Writing is not for photographers. This is the most ridiculous statement I have ever heard, and as a photographer, I have heard many. Do you know what is even more absurd about this declaration? For a long time, I am the one who swore by it. This was following the demise of my first personal photoblog. You can say Continue Reading
The post 8 Amazing Hacks To Be A Pro Photographer Blogger: The Definitive Guide I’m Using To Write How I Shoot appeared first on Photodoto.
The post Photo Hacks to Make Your Canvas Print a Showstopper appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Gvido Grube.
Taking perfectly decent photos isn’t rocket science. And once you’ve taken them, it’s also not hard to turn them into perfectly decent photo canvas prints. But what if you’re striving for something more, something exceptional? What if you want your canvas print to be a real showstopper?
Well, there are a few hacks you can use that should get you instant results. And the photo printing experts at CanvasDiscount.com are here to talk you through these canvas printing tips.
Read on.
It sounds counterintuitive to play it safe when you want your photo to stir things up. But some rules really are best left unbroken. Using the Rule of Thirds, Fibonacci Spiral or Phi Grid might sound basic if you’re a battle-hardened professional. And yet these lie behind pretty much every successful photo ever taken.
And there’s another factor in play here.
It’s worth noting that after you print a photo on canvas, the canvas is stretched over a wooden frame and attached at the back. This means that some of the image detail – the very margins of the original photo – appear on the sides of the frame.
For those “playing it safe,” this shouldn’t have much impact, as the position of the subject, the focal points, and lines of perspective will all stay roughly the same.
But for those who take risks with the classic conventions of photography, the opposite can be true.
If your subject, or the center of the “action,” are too close to the edge of your image, there’s a risk that these will be obscured on the finished product.
Drone photography often makes for superb photo canvas prints. And close-up photos of fabric and plant textures can also look fantastic when printed on canvas. In fact, though it might seem paradoxical, there are certain similarities between these two kinds of shots.
Both allow you to take certain liberties with the rules of composition, as the focus here is on a sense of scale.
Repetitive patterns and an emphasis on texture also help to make aerial photos and close-up shots visually effective.
But there are many other ways to give your prints more impact.
The most common way to create dynamism in photos is to use the leading lines. These are lines that draw the viewer’s attention to the subject of the photo. Usually produced by lighting conditions (light/shadow relationships) or geometrical patterns in the photo, leading lines can also be formed by the contours of buildings, handrails of a staircase, or any physical object close to the main subject.
When you’re framing your shot, just make sure these lines lead to your subject.
Many readers will be familiar with the terms “negative space” and “positive space.” The former denotes the areas surrounding the main subject of your photo, while the latter denotes the main subject/object. Of course, “negative space” shouldn’t be taken as implying any sense of inferiority!
Negative space serves to highlight positive space. In fact, you could say that one relies on the other to make an impact. But it’s possible to compose an image so that negative space becomes the main subject of the photo. This can work to amazing artistic effect, challenging traditional ideas about composition.
Meanwhile, keeping your focus on positive space but taking it to audacious extremes is another example of how you can break the rules and still get great results.
So what do we mean when we talk about extreme positive space?
A photo with extreme positive space usually features little or no negative space. The whole photo, from top to bottom, is buzzing with noise, movement, lines, and patterns, produced by multiple competing subjects. Done right, this can lead to an appealing sense of artistic chaos.
Photos of crowds, building blocks, lush woodlands, or mountain ranges lined up one behind the other – these are examples of subjects that can use extreme positive space to great effect.
And any successful photo using positive space in this way is sure to make for a successful canvas print too.
You can try going extreme in negative space too. In fact, extreme negative space often gives photos a sophisticated fine-art appeal. So push minimalism as far as you dare, and there’s every chance your photo will make for a wonderfully striking print on canvas.
Is background clutter distracting from the subjects in the foreground of your photo? Shallow depth of field is a common way to emphasize the subjects in focus, effectively reducing the “noise” in the background. This simple trick works exceptionally well with still-life photos, as it accentuates nuanced details. It also produces the much-valued bokeh effect, as well as some specular reflections and blurred light sources.
One might argue the effect is somewhat overused these days, but there’s no denying it can look amazing. Frankly, we’d recommend jumping on the bandwagon at this point.
You can get the effect by using your camera’s macro settings or shooting in aperture priority mode. Choose the former, and you just need to switch to macro mode, turn off flash and zoom in before you shoot.
