Weekend Photo Tips: Perspective

Perspective can't be helped by menus in the back of your camera, but it has everything to do with you! Even though a lot of people are intimidated by perspective, it really is a simple concept to learn. 

To begin with, there are two parts to perspective:  camera position and focal length. 

The first part is all about where the camera is set.  For example, most people are used to
seeing at eye level.  If a photograph is taken at eye level, it may not catch the viewer's eye

and would look like just another photo to them.  But, what if the camera is set in an odd position?  The view might look different from what they are used to seeing and catch their attention.  

That is the outcome that photographers are looking for! 

 Let's say that I think a certain tree looks like it would make a great picture.  

If I am not using perspective correctly, I might take the photograph at eye level.

More than likely, I would be disappointed with the result.  But what if you got down to ground level
at the base of the tree and shot up the trunk to go for an unusual angle? 
Or, if I really want to go for a different take, I might climb the tree and shoot from there.
That vantage point could also catch the eye of the viewer!
 

 

 

Eye level

 

 

 



 

10ft up the tree looking down

 

 





 

At the base looking up

 

 

 

I think most of us would agree that the photo taken at eye level looks pretty average.

The shot taken from up top of the tree after a good climb took more effort

but isn't that much more interesting.

But most viewers would probably say that the last shot from the base is the best of the three.

Notice that this perspective lends a sense of towering majesty to the subject.

 

This is a good example of what Timothy Allen once said: 

“It can be a trap of the photographer to think that his or her best pictures were the

ones that were hardest to get."

 

That said, the best perspective might just come by standing in waste high water

for that amazing landscape, or climbing a colossal tree to get a photo angle like the one above,

or taking a 10 mile hike to get round a lake for that scenic shot. 

Just think about why you are going to do something before you go for it! 

 

And finally, a brief but important note about the second part of perspective: focal length.

Focal length is a factor that will determine perspective between subject and background. 

Say that I was to take a portrait, and I was asked to frame the shot from waist up.

A first photo is taken at 35mm, then a second at 200mm.  Both shots are framed equally.

In the photo at 200mm, the background would appear closer to the subject even though

both of the pictures were both framed the same.  This is referred to as compressing perspective.  Alternately, at 35mm the background would appear further from the subject

and there would be more background in the shot.  

 

So as you can see, perspective is affected by both camera position and focal length.

To read more on focal length, take a look at my post, 

"What Is Focal Length?" 

http://splashofphotographyblog.blogspot.com/2014/02/weekend-photo-tips-what-is-focal-length.html

 

Thanks for reading Weekend Photo Tips  

Come back next Friday for more!

 

 

 

 

Weekend Photo Tips: Some Abstract Ideas

Have you ever thought about giving abstract photography a go? I would encourage you to try it out.  

Abstract photography can be a lot of fun because breaking the rules of photography is ok! 
For example, you have most likely been told that you have to use a fast shutter speed
or you will get camera shake. That is true, but in abstract photography one of the most
popular techniques involves using a longer shutter speed.  Below are some examples of abstract photography. After each photo I will tell you how the shot was taken. 



This is actually a photo of kitchen blinds! I positioned the camera on a tripod, under-exposed
the background, and then focused as close as possible with the widest f-stop I could use.

For this shot I used a technique called the zoom blur.
That means I used a shutter speed of 1/2s, 1/4s, or 1/8s.  While the shutter was open,
I zoomed the lens. After that I opened this photo in an editing program called gimp
and added a lot of red tint to it.

I could tell you how I did this, but then again,
I think I'll let Mike Browne and his friend demonstrate this unusual technique!   
Here is the link to his YouTube video: 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQ5SH_vK7U8

Again, I encourage you try out abstract photography.  It really is a great way
to take photos on a rainy day because most of these creative ideas can be done indoors!

The best way to get good at abstract photography is to experiment.

Thanks for reading Weekend Photo Tips! Come back next Friday for more!

