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8 Simple Guidelines for Capturing Spectacular Sunrise and Sunset Images

24 Jan

The post 8 Simple Guidelines for Capturing Spectacular Sunrise and Sunset Images appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Tim Gilbreath.

8 simple tips for stunning sunrise photography and sunset photography

When we are asked to think of popular subjects for landscape photography, images of beautiful sunsets and sunrises immediately come to mind.

What outdoor photographer worth their salt doesn’t have at least a couple of images of the sun dipping below the horizon?

In most people’s minds, sunrise and sunset photography is an easy thing to capture; the beauty and scale of the event itself should carry the photo, with minimal interaction from the photographer.

three birds at sunset

But is this really the case?

Unfortunately, it’s not. Unless you’re relying on luck alone, you’ll need to possess a few seeds of knowledge (eight, in this case!) to get you started capturing that epic sunrise or sunset.

None of these guidelines are difficult to comprehend, and they can all vastly improve your chances of properly capturing one of Mother Nature’s most incredible events.

So let’s jump right in!

1. Scout the location

As tempting as it is to just show up at a convenient location and start shooting, you greatly increase your chances of success by planning your sunrise or sunset photoshoot in advance. The first thing you’ll want to determine is the best location from which to shoot.

Pick a location that is out of the way of road and foot traffic, where you’re unlikely to be disturbed. Go to the location in broad daylight before the shoot, and ensure your view of the horizon will be unobstructed and free of any hazards.

The most important factor after the location is the time of day. Obviously, this will vary depending on whether you’re capturing a sunrise or a sunset.

But start by checking the weather. If your shooting time coincides with an approaching or recently-ended storm, the results can be staggering. Rain and storm clouds can add a dramatic layer of dimension to the scene.

You can also pinpoint the perfect time to shoot with an online tool or smartphone app that will display precise sunrise and sunset times for your location. Many low-cost (and sometimes free) solutions are available, including PhotoPills (for Android and iOS), and The Photographer’s Ephemeris (for Android and iOS).

sunset photography over lake

2. Sunrise or sunset?

If you’re familiar with color temperature, you’ll know that there is a slight difference in the appearance of light at sunset versus sunrise. Early morning light tends to be cooler (higher blue) than light in the late evening, which leans toward warmer color casts consisting of orange and red.

Since there are different color temperatures at work here, you might need to adjust your photos, depending on the look you’re after. You can do this through your camera’s white balance settings, through warming or cooling filters, or via adjustments in post-production – where you’ll need to add or remove warmth to achieve the perfect final photograph.

Be aware that physical filters placed over your lens will degrade image quality slightly, because they’re an additional obstacle for light to pass through, so adjusting color temperature with camera settings or in post-production is often the better choice.

sunflower sunrise photography

3. Plan your shots

Another important step to accomplish before heading out is to plan what you hope to achieve in your sunrise or sunset photo.

Ask yourself:

What look are you going for? Will you capture a definitive subject lit by the sunlight, or will the sunset itself be the star of the show?

Planning beforehand is also a great time to determine any other special considerations, such as whether you’ll be shooting an HDR (high dynamic range) photo.

If you do decide to use an HDR technique, you’ll need to prepare your camera for bracketed exposures to capture the full range of tones in the scene.

But while HDR can be a bit tricky to pull off, it’s a great way to produce some truly dramatic images!

4. Gather the proper gear

You can’t capture the right shot without the right gear, so make sure you have everything ready to go before you head out.

First and foremost, you’ll want to bring your tripod. Sunrises and sunsets are potential low-light situations (depending on the part of the sunset you’re trying to capture), so you’ll need a steady base for your camera.

Second, you’ll want to determine the right lens to use for the shoot. While beautiful landscapes can be captured using a 50mm to 85mm focal length, a wide-angle lens is preferred, including any zoom lenses that can shoot at 40mm or below. If you have a prime lens in the 12mm to 40mm range, you’ll have a better chance of capturing an even sharper image, and using a wide-angle lens will allow you to capture a vast, sweeping portion of the scene.

Do you own and use screw-on filters for your camera?

Although using filters can degrade image quality a bit, some can be useful here. A GND (graduated neutral density) filter, for instance, will darken the upper portion of the sky and keep it well-exposed and dramatic, even without HDR techniques.

A polarizing filter, on the other hand, may actually be a hindrance in these situations, so I recommend you avoid them. 

(Polarizers reduce the amount of light coming in to the sensor, further increasing the required exposure time, which may not be ideal if you’re trying to freeze motion, such as ocean waves.)

lifeguard at sunset

5. Use the right settings

Before you even arrive at your photoshoot destination, you can choose the settings on your camera.

Since you’re shooting a landscape image, you’ll want to use a smaller aperture, such as f/8, f/11, or even higher, to maximize the depth of field and capture sharp detail throughout. If you’re using a tripod, this shouldn’t be a problem.

Although you can shoot in Manual mode, I personally prefer to shoot almost everything in A/Av (Aperture Priority mode). This way, I can lock in my aperture and let the camera choose a proper shutter speed. Since low-light situations like this can confuse the camera and you run the risk of overexposure, you can always use your camera’s exposure compensation settings to drop the brightness a bit.

If possible, you should use a low ISO, such as 100 or 200, to ensure there isn’t a lot of noise in the final shot. This should be very achievable if you’re working with a tripod. However, if you’re hand-holding your shot, you will need to bump the ISO up to get a shutter speed that’s fast enough to avoid a blurry photo.

inlet sunset photography

This is also the time to choose your white balance, and as I mentioned above, you can use this setting to boost (or reduce) the warmth of your shot. If you’re after a warm, orangish image, set your white balance to the Shadow, Cloudy, or Daylight option.

And, of course, always shoot in RAW! To a certain extent, shadows and highlights that are lost in a shot can be recovered in post-processing later – but only if you have a RAW file.

6. Compose for interest

Now that the preparation is over, we get to the fun part! Once you’re on location and are ready to take the shot, you’ll need to consider your composition.

The most common error when shooting sunsets or sunrises is positioning the horizon exactly in the middle of the photo. While this can work, it normally causes a bit too much symmetry and can make the picture uninteresting.

Take a moment to look your scene over. Ask yourself: What part of the sunrise or sunset is the most dramatic? Are there any parts that aren’t that interesting?

Once you’ve done this, simply compose the shot to include more of the most dramatic scenery. If you have an angry, cloudy sky that accentuates the sunlight, let that occupy the upper two-thirds of the scene. If you have an interesting foreground or landscape but a less intriguing sky, let that occupy the bottom two-thirds of the image.

You want to draw the viewer into the composition, then let their eyes drift to the most dramatic part of the image.

sunset photography over trees

7. Waiting for the right shot

If you already have experience shooting landscapes, you know that sometimes waiting is the name of the game. Because of the dynamics of natural lighting, a scene can completely change from one hour to the next – and sometimes even from one minute to the next.

