Travel Photography

(From: schoolofphotography.com)

Ever look through travel magazines and books and envy the photographer who took the images? There is no doubt that travel photography is one of the most popular types of photography. In fact how many can raise their hands and admit their camera collects dust between trips? If there was a vote it would probably be a substantial amount.

It is obvious why this is the case. We wouldn't think twice about photographing our own surroundings, we take it for granted and because we see our local area so often, it doesn't inspire us. This is even true for people who live in parts of the world that are very photogenic such as Venice as shown in Fig T1 taken by SOP tutor Douglas Mann (aka: Photomann). You can see a very extensive travelogue from all parts of the world that Photomann has travelled on his website. http://www.photomann.com/

Once we go outside familiar surroundings everything looks fresh and the impact of seeing something different inspires us to photograph it. When we travel, we like to document our travels through photographs, mainly to show others on our return. Also when travelling, people are usually accompanied by family and friends and it gives us a chance to photograph them, which we rarely seem to have time to do at home.

Travel photographs aren't just about photographing places and the people you are with, but also the people who live there and the events that may take place in your destination. In fact travel photos can be broken down into three categories; People, places and events.

Photographing People

Images of people are an important part of documenting a visit. To many people, travel is about visiting strange and exotic locations. Don't forget though that it's the people who live in these locations that often add the "strange and exotic" to the location.

Sometimes it's not always the locals who add this element to a location, the visitors can often put in their share of the "strange and exotic".

Traditional fashions are often popular in travel portraiture. The image in fig T2 shows a Portuguese Gypsy in traditional black dress. She is also doing what most European Gypsies are famous for; selling goods at a market.

Photographing Places

There may be a number of reasons why we travel to a particular location. It could be to enjoy some fine weather, to visit well known attractions such as theme parks, to explore its history and historical landmarks, to enjoy its natural beauty or to visit friends and family.

Whatever the reason there will probably be well known landmarks or just scenes that immediately identify the location. Some would be very well known and others less so.

One well known natural landmark is the Rhine River in Germany shown in fig T3. The Rhine is steeped in history both ancient and modern. Today it is still a major thoroughfare for barges carrying cargo as well as tourist traffic. No photo of the Rhine is complete without a castle nestled near its shore.

Photographing Events

An event is often the reason for a visit to a specific place. These could be festivals, fairs, religious occasions or rituals. This may be your main reason for visiting. When planning a trip to any sort of destination, find out when these events are on and try to plan your trip during that time, even if its not your sole reason for visiting the locality.

Most popular destinations are done up to look their best for special events or occasions. What better event is a parade?

St. Patrick's Day parades take place all over the world, the more famous parades actually take place in the United States. But there is nothing to match the real thing; a St. Patrick's Day Parade in Ireland, home of St. Patrick (Fig T4).

Photography Tips - Nature Photography

From: schoolofphotography.com)

The term nature covers a wide variety of subjects. It can be anything from a small flower to a large mammal. Any subject that is totally "natural" can be classed as a suitable subject for a nature image. The image would not even have to be of a singular subject, it could be a group of animals or an entire natural landscape. So this gives us a very wide variety of subjects. The first rule of thumb any photographer should abide by when taking nature images is to keep it "natural". Exclude any signs of "the hand of man" in your images. Try to show your subject in its natural habitat if this is possible. If not make sure not to show any signs of human interference when taking a shot. Flowers and Plants Flowers of course, are very popular subjects to photograph. They are extremely colourful and are in easy access. Most flowers are large enough to fill the camera frame without any need of close up equipment. Fungi or mushrooms are another type of plant to keep in mind. Mushrooms like the one shown here (right) are very colourful. Other types of mushrooms or fungi can have great texture qualities. The photo above right is a good example of the different ways to explore nature through the lens of a camera. The most important aspect when taking photos of flowers or plants is to get them at their prime. Find a flower that is not showing signs of wilting but is fully developed. Make sure to exclude any signs of flower pots, fences, plant supports etc. If the flower or plant you are photographing is in a garden or greenhouse, isolate it by getting in close or fill the background with related plant life such as leaves etc.

Insects Insects are a very popular subject to photograph and are easily accessed. The trick for successful images of insects is to get in close. Most standard camera equipment can get respectably close but for that real punchy image macro or close-up lenses, filters or attachments would be necessary with most insects. Many insects are very fast moving and would be difficult to photograph under normal lighting conditions. Flash is a big help but try to keep the flash lighting as natural looking as possible. Use a remote flash (off camera flash) or a ring flash (lens mounted flash) for best results. Again the thing to get right is the location where the insect is taken. Ideally the insect should be in or on a natural location such as a flower or leaf. An insect on prepared food or any human implement would not be classed as a nature image.