For the latter, you’ll need to switch to aperture priority mode and aim for the lowest f-value available – then just zoom in again and take the photo.
The two methods should give you near-identical results.
Note that this has nothing to do with manipulations in Adobe Photoshop. Layering is a technique that’s commonly used to give your photo a depth effect. In practice, it means producing a photo composed of multiple layered elements at a range of distances from the lens. Using varying tones and textures will enhance the effect, making the photo appear more immersive.
Creative use of these layers can produce a striking three-dimensional effect – which should work just as well once you print the image on canvas.
To get the best results, try to keep a clear distinction between the foreground, middle ground, and background of your image.
Movement is one of the cornerstones of photography. Whether you capture a single instant of action using lightning-fast shutter speed or create motion blur with an epic long-exposure shot, movement creates visual tension. It makes your subject stand out from the background action.
This hack is not so much about creating a sense of motion as about where to position your moving subject in your photo. Get that part right, and your image can produce a spectacular impact.
The trick involves leaving a space between the object in motion and the opposite side of the photo. The subject should occupy roughly one-third to two-thirds of the photo, with the remainder taken up by negative space.
This will suggest a direction in which the subject is heading and make your photo more dynamic.
Many great sporting photographs owe a lot of their power to this technique.
While the hacks listed above will help you shoot professional, well-balanced photos, the key to getting exceptional results is to go with your gut feeling. If you remember that not everyone agrees with even the most conventional ideas of beauty, you’ll feel free to do things your way.
There’s no universal formula for taking an excellent photo. No image, however highly acclaimed, is going to appeal to everyone. So when in doubt, trust your instinct, and there’s every chance it will lead you to your perfect photo.
Do you already have a photo with showstopper potential? Think it would look amazing hung on your wall? We can help! In collaboration with CanvasDiscount.com, we’ve prepared a special purchase offer exclusively for the readers of Digital Photography School. Head to CanvasDiscount.com and use the code DIGITALCANVAS15 to get 15% OFF all canvas prints! This is one you don’t want to miss!
CanvasDiscount is a paid dPS partner.
The post Photo Hacks to Make Your Canvas Print a Showstopper appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Gvido Grube.
The post 5 DIY Macro Photography Hacks for Stunning Macro Photos (on a Budget) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.
Do you want to take stunning macro photos…
…on a budget?
In this article, I’m going to show you exactly how you can capture amazing macro photos (without breaking the bank). You’ll discover 5 DIY macro photography hacks which you can use for consistently gorgeous images.
Sound good?
Let’s dive right in, starting with:
First things first:
In macro photography, the background matters almost as much as your main subject. Because the background is what makes your main subject stand out.
One of my favorite backgrounds is a solid, uniform color:
Dark black.
Black backgrounds allow you to capture somber, moodier macro photography. Like this:
Now, achieving a natural black background in nature can be tough. Which is why this DIY hack is so valuable. Because you can use it to create a deep black background in all of your macro photos.
Here’s what you do:
Step 1: Go to your local hardware store and purchase a plywood board. I’d suggest something ultra-thin (because wood can get heavy, fast). I’d also go for a decent size: at least two feet on all sides.
Step 2: Purchase black paint and primer. I recommend getting a sample paint pot (one should be more than enough). These are cheap and work just fine. The primer is to prevent the wood from tainting the color.
Step 3: Add the primer and paint the board. I’d recommend two coats of black paint for that ultra-dark look.
Step 4: Let the board dry.
Now comes the fun part:
Actually taking the photos!
You should choose a main subject that’s fairly light (e.g., yellow and white flowers). Position your main subject so that it’s in the sun, with the black board in the shade, a foot or so behind it. You want to create as much contrast as possible between the board and your subject. That is, you want a light subject on a dark board.
The goal is to lose absolutely all detail in the background. If you don’t fully achieve this in-camera, you can use an editing program to drop the blacks in your images.
You can still make this work with diffused (i.e., cloudy) light. But you’ll need to do a bit more work in post-processing to bring down the blacks.
Bottom line?
You can work some serious magic with just a board and some paint.
Try it yourself! And watch as you capture amazing macro images.
Have you ever wanted to capture macro photos that look bright and high-key? Maybe even transparent?
With this DIY hack, you can!