And remember...
“It can be a trap of the photographer to think that his or her best

 pictures were the ones that were hardest to get."   – Timothy Allen - On editing photos



Weekend Photo Tips: What Is Focal Length?

Focal length is a very important part of photography.
So, what is focal length?  Focal length refers to how much zoom is in the camera lens.
The higher the number of mm. that is shown on the lens, the closer that the subject will appear.  

 

Do you see the ring with the numbers on it? That is the zoom ring that shows focal length.

 

Just to bring focal length into reality, our eyes see at a distance of about 50 mm.
But the wideness of the angle that your eyes are able to see is only about 10-20 mm.

Because of this difference, focal length not only determines how close the subject is
but also how the background appears. 
The longer the lens, the closer the background will be to your subject.
Not only that, but also it adds more bokeh (background blur) to the image.

See in the photos below:


18mm
 

55mm
 

200mm

WOW! That is a big difference between 18mm, 55mm, and 200mm! 
Also, all three of the photos are taken at f11, so the F-stop is not affecting the photos.
Because of this, a good portrait focal length would be about 85mm.
That would help to isolate your subject and provide just the right amount of background.
Also, if you are going after a dramatic shot or a landscape,
then you would want a fairly wide angle lens.

Finally, keep in mind that the only way to master focal length is to experiment with it.
  I hope to include more articles about focal length in coming posts, so stay tuned! 


Thanks for reading Weekend Photo Tips - more to come next Friday.   
But until then, remember...

“ I always thought good photos were like good jokes. If you have to explain it,
it just isn’t that good. – Anonymous



 

Weekend Photo Tips: Exposure Compensation

Most people think that there are only three light settings in photography: shutter speed, aperture

 and ISO.  (To learn about these take a look at past posts.) But really there is one more! 
It is called exposure compensation. The one thing that is different about this setting
is that you are telling the camera to lengthen or shorten the shutter speed, close or open
the aperture, or rise or lower the ISO number.

 

Exposure compensation is measured in something called stops. 
The camera thinks that the photo would look best at 0 stops, but sometimes the
camera can get it wrong!  That is why you might want to use +1 stops.

This would double the brightness in the shot. Then +2 stops would double it again.
Some cameras go all the way up to +7 stops.  But if you want the photo to be darker,
 just set -1 stops or -2 stops, etc. Stops can also be used in thirds.
For example, if I wanted to make the photo brighter,

but not quite double the light, then I would set at +2/3 stop.


Below is an example of what you would see on the LCD of your camera.

 

 

Here are some photos taken at different stops.

-2 stops



0 stops



+2 stops

 

As you can see, 0 stops is a little too bright because the snow is blown out.
But -2 stops is a bit dark. I would most likely use -1 1/3 stop for this shot.

 

 

Thank you for reading Weekend Photo Tips!
Please come back next week for more tips and tricks about photography.

 

 



Weekend Photo Tips: The Rule of Thirds and Beyond

Beauty can be seen in all things, seeing and composing the beauty is what separates 

the snapshot from the photograph. – Matt Hardy

Do you want that WOW factor in your photos?  Well, there aren't any settings in your camera
that will give you that!  One thing that will, though, is good composition.  A way to get good

composition is to use the golden rule of photography: the rule of thirds. 
 What is the rule of thirds?  It means that the subject or horizon is placed
off-center and on a one-third segment of the frame.

 Let me show you a photo using the rule of thirds.

See how the tree and the horizon are on one-third of the shot?

 

 

But in photography, rules are made to be broken!  What I mean by that is something

 that is referred to as the rule of sixths or the rule of eighths.  Similar to the rule of thirds,
the subject or the horizon is placed on a sixth or an eighth of the frame.
Why use these rules and not the rule of thirds?

Well, if you really like the sky but you do not want the photo to be all sky,
then a small amount of foreground can give that sense of depth that you are looking for. 
Having just a small amount of one or the other helps to bring balance.

