The moment I bought my first DSLR I knew that photography was my true passion. I didn’t consider myself a professional back then, but I was sure I wanted to become one. Well, the road turned out a lot longer than I expected. I have learned there’s much more than meets the eye when it comes to the photographer profession. Continue Reading
The post 10 things I wish I knew when starting my photography business appeared first on Photodoto.
Photographers have the same dilemma that painters have faced for centuries – how to show a three-dimensional subject in a two-dimensional frame. When you add depth it helps create a sense of place and draw the viewer into your images. It also shows a deeper understanding of the principles of composition in photography.
The techniques and tips listed in this article will help you convey a stronger sense of depth in your photos.
One of the easiest ways to convey depth in an image is to use a wide-angle lens and include lines that move from the bottom of the frame to the top. This technique is used mainly in landscape and architectural photos.
The lines don’t have to be obvious. Take this photo as an example.
The rocks form natural lines that lead the eye from the foreground to the island on the horizon.
In the image below, the waterways in the middle distance take the eye through the photo to the distant mountains. They are meandering, rather than straight, which helps give the image a more organic feel that fits well with the theme of landscape.
This photo demonstrates how lines can add depth in a different way.
The buildings form converging lines that disappear towards the horizon, creating a sense of depth very effectively. This technique is similar to an artist’s use of perspective. I’ve added lines so you can see how it works.
Most photographers are familiar with the rule of thirds, but when it comes to conveying a sense of depth it is helpful to break the photo up into a different set of thirds – the foreground, middle ground, and background. What you’re looking for is a way of connecting the three that pulls the eye through the photo. Having three distinct zones in the image helps create a sense of depth, three dimensionality.
Leading lines are one way of doing this, but lines are not always present in a scene. When that happens you need to look for something else. Often, that simply means including something interesting in the foreground.
For example, in this photo, there are some buildings in the background, a concrete jetty in the middle, and the edge of another jetty in the foreground. I included the last one deliberately to help create a sense of depth.
Here’s another example below. Including the rocks in the foreground creates a composition with three distinct zones (foreground, middle ground, and background) that the eye moves through, creating depth in the image. It helps that the wide-angle lens that was used makes the rocks seem quite large in comparison to the distant cliffs.
Another technique that helps convey a sense of depth is aerial (or atmospheric) perspective. This is where the atmospheric conditions make things in the distance appear hazy. When you see this occur, it is a good idea to see if you can find a way to include it in your composition. In this photo, taken in Beijing, you can see that the trees in the distance on the left side are obscured by atmospheric haze.
This is reinforced by the converging lines formed by the walls. The two techniques are working together to show depth in the image.
The techniques explored so far work best with wide-angle lenses. The nature of a telephoto lens is that it puts distance between you and the subject, which leads to a flatter perspective that doesn’t show depth as well as a wide-angle lens. But there are different techniques you can use with telephoto lenses to create a sensation of depth.
One method is to shoot through something that is between you and the subject. In the photo below, the subject is the setting sun. I shot through grass (and focused on the grass, throwing the sun slightly out of focus) to add a sense of depth to what otherwise could have been a very flat image.
The photo also makes a good use of another technique, including shadows in the frame, to reinforce the depth.
You can also use this technique with portraits. I created the portrait below by shooting through the branches of a tree.
Both of the photos shown for the previous technique also use selective focus. That’s where you deliberately set a narrow aperture and focus on the subject, throwing the background out of focus. It’s especially effective with portraits, as the blurred background helps separate the model from the background, in turn creating a sense of depth. The following portrait was taken at f/2.0 with the lens focused on the model’s eyes.
It’s also useful to think about what happens to colors in the background when you use a telephoto lens with a narrow aperture to make a portrait. When the background is out of focus, colors merge into each other. A good contrast between the colors in the background and those the model is wearing also helps convey depth.
For example, in the next portrait the use of color is very subtle. The background is nearly white, without any distracting colors. It is out of focus and doesn’t distract from the model’s face. His sweater is the most colorful part of the photo, and helps separate him from the background.
You can take this idea to its extreme by using off-camera flash fitted with an orange gel. When you do this, the model is lit by orange light (from the gelled flash), but the background is lit by colder ambient light. This technique works well at dusk when the ambient light has a natural blue color.
In the example below, the model was lit by single Speedlite fitted with a 60cm softbox and a CTO (Color Temperature Orange) gel.
These seven tips should help you create stronger photos with more depth. What other ideas do you have for creating and adding depth into your photos? Please let us know in the comments below.
If you enjoyed this article and would like to learn more about composition then please check out my ebook Mastering Composition.
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The post 7 Tips – How to Add Depth and Dimension into Your Photos by Andrew S. Gibson appeared first on Digital Photography School.