That’s why a sunrise or sunset shoot is the time to be creative! Try different exposure times and play with your exposure compensation settings for different tones. Let the clouds and sun change positions, then reshoot, or try a slightly different angle.

Maybe even include additional subjects in the frame, and shoot them in the foreground against the sunrise or sunset. The longer you’re at the location shooting, the more variety you’ll end up with!

pier close-up at sunset

8. Don’t leave too early

One of the most common tips you’ll hear regarding sunset photography is to stick around after the sun dips below the horizon.

This is certainly good advice, as the entire dynamic of the scene changes after sundown.

grasses at sunset

Specifically, the tones, colors, and hues in the sky often become more saturated and dramatic. You’ll need to compensate for the loss of your main source of light, probably with a tripod – but it’s hard to deny some of the most beautiful images can be shot right after the sun is out of sight.

8 simple guidelines for sunrise and sunset photography: Conclusion

Now that you’ve finished this article, you should be ready to capture some stunning images at sunrise and sunset!

So get up early, stay out late, and create some gorgeous photos.

Now over to you:

Do you have any beautiful sunset or sunrise photography you’d like to share? Post it in the comments below!

The post 8 Simple Guidelines for Capturing Spectacular Sunrise and Sunset Images appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Tim Gilbreath.


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6 Tips for Capturing Dramatic Skies in your Landscape Photography

06 Dec

The post 6 Tips for Capturing Dramatic Skies in your Landscape Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Hillary Grigonis.

Don’t let the “land” in landscape photography fool you; a great landscape photo relies just as much on the sky as the land. Boring gray skies make for boring landscape photos, after all!

That said, capturing a dramatic sky in-camera is trickier than it seems. When the sky is lighter than the land, your camera will typically overexpose it, turning a brilliant blue into a vague and unexciting gray or white.

But with a little fine-tuning, it is possible to capture a sky that is the cherry on top of a great scene! Here are six tips for capturing more dramatic skies in your landscape photography.

dramatic sky cityscape

1. Time it right

Landscape photography may not require the split-second timing that’s necessary for capturing a toddler’s smile or a wide receiver’s catch, but timing is still a big part of the picture. The sky that’s gray one day could be bright blue the next. So when planning out a landscape photo, consider how the timing will impact the sky.

Watch for weather patterns that add interest to a shot, like a storm brewing just above the horizon. Weather plays a big role in the overall mood of the image – so if you’re hoping to capture a dark and gloomy shot, head out when the sky is stormy.

On the other hand, if you’re hoping to capture a more relaxed or happy photo, look for blue skies dotted with clouds.

blue sky with fluffy clouds

The time of day matters, too. While the middle of the day will produce the most shadows on the land, it’s when the sky tends to be the clearest blue. And just after sunset and just before sunrise is often a good time to capture wispy clouds and a warmer tint of light.

Of course, sunrise and sunset is great for dramatic skies, as well.

2. Try the wrong white balance

Photography rules are sometimes meant to be broken, including rules about always using the correct white balance.

You see, the wrong white balance setting can create a more dramatic sky. This is especially true when shooting toward the beginning or end of the day – using a different white balance preset will adjust the color in the sky.

Auto, Cloudy, and Shade white balance presets will get you an orangish sunset with a light blue sky (with slight variations in warmth depending on the setting you choose). A florescent setting, on the other hand, will typically turn an orange sunset purple with a brilliant blue sky. Tungsten offers a similar effect, but with even deeper colors.

white balance examples

Using Kelvin temperatures to adjust your white balance results in even greater control over the colors in the sky. At around 5500K, you’ll usually capture a sunny sky with an accurate white balance – that is, where things that are white are still white in the picture, and where things that are gray are still gray in the picture.

A higher temperature – 6500K, for example – will give the land an orange glow but also enhance the colors in a sunset. A cooler temperature, on the other hand (e.g., 3000K), will play up the blues and purples. By using the Kelvin scale, you have more options for picking a white balance setting that best captures the colors in your photos.

Warm white balance for a warm sky
Here, the white balance was altered in post-processing to warm up the sky.

While it’s always best to get the shot right in-camera, shooting in RAW offers you even more flexibility when it comes to adjusting the colors in the sky (and the rest of the image, for that matter).

If you overdid things by making the shot too warm or too cool, you can easily adjust a RAW photo in post-processing, so that you use the color temperature that best fits the image. If you have a landscape photo that you already shot in RAW, open it and try different white balance presets, or the temperature slider, to see first-hand how shooting with a different white balance would have impacted the shot.

3. Compose for the sky

When the sky is more dramatic than the land, why not use that to determine your composition?

Pay attention to where you place the horizon when you are composing your shot. Use the rule of thirds to imagine the image is divided into threes, then place the horizon on one of those horizontal lines. If you are shooting a photo with an average-looking sky, try placing the horizon on the upper third of the image, so more of the land is included in the photo, like this:

horizon high up with a boring sky
As the sky here isn’t very dramatic, the higher placement of the horizon improves the composition.

But if the sky is really dramatic, take advantage of that and include more of it in the frame – by placing the horizon on the lower third:

horizon low in the frame with a dramatic sky
The sky here is dramatic, so the image was composed to show less ground and more sky.

4. Use a filter

There are two filters every landscape photographer should have in their camera bag in order to capture more dramatic skies.

The first is a graduated neutral density filter. Now, a regular neutral density filter is like putting sunglasses over your lens – it limits the light coming in for bright scenes or long exposures. But a graduated neutral density filter places that darkening effect only on a portion of the image. And by positioning the dark portion of the filter over a bright sky, you can properly expose the entire scene.

Without a graduated neutral density filter, the sky will often be overexposed and bland, or the land will be underexposed and dark. With the filter, you can achieve an exposure that works for both portions of the scene. The only downside is that graduated neutral density filters don’t work as well with an uneven horizon, like when shooting a cityscape. Graduated neutral density filters come in both circular and square formats, but the square is often preferred because you can place the horizon anywhere in the frame.

The second filter landscape photographers should use to capture more dramatic skies is a polarizing filter. Polarizing filters work by adjusting the reflected light coming through your camera lens. Since the sky is blue because of this reflected light, turning the front of the polarizing filter will adjust the intensity of the blues in the sky. Since polarizing filters only affect reflected light, they can still be used when mountains or buildings make the horizon uneven. Polarizing filters are also great for enhancing or removing reflections on water or other shiny surfaces.

polarizing filter example

5. Experiment with motion blur and long exposures

Long exposures aren’t just for photographing waterfalls. If you use a long enough shutter speed, the clouds will blur, too, creating a sky of wispy streaks and a slight feeling of motion.

To capture motion blur in the clouds, you’ll need to use a long shutter speed. The best settings will depend a bit on the weather and how much motion blur you’d like, but you can try starting with a two-minute exposure and adjust up or down from there.

motion in the sky

If you are shooting during the day, you may not be able to balance out a two-minute exposure with a narrow-enough aperture or a low-enough ISO; instead, you’ll end up with a photo that’s way too bright.

