Camera Lenses 101
How You Can Improve Your Photographs
Photography is a delicate and complex art that requires years of practice, incredible patience, and a dedication to making every picture better than the last. This can seem intimidating to the new or inexperienced photographer, but there’s really no reason for alarm. Many of the more technical skills of photography can be learned gradually by taking lots of pictures over time so if you love photography this won’t be a tough goal to achieve. In the interest of making things a little easier, here are five ways to make your next photograph the best one yet:
Turn Your Camera Around
This is one of the easiest changes to implement in your daily shoots. Most photographers forget about the simple technique to turn your camera vertical (instead of horizontal) and miss the opportunity to better compose their subject. Think about your framing before you shoot and if a horizontal shot doesn’t seem quite right, it’s time to go sideways.
Take a Different Look
This is another habit you should work into your every day photography. Standing with the camera pointing head-on at your subject isn’t always the best way to shoot a photograph, so consider trying your shots from a different direction. For instance, try shooting a portrait of a friend while you kneel or lie on the ground – this photo will be far more compelling than the normal straight shot.
Stop Fighting Against the Light
When broken down to its core elements, photography is merely light and the way it interacts with objects. Learning how to use light is an important part of photography so play around with different types of light and see what happens. Move your subjects (or yourself) to capitalize on the best natural light angles, and be aware of the optimal range of your flash before counting on it to save the day. Try to think outside of the box when it comes to lighting and try backlighting subjects in different ways so you can see what kind of impact this has on your images.
Use Your Camera for Cropping
This one is more difficult to get used to, but it is critical that you frame your images correctly. Try and compose your photographs so that only the parts of the story you want to tell are visible in the frame, and leave the rest out. If you’re having difficulty with finding the perfect setup, try changing your distance to the subject and if all else fails remember that you can always go vertical. This is less of an issue thanks to the abundance of editing software out there, but it’s always best to try and get these things done in-camera.
Upgrade Your Auto Focus Camera
Although upgrading your auto focus camera to an SLR does cost money, it is an easy solution to taking better pictures. But the reason for upgrading to a SLR (single lens reflex) is to give yourself the ability to manually adjust your aperture, focus and exposure so you can improve the quality of your pictures. And unlike many small digital cameras, with an SLR, what you see through the viewfinder is exactly what you get. Finally, SLR cameras will provide you with tons of flexibility in accessories such as additional lenses and filters. These extra photo goodies may not be necessary now, but they will be very handy later on as your skills get more advanced.
As with any skill, the best way to improve your photographs is by practicing as much as you can. And don’t forget about taking time to look at other photographer’s work and reading up on different techniques as these will help take your photographs from “okay” to “incredible.” Now all you have to do is get out there and start taking pictures!
About the Author
Autumn Lockwood is a writer for Your Picture Frames. Shop online and see our selection of rustic picture frames in a wide variety of colors, styles and sizes. Visit our website and see our wood rustic picture frames and stained natural picture frames or call 800-780-0699.
|
|
101 Tips on Wedding Photography The art of professional wedding photography has never been more enthusiastically exposed! This wonderful training video by Clay Blackmore, an internationally known presenter (trained by masters Monte Zucker and Rocky Gunn), covers classic and dramatic wedding portraiture as well as contemporary and fun journalistic imagery. You will learn many technical and practical wedding day tips. These inclu… |
|
|
Streamlight 14003 Sidewinder Green LED Flashlight, Green $47.33 FEATURES Articulating head rotates 185 degrees: 1 Spring steel clip attaches to MOLLE or belt: 2 Battery polarity indicators for easy replacement in the dark: 3 Tethered tailcap to prevent loss: 4 Cord attachment hole supports up to 25 lbs.: 5 Lens with scratch resistant coating: 6 Pull and rotate color selecting knob for easy use wi… |
|
|
RAB HH1VG H System Floodlight Hood , Verde Green $21.00 RAB HH1VG H System Floodlight Hood , Verde Green… |
|
|
WAC Lighting WS110-G101WT/BN Decorative ADA Wall Sconce $164.95 Shade Color:White, Shade Pattern:Linen Texture, Finish:Brushed Nickel, Light Bulb:(1)60w B10 Cand F Incand Each molded porcelain shade produces a warm glow. WAC Sustainable Choice Complies with federal regulations for fixtures in public pathways Five year warranty… |
|
|
Cargo Naturals Stationery Box, 3-3/4 by 12-1/2 by 10-1/2-Inch Cargo Naturals, the authentic and home and office organization collection, includes a broad range of filing and storage products in five signature colors. Practical and Stylish. Organize easily and neatly. Strong and durable riveted fiberboard construction. Metal trim accents also add stability. product. 100-percent paw fiberboard and recyclable…. |
|
|
Dual Front & Rear Camera DVR Car Vehicle Dash Dashboard GPS Data Recorder 1.3M $76.54 Built in microphone & speaker. Automatically begins recoding when vehicle is started. Support language: English/Russia/German/French/Spanish/Japanese/Chinese/Korean. Specification: |
|
|
Ematic EG101 Mobile Dashboard Mount for Portable GPS Receivers $9.88 The Ematic EG101 Mobile Dashboard Mount for Portable GPS Receivers keeps your GPS easily accessible so you can keep both hands on the wheel. Compatible with most GPS Receivers. Easy mounting, attaches to the dashboard of your vehicle…. |
|
|
Autodesk Stitcher Unlimited 2009 [Old Version] $299.00 Autodesk Stitcher Unlimited 2009 software enables you to quickly create wide angle and panoramic images in a few easy steps. Integrating an intuitive user interface and an advanced, automatic photo-merging engine, Stitcher Unlimited provides high quality results, whether you are creating virtual tours for the web, matte paintings for movies, or panoramic prints for artistic display. Go above an… |
|
|
VPLL-ZM101 Long Throw Lens FORVPL-PX32 VPL-FX50 VPL-FX5 $3,100.00 Adding versatility to your Sony projector is as easy as unscrewing the standard lens and replacing it with this telephoto zoom lens. The adjustable focal length ranges between 89 and 133.5mm, greatly increasing the distance that your projector can produce clear images. Designed to work with Sony models VPL-PX32, VPL-FX50, and VPL-FX5, the lens weighs just 4 pounds–light enough to cart along on bu… |
|
|
Waist Shooter Lens Bag with Black Leather Cover $70.00 The Waist Shooter is the first belt bag made of wetsuit-grade neoprene that is designed to hold cameras, DSLRs, lenses, flashes and other electronic gadgets. In contrast to traditional belt bags, the Waist Shooter is sleek, slim and features swappable designer covers to fit any style and occasion…. |
HDSLR 101 #9: Choosing the Right Lens
Super Duped | Unsatisfying cinema from a Spielberg wannabe and a French farce
The films of Steven Spielberg hold a special place in Gen-X hearts. For those who came of age as The Beard hit his peak in the late ’70s and early ’80s (Yes, he peaked there. Aside from the amusing misstep 1941; Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Raiders of the Lost Ark represent an amazin… By Joe O’Shansky.