All you need is a basic lightbox, often used by artists for tracing. You can purchase one for around 20 dollars on Amazon. While a bigger lightbox is generally better, anything A4 and above should work fine.
Once you have your lightbox, you’ll need to choose a main subject. Flowers with translucent petals work best. And the flatter the flower, the better.
You’ll want to work in a room that has only diffused ambient light. You want your flowers to have a soft, even look.
Then turn on the lightboard, and place your flowers on top of it.
I recommend shooting parallel to the lightbox from above. While you can do everything handheld, I don’t recommend this, especially if your flowers are more three dimensional. Instead, mount your camera on a tripod and use a narrow aperture (i.e., f/8 and above) to ensure perfect sharpness.
Once you have your shots, you’ll probably need to do a bit of post-processing. I recommend increasing the whites, to give a slightly brighter, airier look.
There’s no doubt about it:
The way that flowers are positioned can make a macro shot look amazing…or terrible. If several flowers are overlapping, your photo may fall flat.
But if you can isolate a single flower…
…that’s when things start to look really compelling.
Now, when you’re shooting in nature, you don’t have much control over this. You have to work with what you’ve got.
But if you use this DIY macro photography hack, you can capture a gorgeous set of macro flower photos.
Guaranteed.
Here’s how it works:
Go to your local grocery store, and purchase a bouquet of your favorite flowers. I like to work with tulips, but you can really use anything!
When you get home, check over the flowers for blemishes and other issues. Find the biggest, best-looking flowers of the bunch.
And then put them all in separate vases (or cups).
Note: You want the flowers to extend pretty far over the top of the vase, which is why I suggest you avoid taller vases.
The next time the light is good, take all the vases outside. Place them in front of a gorgeous background.
(I often use an orange sky at sunset.)
And then photograph all the flowers, individually. Because they’re in separate vases, they’ll all be perfectly isolated. And this will allow you to easily capture powerful compositions.
Try it.
You’ll love the final product.
If you’re bored of getting the same macro look over and over again, then this DIY macro photography hack is for you.
It’ll help you capture photos with brilliant light leaks, like this:
If you’re familiar with the concept of freelensing, it’s like that, but with a twist.
Here’s how you do it:
Choose a backup camera body and a cheap camera lens in the 50mm range. (There’s a slight risk of exposing your camera sensor to dirt.)
Focus your lens to infinity.
Then turn off your camera, and detach the lens.
Next, turn the camera back on, and pull the lens just slightly away from the camera (it should still be detached!).
This will actually magnify your subject, while often giving you some amazingly artistic light leaks.
And while the technique may require a bit of experimentation, you’ll get the hang of it pretty quick, and you’ll capture some gorgeous macro photos.
Here’s your final DIY macro photography hack (and it’s one of my favorites):
Use fairy lights for gorgeous macro backgrounds. They’ll get you photos like this:
To start, grab a set of fairy lights on Amazon (for around 10 dollars). I recommend a neutral or warmer color.
Go out to shoot around dusk, when the light is really starting to fade.
Find a nice subject, and position the fairy lights directly behind it. You can dangle them from surrounding vegetation, or you can hold them with your left hand.
Now, you don’t want to position the fairy lights too close, or else you’ll capture the wiring in your photos. Instead, you want them to show some nice bright light without being prominently featured.
You should also make sure to use a shallow aperture, in the area of f/2.8 to f/5.6. That way, the fairy lights will be fully blurred, creating some stunning bokeh.
The trick is an easy one, but it’ll get you amazing macro photos!
You’ve now discovered five DIY macro photography hacks.
And you can use them for stunning macro photos all the time.
So go ahead and start. Make your black board. Grab yourself some fairy lights.
And take some amazing macro photos!
Do you have any DIY hacks of your own for beautiful macro shots? Share them in the comments!
The post 5 DIY Macro Photography Hacks for Stunning Macro Photos (on a Budget) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.
Commercial food photographer Scott Choucino has published a new video debunking some of the food photography ‘hacks’ popularized in YouTube videos. Choucino comments on a variety of supposed industry techniques, including things like using lipstick to make fruit look ripe and spraying hairspray on fruit.
‘We don’t color in fruit if it’s the wrong color, we just buy more fruit,’ Choucino explains in the video while shrugging. The photographer shares some techniques that are used by food photography professionals, as well, including using glycerin and water — not hairspray — to make fruit look wet. Choucino likewise touches on the topic of making meat look cooked, getting gooey cheese pizza shots, myths about foamy coffee and more.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
The post 5 Photography Hacks to Improve Your Creative Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.