So how do photographers capture motion blur in the clouds when the photo obviously wasn’t taken at dusk or dawn?

They use a neutral density filter – which helps block out some of the light so that you can set a long exposure during the day.

(Note that a neutral density filter is the same thing as a graduated neutral density filter, but the entire filter is dark instead of just half of the filter).

motion in the water and sky due to a long exposure blur

6. Use the Adobe Camera RAW Graduated Filter tool

While it’s always best to get the shot right in-camera, there are a few editing tools that can improve the sky in your landscape photos. One of those tools is the Graduated Filter inside Adobe Camera RAW (this works the same in Photoshop and Lightroom).

With the Graduated Filter, you can drag an effect over the sky in your photo. Like an actual graduated filter, the effect will only cover the top portion of the image and gradually fade away, making it possible to create natural-looking edits.

The Graduated Filter tool can be used to adjust the exposure, creating an effect much like an actual graduated neutral density filter. But the tool can also adjust contrast, saturation, clarity, sharpness, and color. That opens up a lot of possibilities for applying edits just to the sky for more drama – creating effects that sometimes can’t be done in-camera.

rainbow in the sky
This is the original photo.
rainbow in the sky but with a Graduated Filter to enhance the drama
This is the same photo, but with a Graduated Filter used on the sky to increase the drama.

Capturing dramatic skies in your landscape photos: conclusion

The sky can make or break a landscape photo. From timing and composition to filters and post-processing, when you consider the sky as you shoot, you’ll end up with more dramatic, frame-worthy shots.

Do you have any other tips for creating dramatic skies in your landscape photography? Share them in the comments!

The post 6 Tips for Capturing Dramatic Skies in your Landscape Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Hillary Grigonis.


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A Beginners Guide to Capturing Motion in Your Photography

10 Nov

The post A Beginners Guide to Capturing Motion in Your Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darren Rowse.

Emily Hancock, a professional Hampshire Photographer, submitted the following tutorial on capturing motion in photography.

Motion-Photography-Introduction.png

(Image by T.MoE)

Photographs, by definition, capture and immortalize a small slice of life. There isn’t an easy way for the viewer to infer what happens before or after that moment. However, there are images that need to communicate motion.

For example, you may want to capture a dog running, a train barreling down the tracks, or trees blowing in the wind. Each of these scenes can come alive within your photographs if you learn how to convey motion properly.

Today, I’ll describe how you can use different shutter speeds and panning to capture motion in your photography. I’ll also explain a potential issue you might experience when photographing moving subjects – along with tips to resolve it.

Let’s get started!

Reasons to capture motion

Beginning photographers have likely seen captivating photographs that capture motion. There are several ways to achieve these photos, and each has a slightly different goal.

You see, sometimes there is a need to blur certain elements in the image while focusing sharply on a few subjects in the foreground. Other times, you may want to freeze or blur everything. The direction you take depends on your objective for your photograph.

A lot of photographers capture motion simply to convey that an object is moving. But there are also other reasons to do this. Movement can communicate mood. Trees rustling in the wind suggests serenity, while throngs of people on a busy city block implies hurried activity.

You can also use motion to eliminate elements in a scene that may serve as distractions to the viewer. For example, you may want to photograph a person standing on a sidewalk corner as cars move behind them. By blurring everything but your primary subject (i.e., the man on the corner), you can eliminate potential distractions and focus the viewer’s attention.

Two primary techniques for capturing motion in photography

The shutter speed you use while photographing a scene plays a key role in capturing motion in your image.

The faster the shutter speed, the sharper the focus on your subject. On the other hand, a slower shutter speed will blur a moving object. There are two main approaches here (though I’ll discuss a couple of alternatives in a moment).

1. Blurred subject with the background in focus

light trails
Photo by paulaloe

Let’s assume you’re photographing a speeding train against a wall of trees in the background. You can blur the train while leaving the trees in focus. Doing so would instantly communicate to the viewer that the train is moving quickly.

To accomplish this, you would use a slow shutter speed.

(It’s also important to use a tripod. That way, your camera remains steady.)

You’ll often see this technique used in nighttime photographs with car headlights cutting through the image.

2. Blurred background with the subject in focus

This second technique keeps your subject in sharp focus while the background is blurred.

Using our train example, the train would be in focus and the wall of trees would be blurred, thereby conveying the train’s movement.

Similar to the first method, you’ll need to use a slow shutter speed. However, instead of using a tripod, you’ll be panning your camera along the directional path of your subject.

But what actually is panning?

Panning explained

motion in photography biker moving fast
Photo by fabbriciuse

Most beginning photographers are trained to “secure” their cameras. That is, beginners are taught that the camera should remain as still as possible for certain types of shots.

By contrast, panning requires that you move your camera with your subject. Specifically, you’ll be matching your subject’s rate of movement and the direction in which it is traveling.

In our bike example, assume the man on the bike is moving from east to west. In that case, you’ll need to pan your camera in the same east-to-west direction, matching the speed of the bike. The best results occur when you have a clear view of the moving object and ample room to swivel your camera along a parallel axis.

Panning effectively can be difficult. You can practice and perfect your technique by photographing athletes who move quickly (for example, basketball players). Try to capture their facial expressions while blurring everything in the background. It will take some time to get it right, but once you do, the technique can be a valuable addition to your repertoire.

Other techniques to capture motion

Besides the two main techniques described above, you can also freeze the entire scene or blur everything.

Freezing the entire scene can give your photographs a unique look, especially if the objects strongly imply movement. For example, consider a bird flying in front of a waterfall. Both imply motion to the viewer. Freezing the entire scene captures all that motion and can produce a breathtaking image. You should use a shutter speed of at least 1/1000s for that type of shot.

slow shutter speed
Photo by llimllib

Blurring everything produces the best results when the scene offers bright, contrasting colors or varying tones. In most cases, capturing motion in this manner is done purely for artistic purposes.

Another effective method for capturing motion within your images is “chrono photography.”

skateboarder jumping
Photo by monkeyc

Using the continuous shooting feature on your camera, you can capture a series of shots and join them together in the post-processing stage to create the effect shown above. A tripod is essential when attempting to shoot motion using this method.

chrono photography
Image by Jolantis

Determine the proper shutter speed

A lot of novice photographers ask what the proper shutter speed is, given their objective.

But every situation is unique. One speed doesn’t suit all circumstances. To identify the right shutter speed, you’ll need to ask yourself a few questions:

  1. How fast is your subject moving?
  2. How much distance exists between the camera and the subject?
  3. How much motion do you want your photograph to convey to the viewer?

The faster the shutter speed, the more frozen and crisply-defined your subject will be. Most cameras today will allow you to freeze a scene using 1/8000s or faster.

That being said, the numbers only serve as a rough guideline. You’ll need to experiment with different shutter speeds in a variety of situations.

Potential issue: excess light

Here’s a potential issue you may encounter when trying to capture motion in photography:

When you slow your shutter speed to blur elements in your image, there’s a chance that too much light will enter and impact your photograph (which will result in overexposure).