Animals When presenting animals as a nature image, make sure it is not of the domesticated kind. Photos of pets like dogs and cats are NOT nature images. Other domesticated animals such as cattle, sheep and horses would not be classed as nature subjects either. It can be a bit difficult to find animals in their habitat for many people. Wild animals are usually shy creatures that are gone long before most of us have a chance to see them never mind photograph them. Patience, planning and perseverance are vital in order to photograph wild animals. Small subjects like birds, squirrels and reptiles like lizards and snakes are the most popular subjects for natural photography. These are mostly small and fairly fast. Birds are the most commonplace however and can make excellent subjects to photograph without too much difficulty. Again a bit of planning as to how to find these creatures in the right location is vital. Though not many of us get the chance to see wild animals in their natural habitat, especially of a bigger variety, we do have access to them in zoo's and parks. It is possible to take nature images in these circumstances. In this instance the same rules apply; exclude any sign of human interference. Cages and man-made structures should be excluded in photos that are taken in this situation. This photo of a Leopard was actually taken in a zoo. Careful composition has eluded any signs of a cage. Although this photo was taken through a fence, putting the lens in as close to the wire as possible and using a wide aperture has prevented showing its existence.

Natural Landscape Landscape photos can also be classed as Nature images. Photos of the landscape variety usually do quite well in many Nature competitions. Again the main point here is that the landscape should be totally natural. Every day however there is less and less areas of the world that do not have some form of human development or other. When first embarking on the quest for a "natural landscape" one may be forgiven thinking they are easy to come by. Natural landscapes, like other forms of nature photography should exclude any human interference. This means buildings, roads, telephone polls, paths, fences and ideally even farm animals. The best places to find natural landscapes would be National Parks or wildlife preserves. Even in these places however it is quite difficult to exclude man made structures. This photo was taken in Death Valley National Park in California. Locations such as this provide vast natural landscapes. Because great controls are in place to conserve and preserve areas such as this, human elements are usually at a minimum.

Nature and Man One area where "the hand of man" would be acceptable in a nature image is when the "story" of the image is about man's preservation or more commonly, destruction of nature. This would have to be depicted quite clearly in the image though for it to be a success. If one sits down and thinks about it, there is very little in the way of depicting man's preservation of nature in one image. There is unfortunately many ways to capture mans destruction of nature. Most of these images would not be "pretty" pictures but captured correctly can impact on a viewers feelings of disgust and sympathy. Remember that the impact of an image isn't always a pleasant one.

Learn How to Capture Action Shots

(From basic-digital-photography.com) Do you find it a problem to shoot great action shots? Whether you are shooting pictures of a soccer match, or a fast moving car, you may find it a great challenge to produce nice pictures of these subjects. In fact, the first thing you’ll realize is that digital Cameras are bad for action shots. That is why first time users, new to digital photography often gripe about how lousy their action shots turn out.

This article will give you some tips for shooting action shots with a digital camera. Apply these tips and I’m sure you have a better chance of getting a nice action shot.

A photo of a fast moving car

Shutter Lag

One of the major reasons why digital camera cannot shoot nice action shots is due to shutter lag. On many digital cameras, when you press the shutter button, it may take an entire second before the photo is taken. A traditional, analogue 35mm camera can take the picture within 50 milliseconds. There is a world of difference between 1 second and 50 milliseconds.

What this means is that you need to compensate for shutter lag when shooting action shots. Give extra time when framing your shot, so that when you depress the shutter button, the photo will get taken at precisely the right time. Another option, of course, if to get a higher end camera which offers less shutter lag.

Take Control Shots

Another factor influencing action photography is the shutter speed of your camera. If your camera allows a very fast shutter speed (say up to 1/8000 of a second), you can easily capture fast motion. If it only supports a slower shutter speed (say 1/640 of a second), then you won’t be able to capture such fast motion. One way to capture motion with a slow shutter speed is to use the panning technique. When you next shoot a fast action shot, try following through with the subject. Track the subject, shoot the picture, then continue moving the camera. If you practise long enough, you’ll be able to get a sharp subject with a blurred background – which is a nice effect.

Camera Write Times

The write time of the camera is also important when shooting action shots. Some cameras will chug away to store a picture in memory each time you press the shutter button. This, of course, is terrible for capturing action. One way around this is to ensure that your camera supports continuous shots. This way, the camera takes a fixed number of shots, before writing them all to memory at once.