In this video by Brandon Woelfel, he outlines 5 Photography hacks to Improve Your Creative Photography.
Hold the phone up to your camera lens to reflect the image and light for a cool effect.
Think of locations. Look at a scene in a way that your final edit will be applied. Mentally isolate a location in your head so when it comes to physically shoot your subject, you can apply what you had in your head.
If you feel inspired but have no model, use your hands and a cool object such as glass ball, lights, and play with shallow depth of field.
Manipulate natural light by using textured materials. Bounce light off a sequinned pillow. Shoot light through colanders, CDs, doilies etc.
Hold a leaf or other object and hold it close to the edge of the lens
Follow Brandon on Instagram.
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The post 5 Photography Hacks to Improve Your Creative Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.
Storing camera gear seems to be a never-ending battle. Whether you want to admit to having too little space or too much gear, it almost always holds true that there are better ways to keep your gear organized.
Ted Forbes of The Art of Photography has created a short video on DIY storage hacks for cameras and lenses. The video’s title suggests Forbes mentions six different methods in 90 seconds, but based on the numbers he provides, there are actually only five suggestions, considering hack number four seems to be skipped.
Numbers aside, Forbes uses wine racks, a lazy susan, and even pantry spice organizers as methods for camera gear organization. You could argue some of the hacks are common sense (shelves are a pretty obvious choice, I would think), but the video is still worth a quick watch.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
One of the joys of travel is capturing all the new and exciting destination sites from your own perspective. Sometimes you make conscious decisions of what to leave behind and other times you realize you forgot to bring something, only after you got there. Whatever the case, a few travel photography hacks can help you save the day!
Many times, the biggest challenge in travel photography is whether or not you will be able to capture the essence of the place with the gear you packed. If you are going on vacation, you certainly do not want to take every lens you own. Other than adding weight, there is a chance that much of it will not be used.
This is a good reason to research your destination is to help determine what images you want to capture. Are you going to shoot more landscape scenery or trying to capture the people living there? Your decision will affect what gear you take with you.
Additionally, a great way to determine what to take is by reviewing your last trip. Look at what you captured then and decide if it is similar to what you hope to capture now. Many times you will find that most of your photos were taken with the same lens. You can use Lightroom’s filtering system to gather that intel.
For example, if you took both a wide and long zoom lens, but took most shots with the wide lens, then you can safely leave your long zoom behind.
When you decide which lenses you need for your trip, pack well to protect them. It helps to remember that lenses are made mostly of glass, even when built with highly durable exterior bodies. An easy packing hack to avoid damaging your lenses is putting them inside thick socks. This cushions your lens during travel, whether inside your luggage (carry-on only, never check your valuable camera gear) or camera bag.
Optional: further secure your lenses by putting them (sock-wrapped) into shoes/boots.
You do not have to be a professional photographer to make a shot list. As you research your destination, there are no doubt certain things that you want to see and experience there. As you plan your itinerary, you can make a note of what you want to capture in that location.
Take a note of your different points of interest and how you plan to shoot them. Sometimes this simple action can keep you from being overwhelmed when you get there. This will also help you determine what gear to pack (mentioned above).
If you did not pack neutral density filters for your trip, there is no need to kick yourself if an opportunity for a long exposure presents itself. It does take a little familiarity and processing in Photoshop, though. Compose your image and take between 15-20 shots with that composition.
15 shots taken of the same scene in short intervals.
You need to shoot in burst mode or ensure that the intervals between your shots are as small as possible. Download your images and load them into Photoshop as layers.
15 shots loaded into Photoshop Layers.
Select Auto-Align Layers from the Edit Menu and Auto. Click OK when done. Next, convert your layers into Smart Objects. You do this by selecting the Layer menu, Smart Object and Convert to Smart Object. This step may take a few minutes to process.
When that is finished, go back to your Layer menu and Smart Objects. In Stack Mode, choose Mean (or Median also works well). This process also takes a few minutes to run.
The result, silky smooth water as if it had been shot with a neutral density filter and really long exposure.
Bonus Tip: This method can also help you remove people from your photos.