This is a common problem, but there are a couple of ways to resolve it:

First, check the aperture on your camera. The wider it is, the more likely excess light will enter. Try adjusting the settings to reduce its size.

Second, review your ISO setting. When the ISO is high, the image sensor in your camera may be overly sensitive to light. This can create a too-bright image, as well as unwanted noise, so consider dropping your ISO.

Mastering the art of motion capture

Becoming proficient at capturing motion in photography requires practice and experience. You’ll need to spend time learning how different shutter speeds impact the quality of your images. Even if you’re just setting your camera on its tripod, timing a perfect shot of a fast-moving object can be difficult.

In the end, capturing motion in your photography is part technique and part art. Fortunately, with practice, you can master it!

The post A Beginners Guide to Capturing Motion in Your Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darren Rowse.


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6 Tips For Capturing Better Urban Landscapes

27 Jun

The post 6 Tips For Capturing Better Urban Landscapes appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kav Dadfar.

Tips for Better Urban Landscapes

As you continue your quest to enhance your photography skillset, you should look to broaden your horizons by exploring various disciplines. In this article, we’re going to look more closely at how to capture better urban landscapes.

Better-urban-landscape
f/8 – ISO 100 – 1/250 sec

This discipline is all about bringing an urban environment to life in your photos. Shots of people living, moving, and working combined with an urban landscape can make for wonderful photos. It’s challenging even for experienced photographers. But you’ll find new ways of expressing yourself and capturing your surroundings, as well as immortalizing a piece of your growing environment.

But how do you best capture engaging images in an urban landscape? Here are six tips for capturing better urban landscapes.

Better-urban-landscape
f/8 – ISO 100 – 1/320 sec

1. Get to the streets

Whilst there’s nothing to say that you can’t take urban landscape shots from viewpoints in a city, if you want to capture exceptional urban photography then you should be right there alongside it. Get off your balcony and put yourself right onto the street in the middle of life as it unfolds.

To photograph better urban landscapes, try to find scenes where you can capture the combination of the urban landscape and people. A tight shot on two people talking isn’t necessarily what you’re looking for here. This is more street photography than urban landscapes. So you need to introduce some elements of the urban arena into your composition.

Better-urban-landscape-london
f/6.3 – ISO 250 – 1/160 sec

2. Play around with shutter speed

By lengthening your exposure setting, you can create a very dynamic image. Admittedly, this may go against having a live subject (like a person or animal), since they will probably be moving quite a lot. However, if you can, taking a wide shot of the urban landscape with a long exposure can create some interesting effects through movement.

The streaked clouds overhead can give a sense of movement to your still landscape. It’s a nice trick for capturing better urban landscapes if you’re just looking to get an image of the scene itself instead of active subjects.

At night, this also can create light trails from vehicles. Their tail and headlights will streak in the image, creating an amazing photo that captures the hectic expression of any urban setting.

Better-urban-landscape
f/13 – ISO 100 – 4 sec

3. Find interesting buildings

What’s really cool about urban photography is that it’s just as much about the manmade elements as it is people. If you’re shooting in a city setting, then there are likely many interesting buildings, sculptures, parks, and other manmade elements throughout to capture.

Do a little research and learn about why
the interesting buildings were built in the first place. By being just as
selective with your history as you are your visuals, you can create a story
using photography in an urban setting.

For example, if you’ve chosen a wonderful gothic church as the background for your scene, what is unique about that church’s history? It may look amazing, but what else is behind the building, historically-speaking? You might dig up something really interesting that’s going to help shape your photo sessions. It could be key elements in the architecture or historically important locations around the church. Or you may just find interesting viewpoints and angles for better urban landscapes of the church.

Better-urban-landscape
f/6.3 – ISO 100 – 1/250 sec

4. Come back during different seasons

Another tip for capturing better urban landscapes is to come back during different seasons. It’s easy to forget what an urban setting can look like during a different season. If you’re standing in the middle of a skatepark during the height of summer, and it’s very active with teenagers riding on every surface, you aren’t necessarily thinking about what the same scene would look like covered in snow.

However, you could make some really
intriguing juxtaposing images if you returned to the same scene during a
different season later in the year.

If you have the ability to travel to a location more than once a year, then you should consider taking advantage of that luxury. The lighting, skyline, and general feeling can all change dramatically, allowing you to capture great images that you might not have even considered previously.

Better-nighttime-urban-landscape
f/13 – ISO 250 – 15 sec

5. Use the terrain

When you compose your shot, consider the golden triangle rule or the rule of thirds. You can also look to align your subjects with leading lines generated by the terrain; perhaps a bridge, trees, a street, or a mural.

Elements throughout your frame can guide the eye toward your subject naturally, or they can pull it away just as easily. Be aware of how you’re composing your shot and consider using the elements to better align your focal point for better urban landscapes.

urban-landscape
f/8 – ISO 800 – 0.6 sec

6. Night versus day

An urban setting can really come alive at night. The shadows cast by daylight are now blending into the surroundings, and your lens will pick up way more than you thought possible.

Daylight photography can capture active scenes natural to that time, and the same can be said for nighttime photography. Aside from general lighting differences, the time of day also helps create an atmosphere in your image that you can’t replicate any other way.

If you can, just like visiting the scene during different times of the year, try and come back to see how the urban setting changes between night and day. Some differences may be subtle, but others will weave new visions for your camera to capture.

Better-urban-landscape-photography
f/11 – ISO 200 – 20 sec

Conclusion

The wonderful thing about this type of photography is that often it’s accessible for lots of people. Most people live within or near urban environments. So there will be ample opportunity to practice capturing better urban landscapes. Use the tips above and you will be on your way for improving your photography in this genre.

Do you have any other tips for capturing better urban landscapes that you’d like to share? Do you have some images you’d like to share? Please do so in the comments section!

The post 6 Tips For Capturing Better Urban Landscapes appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kav Dadfar.


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Top Tips for Capturing Better Aerial Photos

11 Jun

The post Top Tips for Capturing Better Aerial Photos appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Matt Murray.

dps-tips-better-aerial-photos

Up, up and away! For most people, taking a scenic flight is not an everyday occurrence. In fact, for most of us, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime thrill. If you plan on taking to the skies to capture some aerial shots, what gear should you take and how should you prepare for the experience so that you capture better aerial photos? 

Better aerial photos
The northern Gold Coast photographed from a seaplane.

In the space of six weeks in 2017, I was lucky enough to take aerial photos from three different modes of transport: a hot air balloon, a seaplane, and a helicopter. Below is my guide to taking better aerial photos. 

What gear should I take?

This is probably the first question you’ll ask yourself. The
answer largely depends on a few factors: what kind of flight you’re taking, how
much room you’ll have, and what kind of shots you want to take.

The gear you have available to you may also depend when and
where you’re taking the flight. For example, if you’re doing a scenic flight as
part of an overseas trip, you will probably have a smaller number of lenses to
choose from than if you were at home.