In photography, creative inspiration can often come from trying something new and photographing a scene with that technique. Creating glass ball landscapes is one example of this, as it allows you to capture a fish-eye like scene, using a telephoto lens. The glass ball creates a mystique, as many people associate looking into a crystal ball with seeing into the future. However, visions inside a glass ball are easy to achieve with a few simple steps!
In order to get good landscape photos with the glass ball, you’ll need to apply some basic rules, an understanding of the science at work also helps. If you read my previous article on crystal ball photography you will already be familiar with the 7 steps you can follow to take this type of image. Here’s a quick recap:
It’s easy to get it in your mind that every scene or situation needs a crystal ball photo. This is not the case and careful consideration needs to be taken when selecting the photograph you’ll take. The most important thing to do is find a compelling subject that shows prominently inside the glass ball. Once you have this basic parameter established below are some differing ways you can compose your glass ball landscape photograph.
Glass ball landscape using the rule of thirds. This classic composition shows the entire ball and was shot at 100mm.
In this type of composition the ball fills the majority of the frame, with the entire edge of the ball visible. This will lead to glass ball landscapes that have an immediate impact and areas to the side of the ball that are blurred out and minimalist in nature. This type of image is most easily taken with a macro or telephoto lens with an aperture of f/4 to create the nice bokeh around the ball.
Getting closer to the glass ball will emphasize the scene within the ball, this also entails framing that cuts some of the edges of the ball away. A centered composition with both the top and bottom part of the ball can work here, this has the advantage that top and bottom parts of the scene cannot be easily deduced. The other composition follows the rule of thirds, with the edge of the ball showing in the left or right third of the image.
A closer crop focuses the eye more on the image in the ball.
There are many ways to photograph the glass ball, and using a wide-angle lens with this technique can be very effective. In this case, you want the background scene to be minimalist, with the ball becoming an accent in the scene. The scene will not likely be rotated during post-processing, so compose to the scene in the background. In this type of the photo, the ball and the landscape scene should form a balanced composition.
A wider angle of 20mm is used here. The ball is an accent within this frame.
Gaining access to the rooftop provided a great vantage point.
As with all landscape photos, a high vantage point for glass ball images works well. Gaining access to a high building overlooking a city, or climbing a hill are both good options. Once at your high vantage point find a good position to place the ball, so you can see the landscape inside it. You need to ensure the ball will not fall, be very careful with its positioning.
The view looking up can be just as good as the view looking down.
In this photo the ball was placed on the ground, the stones in the foreground add a nice element to this photo.
Placing the ball at street level doesn’t always work, as half the scene will be taken up by the ground. That said there are several situations that really work well with the ball on the ground.
A friend holding the ball in position is an alternative to putting the ball on the ground.
The glass ball landscapes are not always best suited to having people in them. The blurred background may look less appealing with a human shape included in it. There are a couple of ways to humanize your image, though, while still maintaining a minimal feel.
Photographing people inside the ball is tricky, but not impossible.
The places you’d visit for regular landscapes will also work for glass ball landscapes. The rooftops of tall buildings in cities work very well or a worm’s eye view from street level can be just as good. The beach or the desert are excellent options due to the minimalist nature of those locations.
Sunset photos at the beach with the glass ball are one of the classics in this genre of photography. Mountains and forests make for good locations as well. A lone tree can be a nice subject, as can lines of tree trunks inside the glass ball. Up in the mountains, you can easily fill the scene inside the ball with a large peak jutting up into the landscape.
The snow globe is a well-known souvenir gift, which the glass ball can replicate.
In my last article on refraction I linked to a site selling an 80mm glass ball, this is a great option though it can be heavy to carry. You can also use a smaller ball for many situations, and when you are carrying a heavy bag of camera gear this is a good idea.
Once you have a glass ball it’s best to dive in and see what works best for you. I’d love to see more examples of your work, it was great to see so many pictures last time. One final tip, be careful in the sunlight with the ball. The glass ball acts as a magnifying glass with the sun’s rays and can burn you, or your property.
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The post How to Create Glass Ball Landscapes – 6 Techniques by Simon Bond appeared first on Digital Photography School.
On the eleventh day of Christmas dPS gave to me …
Sebastian Michaels smashed every dPS record recently with his Fine Art Grunge Composition course. Now he’s back, with his bigger, better and brand freshly updated Black & White Photo Artistry course!
… and you can save 60% on the regular price right now.
This course brings together all the best photo artistry approaches and techniques from the original course and expands on them within the realm of creative black and white.
You’ll discover the pro secrets for producing stunning works of photo art. Awesome, intricate black and white compositions fit for print and canvas. All while honing your own photography skills!
Ready to create the most artistic photo works of your life? Grab this deal with a 60% saving today only!
Here’s the link to order – you won’t be disappointed.
This huge offer to this brilliant course not only comes with lifetime access, but also a heap of extra bonuses. You’ll get FREE software, bonus Lightroom presets and more.
We think it’s a stunning deal in the 12 dPS days of Christmas and well know you’ll cherish everything it will teach you about black and white photography artistry.