A tripod is that piece of gear that you benefit tremendously from, but when traveling you may be willing to concede. Again it comes down to when and what you are shooting. If you plan on capturing nightscapes or moving subjects, a tripod is a necessity. A good compromise is a tripod that converts to a monopod.
Conversely you can leave the tripod at home. Depending on where you are going, a tripod can become a nuisance to lug around or may not even be allowed. This is when you have to get creative and make a supporting object your tripod. Tables, walls, rocks or anything stationary which supports your camera will stand-in for a tripod.
Chances are that you will shoot a number of images in one location with the same lighting and conditions. A quick way to edit a large number of photos with your style is to batch process them. Batch processing is applying the same edit across multiple images. In addition to Photoshop and Lightroom, there is other photo editing software available that can help you achieve this.
There is no need to walk with a bulky or expensive reflector on your trip. Buy a piece of foam board to bounce light into your shadows. This cheap trick can save you from packing more and you only need apply it to some situations.
With travel photography, most times you want to walk around with less gear (for both your comfort and safety). Once you have done your research and know what you want to achieve, there is no need to go with equipment that you will not use. Sometimes a few travel photography hacks can save you in a pinch.
Please share some of your favorites with us in the comments area below.
The post 7 Travel Photography Hacks to Get You Going Places appeared first on Digital Photography School.
We all love some good photography hacks, and what better than some for portraits. Photography is such a great and fun artistic journey and there is always something new to try, or rather, buy. However, taking great portraits can be done with these five hacks that won’t break the bank. Most of these hacks can be made using household items or you can find them at your local craft stores for a quarter of the price.
Use a plain, solid painted wall on location as a background for your portraits to add a different look.
Reflectors are a great tool, especially for both studio and on-location setups. They help fill in the shadows with light, bounce light back onto your subject, and can create cool effects. They can even help block out the sun or light falling on either on you or your subject. A reflector is great all around tool.
There are many great reflectors available, like the very popular 5-in-1. But you can definitely make one yourself that will give you the same results and enhance your portrait photography. The great thing here is that your handmade reflectors can be large or small depending on your portrait needs. Small, perhaps for the studio, and large for outdoors or on location portraits. Or make one of each, as it really is so simple to do!
Use your handmade reflector to bounce light back onto your subject’s face.
Grab a piece of cardboard and some aluminum foil (crinkle it up a bit first). Next, glue down the aluminum foil with the shiny side up with spray glue or double-sided tape. Make sure to smooth it out as best you can and cover one side of your board. Finally, paint the other side white. If you choose to go with white foam board, then you can skip the last step.
What you will have is a very durable and effective two-in-one reflector! Use the silver side for maximum fill and use the white side for a softer look. This reflector can be used for both indoor and outdoor portraits. Make a few in different sizes to fit your needs.
Aluminum foil glued to recycled box cut to lay flat.
DIY reflector in use.
Use the white side of your DIY reflector to softly fill in light while photographing portraits on location.
Don’t want to DIY it? You can head over to your nearest store and pick up a reflective car shield, the ones that help block the sun from heating up the inside of your car. Those also work great as reflectors and the best part is that you can simply fold it up when you’re finished using it.
Diffusers, like reflectors, are incredible tools especially for outdoor portraits and for newborn photography. They are simply a translucent material that you can use to soften hard lighting or to create soft light on your subject.
I say newborn portraits because even window light can be hard for these little ones and a diffuser helps to soften it. You can also place the diffuser in front of off-camera speedlights to disperse the light over a larger area, effectively softening it.
Use a diffuser to create soft light for your subject, especially great for newborns.
You have the ability to create a diffuser just the right size for your portraits. Grab an embroidery ring and some translucent fabric at your local fabric or craft store. Place the fabric inside the embroidery ring, cut the remaining fabric so that you don’t have too much hanging out. You could hem the edges but the embroidery ring really does hold it pretty tightly.
Once you cut the edges, you have a portable and easy to hold/mount diffuser. It’s lightweight and easy to carry. Use this indoors to soften window light or even a speedlight. Or use it on location to soften harsh sunlight and simply to shade your subject during the session.
This scrim was made with a thiPVCvc pipe about 6 feet long to create a diameter of about 3 feet. I duct taped the ends together and hot glued the translucent fabric to the ring. A hula hoop would be perfect to use for this as well. I couldn’t find one big enough to use for this so I used PVC, both are inexpensive and quick to make.