Better aerial photos
There are lots of photographic opportunities on a flight

A good starting point for aerial photography is taking one camera body with a zoom lens, for example, an 18-55mm or 24-70mm. My go-to zoom lens is the Fujifilm XF 18-55mm F2.8-4 R LM OIS, which has a full-frame equivalent focal range of 27-82mm.

Lenses like this are quite compact and suited to even the tightest of spaces. It also has optical image stabilization, which helps to keep images nice and sharp. I took almost all of the images in this article with that lens.

This focal length is also very handy if you wish to take photos of your companions, or images of the aircraft before, during, and after the flight.

Depending on the circumstances, a longer lens might be your preference – just make sure you have enough room to maneuver. In a hot air balloon? No problem. In a small plane? Maybe not.  

Top Tips for Capturing Better Aerial Photos
Don’t forget to take photos of your companions on the flight!

If I was going on a flight where I knew I would have more room to maneuver, such as a doors-off helicopter ride, I would take a longer telephoto lens with the same maximum aperture (f2.8 or f4) throughout the range, such as the Fujifilm XF 50-140mmF2.8 R LM OIS WR lens.

If you want the best of both worlds, consider taking two bodies with two zoom lenses – I wouldn’t recommend trying to change lenses while airborne.

Have your gear ready

One thing you must do to take better aerial photos is prepare. Check and double-check your gear the night before your flight. Halfway through a once-in-a-lifetime balloon ride is not the time to discover you’ve run out of space on your memory card or you’ve had the ISO set to 6400.

Better aerial photos
Look for abstract images as well as scenic views.

Mistakes happen, we’ve all made them. However, you can minimize your risk by having a list of things to double-check before your flight. Here’s what I check:

  • Check image format:  JPG+RAW.
  • Check film simulation: especially if you’re shooting JPG only.
  • Check your ISO settings. If you’re using Auto ISO, check to make sure the settings are suitable for your flight.
  • Format your SD cards ready for use beforehand. Take a couple of test shots to make sure everything is working okay.
  • If you have a second SD card slot, use it. Consider writing RAW images to one SD and JPGs to the other.
  • Choose a fast SD card. If you’re taking continuous shots on a slower card, there can sometimes be a delay before you can take more shots as the camera tries to catch up writing images to the slow SD card. You want to avoid this on a scenic flight.
  • Use a 64gb or 128gb memory card if possible. You don’t want to find out halfway through your flight that you’ve run out of space, and you need to delete shots or find another memory card.  
  • Make sure your batteries are charged.
  • Have spare batteries and SD cards just in case.

Visualize your shots beforehand

Look at the images posted on your flight operator’s website and social media – this will give you a rough idea of the types of shots that are possible. Have these types of images in mind before you take your flight. You can also contact the flight operator if there’s a particular landmark you wish to photograph, or if you’d like advice on the best place to position yourself in the aircraft.

Better aerial photos
Overhead shot of a tractor from a hot air balloon.

There are many variables with flying, though, so perhaps on the day the flight, the shot you have in mind won’t be possible. Keep an open mind, and don’t be upset if you don’t nail it. I always look upon a flight as a fun thing to do, and if I get some good photos out of it, that’s a bonus.

Shooting mode

I’ve taken photos in the air in both shutter priority and aperture priority modes. In shutter priority mode, I’d start off by setting my shutter speed to a minimum of 1/500 second. This should keep your images sharp if you’re in a fast-moving aircraft on a bright, sunny day. Your ISO will depend on how bright the conditions are.

As always, check and review your images and change your settings as the conditions dictate.

Balloons on the Gold Coast
Hot air balloons inflating.

In aperture priority mode, I’d start off by having my aperture at f/4 and my ISO to 400. I’d then take a test shot to see what shutter speed the camera is choosing. Again, these settings depend on the conditions, but you’ll want to aim for a fast shutter speed, above 1/500 second. If the shutter speed is as high as 1/4000 second, you could lower your ISO to 200 or change your aperture to f/5.6 or f/8. If your shutter speed is under 1/500 second, you’ll need to bump up your ISO and experiment.

The advice above is for fast-moving aircraft. If you’re
floating along in a hot air balloon, you don’t need to worry about shutter
speeds as much.  

Look for other opportunities

A helicopter on a landing pad, hot air balloons being inflated or deflated, seaplanes on the water – taking better aerial photos is also about looking for shots you can take before and after the flight.

Better aerial photos
Look for photo opportunities before and after your flight too.

Case study 1: Hot air balloon

There’s nothing better than floating high above the landscape in a hot air balloon, and nothing worse than setting your alarm for 3.45 am to get up for it! Although you may not be feeling it so early in the morning, a hot air adventure is worth getting up early for. It’s one of the most magical things I’ve ever done.

A balloon ride is the easiest aerial adventure to undertake with a camera. For it to take place, you need good weather. You also have a guaranteed space at the edge of the basket with clear uninterrupted views – and no window glass. Best of all, the balloon moves at a relatively slow pace, so it’s not as much of a challenge as a plane or helicopter.

Tips for better aerial photos
Hot air balloon floating above rural Queensland.

My balloon ride took place inland from the Gold Coast in Australia. I mostly shot with my Fujifilm XF 18-55mm F2.8-4 R LM OIS lens, but also took the wider 10-24mm lens for some shots of the balloons inflating.

Make sure you have a secure strap on every camera you take
with you – the last thing you want to do is drop your camera overboard.

Case study 2: Seaplane

A few days after my balloon ride, I was joined by my family for a seaplane ride. We flew from the northern Gold Coast to nearby South Stradbroke Island, where we spent two nights glamping. The flight left Southport, headed south over Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach, then we turned inland and headed north towards our destination.

Better aerial photos
View from Southport looking towards Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast.

Space was quite restricted inside the aircraft. I didn’t have a perfect angle of view in every direction, but I still managed to get some shots I liked. As it was so bright, shutter speeds were very high.

A couple of issues I had to deal with when shooting were the reflections off the windows and ensuring the wings of the aircraft weren’t in my images. I also got a little airsick, which wasn’t fun.

Some photographers swear by circular polarizing filters to cut reflections from windows – this is certainly something I will try in the future. Just be aware that it does cut the amount of light that reaches your sensor, but on the seaplane flight, it wouldn’t have been an issue.

Case study 3: Helicopter

A few weeks later, I took a magical trip to the Faroe Islands.

The highlight was taking an Atlantic Airways helicopter from the main international airport to the remote island of Mykines, where there are spectacular colonies of puffins and other birds.  

A village in the Faroe Islands taken from a helicopter.
A village in the Faroe Islands, shortly after take-off.

In the terminal, you’re given a safety briefing before heading out to the tarmac by bus. I made sure I was the last person getting on the bus, so I was the first person out. I then managed to secure a window seat in the helicopter. I didn’t mind which side of the helicopter I was on, as there were great views on either side.

The flight lasts just 11 minutes, so opportunities for taking images are limited. On this flight, I had window reflections again, but this time I also had the added problem of heat coming off the helicopter into the cold European air marring my view occasionally.