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Christmas, Hanukkah, Fiesta of the Lady of Guadalupe, Day of the Virgin, and many other world holidays happen this month. Every religion and culture celebrate in their own unique way. Here in Nicaragua where I will be spending Christmas, they parade a statue of the Virgin Mary down a new street each night, complete with marching band and bombas (fireworks).
A festively decorated tree in Leon, Nicaragua.
The Virgin on display in Leon, Nicaragua.
Here are some more images of different holiday sights. Enjoy the season however you celebrate.
By Michela
By Alan Cleaver
By Mike Beales
By David Bannister
By David Morris
By Charlotte90T
By Nikos Koutoulas
By J J
By Stéphanie Kilgast
By Johnny Silvercloud
By Denise Mattox
By Thomas Hawk
By Theophilos Papadopoulos
By Britt-knee
By cta web
By Brett Kiger
By Scott Robinson
By Bunches and Bits {Karina}
By Robert Couse-Baker
By Steve Snodgrass
By messycupcakes
By Thad Zajdowicz
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The post 24 Festive Holiday Images to Get You Into the Spirit by Darlene Hildebrandt appeared first on Digital Photography School.
Holiday time in many parts of the world is a time for festivities. I shared a few festive images earlier, have a look.
By Kenny Miller
What does festive look like for you? In your city? In your culture? Photograph that and share it with us this week for this challenge. Think about:
By MattysFlicks
By Jamie McCaffrey
By The Explorographer™
Simply upload your shot into the comment field (look for the little camera icon in the Disqus comments section) and they’ll get embedded for us all to see or if you’d prefer, upload them to your favorite photo-sharing site and leave the link to them. Show me your best images in this week’s challenge. Sometimes it takes a while for an image to appear so be patient and try not to post the same image twice.
You can also share your images on the dPS Facebook group as the challenge is posted there each week as well.
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The post Weekly Photography Challenge – Festive by Darlene Hildebrandt appeared first on Digital Photography School.
On the twelfth day of Christmas dPS gave to me …
It’s the last day of our 12 days of Christmas sale and for today only, you can get any of our photography ebooks for just $ 9.
Rather than pick a few to share, we thought we’d put EVERY single book on dPS for sale for just $ 9.
Topics include photographing portraits, landscapes, travel, kids and much more.
There’s also eBooks on special effects, black and white, flash photography and even natural light photography.
Check them all out here.
Even our $ 50 Going Pro eBook is just $ 9.
It’s a $ 9 eBook spectacular! There’s also no limits, grab as many as you like. But only in the next 24 hours.
Check them all out before time runs out.
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The post All dPS eBooks – $ 9 Today Only by Darren Rowse appeared first on Digital Photography School.
Merry Christmas from the team at dPS! It’s Christmas day already in Australia where most of the team is based, and we’d like to wish you the happiest of days from all of us here at dPS.
Thank you for being a regular reader and fan of dPS and for helping us to be able to continue to provide photography education for you and other photography enthusiasts. However you celebrate this holiday season, we hope you have a good one.
Cheers!
By Jake Vince
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The post Happy Holidays 2016 from the dPS Team by Darlene Hildebrandt appeared first on Digital Photography School.
Over the last 12 days we’ve presented you with some amazing daily deals on photography training resources in our 7th annual 12 days of Christmas.
The savings this year were our biggest yet and we had a lot of really positive feedback from readers who picked up some fantastic deals.
As in previous years we did get a few sad messages from readers who missed deals along the way asking if there was any way to get them.
As a result – today we’re opening all 12 deals back up again for one last chance. You can find them all here or listed below.
So if there’s a deal you regret missing or you might have missed one of our emails – you’re in luck. Here they are!
All these will be available until midnight US Eastern time on 31st of December, after that they will be gone for ever (just like 2016) – so get to it and grab yours today!
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The post Don’t Miss Out: These 12 Photography Deals Will Disappear With 2016 by Darren Rowse appeared first on Digital Photography School.
I hope you’re knee deep in festivities and good food by now. With the holiday season in full swing, I just wanted to send you a quick note about what to expect here at dPS over the next week. The dPS team is taking a little down time so we can give our writers a break and time with their families too. This is what will:
By Sean MacEntee
It’s time again for me to go through last year’s articles and find the best, most popular ones, for you. Starting off tomorrow with the hottest landscape articles, we’ll have a new topic each day, with several articles for you to read or review on each one.
After all the parties are over, we’ll get back to our regular schedule of two articles a day on January 2nd (Australia time). For the first couple days you’ll see the wrap-up of the Best Of series, and just one post per day from us, then it’s back to business as usual.
So expect some good reading coming up. If you have some time you can catch up on a few articles you may have missed or focus on learning a new, specific technique.
Also remember to keep an eye out for our 12 Days of Christmas sale for some great photography deals.
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