Conclusion

We all know action photography is exciting and very interesting if the pictures are taken well. However, action shots pose a great challenge, especially to novice photographers. Do keep the above tips in mind the next time you take such shots, and I’m sure your results will be better.

Where Do You Store Your Digital Photos?

(From basic-digital-photography.com) Do you have a ton of photos in your collection? Perhaps you’ve been taking many photos over the holiday season or during your last vacation. Where do you store all those photos? This article will run through some ideas on digital photo storage so that you know how to approach the storage issue in future. Essentially, there are a few options you have when it comes to storing photos - memory cards, hard drives, CD/DVDs and online storage.

Using Memory Cards

Of course, one lazy way to ‘store’ your images is to leave them all in your camera’s memory card. Not a very good idea. For one thing, you need to clear out space in your camera’s memory card to take more photos, so you certainly should try storing them elsewhere. Think about it - if you’re snapping 5 megapixel images very frequently, I guarantee you that even a 1GB memory card will run out very quickly.

A SanDisk 512 MB CompactFlash memory card

Using Hard Drives

After you import your images from your camera to your computer (usually via a USB cable), you should have those pictures stored in your hard drive. Hard drives are pretty cheap these days. For $100, you can get a branded 160 GB hard disk (that’s enough to store about 32,000 pictures at 5 megapixel resolution each!).

The Seagate Barracuda 160 GB hard drive

Based on personal experience, I’d say the only problem with hard drives is the uncertainty of the data safety. I’m talking about hard disk crashes and virus infections. If your computer is used by all family members, there is a small chance the hard disk may crash due to virus infections (e.g. from surfing the web). To avoid this, I’d recommend using CDs and DVDs as your back option.

Using CDs and DVDs

Right – if you’re not using a memory card or hard drive to store photos, the next best option might be to use CDs or DVDs. A CD-R can typically store 650 MB worth of photos and a DVD-R can store 4GB of photos. You’ll need a CD burner or a DVD burner, along with a CD or DVD burning software to burn those photos. One good example of such software is Nero Burning ROM.

The Sony DRX710UL External DVD Burner

Personally, I prefer to store my photos in DVDs. When burning DVDs, I will set each DVD to be a multi-session DVD. This means I can burn, say, 1GB worth of photos on one session, leaving 3GB of DVD space for another burning session.

Storing Your Photos Online

Another good option is to store your photos online. You can either use online photo sharing sites or upload them to your own website . This is a great way to share your photos with friends and family without the hassles of emailing photos. Some of the photo sharing sites allow you to specify logon passwords for specific users to come online and view private photos. You can also read my guide on sharing your photos for more information.

Conclusion

Well, I hope you now have a better idea of how to store your photos. Besides using memory cards and hard drives, one can use CDs, DVDs or store them online. Whichever way you choose, remember to file them so that they are easy to find. Here’s a guide to organizing your photo collection to help you along. Good luck and remember to backup your treasured photo collection!

How to Choose a Tripod for Your Digital Camera

(From basic-digital-photography.com) Are you thinking of getting a digital camera tripod? Well, good for you! I feel that tripods really are a necessity if you’re serious about photography. Yes, they are big, bulky and quite painful to carry around - but they do wonders for the digital photos. They are particularly good for getting rid of that camera shake that creeps into your photos now and then.

In particular, tripods are particularly good for nature shots, macro-photography, long exposure shots, slow shutter speeds or low light situations. That makes it a very versatile accessory which must be in any photographer's toolbox.

This article will give you some tips for choosing a good tripod for your digital camera. Read on and find out more!

Check the Stability

Always make sure you check stability of the tripod when the legs are fully extended. Adjust the tripod to a proper height, then check if it wobbles after you apply some pressure to the top. If the tripod is made of sturdy material and is of good quality, it should remain firmly in place even with some pressure on it.

Can It Sustain the Camera's Weight?

Another thing to bear in mind when buying a tripod is the weight of your camera. Remember, if you have a professional digital SLR, the total weight of your camera, lenses and flash unit will make the whole setup pretty hefty. Make sure that tripod can carry the total load.

In general, I'd avoid the plastic models. Yes, they’re lightweight and cheap, but you want to trust it with your camera. A heavy tripod, made of magnesium alloy, titanium or carbon fiber is much better. Though slightly more costly, they will last you a long time and are much suited for rough photographic situations.