I still managed to get some photos I was happy with. However, as I’ve said before, think of any photos as a bonus, rather than the reason you take the flight.  As always, look for other photographic opportunities – I took some photos of the helicopter on the landing pad at Mykines.

Your guide to better aerial photos
The stunning coastline of the Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic. 

Conclusion

An aerial adventure is a lot of fun, but make sure you’re prepared before you take off. A zoom lens with a wide-to-mid focal range should be perfect, but make sure you use a large capacity, fast SD card. Also, make sure you prepare the night before your flight and ensure all your equipment and settings are ready to go.

The most important piece of advice is to have fun and enjoy your time in the air. Don’t spend the entire flight looking through your viewfinder. 

I hope this helps you capture better aerial photos on your next flight. Remember to think of them as a bonus, rather than the main reason you took the flight. 

Feel free to share any of your aerial photography stories or photos with us in the comments.

The post Top Tips for Capturing Better Aerial Photos appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Matt Murray.


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Video: 10 in-camera tricks for capturing unique images without Photoshop

01 Nov

Jordi.Koalitic, a creative photography project from photographers Jordi and Arnau Puig, has published a video detailing 10 ways photographers can add interesting effects to their images without using editing software. These in-camera tricks include spraypainting alphabet pasta to simulate letters falling on a book, gluing dirt inside a pot to imitate shooting through a hole in the ground and more.

Other effects detailed in the video include simulating action shots involving fruit, marbles, and a tennis ball, using a mirror to creatively capture a subject from a unique angle, using a slinky toy to create a swirly effect extending from the camera to subject and using glass to safety shoot water being thrown at the camera. The video includes sample images and the camera settings used to capture them.

Additional images can be viewed at the team’s Jordi.Koalitic Instagram account.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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3 Tips for Capturing your Holiday with the Nikkor 60mm Micro Lens

10 Sep

The post 3 Tips for Capturing your Holiday with the Nikkor 60mm Micro Lens appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Lily Sawyer.

Going on holiday is so exciting for me. It’s a chance to unwind and take it easy. The one thing I don’t want to do on holidays is carry heavy equipment for my photography. I do that already as my day job and heavy cameras paired with heavier lenses are a drag. When on holiday, I usually take one camera body and one small prime lens with me. That’s it!

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This article is about capturing your holiday photos with the simplest of gear: a camera and lens. I used my Nikon D750 full-frame camera and a Nikkor 60mm micro prime lens for all the photos featured in this article. The combination is small in size and light in weight. Just a note though, as the D750 has a full-frame sensor, the 60mm viewed through it is a 60mm. If you use a cropped-sensor camera, this 60mm becomes a 90mm when viewed through the smaller sensor. Therefore it’s not something I recommend as a holiday combo. If you only have a cropped-sensor camera, then you are better off going with a 35mm fixed lens.

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Why Nikkor 60mm?

You may ask why 60mm, not 50mm, not 35mm? That’s a valid question. I used to take the 50mm as that focal length is most versatile and I love it’s lightness too. I have previously written an article here on the 50mm and its versatility. But I have swapped this for my 60mm as my go-to holiday lens recently.

1. The 60mm medium focal range is versatile

Landscape

If you have enough space to back off from the subject, you can take a good landscape photo without distortions (like cropping out too many tourists for example) and without it being too unnecessarily wide. Landscape in wide-open areas is easy. You can do more “considered” compositions because of the viewpoint the focal length allows. You can also “crop” in-camera just by moving forward or backward to include or exclude areas within the frame.

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Portraits

A portrait, by strict definition, is usually a view from the shoulders to the head. However, you can loosen it up a bit by going half body or even full-body! It’s not close-up nor too wide. The Nikkor 60mm Micro is the perfect focal length for a portrait. Because it’s an f/2.8 lens, you can still get shallow depth of field and achieve a pleasing background compression for a flattering image. This is especially so when I want to accentuate the subject and blur the background.

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Close-Up

Because the Nikkor 60mm Micro has a micro/macro lens capability, I can capture close-ups (including extreme close-ups) with it too. The photos below are of a wall covering at Peterhof Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia. We were passing through the darkly lit rooms (no flashes allowed) in a tour group so there was no stopping for a long time. It’s quite literally aim, shoot and go! I wanted to capture the intricate embroidery on these fabric wall coverings and a patch of the design. The Nikkor 60mm Micro gives fairly heavy vignetting, especially when shooting close-ups in low light. Close-range photography usually requires more light which wasn’t available here. However, the vignetting created works for me because I wanted to focus on the central areas of the patterns.

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All in all, the Nikkor 60mm Micro is light and nifty and has macro capabilities. With it, you can shoot really close-up details, through to much wider views, as shown in the photo below.

dps-3-tips-capturing-holiday-60mm-micro-macro-lily-sawyer-photo

2. Shoot to tell a story

I have recently written an article, 3 tips in photographing details in a scene, where I talked about shooting to tell a story. This is essentially utilizing the elements of story-telling as you visually capture scenes. So, you can tell the beginning, middle and end of a story effectively just by using photos.

Varied angles

You can make a story more interesting by employing a variety of angles. Think of a film being shot. You often have several cameras with various lenses coming in from different angles: wide, medium, high, low and close-up. These viewpoints offer new and different insights into the scene at hand.

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Emotions

Capturing moments that carry emotions is a surefire way of immortalizing memories in our minds. Action photos often help with these. The photos below of my daughter blowing soapy suds will remind her of her delight upon seeing a fountain overflowing with foamy white stuff! It was a marathon day when we visited Tallinn, Estonia. Crossing roads was tricky with all the runners zooming past too. A nice smile at the camera when we got on a train, and a much-needed rest from miles and miles of walking while sightseeing. All precious memories.

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Series

A series of shots showing a progression or a beginning, middle and end can also be a fun and interesting way of telling a story of a moment. It doesn’t have to be a complicated moment. A snapshot of something that catches your eye will do, like the little scene below. Including a couple of other shots of the same material but from a different perspective will bring new interest.

dps-3-tips-capturing-holiday-nikkor-60mm-micro-macro-lily-sawyer-photo

3. Don’t forget the details

Details help us remember and set memories firmly in our minds so we can chat about it for years to come. I make annual family albums which my kids love to pore over and talk about regularly. They give us a lot of laughter as we recall the fun events of our holidays and reminisce the special moments. Still life, scenery, close-ups…they all play a part in helping us capture details more effectively to tell stories of our lives.

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I hope you found this little article on how to capture your holiday photos with just one lens, such as the Nikkor 60mm Micro helpful. Do share more tips in the comments below.

 

nikkor-60mm-mico-lens

The post 3 Tips for Capturing your Holiday with the Nikkor 60mm Micro Lens appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Lily Sawyer.


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Alternative Automotive Photography: Capturing the Details

16 Jul

The post Alternative Automotive Photography: Capturing the Details appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Charlie Moss.

