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11 Cat Photography Ideas (For Stunning Photos of Your Furry Friend)

08 Apr

The post 11 Cat Photography Ideas (For Stunning Photos of Your Furry Friend) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Ana Mireles.

11 cat photography ideas for stunning results

If you’re looking for cat photography ideas, you’re in the right place.

Cats can be cute and challenging at the same time; this is what makes them such fascinating subjects! Whether you’re a cat lover looking to capture photos of your pet, or you want to become a professional pet photographer, these ideas will help you out.

1. Improve your compositions

A good composition is key in any type of photography, including cat photography. The way you frame your picture and how you position the cat (and other elements) can completely change the photo.

Using composition, you’re telling the viewer what’s most important in the picture. Also, careful use of composition is a good way to develop a personal style.

There are many rules that serve as guidelines for composition. For instance, if you like the idea of dividing your image into segments, you can follow the rule of thirds or the golden grid.

Otherwise, you can use shapes, such as the golden triangle, to arrange elements in your cat photos. Color and texture will help you maintain balance.

Learn the most important rules to improve your cat photography, but don’t be afraid to break them every once in a while.

2. Use different focal lengths

Beginners often wonder about the best gear to do pet photography, and cat photography is no exception; in particular, beginner photographers are always looking for the best lenses.

However, there isn’t one best lens that suits all situations and cats. For example, some cats allow you in their safe space very quickly, so with them, you can use a short wide-angle lens or a standard lens.

Other cats are more skittish and will run every time you get close. Unfortunately, if you’re photographing a cat as part of a pet photography business, you can’t spend much time getting the cat to trust you. In such a case, you might want to use longer focal lengths.

Even when you’re working with your own cat, you’ll want to have some variety in your pictures. Sometimes it’s good to have the cat close to you (you’ll need to use a short focal length). Other times, you might want to let a cat be a cat, so stay out of the way and snap your photos with a telephoto lens.

3. Be patient

When you’re working with cats, keep in mind that they’re not paid models. Cats are animals – domestic ones, yes, but animals nonetheless.

Cats don’t care about your hourly fee or your photographic expectations. You have to be flexible and adapt to their personality and schedule.

So don’t think that you can go in, take the photos, and leave. First, you have to spend some time connecting with the cat. Animals can be very anxious when a new person comes into their territory or wants to interact with them.

Take some time before the photoshoot to let the cat calm down and get used to you. I understand that you can’t spend too long on this, but factor in extra time when you’re planning and doing the budget so you don’t get stressed.

Another thing about patience is that it soothes the cat. If you try to rush things or you feel agitated, you’ll pass on those feelings to the cat and things will get even more difficult.

4. Make a shot list

One of the best cat photography ideas is to create a shot list. This will serve as a guideline when structuring your session.

You can also use a shot list to determine the materials you need before heading out to your cat photoshoot.

I recommend you include a close-up portrait on your list because it’s one of the classic shots that you can’t miss. When the cat’s face fills the frame, it becomes the most important element – no distractions. Like this:

If it’s a frontal portrait, you’ll emphasize the eyes. Here, making eye contact with the cat is key to a successful photo.

(You can also try a close-up in profile or capture a specific expression.)

5. Use burst mode

When you’re dealing with moving cats, you might want to turn on your camera’s burst mode to capture action shots.

I’m not saying that you should use burst mode for the entire session; this will result in an enormous amount of pictures to cull and edit.

However, there are certain situations when it’s useful. For example, if you bring a toy and you want to capture some fun playtime shots, like this:

6. Don’t forget about the details

Our adorable furry friends have adorable furry parts. Most of us cat lovers can’t get enough of their paws, ears, or noses.

So if they’re so cute, why not photograph them? It’s also a good way to give the cat a break from the photoshoot. While the cat is off resting or has some water, you can take detail photos since you don’t need the cat’s undivided attention.

7. Follow your cat

Unless you’re doing a studio portrait session, it’s important to let the cat be a cat. In other words, let the cat run to chase a shadow, let it get bored and want to change settings, etc.

Don’t try to impose your own schedule for the entire photoshoot. Instead, follow the cat’s lead for a while.

A lot of great pictures can happen when cats are minding their own business, so just have your camera ready for some amazing candid photos!

8. Play peekaboo

Cats are curious and playful by nature, so use your creativity to make the most out of these personality traits.

I’ve found that playing peekaboo with a cat leads to great photo opportunities. This is because when the cat is hiding behind something, you can introduce a foreground element to make a creative composition.

(This effect is known as a frame within a frame.)

9. Try black and white photography

Going black and white allows the viewer to see things differently from everyday life. That way you can give your photo a creative atmosphere.

Many people do associate black and white with fine art photography – but most clients will appreciate having a few shots in grayscale, regardless.

10. Photograph the cat from above

They say that the eyes are the window to the soul, and this is true for cats as well as people! When you photograph a cat from above, you can catch them looking up at you (which emphasizes their eyes).

You can also use this type of shot to show much of a cat’s personality and mood. Look at the examples above. On the left side, I took a snapshot of the cat that was living at a holiday rental house I visited with my husband (the cat didn’t know us, and we were in his territory).

On the right side is Bianca, a sweet cat that I’d been photographing for over an hour. That was her look when we took a coffee break.

(As you can see, the two cats’ expressions are quite different!)

11. Use hard light to add drama

In photography, there are two different types of light: soft and hard.

Soft light evenly illuminates the scene. If it creates shadows, they are not defined or intense. (Soft light is very flattering for portraits.)

Hard light, on the other hand, creates high-contrast scenes with strong shadows. This type of light adds drama to an image, which is what I recommend you try!

Note that hard light can be created naturally or artificially. For instance, when you’re working outdoors in bright sunlight, you’ll naturally get hard light. You can also create hard light in a studio by using a speedlight or a strobe without modifiers.