 

Do you see how I put the horizon on a sixth?

 

Thank you for reading my post about the rule of thirds and beyond.
Come back next Friday for more Weekend Photo Tips! 

And remember...

 

“ You don’t take a photograph, you make it. - Ansel Adams


 

Weekend Photo Tips: How To Shoot Landscape Photography

Do you want those beautiful landscapes that you can brag on?  Camera settings alone won't do!    
One of the things that will help is the rule of thirds. That involves placing the subject on a
third of the frame. For more on the rule of thirds, visit my article at: http://splashofphotographyblog.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-rule-of-thirds-golden-rule-of.html

Also, try to use foreground.  It will make your photos come to life and will give a sense of depth.
Using anything that is available for foreground will do.  For example, see how I used a tree as foreground? 
In this photo, it is actually more of a subject then it is a landscape. But that is ok -
it looks great as it is. Just try to imagine this shot without the unusual focal point in the foreground.
More than likely, it would simply appear flat and boring. 

If budget permits, use filters.  And if you're going after a sunrise or sunset, use a grad filter. 
The dark glass will cover the sky so that it is not too bright and the rest too dark. 
When shooting waterfalls, use an ND filter.  As a special effect, a longer shutter speed can give
the water an almost ghostly appearance. 

If something is shiny in the photo, then a polarizer is needed to remove glare.  Also, make sure
that the filter is the right size for your lens.  The back of your lens cap will tell you the size of
your lens in millimeters (mm.).

Another tip - try to use a wide angle lens. This will allow you to get most of the scenery in the shot.

Also, it will make things look more stretched out.  See how the sky seems to go on forever
in the next photo? 

And finally, try to shoot in the morning or evening because the light is the softest at these times.
If you're shooting in the morning or evening and not aiming directly toward the sun, then the subject will be side lit. 
If you are using a polarizer, then when your shot is side lit, the colors will look
more vibrant.  Just a note - a polarizer will only add that vibrance if side lit!

I hope this helps you in your journey with landscapes.  More next Friday on Weekend Photo Tips!   

Weekend Photo Tips: What is ISO and How Does It Create a Photo?

Let me ask you a question: what makes a photo?  Yes, it is the sensor, but what is a sensor? 
Well, an image sensor is made of silver.  The silver tarnishes in a very orderly process which
actually creates a photo.  But the image sensor is not just a hunk of silver.  It is made up of lots
and lots of little pieces of silver. These pieces of silver are called ISO. The higher the ISO,
the fewer and larger are the pieces of silver.

ISO is so amazing because it doesn't just create the photo, it is also a light setting.  The higher
the ISO, the faster the shutter speed can be.  ISO is measured in numbers.
Depending upon which camera you carry, the ISO will start at 100,
then go from 200 to 400, 800, 1600, etc.  But, there is one problem. 
The higher the ISO, the more grain and/or noise you will find in the photo. For most cameras,
the highest usable ISO is about 800; beyond that point, you will find that lots and lots of noise
will occur. 

Here are a couple of photos at different ISO numbers: 


ISO 200




ISO 12800

WOW!  That is a big difference between ISO 200 and 12800, isn't it?   
Also, notice that there is not only more noise in the 2nd photo, but the colors are also affected.

Hopefully these thoughts on ISO have been helpful to you. Thanks for reading Weekend Photo Tips -
I'll be back next Friday with more!  And remember...

 "Your imagination is a preview of life's coming attractions."  - Albert Einstein

The Rule of Thirds: The Golden Rule of Photography

Beauty can be seen in all things, seeing and composing the beauty is what separates the snapshot from the photograph. – Matt Hardy

Do you want that WOW factor in you photos? Well no setting in you camera will

give you that. What will give you that is good composition. A way to get good

composition is to use the golden rule of photography: the rule of thirds.

What is the rule of thirds? Its were the subject is put of center and put on a line of

a third.