DIY lighting diffuser in action.
You can also make a DIY large lighting panel – get instructions here.
Editor’s Note: Make note that a ring, 12″ or so is still a relatively small light source and as such will produce fairly hard light. You need a large diffuser (larger than the subject’s face) to really soften the light.
There are many tools that are made specifically for portrait photography like the portrait stool. It’s basically a fancy hydraulic stool to sit your subject on while you make their portrait. There are also some made especially for children. You don’t have to invest in one of those, however, you simply have to go to your local hardware store and pick up a small two-step ladder, or if you photograph children, a two-step stool. Both of these options offer you the same functionality as a portrait stool.
Use them during your session to pose your subject indoors or on location. Another advantage to using a ladder as a posing stool is that it gives you the option to use it yourself to get a higher camera angle. There are really no limits to the usefulness of the ladder, or small step stool, and it is easy to transport. If you are a beach photographer, use it as a tabletop to hold your gear and keep it from touching the sand.
Use a portrait stool to seat your subject.
Sometimes the best tools are right in your pocket. Your phone is used for so much of your daily life and it can also be a great tool for photography. The flashlight on your phone can serve as a steady fill light in case you don’t have an off-camera flash or need a little boost of light.
Turn your camera’s flashlight on and point it directly toward your subjects. You may need the help of a selfie-stick or a friend because although it’s powerful, you’ll still need to have the light pretty close to your subject. The mighty flash is perfect for portraits where you want to capture the light behind, but need a little fill on your subject. This is perfect for on-location photography, especially when the sun is setting behind your subject.
A phone flashlight was used to create interesting lighting in a dark area.
Use your handy smartphone’s flashlight to add drama to your portraits.
Create a little drama using your phone’s flashlight and use it to manipulate the available light around you. This is also very easily done for indoor portraits and it works great to fill your subjects when there is beautiful warm light behind, like in the photo above. Get creative with this portable light that you always have with you. It’s quick and there’s no fussing with adjustments.
One of the best photography hacks that you’ll learn is how to turn plain walls into beautiful portrait backgrounds. When you’re looking to do some headshots or just photograph so that it looks as though you were in a studio, this is the hack you can use every time.
Choose a concrete wall that is plain. Pose your subject a good distance from the wall so that you can let the background blur a bit (use a wide aperture as well). Then, with your handmade reflector or phone flashlight, photograph your subject. What you will get is a beautiful seamless background just a tad out of focus to give it that studio look.
Use your ladder and a plain wall to create studio-style portraits on location.
You can also choose a more patterned wall to give your background added texture. Look for walls that are painted in a solid color or have a repeating texture like the brick wall below. Another great photography hack is to shoot from above and let the concrete stairs or asphalt blur out so that it creates a nice background.
Choose plain or patterned walls to give your on-location portraits more of a studio look.
These five portrait photography hacks will save you both time and money all while enhancing the portrait experience for both you and your subject while photographing on-location. Use them for your next portrait session to get new and different results!
The post Five Budget Portrait Photography Hacks to Save You Money appeared first on Digital Photography School.
In this article, you will learn 10 camera tricks and hacks that could help you take far more interesting dog photography — or photos of any pet, for that matter.
If you love taking pictures of your pooch but don’t feel that you are getting any spectacular results that are worth framing, then perhaps some of the following tips will help inspire you to take your pet and dog photography to the next level.
Let’s see if these 10 dog photography hacks will inspire you to try something new today.
This might not seem like much of a hack, but it is your job as a photographer to look for the best light. Many photographers say that window light is their favorite light because it’s a soft light that creates beautiful shadows across your subject.
If you are looking for the quickest and easiest way to create a more professional look for your pictures, moving them closer to a soft light source such as a window would be my first tip.
In the image above, you can see the difference between having the dog by the window and not. Not only is the light more dynamic, because your camera will detect more light, but it will use a lower ISO, which all means a cleaner, less “noisy” image.
We probably all know the saying, “Never work with children or animals”. The reason is that they are unpredictable and quite often do not do what you want them to do when you want them to do it. There may be times when your dog is doing something cute, and it is simply not possible to move them to a window to get that perfect lighting.
These days, however, you have access to light right in your pocket. Next time your dog is doing something cute in lousy lighting conditions, rather than pushing that ISO up and just dealing with the bad light, why not introduce some of your own light using the phone in your pocket? It takes seconds to set up and can instantly give your pictures a far more dynamic feel.