11 cat photography ideas: final words

You’ll notice most of these cat photography ideas have to do with the photoshoot itself and not your gear. That’s because you can start improving your cat photos today – with whatever equipment you have, even your smartphone.

Of course, if you can afford to purchase a camera with interchangeable lenses, it’s a good idea. You can also benefit from Animal Eye AF to ensure sharp images every time.

Either way, I hope these cat photography ideas are helpful the next time you want to capture your furry friend!

The post 11 Cat Photography Ideas (For Stunning Photos of Your Furry Friend) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Ana Mireles.

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Videos: Learn photography by playing video games

06 Apr

Can video games help teach you photography skills? Texas-based photographer Mir-or-Image believes they can. In his ongoing video series, ‘Photo Mode Perspective,’ Mir plays popular video games and uses their built-in photo modes to help viewers learn the basics of photography, including principles of composition, how shutter speed and aperture impact the look and feel of an image, and more. Mir loves video games and photography. With his educational video series, he combines these two passions in a distinct and educational way.

Photo modes in video games have become increasingly more sophisticated. For example, in the PlayStation 4 game ‘God of War,’ the included photo mode includes sliders for the field of view and focal length, which are, of course, interconnected. As you increase the field of view, the focal length decreases. This is something that experienced photographers take for granted, but for beginners, understanding how focal length changes perspective in a scene is important.

Likewise, for seasoned shooters, you understand how aperture changes the depth of field, all else equal. Still, the photo mode in ‘God of War’ and other games offers a helpful visual representation of how the plane of focus changes with aperture. Put in simple terms, ‘Here’s something to note with f-stop, the smaller the number, the blurrier the background gets,’ Mir says in the video below. Using ‘God of War,’ Mir also discusses ways to crop images and edit brightness, contrast and colors, and more.

Another PlayStation game with a very capable built-in photo mode is 2020’s ‘Ghost of Tsushima.’ The game, developed by Sucker Punch Productions, is set on Japan’s Tsushima island during the first Mongol invasion of Japan. Some creative liberties are taken in the game for narrative and gameplay purposes, but it nonetheless provides a stunning backdrop for taking in-game photos.

Like ‘God of War,’ ‘Ghost of Tsushima’ includes focal length and aperture sliders for your virtual lens. If you want to shoot a portrait of the main character, Jin, you can use a virtual 85mm f/1.8 lens, for example. You can even direct your subject, in a sense, by changing the character’s pose and facial expression. To add creative flair, you can adjust exposure compensation (bias), add particle effects, change the lighting, color grade your image and more. Also, as a warning, ‘Ghost of Tsushima’ is a violent video game and there is some virtual blood in the video below.

Over at Mir’s YouTube channel you can also see his ‘Photo Mode Perspective’ videos for two more video games, ‘Cyberpunk 2077’ and ‘Spider-Man: Miles Morales.’ To view Mir’s real-world photography, follow him on Instagram and visit his website. The photography bug bit Mir during a trip to Europe in 2018. He enjoyed using his smartphone in manual mode, and when he returned home to Texas, he went out and bought an interchangeable lens camera. He is now a professional car photographer based in Houston.

I captured this image in ‘Forza Horizon 4’ on Xbox. It’s exceedingly unlikely that I’ll ever have the chance to photograph a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO in the Scottish highlands in real life, so it’s neat that I get to photography rare cars in different locations in a racing video game.

Videogames can do more than help aspiring photographers learn more about how camera and lens settings impact the photos they capture. For example, professional automotive photographer Sam Dobbins used Forza Motorsport on Xbox to plan out a real-world photoshoot. Others, such as Instagram user jk_fh4_pics has an entire account dedicated to photography from the game ‘Forza Horizon 4.’ In some cases, game developers even hold photography contests using their games, which is something that Playground Games does with Forza Horizon and Rockstar Games does with Red Dead Redemption 2.

If you’re like Mir and love both video games and photography, you may be able to combine your interests like him. ‘New Pokémon Snap’ arrives on Nintendo Switch later this month, and the entire purpose of that game is to capture photos of Pokémon in their virtual habitats.

The upcoming Switch title will allow Pokémon shutterbugs to edit and share their images online with other gamers. A similar game is a PlayStation 3 title from 2008, ‘Afrika,’ in which the player assumes the role of a photojournalist hired to take photos on an African safari. It’s a difficult game to find these days, but I remember importing a copy from Japan when I became interested in photography in high school. It wasn’t an amazing game, but it was a lot of fun to take wildlife photographs of animals I’ve never seen in real life.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Photography Terminology: A Glossary of 69 Essential Photographic Terms

06 Apr

The post Photography Terminology: A Glossary of 69 Essential Photographic Terms appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darlene Hildebrandt.

photography terminology: a glossary of 69 terms

Are you overwhelmed or confused by photography terminology? Do you want to speak “photographer” like the pros?

That’s what this article is all about.

I’ll go over some of the most common technical photography terms as well as some less common slang and photographer jargon. By the end, I promise you will have a better grasp of the language. You’ll even be able to have a conversation with a seasoned pro and hold your own!

Let’s get started.

Basic photography terms

These are the photography terms you’ll find in your camera’s manual and in most beginner tutorials:

Aperture – The variable opening in the lens through which light passes to the film or digital sensor. Aperture is measured in f-stops. I like to compare it to your pupil, which opens and closes to allow more or less light into your eye depending on the brightness level of the room.
Bracketing – Taking a series of images at different exposures. You may see a setting on your camera that says AEB (auto exposure bracketing). Bracketing is often used when creating HDR images or in difficult lighting situations where you may want to have a range of exposures from light to dark.
Bulb – the “B” setting on your camera where the shutter remains open for as long as the button or cable release (remote trigger) is pressed.
DSLR – A digital single-lens reflex camera. Any digital camera with interchangeable lenses where the image is viewed using a mirror and prism and the image is taken directly through the lens. What you see in your viewfinder is what the lens sees.
EV – Exposure value; this is a number that represents the various different combinations of aperture and shutter speed that can create the same exposure effect.
Exposure compensation – Modifying the shutter speed or aperture from the camera’s recommended exposure to create a certain effect or correct for exposure problems. Your camera reads light bouncing off your subject and is designed to expose for medium gray. So when photographing a subject that is lighter or darker than 18% gray, you can use this setting to tell the camera the proper exposure (by dialing in – or + exposure compensation).
Exposure – The total amount of light reaching the digital sensor. It is determined by the aperture, shutter speed, and ISO.
F-stop – A measure of the aperture opening in the lens defined by dividing the focal length of the lens by the aperture diameter. The sequence of f-stops features multiples of the square root of 2 (1.4): 1, 1.4, 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6, 8, 11, 16, 22, etc. Though these numbers are rather cryptic, make sure to remember that each step is double the amount of light. Know that, and you’ve won half the battle.
ISO – Represents the sensitivity of your camera’s digital sensor to light. The lower the number (ISO 100), the less sensitive to light; the higher the number (ISO 3200), the more sensitive to light. A higher ISO allows you to shoot in low-light conditions.
Shutter speed – The amount of time the shutter is open during an exposure. The shutter speed controls the appearance of motion. Use a fast shutter speed (such as 1/2000s) to freeze motion or a slow shutter speed (such as 1/30s or longer) to blur moving objects.
Zoom lens – Any lens that has a variable focal length, such as a 24-70mm or an 18-55mm lens. You generally zoom in or out by rotating the barrel of the lens.
Prime or fixed lens – Any lens that does not zoom and features a set focal length, such as a nifty 50mm lens.
Remote trigger or digital cable release – A device that allows the camera to be fired without pressing the shutter button or touching the camera. Helps eliminate camera movement during long exposures.
Macro lens – A lens that focuses very close to a subject, so you can capture highly detailed, magnified images.
“Normal” lens – Generally a 50mm lens (on a full-frame camera). This lens closely parallels what the human eye sees. If you have a crop-sensor camera, a “normal” lens will be closer to 35mm.
Telephoto lens – Offers a tighter field of view than a normal lens (i.e., it takes more magnified images). Generally from around 70mm to 300mm. A super-telephoto lens is usually 300mm or longer.
Wide-angle lens – A lens that features a wider field of view than a normal lens. Generally spans from over 10mm to under 50mm. Depending on the focal length, there may also be edge distortion (i.e., in super wide-angle lenses).
Tilt-shift lens – A special-effect lens. Allows for realignment of the plane of focus (tilt). Allows for adjusting the placement of the subject within the frame without angling the camera, thus keeping parallel lines from converging (shift). A popular lens for architectural and landscape photographers and is becoming more widely used by portrait photographers to create a unique, stylized look.
Camera resolution – The dimensions your camera’s sensor is capable of capturing, expressed in megapixels. This is not the only factor in image quality, but the greater the resolution, the larger the prints you can produce without significant loss of quality (generally speaking).
JPEG vs RAW – Two different image file types. Most cameras have the ability to shoot in JPEG and RAW. If you choose JPEG, the camera will shoot a RAW file, process it using the picture style you’ve selected in your menu, save it as a JPEG, and discard the RAW version. If you choose RAW, the resulting file will be larger, carry more information, and require software to process. It gives you – the photographer – more control over the final look of the image.
Full-frame vs crop/APS-C sensor – A full-frame sensor is roughly the size of 35mm film. Most lenses create a circle of light just large enough to cover the 35mm sensor area. But in a crop-sensor camera, the physical size of the sensor is smaller; it only captures a portion of the entire image the lens is projecting, effectively cropping out part of the shot. Common crop factors are 1.5x and 1.6x, so if you use a 50mm lens on an APS-C camera, it offers a 75mm focal length equivalent.
Camera modes – There are four standard camera modes. Auto mode selects settings without user input. Manual mode allows the user to control the ISO, shutter speed, and aperture. Shutter Priority mode allows the user to select the ISO and shutter speed while the camera selects the aperture. Aperture Priority mode allows the user to select the ISO and aperture while the camera picks the shutter speed. Program mode allows the user to select the ISO while the camera picks the aperture and shutter speed.

Lighting and portrait photography terms

Ambient light – Also referred to as available light. Ambient light occurs in the scene without adding any flash or light modifiers. It can be daylight, or it can be artificial light such as tungsten or fluorescent bulbs.
Main light or key light – The main light source for a photograph. It could be the sun, a studio strobe, a flash, a reflector, or something else. It’s the source that produces the pattern of light on the subject with the most intensity.
Fill light – The light source that is secondary to the key light. Used to “fill” in the shadows. Can be produced with a flash, a reflector, or a studio strobe.
Lighting pattern – The way the light falls on the subject’s face (e.g., at a 45-degree angle).
Lighting ratio – A comparison between the intensity (brightness) of the main light and the fill light. In other words: the difference between the lit and shadow sides of the subject’s face.
Incident light meter – A handheld device that measures the amount of light falling on a subject. An incident meter is not fooled by the brightness range of the subject, whereas in-camera reflective meters can be fooled (resulting in overexposure and underexposure).
Speedlight – A small, portable flash that can attach to your camera’s hot shoe or stand on its own when activated remotely.
Reflector – A device used to reflect light (generally back toward the subject). It can be a specialized, factory-made reflector (I recommend getting a 5-in-1), or a piece of white cardboard.
Light meter – A device that measures the amount of light in a scene. Pretty much all modern cameras offer a built-in light meter, though it uses reflective readings (see the entry on incident light meters, above).
Remote flash trigger – A device used to fire speedlights off-camera.
Subtractive lighting – Taking away light to create a darker look. It often involves holding a reflector or an opaque panel over the subject’s head to block light from above and open up deep eye shadows caused by overhead lighting. It can also involve holding a black reflector opposite your main light to create a deeper shadow (i.e., essentially reflecting black onto the subject instead of light.)
Hard light – Harsh or non-diffused light such as that produced by bright sunlight, a small speedlight, or an on-camera flash. Creates harsh shadows with well-defined edges, contrast, and texture (if used at an angle to the subject). Emphasizes texture, lines, and wrinkles. Often used to create a more dramatic type of portrait.
Soft light – Diffused light, such as that from an overcast sky, north-facing window with no direct light, or a large studio softbox. This type of light produces soft shadows with soft edges, lower contrast, and less texture. Soft light is generally preferred by most wedding and portrait photographers because it flatters the subject.
Edge transfer – How quickly shadow edges go from dark to light. With harsh light, the edge transfer is very defined and sudden (almost a clear line). With soft lighting, the edge transfer is much more subtle – almost imperceptible – as it gradually changes from dark to light.
Flash sync – The synchronization of the firing of an electronic flash and the shutter speed. You need to know what shutter speed your camera syncs at; otherwise, if you use a too-fast shutter speed, you may get a partially illuminated image. For most cameras, the sync speed is around 1/200s.