Check the Head

Tripods come with a head to which your camera is attached. Some of the tripods come with one that’s removable, which will allow you to just buy whichever type you like. Some come with one that is not removable, and your stuck with it. So shop carefully.

Heads tend to come in two categories - the pan and tilt heads and the ball and socket heads. Both have advantages and disadvantages. The pan and tilt heads move up and down, left to right. The ball and socket type allow you to position the camera in any direction, is nice for moving your camera around while on the tripod.

Check the Height

One more thing - remember to check for the height of the tripod. How does the tripod extend? What are its maximum, minimum and folded heights? And most importantly, do the heights fit you? This can really vary depending on the type of photographs you take.

Brand Name Tripods

There are many brands of tripods out there - many beginner digital photographers end up buying lower quality ones. Remember, a cheaper price doesn't always mean the tripod is of a better quality. I prefer to go for quality brand names like Sunpak, Slik or Vanguard. One of my favorite tripods for general usage is the I use is the Sunpak 6601UT tripod as shown below.

The Sunpak 6601UT Tripod

Conclusion

Great! Hopefully you've now learnt a thing or two about choosing a proper tripod for your digital photography exploits. Trust me, a tripod is a really useful tool - something that you will need sooner or later if you're serious about photography.

5 Basic Digital Camera Terms You Need to Know

(From basic-digital-photography.com) Being familiar with the terminology used in any subject of interest in is always useful, and digital cameras are no exception. Although most digital cameras available on the market allow you to simply point your camera and quickly snap a picture with the touch of a button, there is often a lot more going on behind the scenes than you may have realized. All sorts of things happen in the camera once the shutter button is pressed.

Put simply, understanding the most important terms about digital cameras will allow you to make a better-informed purchase of a new digital camera, let you have more control over your digital camera’s features, and help you to take the best quality photos possible.

1. Megapixel

When we use the term megapixel, we are referring to the maximum resolution at which a digital camera can take photos in millions of pixels. This means that a camera with a range of 4 megapixels can take photos which each contain a maximum of 4 million pixels.

But what does this mean to the consumer? One word: quality. A higher megapixel count means better quality photos, and considering the price of digital camera getting lower all the time; you should try to stick with a digital camera that has a 3 megapixel range or above, especially if you intend of making prints of your photos.

2. Focal Length

Focal length is a term overlooked far too often in amateur photography, and refers to how much the lens of a camera can magnify a shot. Focal lengths are generally split into two categories, these being wide-angle and telephoto, which are better for spacious and narrow fields of view respectively.

Due to the ease of manufacturing telephoto lenses, digital camera manufacturers seem to provide wide-angle lenses in a lot less cameras, even though these lenses are better suited towards the type of photos that most people commonly take, including groups of friends and wide landscapes. To sum up, a wide-angle focal length is the better choice in most cases, with the 20mm and 35mm varieties catering to most people’s needs.

3. Digital Zoom

Unlike the focal length, digital zoom is a term that seems to be given a lot more attention than it deserves. Unlike optical zoom, which uses the physical lenses inside the camera to enlarge a scene, digital zoom electronically enlarges the pixels in the center area of a photo, meaning that any time you use the digital zoom function on your camera you are actually sacrificing the quality of your photos. It is a good idea to disable the digital zoom function all together to stop this from happening.

4. ISO

The term ISO stands for the International Standards Organization, but what does this have to do with your digital camera? The organization sets standards for photography, and the ISO range of a camera refers to how sensitive the camera is to light.

For instance, a low ISO number (100 or under) is not very sensitive to light, and is best for shots in good lighting conditions. A higher ISO range means that the camera will be suitable for photography in darker conditions, so it is best to look for a camera that has an adjustable range; ISO 100 to 400 should be adequate for most people’s needs.

5. Shutter Lag

Shutter lag refers to the time between pressing the button to take a photograph and the time when the picture actually gets taken. This may not seem a very important factor when buying a camera, but think of it this way: if you have to wait a second or longer for a photo to be taken, like with many older and inexpensive digital cameras, then chances are that you won’t end up with the photo you desired. Many camera manufacturers do not list the shutter lag time for their cameras, so the best way to find this out is by testing a camera before you buy.

Conclusion

Hopefully this article has helped you to better understand some of the most important terms used when referring to digital cameras, and in turn will help you to choose the digital camera that best suits your needs. I think that testing a digital camera before you make a purchase can help greatly when it comes to making a final decision, and it makes sense to do so; you may be using the camera you choose to capture your memories for years to come!