Now that we have covered the basics of good lighting, we can move on to some of the fun stuff. If you are a fan of beautiful round bokeh (blurred background), then tin foil could be your new best friend. By putting some scrunched up foil behind your subject and shining a light on it, you will instantly get a “starry” bokeh effect.
This technique requires a bit of practice, but my top tips are to use a lower aperture and move your dog far enough in front of the foil that the camera focuses on the dog, causing the background to blur.
My second bit of advice is to use a short telephoto or zoom lens, preferably above 50mm to 85mm. This is because a wider lens takes in more of the background so you will need more foil. If you use a telephoto lens, less of the background will be in the shot, which means you will need less foil to create the effect.
This tip is as simple as it sounds! The next time you are near some still water, such as a puddle or a pond, try holding your camera upside down and shooting your dog’s reflection in the water. When you look at the image the correct way, you will create a fantastic illusion. When people see your dog’s feet at the bottom of the picture, they will realize that they are looking at a reflection.
This tip works well with dogs as they are so low to the ground.
It is your job as a photographer to lead the viewer’s eye to the subject that you want them to look at. This is part of the beauty of these fast lenses with really blurry backgrounds; you can leave your subject in focus and blur the background, so it is clear what you want our viewer to look at.
Another way to do this is the use of white space. By shooting in a mirror, you can purposely introduce a significant portion of the wall behind the mirror and put your subject off to the corner of the image. This creates a massive amount of white space, producing a far more interesting picture.
Fairy lights are great as they introduce three elements that photographers love:
Why not get your dog to sit on some fairy lights when you are taking his picture next? You can also add your phone light as well to add that lovely dynamic shadow at the same time.
Symmetry will become your best friend when taking pictures. There is something about reflections and balance that are very pleasing to the human eye.
If you find yourself without a reflective surface to shoot into, why not make your own? I carry a small bit of perspex with me wherever I go. However, many photographers use their mobile phones.
All you need to do is hold it next to your lens to create a reflection of your pet.
Prisms mix two elements that we have already discussed; they can create white space, almost blurring out a significant portion of your photographs, and you can get some exciting reflections out of them.
However, the reason why I love using prisms is that they can add some fantastic color to an image that might otherwise be a little dull.
Flare is a real sought-after look. We have all spent time pointing our lenses almost directly at the sun trying to get that beautiful lens flare look.
Well, the next time you want instant lens flare, just get your trusty phone out of your pocket again and try shining that light into the camera to get a very similar effect.
Finally, why not just change your perspective? The number one thing that will make your pictures look more professional is capturing things in a different way from others.
Most of the time, this just comes down to shooting something from a different angle. People are used to looking down at their dogs, so they will typically take images of their dogs from above. Why not take your pictures from floor level to get pictures of your pet you may not have seen before?
Also, try mixing my technique of using white space in combination with this tip. Purposely shoot more of the floor and put your dog in the corner of the image to help lead the viewer’s eye.
One of the best tips I have ever received for my photography comes in particularly handy photographing dogs.
Always focus on the eye that is nearest you.
Your viewers will always focus on the subject’s eyes. If they are sharp, then people do not worry so much about the rest of the image.
If you look back at some of the pictures above, you will notice that sometimes the nose is slightly out of focus due to the use of a shallow aperture. However, you may not have noticed that when you first looked at the images because the eyes are in focus. I do this with all the pictures I take.
I hope the video and these tips have inspired you to go try and take new images that you may not have thought of before. Even if you don’t use these exact tips, perhaps some of them might help you think more about using reflections, lighting, and white space, which will help your pictures stand out from the crowd.
Please share some of your tricks and tips in the comments below.
The post 10 Amazing Camera Hacks for Better Dog Photography by Phil Harris appeared first on Digital Photography School.
Here is another fun video from the team over at COOPH. This time they’re playing with ordinary household items found in your kitchen.
Watch as they play with some eggs, kitchen utensils, have fun with a cheese grater, make a DIY softbox for a flash, play with reflective surfaces, flour, and some fruit!
Get cracking (pun intended) and see what you can come up with trying these tips out.
The post Quick Video Tutorial – 8 DIY Photography Hacks for the Kitchen by Darlene Hildebrandt appeared first on Digital Photography School.
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