Slang and photography jargon

Here are a few other photography terms that are a bit more advanced (including some wacky jargon and slang!). Become familiar with this terminology so you can talk to pros with confidence.

Fast glass – Refers to a lens with a very large maximum aperture (such as f/1.8 or f/1.2). The lens is “fast” because it lets you shoot with a fast shutter speed.
Chimping – Slang term for looking at the back of your camera after every image. Has a negative connotation; if you chimp, you’re spending too much time reviewing images on the camera and not enough time shooting.
Bokeh – The out-of-focus blurred bits in an image background. Most often bokeh occurs when small light sources are in the background.
Depth of field (DOF or DoF) – The distance between the nearest and farthest objects in your scene that appear in focus. Controlled by many factors, including the aperture, lens focal length, and distance to the subject.
Hyperfocal distance – The focus distance providing the maximum depth of field for a particular aperture and focal length. Older prime lenses often have hyperfocal distance marks to aid in finding this depth-of-field sweet spot. With today’s lenses, it is possible to calculate the hyperfocal distance, but it takes a bit more work and a hyperfocal distance calculator.
Gobo – Something used to block unwanted or stray light from falling onto the subject. Often the dark side of a reflector is used as a gobo.
Scrim – A translucent device used to diffuse and soften the light. Can be a reflector with a translucent panel. Scrims can be made extremely large and clamped in place to create shade even in direct sunlight.
Shutter lag – The slight delay from the time you press the shutter button to the time the shutter actually opens. In DSLRs and mirrorless cameras, shutter lag is minimal and almost unnoticeable. In smaller point-and-shoot cameras, the delay is more pronounced (and can cause you to miss shots of fast-moving subjects).
Chromatic aberration – Color fringing that can appear in areas of images where dark meets light (e.g., the edge of a building against the sky). CA is correctable to a great degree using Photoshop, Lightroom, and most other editing software.
Rear-curtain sync – Rear-curtain sync fires the flash at the end of an exposure. By default, most cameras are set to front-curtain sync (i.e., if the flash fires, it does so at the beginning of the exposure). When shooting a moving subject, front-curtain sync will put any motion blur in front of the subject, whereas rear-curtain sync will place the blur behind the subject. Neither is wrong; it depends on the effect you’re after.
Camera shake – When a camera moves during an exposure and creates blur.
Lens flare – Stray light that creates haze, circles, or other artifacts in an image. Some photographers actually desire lens flare; they position their cameras to create flare and use it as a compositional element.
Kelvin – The absolute measurement of color temperature. Lower numbers represent warmer colors like orange (tungsten light), whereas the higher numbers are cooler (blues). Play with the color temperature to create different effects.
ND filter – Stands for neutral density filter. It’s a filter designed to go in front of the lens to block out some of the light entering the camera. Often used by landscape photographers to get slow shutter speeds when photographing waterfalls and streams in full daylight.
Panning – The act of using a slow shutter speed and moving the camera in the same direction as a moving subject. Creates an artistic, blurred background.
Stopping down – Closing down the aperture to a smaller opening (e.g., going from f/5.6 to f/8).
TTL and ETTL – TTL stands for through the lens; it refers to the metering system in regard to flash exposure. The flash emits light until it is turned off by the camera sensor. ETTL stands for evaluative through-the-lens metering. It fires a “preflash” to evaluate and calculate for lost light, then compensates and fires the main flash. It happens so fast you do not see two flashes.
Photog – Short for “photographer.” Something pros often call each other.
Glass – A lens. As in, “What glass do you own?”
Golden hour – Also called “magic hour.” This is the hour or two right before sunset and right after sunrise. The sun is low on the horizon, and it is an optimal time for photography.
Spray and pray – Shoot as many images as possible while praying you get something good.
Blown out – An image with no details in the white areas.
Clipped – Either blown out areas (above) or dark, detailless shadows.
Grip-and-grin – A quick photoshoot at an event or a setup with two people shaking hands. Most portrait and event photographers have to shoot these at some point in their careers.
Selfie – A self-portrait.
SOOC – Straight out of camera; an image with no post-processing.
Dust bunnies – Dark spots that appear on an image caused by bits of dust on the digital sensor.
Pixel peeper – Someone who spends too much time looking at images magnified in Photoshop.
Nifty fifty – A 50mm prime lens. Great to have!
ACR – Adobe Camera Raw. The editing software that’s packaged alongside Photoshop.
Flash and drag – The method of using a slow shutter speed combined with flash to capture more of the ambient light in proportion to the flash.
Wide open – Using your lens with the aperture at its widest setting (f/1.8, for example).

Photography terminology: final words

Whew! That was a long list. If you made it this far, congratulations; you know how to use photography terms like a pro.

So get out there and start practicing your photography terminology. Be sure to have lots of fun!

Now over to you:

What photography terms do you struggle with? Do you have any more terms I should add to this list? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

The post Photography Terminology: A Glossary of 69 Essential Photographic Terms appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darlene Hildebrandt.