Let me show you some of my favorite photos I have taken that use the rule of thirds.

                                                  Note that the horizon is on a third.

                                                     The lights are also on a third.

And last but not least the rose is also on a third.

 

You can purchase all of these photos and many more at my Etsy shop.

Link:  https://www.etsy.com/shop/SplashOfPhotography?ref=si_shop

Weekend Photo Tips: Shutter speed it's all about time

Shutter speed can be a creative thing, but it can also be a hindrance if not used properly.

Shutter speed is defined as the length of time that light can go through the lens in your camera
and hit the sensor.  The longer the shutter speed, the brighter the image. But, if it is too long
then camera shake (motion blur) will occur. Using a tripod or a higher ISO are ways to avoid
camera shake.   I will follow up with an article with more information about ISO next week
on Week End Photo Tips.

To master shutter speed, it is necessary to know fractions because a shutter speed is expressed
as a fraction of a number. Here is an exercise that can help to test out your fraction-ability! 
**See answers at end of article

1. What is 1/2 of 1/100th of a second?
2. What is double 1/100th of a second?
3. What is 4x 1/20th of a second?
4. Is 1/10th of a second the same as 2/20ths of a second?
5. What is 1/5th of 1/100th of a second?
6. What is 5x 1/100ths of a second?

If you are using a DSLR, then the shutter speed must be at least as fast as the lens's focal length
is long.  For example, if I were using a 50mm lens then I would have to use at least a 1/50th/sec.
speed, but even then I am at risk of camera shake.

If you have a tripod, here are some ideas for you! Long shutter speed can be a lot of fun
if you have the right subject.  Stars at night are a great example.  If using a long enough shutter speed, then you can actually capture the stars' rotation.  Just a note - you will have to pick a clear night.

I used an approx. 4 min. shutter speed for this shot.

But if you would like, times as long as 1 hour can capture more of the stars' rotation.

You can purchase this photo and many more at my Etsy shop!

Here is the link:  https://www.etsy.com/shop/SplashOfPhotography?ref=si_shop

Here are some examples of photos with camera shake.

As you can see, 1/10th sec. hand held does not work, but 1/80th sec, and 1/6th sec. from a tripod
result in great photos.


**Answers to test above:

1. 1/200th of a second
2. 1/50th of a second
3. 1/5th of a second
4. yes
5. 1/500th of a second
6. 1/20th of a second

Blog announcements: Weekend Photo Tips!

Weekend Photo Tips! 

Every Friday I will post a article with everything you need to know about photography!
This will be a great way to end the week and kick off your weekend with great photo tips!

My Etsy shop and a bit about me

Please browse, and drop a note if you have any questions. All of the photographs in my shop are my original work.

My camera and I are enticed by the wonderful contrasts that surround us: the delicate beauty of a morning dewdrop or a graceful, old tree. My interests are easy to see in my artwork: nature, rustic scenery, wildlife, and beautiful landscapes.

My Etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/SplashOfPhotography?ref=si_shop

Thank you for shopping,
Evan

Week End Photo Tips: Aperture, the most creative setting in photography...

Aperture is a very important setting in your camera lens.  It can make or break your pictures!
So what is aperture?  Aperture, more commonly called f-stop, is defined as the size of the opening
in the camera's lens.  The wider the opening, the more light that is able to reach the sensor.  In contrast, a smaller opening allows less light to reach the image sensor.

But aperture is not just a light setting!  A wider opening doesn't only mean more light but also more background blur.  And in turn, the smaller the opening, the less that background will blur in the photograph.

As a test, I took three photos, all at different apertures.  The first photo at f5.6 shows a lot of
background blur.  The second at f13 reveals a smaller amount of blur than is present in the first photo.  
But in the last image at f36, you can see that the least amount of bokeh (background blur) appears
due to the smaller size of the aperture.

f5.6

f13

f36 

One more detail that might be good to note:  lenses are made so that the best image quality comes from a mid-range f-stop, about f11-16.  So, if background blur is not an issue in the shot, you might want to consider using these f-stops for best results.   

