley

Taken in Cincinnati- Spring grove cemetary & Arboretum of a swan in silhouette. Image by David Paul Ohmer

A perfect example of  ‘less is more’ Image by Kansasphoto

No mistaking what this guy’s doing- a clearly outlined silhouette such as this one tells the whole story. Image by Mike Baird

Another perfect example of a silhouette. Image by JD Photography

Stunning shot of a Curlew in silhouette. Image by Mike Baird

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Monday, 26 February 2018

Tips to Help you Take Amazing Photos of Architecture

If you want to photograph buildings you will need to bare some tips in mind if you would like to elevate your shots above mere holiday snaps to something with a little more style. There are so many approaches to this style of photography, how do you know where to start? Thats where today’s guide comes in, follow these tips to take your archiecture photography to the next level.

1. Scouting the Location

If you live nearby you can take a look around and plan some locations out before you head out, if this isn’t possible because you are on a day trip or on holiday, you can still do some preparation by using google maps street view. Note down some locations that look interesting in your notebook or on your smart phone.

2. Shoot Wide

If you have a wide angle lens, make sure to bring it – this can help you capture street scenes and the building in their surrounding environment. Shooting low with a wide angle lens can have a dramatic effect.

Ludwigstrasse Munich by Werner Kunz

3. Zoom Lens for Details

Using a zoom lens you are able to home right in on the details of a building and take a more artistic shot – zoom in on things like hoardings, windows, beams and use the shadows. Look out for buildings with symmetry and use this, you can get some amazing photos like this.

Black Angels from a White Future by Gilderic Photography

Reflections on Market Street by Thomas Hawk

4. Use a Tripod

Buildings dont move! Therefore you can use a tripod and a lower shutter speed, rather than raising the ISO, if shooting at night a tripod is essential. Another important thing when shooting buildings is getting the picture correctly leveled so you can use a bubble level on your tripod.

Parliament House Canberra by Sam Ilić

5. Time of Day

Shooting during the day is fine but early morning or dusk can give a more dramatic effect. In particular, office buildings, hotels, restaurants and bars can look great when they are lit up at night. Dusk is probably the best time as you can get a balance between interior and exterior light on the building. See our post on city skylines for loads of examples.

Darkness Falls in Rome by Storm Crypt

6. Positioning Yourself

If you stand at the base of a tall building and shoot upwards then the top will look tiny compared to the base so you dont want to get too close to the building for these type of shots. If the building is really wide you will need a wide angle lense or will have to move farther back. Don’t forget to include some of the surroundings if they are relevant – this will give scale to the building, especially if you include people in the shot.

A Foggy Empire by WanderingtheWorld (www.LostManProject.com)

Examples

The following are a few great examples of Architecture photography I found on Flickr which have been licensed under a creative commons license.

Green Bottle

Green Bottle by Bert Kaufmann

Liège / Luik / Lüttich

Liège / Luik / Lüttich by Bert Kaufmann

Playa de Bocagrande, Cartagena, Colombia

Playa de Bocagrande, Cartagena, Colombia by szeke

Working Late

Working Late by Thomas Hawk

light looks back

light looks back by ecstaticist

arne jacobsen, aarhus town hall 1937-1942

arne jacobsen, aarhus town hall 1937-1942 by seier+seier

Dome of the Reichstag building

Dome of the Reichstag building by alles-schlumpf

The post Tips to Help you Take Amazing Photos of Architecture appeared first on Photographic Blog.



source http://photographicblog.com/tips-to-help-you-take-amazing-photos-of-architecture/

Sunday, 25 February 2018

25 Photos of Beautifull Old Vintage Cameras

With the latest digital SLR cameras, these days, capable of quite amazing things its easy to forget about the hundreds of years of history in photography. Old vintage cameras have a great look to them and provokes much nostalgia so I thought it would be a good idea to make today’s post a look back at some of these old models. I present you 25 Photos of Beautifull Old Vintage Cameras …

Kodak Brownie Starlet, 1957 – my first camera

Kodak Brownie Starlet, 1957 – my first camera by Silvio Tanaka

Leica IIIf

Leica IIIf by selva

Vintage Moderne *Explored*

Vintage Moderne *Explored* by Sean Molin Photography

Zenith at dusk

Zenith at dusk by Alex Dram

Untitled

Untitled by Rebecca Lader

Polaroid Land Camera Automatic 230

Polaroid Land Camera Automatic 230 by BlurDotBlog

Exa Ihagee Dresden

Exa Ihagee Dresden by Jan Krömer

Leica D-Lux 4 with accessories

Leica D-Lux 4 with accessories by Nokton

Titanium Honeycomb

Titanium Honeycomb by happykiddo

Indra Lux

Indra Lux by John Kratz

Kodak Brownie Hawkeye

Kodak Brownie Hawkeye by kevin dooley

16-05-10 II Beirette

16-05-10 II Beirette by Βethan

zorki-4 + industrar-61

zorki-4 + industrar-61 by dsevilla

9/365… Yashica Electro35 GSN

9/365… Yashica Electro35 GSN by Erik J. Gustafson

~Nameless~

~Nameless~ by Colton Witt Photography

Haneel Tri-Vision

Haneel Tri-Vision by John Kratz

Imperial Mark 27

Imperial Mark 27 by John Kratz

Zeiss Ikon Voigtländer Vitessa 500 AE Electronic

Zeiss Ikon Voigtländer Vitessa 500 AE Electronic by John Kratz

Univex Mercury CC-1500

Univex Mercury CC-1500 by John Kratz

26-08-10 Just Don’t Make Me Choose

26-08-10 Just Don’t Make Me Choose by Βethan

Dualism

Dualism by Joe’s-Photos

Closer look

Closer look by Alex Dram

Certo Super Sport Dolly 1937

Certo Super Sport Dolly 1937 by Nesster

Voigtländer Vitoret DR

Voigtländer Vitoret DR by 96dpi

Untitled

Untitled by Micah Camara

The post 25 Photos of Beautifull Old Vintage Cameras appeared first on Photographic Blog.



source http://photographicblog.com/25-photos-of-beautifull-old-vintage-cameras/