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9 Night Photography Tips for Nailing Your Exposure (Every Time)

06 Apr

The post 9 Night Photography Tips for Nailing Your Exposure (Every Time) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jim Hamel.

In this article, I’m going to tell you everything you need to know about getting beautiful night photography exposures.

As a longtime night photographer, I’m well-equipped to share with you the best night exposure techniques – so that you can create stunning shots every time you take out your camera.

Specifically, I’m going to discuss:

the best exposure mode for night photography
the best night photography shutter speed, aperture, and ISO settings
a quick way to check your night exposures
much, much more!

So if you’re ready to become a night photography master, then let’s get started!

Note: If you’re serious about night photography and want to really take your night photos to the next level, check out my night photography course. It offers easy-to-follow night photography tutorials with hours of helpful videos and case studies.

1. Work in Manual mode

Here’s your first night photography tip, and it’s a big one:

Make sure you’re shooting in Manual mode.

In Manual mode, you will set the shutter speed, aperture, and ISO. This gives you complete control over your camera.

When shooting at night, your camera will be on a tripod, and you will be working slowly. So there is no need to use any automatic mode; even if you’re not totally comfortable with camera settings, you can take your time, carefully dialing in your aperture and shutter speed and checking your exposure.

Further, there might be a little trial and error with the exposure settings (the camera can be fooled by the large differences in bright and dark areas of the picture), and you want to make sure you have plenty of control over this process.

Manual mode gives you that control.

night photography tips exposure - Millenium Bridge example — 4s | f/5.6 | ISO 400

2. Make sure you are comfortable with Bulb mode

Manual mode only works for exposures up to 30 seconds.

So if you need a shutter speed that is longer than 30 seconds, the only option is Bulb mode. Therefore, while you should generally shoot in Manual, you should also get comfortable with Bulb.

In Bulb mode, the shutter stays open as long as you hold down the shutter button. When you hit the button, the shutter opens. When you release the button, the shutter closes.

(Of course, to avoid introducing any shake or movement into the exposure, you must use a remote shutter release when working in Bulb mode.)

With Bulb mode, you can make your exposure several minutes long. If your remote shutter release doesn’t have a built-in timer, make sure you keep another timer handy (e.g., on your phone).

Also, if your remote does not have a timer, make sure it has a locking feature, so you don’t have to hold the shutter button during the entire exposure.

Proper Exposure at Night - Pigeon Point example — 6s | f/5.6 | ISO 1600

3. Shoot in RAW

When shooting at night, it is particularly important to make sure you are shooting in RAW format.

RAW files coming out of most cameras are 14 bits, whereas JPEGS are only 8-bit files. The more bits, the higher the range of available colors and the smoother the transitions between them.

(In other words: RAW files look better.)

Plus, most of the colors a camera can capture are at the top (bright) end of the scale. The range of available colors at the low (dark) end of the scale is extremely limited. At night, your pictures will almost always include a large dark portion. A JPEG file, with its reduced color options, will likely display (very ugly) banding.

So always, always, always shoot in RAW.

4. Bring a flashlight

Knowing your camera controls pays off at night. You can make changes to the settings without being able to see everything.

Nevertheless, a small flashlight is tremendously useful. Keep one handy to make sure you can see everything on your camera and tripod.

(It occasionally comes in handy for lighting areas of your picture, as well!)

5. Choose proper settings

Proper settings will always depend on the situation. Nevertheless, there are some helpful guidelines for choosing settings at night:

Aperture: Open up your aperture more at night than you would during the day (i.e., use a lower f-number). Most night photographs tend to require less depth of field than shots during the day. Plus, the background and sky will be black. The larger aperture also has the benefit of letting more light into your camera.
ISO: Keep your ISO setting as low as you can. Night photography always has dark areas, and these dark areas inevitably lead to digital noise. Raising the ISO will compound the problem.
Shutter speed: Whereas shutter speed might be the first exposure setting you worry about during the day, it should generally be the last one you think about at night. Since you will be shooting from a tripod, you can let the shutter stay open as long as you need. If you have traffic (streaking lights), a fountain, or running water in your picture, the longer shutter speed will create a very cool effect. (Note, however, that if you’re shooting in high winds or if the ground is unstable, you’ll need to boost your shutter speed to prevent blur.)

One other setting to check is Long Exposure Noise Reduction, which will be in your camera’s menu. If you enable this option, the camera will take two exposures, one normal and one with the shutter closed. Your camera will then use the second image to filter out noise from the normal picture.

Of course, photos shot with this option enabled will take twice as long to expose, but they’ll also be less noisy.

6. Meter for the highlights

Determining the proper exposure level can be tricky at night, and each metering mode presents its own challenges.

If you use evaluative metering, the camera is likely to be confused. If you use spot or partial metering, the meter will jump around, depending on whether you’ve aimed at a bright light or a dark background.

One answer to this problem is to use spot metering and expose for the highlights. So meter off the highlights, then set your exposure between +1 and +2. The +1/+2 setting will keep your highlights looking bright but will also keep the highlights within the dynamic range of your camera.

Do not worry as much about the dark portions of your picture. If the dark areas happen to turn black, it is nighttime, so there is supposed to be some black. But you can always take test shots and adjust as necessary.

Dallas night photography — 5s | f/16 | ISO 400

7. Take a test shot at a high ISO

You should make liberal use of test shots when shooting at night.

However, you generally don’t want to sit around for 30 seconds, a minute, or even longer, just waiting to see if the test shot is going to work out.

So the best way to create a test file without wasting a lot of time is to take a shot at a much higher ISO than you would ordinarily use.

Let’s say you think the proper exposure settings for a given shot are 30 seconds at f/5.6 with an ISO of 400. Rather than taking that shot and waiting around 30 seconds for the exposure, just crank up the ISO, then boost the shutter speed by the same number of stops. The exposure will stay the same, but it will take much less time to capture the test picture.