10 Photography Quotes that You Should Know

1. “ You don’t take a photograph, you make it. - Ansel Adams

This is my #1 favorite photography quote. Many people think that they can just point at a pretty sunset with their phone and have a great photo. But really, it takes work, lots of work, to make a true landscape, or really any kind of photograph.

2. “ Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst. – Henri Cartier-Bresson

This one turned out to be true for me :) You don't become a great photographer overnight, it takes years of dedication and hard work.

3. “ Beauty can be seen in all things, seeing and composing the beauty is what separates the snapshot from the photograph. – Matt Hardy

In my opinion, composition is the #1 most important aspect of photography, and as Matt says, its what makes a good photograph.

4. “ Nothing happens when you sit at home. I always make it a point to carry a camera with me at all times…I just shoot at what interests me at that moment. – Elliott Erwitt

While I don't carry my bulky and heavy DSLR everywhere I go, I usually have my phone with me, sure I might not be able to use the photos from it but I still get the practices of composition and lighting.

5. “ Which of my photographs is my favorite? The one I’m going to take tomorrow. – Imogen Cunningham

I love this one, its just so true! As photographers we should always be improving and taking better and better photos every day.

6. “ You’ve got to push yourself harder. You’ve got to start looking for pictures nobody else could take. You’ve got to take the tools you have and probe deeper. – William Albert Allard

Now that everyone has their phone with them all the time, it is becoming more and more difficult to take original photos that people actually want to look at. You really have to work hard to find something original, but it is worth it!

7. “In photography there is a reality so subtle that it becomes more real than reality." Alfred Stieglitz

Like Alfred says, sometimes the photographs of the scene become even more beautiful and real than the scene itself. Capturing a moment in time lets you see it long after the original beauty.

8. “ I always thought good photos were like good jokes. If you have to explain it, it just isn’t that good. – Anonymous

Every photograph should have a clear story behind it, even if its partly up the the viewers imagination.

9. “ Twelve significant photographs in any one year is a good crop. – Ansel Adams

Sometimes photographers can get discouraged because they aren't producing very many images.Its encouraging to hear that such an amazing photographer like Ansel Adams only expected one good photograph a month.

10. “It can be a trap of the photographer to think that his or her best pictures were the ones that were hardest to get. – Timothy Allen – On editing photos

Some of my favorite photos were the easy ones to get. A lot of the time people think that it always takes lots and lots of planning for every shot, but sometimes you need to just shoot whatever interest you!

Great photography tips on line.

Would you like to improve your photography? Then I have some ideas for you to consider!
First up, YouTube channels! YouTube is one of the best spots for photographers. You
can learn anything you want! My second idea for you is photography blogs.
They are just one of the many ways to learn photography. What I like about blogs is that
you can go at your own pace. Photography can be a lot to learn so this is important! So anyway, here are my top 2 favorite YouTube channels! Then my top 2 blogs. Enjoy!

Mike Browne
This guy has been a pro photographer for more than 20 years!
He explains the art of photography for beginners as well as seasoned
photographers!
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs4S07E5NC0R7pVuzBJ0e8Q

Yellow Wood Guiding
If you love nature or wildlife photography, this is the channel for you!
He explains a lot about composition and light.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqc491aClPs

Now it's blog time!

Beyond Megapixels
This is a relatively new site…just a year old. This blog is perfect for rank beginners because it is so easy to understand. The language might be dumbed down, but the tips aren’t.
http://www.beyondmegapixels.com/

Digital Photography School
This blog is so awesome because the articles can be written by many different people on the
site. And there is a TON of info to be learned thru DPS.
http://digital-photography-school.com/

Thank you all so much for taking a look at some of my favorite photography places on the web!

Hope it helps,
Caleb Evan