Cars and photography often seem to go hand in hand. Whether you’re a car owner with a camera or a photographer with a passion for the classics, the perfect automotive photo can often seem just out of reach.

Automotive photography can be both tricky and expensive. To get catalog-ready images of cars, the top commercial photographers often utilize huge specialist studios with large banks of powerful lights and massive pieces of equipment to block or reflect light. Each shot can take days to set up even with a team of assistants.

Realistically, most car enthusiasts don’t have this kind of space or equipment at their disposal. Instead, we seek out opportunities to photograph cars at racetracks or other gatherings. These events rarely offer “perfect” conditions to create flawless images of cars, so a bit of creative thinking is usually required!

The Rallye Monte Carlo Historique stops in Banbury every year so that enthusiasts can see these classic cars up close. But the backdrop is far from ideal for beautiful photos!

Car meets can often be busy affairs with cars parked close together, uninspiring backdrops, and lots of people milling around. Concentrating on the details is one way to get around some of these problems and still come away with shots that you love and can feel proud adding to a portfolio. Detail shots often do well on platforms like Instagram too where the small format allows close-up images to shine.

So with that in mind, here are some ideas for bagging great pictures of the cars you see on your travels if you can’t shoot them in a location of your choice.

Get up close… closer than you think!

By getting in close you eliminate many of the problems that would otherwise sneak into your picture; other cars in the background, or people in the corner of your shot. Focussing on just one small part of a car can remove all of those distractions.

Alternative-Automotive-Photography-1

Not having to take into consideration the background also frees you up to concentrate more on composition. No more worrying about if the backdrop will compliment the car, or what the sky is doing!

You can also use a shallow depth of field to blur out distracting elements in your photographs. Use just enough depth to highlight the detail that you’re photographing. Everything else will then melt away into the background, keeping your viewer looking just where you want them to.

Pick a theme

At some point over the years, I’ve picked up a habit of shooting the wing mirrors on cars. I don’t know which one was my first, but I soon started noticing the way that they were all different. Each mirror was only a small part of the car, but they pack a big punch when it comes to design! Now I can’t seem to walk past a classic car without taking a photograph of its mirrors!

Alternative-Automotive-Photography-2

By picking a theme, it will challenge you to go looking for shots that are different from what everyone else is shooting. Also, you’ll start to notice other details as you train your creativity. Before long, you will seek out creative and different images without even really having to think about it.

Shoot iconic details

Pick out just one detail to highlight and then try to take the perfect shot of just that part. Perhaps it’s a classic Cadillac fin or an elegant Rolls Royce grid that catches your eye. Whatever it is that you love most about a car, or is most iconic and well-known, use that as your starting point when you’re working out what pictures you want to take.

Alternative-Automotive-Photography-3

Cars are more than just machines that get us from A to B. The most iconic are beautiful and remarkable pieces of design that the original designer has spent hundreds of hours perfecting. Nothing on a great car is an accident; everything was designed to be exactly how you see it.

The good thing about iconic details is that they’re often instantly recognizable. It tells people what the photograph is of, even though it might be an abstracted close-up.

Portray the luxury

Beautiful cars are a luxury; there’s no debate to be had there. So challenge yourself to convey the luxury through your photographs.

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Lifestyle photography with shallow depth of field, out of focus foregrounds, and toned colors are really in vogue right now for luxury brands. Now is the time to try this style out if you can get up close and personal with some top of the range machines!

Make sure that your focus is right on the nail if you’re attempting shots with a shallow depth of field. If you miss the focus even slightly, the shot won’t be worth keeping.

Stick to a neutral focal length

Extreme wide-angle photographs can look cool, there’s no doubt about it. And I know every car photographer has, at least once, got down at the front corner of a car with a wide-angle lens to try and make it look more imposing and dramatic.

But wide-angle focal lengths distort cars and change the carefully designed, and often iconic lines and features. Instead of grabbing the easy (and predictable) win when it comes to creating a dramatic image, try sticking to a neutral focal length and challenging yourself.

Keeping to a focal length like 50mm means shooting images that are much closer to how the human eye naturally sees the world. Using a focal length around 50mm means that you keep the cars much closer to the designer’s original vision when you photograph them.

This might mean that you have to work harder to look for different ways to produce impact with your photographs. However, it also means that you represent the cars in the way that they’re meant to be seen. It gives an element of authenticity to your images.

I’ve never been one for believing that photography is simply about recording the world around you exactly how it is. But when it comes to the design of cars, I’m pretty sure that the original designer knows more about how the car looks best than I do. So distorting it with wide-angle lenses is rarely high on my priority list!

Embrace reflections… and wear black

In ideal conditions, you’d be able to use black and white cards, and lights, to block and place reflections exactly where you want them on a car before you took a photograph. Realistically, though, you’re rarely going to get the opportunity to work with this kind of precision in the great outdoors.

Carry a 5-in-1 reflector in your kit by all means. Sometimes you just need to lift a shadow on a bit of paintwork or cut out a reflection in some chrome. But instead of trying to eliminate every reflection you dislike, try embracing them instead!

Reflections of the sky or foliage around you can make some interesting patterns when they reflect in the glass of a car. In the right conditions, with a well-polished car, they can even reflect in the bodywork. Use the reflections to add interest to your shots. They can focus the viewer’s attention exactly where you want them to look. Also, a well-placed reflection can blank out something messy that you don’t want to distract.

On that note, wear black when you go out with your camera to photograph cars! Too often have I ruined my own photographs by shooting the perfect image and then noticing afterward my own reflection while wearing a bright colored jacket. Wearing black won’t remove you from the image completely, but it will make you an awful lot less distracting when you do manage to capture yourself in a reflective surface.

Next time you head out to a car show to take some pictures, think smaller and capture the details for alternative automotive photography! And share them with us in the comments below.

Do you have any other tips you’d like to share?

 

alternative-automotive-photography

The post Alternative Automotive Photography: Capturing the Details appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Charlie Moss.


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5 Photography Rules for Capturing Photos Your Audience Will Adore

27 Jun

The post 5 Photography Rules for Capturing Photos Your Audience Will Adore appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

It’s hard to stand out as a photographer.

These days, you have so many photos to compete against; the internet is drowned in smartphone snapshots (with layer upon layer of filters).

So how do you create images that cut through all the noise? How do you create art that will truly stun your audience?

5 Photography Rules for Capturing Photos Your Audience Will Adore

In this article, you’ll discover 5 simple photography rules for capturing photos – which will ensure that your photos are truly special.

Let’s dive right in, starting with…

1. Do everything you can to emphasize your subject

If you want to capture photos that stand out, then this is your number one rule:

Pick a subject. Something that stands out in your photo. Something that acts as an anchor point.

And make that subject stand out as much as you can.

You see, it’s your main subject that actually captivates people. The rest of the scene exists to enhance that main subject.

But how do you enhance your main subject?

Start by making sure that your main subject is extremely sharp. Make sure it’s the sharpest part of the photo, in fact.

And make sure that your main subject has some color. Color draws the eye!