For the above example, I would raise the ISO to 6400. Why? Well, raising the ISO by one stop takes it to ISO 800, two stops increases it to ISO 1600, three stops to ISO 3200, and four stops gets you to ISO 6400.

Once you’ve set your ISO to 6400, you can reduce your shutter speed by four stops to 2 seconds. After all, reducing the shutter speed by one stop shortens it to 15 seconds, two stops shortens it to 8 seconds, three stops to 4 seconds, and four stops takes the shutter speed down to 2 seconds.

Then, when you are satisfied with your exposure, just decrease the ISO and lengthen the shutter speed by a comparable amount to get back to the final settings.

8. Bracket your photos

Night photography is one area where you will want to bracket your photos. Blending and HDR can work wonders at night, but even if you don’t like to use those processes, bracket your photos anyway. Think of it as exposure insurance.

After all, if you overexpose or underexpose your file, having a bracket on hand will be the difference between a failed and a successful photoshoot.

San Antonio riverwalk night photography tips exposure — 30s | f/11 | ISO 200

9. Verify the exposure with the histogram

After you have taken your exposures, you should always check them on your camera’s rear LCD.

However, while the picture on the LCD will show you if the exposure is close to correct, you should also check the histogram.

Why?

Because a histogram is more accurate than your camera’s LCD. You can use it to carefully determine whether the exposure is within your camera’s dynamic range.

Specifically, make sure to keep the highlights on the right side of the histogram, but avoid a spike on the far right. If the dark areas spike on the left side of the histogram, that’s okay; parts of your picture are supposed to be black.

In general, however, keep as much of the image as possible within the range of the histogram, though err on the side of keeping the highlights from blowing out.

night photography tips exposure - Louvre example — 4s | f/11 | ISO 400

Night photography exposure: final words

When you follow the night photography exposure tips I’ve given above, you are likely to get some great shots. Every city lights up its major attractions, bridges, and museums – often in colorful ways. So a scene that might be boring during the day can offer great photos at night.

Because of the effects of the lights, you’ll often be surprised by what you end up with (in a good way!). Taking your time and applying these tips to nail the exposure will help you maximize the experience.

And remember:

If you want to improve your night photography skills fast, then check out my night photography course. It’ll teach you everything you need to know about night photography through hours of helpful videos and case studies!

The post 9 Night Photography Tips for Nailing Your Exposure (Every Time) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jim Hamel.

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6 Places to Use ND Filters for Long Exposure Photography

05 Apr

The post 6 Places to Use ND Filters for Long Exposure Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Matt Murray.

A neutral density (ND) filter is one of the most versatile accessories you can have in your camera bag. They may be small, but ND filters open up a range of creative options for photographers.

If you need some inspiration on where to use your neutral density filter, keep reading. In this article, I’ll share with you some of my favorite places to use ND filters for long exposure photography.

What is an ND filter, and why would I want to use one?

A neutral density or ND filter is a piece of glass that sits in front of your lens and reduces the amount of light that reaches the sensor.

If you’ve never used an ND filter before, you might be wondering why you’d want to do this; let me explain.

Many long exposure photography beginners shoot at night. Here, a shutter speed of a few seconds or more is necessary for an accurate exposure of the scene, and any movement captured in the image is magically transformed into a thing of beauty. If your camera is steady on a tripod, buildings remain in sharp focus, but the movement of car headlights or rushing water is captured as interesting streaks in the image:

harbor with bridge and city — A neutral density filter can be a photographer’s best friend.

Capturing this kind of effect can only be done after dark, right?

Wrong.

With an ND filter, you can take stunning long exposures during the day.

You see, if you don’t use an ND filter, a long exposure in bright daylight conditions would result in an overexposed image. But with an ND filter reducing the amount of light that reaches the sensor, you need to use a much slower shutter speed to photograph the scene. This allows you to capture movement.

There are so many amazing places where you can use an ND filter to take stunning long exposure photos. I’ve listed some of my favorites below, starting with:

1. Waterfalls

Waterfalls are the place many photographers try out their ND filters for the first time.

They’re certainly a fantastic location for you to start; flowing water is transformed into a silky-soft cascade, which gives images a real wow factor.

Just watch out for mist and water spray and make sure it doesn’t cover your filter and lens!

waterfall long exposure — Waterfalls are a popular place to try out an ND filter.
Captured with my Fujifilm 16mm f/1.4 lens at Springbrook National Park in Queensland.

The intensity of a waterfall can depend on recent rainfall. But the good news is that, no matter how large or small the waterfall is, it’ll look amazing when shot with an ND filter.

2. Rivers and harbors

Rivers and harbors are fantastic places to capture movement and lights along with the flow of water.

During daylight hours, it’s possible to capture the movement of boats along the water. And as the sun goes down and the city lights come on, ferries and boats create colorful light trails that can bring an image to life.

I love this image of a ferry on Sydney Harbour:

harbor long exposure — Rivers and harbors provide an array of long exposure opportunities.

Thanks to my ND filter, I was able to use a shutter speed of around 1s, giving the ferry a nice, colorful blur (while buildings behind it remain in sharp focus).

3. Ocean pools

Saltwater ocean pools dot the Australian coastline, with most of them found in the state of New South Wales. The pools are very popular with locals and tourists alike and can get very busy each morning. But the good thing about these iconic locations is that you have another body of water to photograph alongside the sea.

This image was taken early one morning in Yamba, New South Wales:

ND filters for long exposure photography ocean pool

I framed the pool in the foreground with the sea and the cliffs in the background. As I was taking a series of long exposures with a 10-stop ND filter, a swimmer jumped out of the pool right in front of me, creating a ghostly figure in the foreground of the frame.

The image below was taken at 6 AM (when it was already very bright). I was attracted to the scene by the reflections in the flooded area next to the pool, which contrasted nicely with the pool’s ethereal-looking water and the waves of the ocean on the far left.

ocean pool ND filters for long exposure photography — I love the three different bodies of water in this ocean pool shot.

4. Traffic

Traffic trails are typically one of the first things photographers shoot when they start taking long exposure images. Well after the sun has sunk below the horizon, a shutter speed of between 5 and 15 seconds is often needed to create a properly exposed shot, resulting in a colorful blur of traffic trails.

But if you have an ND filter, there’s no need to wait until after dark.

This is a composite of images I took with my ND2 filter at a subway station in Taipei, Taiwan:

city long exposure — A composite image of dusk in Taipei, Taiwan.

I knew I needed an exposure of a few seconds to make the most of the traffic and the subway train in the image. But it was too bright, and my exposure times were barely a second. Adding an ND filter allowed me to capture this scene as I had envisioned, and the final file is a composite of some of those long-exposure images.

5. Funfairs

Funfairs and carnivals are fantastic places for photography. There are so many opportunities: people, rides, food, and animals, to name just a few.

And when the sun goes down, don’t head home – set up your tripod for some long exposure images.

That’s exactly what I did for this image of a sideshow alley at Brisbane’s Royal Queensland show four years ago. The photo has been shared on Instagram every year since – sometimes with my permission, sometimes without. With an ND2 filter, I was able to take exposures that were twice as long as usual.

fair in Brisbane long exposure — My images of this funfair in Brisbane have been very popular on Instagram.

6. Unique natural attractions

Okay, so I’m cheating a little with this last image by combining two places I’ve already mentioned: a waterfall and the sea.

This stunning location (below) is the village of Gásadalur in the Faroe Islands. Unfortunately, there are not many places in the world where you can see such an incredible sight, though there are probably many unique natural locations near where you live.

waterfall heading into ocean ND filters for long exposure photography — Perhaps the most unique waterfall in the world, Gásadalur, Faroe Islands.

Gásadalur was number one on my list of places to photograph when I visited the Faroe Islands in 2017. Blessed with sunny weather on my first day, I headed to the coast just outside the village to take this shot. I wasn’t disappointed.

6 places to use ND filters: final thoughts

Neutral density filters are quite possibly the handiest accessory photographers can keep in their camera bags. They have many uses, but the most common is to take photos with a slow shutter speed.

This makes ND filters a must-have for long exposure photography during daylight hours; you can use them to blur subjects that would otherwise be frozen.

It’s always fun to get out your tripod and ND filter and experiment!

Now over to you:

What are your favorite places to use ND filters for long exposure photography? Share your thoughts (and long exposure images) in the comments below!

The post 6 Places to Use ND Filters for Long Exposure Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Matt Murray.

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The Rule of Space in Photography: A Comprehensive Guide (+ Examples)

31 Mar

The post The Rule of Space in Photography: A Comprehensive Guide (+ Examples) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Megan Kennedy.

In this article, I’m going to answer all your questions about the rule of space in photography:

What it is. How it works. And how you can use it for amazing results.

Specifically, by applying the rule of space to photography, you can embrace the quieter moments in visual imagery – and you can amplify the impact of your subject by balancing positive and negative compositional elements.

Let’s dive right in.

A photograph of a softly focused fly demonstrating the rule of space in photography — Canon 5D Mark II | Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II with extension tubes | f/2 | 1/8000s | ISO 500

What is the rule of space in photography?

The rule of space in photography is a method of incorporating visual absence to give a subject room to breathe.

Although the rule of space is more like a guide than a rigid rule, it is a handy compositional device. It’s a great way to add a sense of vastness, depth, and/or motion to a photograph.

Why is the rule of space important?

To understand the rule of space, we first need to take a brief look at positive and negative space.

Photographers use the terms positive space and negative space to contrast impactful and more subtle areas in a photograph.

Generally, positive space refers to specific subjects that command a viewer’s attention. Negative space, on the other hand, is less visually demanding and provides a frame for the main event in an image.

For example, in the image below, the clouds represent positive space, whereas the sky and dark shadows create the negative space that frames the main subject:

rule of space in photography clouds — Canon 5D Mark IV | Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM | f/10 | 1/500s | ISO 100

So where does the rule of space in photography fit in?

In general terms, the rule of space governs the use of negative space within an image. By understanding the nature of the rule of space, a photographer can harness the intent of a subject, as well as add depth and perspective to the image.

The rule of space is important because it aids a photographer in articulating the energy of a photograph – and it guides the viewer’s eye by sculpting key visual events and affording the subject more room to move.

Working with the rule of space: the basics

To work with the rule of space in photography, first consider the behavior of your subject.

Ask yourself: What is the subject doing? Is it moving or stationary? How does it occupy space?

At the same time, visualize what you want to convey in the photograph. Is it movement? Perspective? Depth? Narrative?

The nature and behavior of your subject plus your intent should together determine how you apply the rule of space.

Perspective

One of the main ways the rule of space can impact a photograph is through perspective. Abundant space around a subject can make the subject appear smaller or larger depending on the camera angle.

For example, a subject photographed from a high angle, surrounded with minimal detail, can seem smaller and more immersed in negative space:

a cat in an apartment window rule of space in photography — Canon 5D Mark IV | Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM | f/5.6 | 1/200s | ISO 100

Conveying momentum

The rule of space in photography can help you create the impression of movement.

To convey action, the rule suggests that space should be left either in front of or behind the subject (or both).

For example, if a subject is moving across a scene, you can aim to capture both the subject and the negative space surrounding the subject. The extra space conveys the subject’s movement, adding the momentum a tight crop may lack.

airplane flying — Allowing a subject room to move adds momentum.
Canon 5D Mark II | Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM | f/10 | 1/640s | ISO 250

Adding depth

The rule of space in photography is not limited to highly active subjects; it works for stationary subject matter, too!

For example, in portraiture, your composition can be governed by pairing the gaze or gesticulations of the subject with negative space. A subject’s gaze naturally directs our attention – we want to see what the subject sees.

But when a gaze is met by negative space, the viewer’s eye will often naturally return to the original source of the gaze. The rule of space provides an organic way of adding depth and directing viewer attention.