Third, make sure your main subject is bright and well-exposed. A dark subject (especially if it’s surrounded by a dark background) just won’t work. If you do include a dark subject, then make sure that the background is extremely bright.

On a related note, more contrast is nearly always better. If you can incorporate some ultra-dark tones and ultra-light tones in your photos, your photo will instantly improve. Ideally, your background and your main subject will contrast heavily.

Last, keep your background as clean as possible. It doesn’t have to be completely uniform but should be simple and well-organized. When in doubt, go for a monochromatic background, such as black, white, or green.

2. Use complementary colors to make your photos pop

You already know how important it is to include contrast.

But there’s a special kind of contrast that deserves its own mention:

Color contrast.

Color contrast refers to the addition of colors that sit opposite one another on the color wheel (also known as complementary colors).

You’re probably familiar with color contrast, even if you don’t know it. We see complementary color pairs all the time: red and green, blue and orange, yellow and purple.

Now, color contrast is perfect for creating stand-out photos. It catches the eye, and it practically forces viewers to look more deeply.

One thing to note, however, is that you shouldn’t use too many contrasting colors. I recommend simply including two complementary colors (and potentially a third non-complementary color). If you incorporate too much contrast, the photo will become too powerful, and the colors will start to clash.

I also recommend you limit the amount of the complementary colors that appear. If you have two complementary colors, include a lot of one color, and a little of the other. This will prevent the photo from overpowering the viewer.

Finding contrasting colors might seem difficult. But with a little effort, you should be able to incorporate a contrasting color pair.

And you’ll love the effect!

3. Use negative space to stun viewers from a distance

Negative space is emptiness in a photo.

By this, I’m referring to empty sky, empty water, or even an empty background – it all counts as negative space.

And negative space is extremely valuable, for a few reasons.

First, it gives the main subject some breathing room.

It also makes compositions feel calm and more stable (which is generally nice to have in a photo).

But the best thing about negative space is that it is a place where the eyes don’t rest – thereby directing the viewer straight to the main subject.

So here’s what I recommend:

When you’re deciding on a composition, incorporate at least some negative space into the photo. If you can, create a lot of empty space – but even a little space will go a long way.

It’s best if the negative space exists around the main subject. That way, attention is immediately directed to the focal point of the photo.

But any negative space is good!

4. Include leading lines to draw in the viewer

I’ve talked a lot about emphasizing the main subject of your photos.

This is because the most striking photos hit the viewer over the head with their subject. They pull the viewer in and direct them through the frame – right to the focal point.

That’s the mark of a powerful photo.

And here’s another great way to emphasize your subject:

Use leading lines. Include them whenever you can.

Leading lines are lines that draw the viewer through the frame. They can be anything vaguely line-like: A river, an outstretched arm, even a flower petal.

Whenever you find a photo-worthy scene, search for leading lines. And incorporate them into your composition. Ideally, the leading line moves toward your subject. But you can also include leading lines that take the viewer around the frame.

Most scenes have some sort of leading line. You just have to look hard enough!

5. Always shoot in the best light you can find

Out of all the rules in this article, I think this one will give you the biggest bang for your buck. Because it’s so easy to shoot in the best light – you just have to know what the best light is.

And once you know this…

Your photos will never be the same. Seriously.

So, what is the best light?

The best light is the hour after sunrise and the hour before sunset, known as the golden hours.

These are the times when the sun is low in the sky, and casts a golden glow over the landscape. If you shoot during the golden hours, your subject will be bathed in beautiful light. And you’ll absolutely love the images you capture.

Now, there are other times when the light is good, depending on your genre of photography.

If you’re a street photographer, you should try shooting during the middle of the day, when the light is sunny.

If you’re a flower photographer, you should try shooting when the sky is heavily overcast.

If you’re a portrait photographer, you should also try working on overcast days.

But even though these types of light do work…

…the golden hours are perfect, without fail. They’ll always get you something wonderful.

Photography rules for capturing photos your audience will adore: conclusion

Standing out in the crowded field of photography is a difficult task.

But if you apply these simple photography rules, you’ll have a much, much better chance.

So take these rules to heart, get out, and start shooting!

Excitement awaits.

Have any more rules for capturing photos that your viewers will adore? Share them in the comments!

 

5 photography Rules for Capturing Photos Your Audience Will Adore

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Dallas photojournalist recounts capturing photo of gunman during yesterday’s shooting

19 Jun

Yesterday morning, a gunman dressed in tactical gear opened fire at the Earle Cabell Federal Building in Dallas, Texas with a semi-automatic rifle. While at the courthouse for a separate assignment, Dallas Morning News photojournalist Tom Fox was caught in the middle of the chaos and managed to capture a stunning image, embedded below, of the gunman as he appeared to be reloading his weapon outside of the building he fired into.

As Fox explains in the above interview conducted with Dallas Morning News, he was at the courthouse waiting for a defendant to arrive for jury duty when he heard what he believed to be a backfire from a vehicle. What he heard though was the sound of gunshots that were being fired toward the federal courthouse.

After realizing it was gunshots he heard, Fox says he instinctually looked around to discover where the shots were coming from and ‘establish a safe perimeter and take a knee [to] see what I could [photograph].’

Shortly after hearing the first shots, Fox says a security guard and another individual, with whom he was talking with earlier, started running in his direction as pieces of granite from the Earle Cabell Federal Building were being kicked in the air from gunfire (the first photo in the embedded tweet below is implied to be the individuals he was referring to in the interview and shows both the gunman [left, in front of the blue sedan] and the granite turning to powder [top of the image, above the security guard’s head]).

It was at this point that Fox turned and ran to seek cover. Eventually, he noticed an alcove near the entrance of the building and took shelter behind it (Fox can be seen behind the alcove, just feet away from the shooter, in a screenshot from a video captured by a citizen in an adjacent apartment building in the embedded tweet below [second image]). When he peeked around the corner, he saw an individual down the street. At this point, he took out his telephoto lens and composed a shot when he realized the individual he saw ‘looked to be someone that would fit the shooter profile and made some frames.’ Fox says it was when the shooter went to pick something up and he saw the ‘nozzle’ of the gun that he got up and ran to safety.

According to Dallas Morning News, the shooter was shot and killed by federal agents as he was running away from the building he opened fire at. No one else was injured or killed.

Dallas Morning News has put together a video using footage captured by Fox that shows the moments shortly after he captured what has become a viral image in the aftermath of the events. We had originally planned to include it in the article, but the thumbnail used for the video shows the shooter collapsed in a parking lot adjacent to the federal building after being shot by a federal agent, so we decided to link out instead. Bear in mind the video is graphic in nature.

Fox said he thought he ‘was gone’ in a follow-up interview with Dallas Morning News that dives into more details of the shooting. In 2017, Fox won Dallas Morning News staff photographer of the year.

Update (June 18, 2019): This article had originally stated the photo Tom Fox captured of the gunman was done so as the gunman was running from the building. However, it appears the image was captured at a different point in the timeline of the events and the article has been updated to reflect this.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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