You can also use the rule of space with non-human/animal subject matter – based on their movement, perceived gesticulations, and extensions. By following the momentum, composition, or behavior of a non-human subject, you’ll find ideal placements for negative space.

In the example below, I surrounded several blossoms with negative space; this additional room suggests growth and depth. It also highlights the detail in the individual florets.

pink flowers rule of space in photography — Leaving extra room around specific flower heads to articulate their elemental composition is one way to emphasize non-human subjects through the rule of space.
Canon 5D Mark II | Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II with extension tubes | f/2.5 | 1/1250s | ISO 200

Rule of space challenges

The process of applying the rule of space to photographs is not that difficult in itself. However, a tendency to cram each image with as much visual information as possible can get in the way of exploring negative space.

Instead, deliberately and mindfully take a minimalist approach. You can also zoom out or physically take a few steps back from a subject to refocus on the rule of space.

Tips and techniques for working with the rule of space

Here are a few tips for working with the rule of space:

Tip 1: Use other compositional rules, too

Applying the rule of space to your photography doesn’t have to come at the cost of other compositional rules.

In fact, combining compositional tenets with the rule of space in photography can increase the chances of creating a successful photograph.

Compositional rules such as the rule of thirds, leading lines, depth of field, and repetition can all be used in conjunction with the rule of space to create engaging imagery.

lightning striking above a city — Canon 5D Mark IV | Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM | f/5 | 30s | ISO 100

Tip 2: Let it breathe

The rule of space is all about giving a subject or a scene room to breathe.

So step back, zoom out, or even try a wider lens; that way, you can add a sense of spaciousness to your photos.

Tip 3: Experiment with different camera settings

Your choice of camera settings can help follow the rule of space more effectively.

For instance, you might use a shallow depth of field to surround a subject with negative space. You could also try using a slow shutter speed and panning your camera while leaving space before or after a subject to amplify movement.

fence with shallow depth of field rule of space in photography — You can amplify perspective with the rule of space in photography.
Canon 5D Mark II | Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM | f/5.6 | 1/125s | ISO 200

The rule of space in photography: conclusion

The rule of space aims to create a mindful harmony of positive and negative space.

And by applying this rule, you can emphasize and frame positive subject matter while generating an evocative balance of weight and weightlessness within an image.

So the next time you’re out with your camera, remember the rule of space – and do what you can to apply it in your images!

Now over to you:

Have you been using the rule of space in your photos? How are you going to change your compositions to improve your use of space? Share your thoughts (and photos!) in the comments below.

Rule of space FAQs

What is the rule of space?

In visual art, the rule of space guides your inclusion of negative space within an image.

What is negative space?

Generally, negative space refers to areas in a photograph that are not occupied by the main subject matter. Often, negative space serves as a frame to emphasize the key subjects in an image.

How do photographers use the rule of space in composition?

The rule encourages photographers to make use of negative space. There are many ways to do this. You can focus on coupling subjects with negative space by selecting minimalist backdrops, or you can pair the gaze of a portrait subject with additional negative space.

Who are some photographers that use the rule of space?

There are countless photographers who make use of the rule of space. For example, photographers Martin Parr and Helen Levitt made striking use of the rule, as well as Hiroshi Sugimoto, Michael Kenna, and Eric Kim.

When can I break the rule of space in photography?

Photography is all about developing personal creative instincts and approaches. That’s why compositional rules can be broken. The rule of space in photography is simply a guide – so if an image looks better without extra space, then go with your instincts. And if you aren’t sure, try taking a series of photos with different spatial approaches and analyze the results.

The post The Rule of Space in Photography: A Comprehensive Guide (+ Examples) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Megan Kennedy.

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12 Tips for Stunning Black and White Street Photography

25 Mar

The post 12 Tips for Stunning Black and White Street Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.

Black and white street photography is classic and timeless. Stripping away color renders a rawness and an alternate reality to street life.

But merely removing the color will not make a compelling street shot. If you want to create strong street images with no color, you need to be intentional. And that’s what this article is all about.

I’m going to give you 12 tips for capturing beautiful black and white street photos. And by the time you’re done, your classic street photography will be much improved.

Why is black and white great for street photography?

Choosing monochrome for street photography can make for great images. That’s because black and white photos often appear more emotional or mysterious. There’s something missing, so we automatically have a sense of wonder.

Whether you are out in the streets or working on the highway, your street photos will convey a different mood in black and white. If you’re intentional about creating this feeling from the start, you can make your photos more compelling.

So how do you take beautiful black and white street photographs?

Here are my 12 best tips:

1. Start well

Pay attention to your camera settings so you can capture in-focus and well-exposed images.

When you nail your settings, you’ll get image files you can work with in post-production.

For instance, you’ll be able to manipulate a well-exposed image without risking quality degradation. Even with the simplicity of black and white, you need to be careful to maintain image structure.

So know the look you want to capture, then choose the camera settings that will achieve it.

Black and white street photography portrait. © Kevin Landwer-Johan — Nikon D800 | 35mm | 1/320s | f/4 | ISO 400
© Kevin Landwer-Johan

2. Think in black and white

Digital photography means it’s easy to capture images in color and later decide to render them in black and white. This will sometimes create good monochrome photos, but not always.

Thinking in black and white and intentionally shooting without color is best.

Despite the amount of control that’s available when converting color photos to grayscale, pictures deliberately taken for black and white editing are often stronger.

3. Look at light and tone contrasts

Without color, you must rely more on tone and light to shape your images.

When you compose your photos, look for where light and dark meet. How do these tones relate to each other? What graphic impact do they have on your composition?

Tone is largely dictated by light. If you are out in the street on a sunny versus a cloudy day, this will affect the style and mood of the photos you’ll be able to take.

Think about how the light looks in black and white – and work with it because you cannot change it.

Black and white street photography portrait of a tattooed man. © Kevin Landwer-Johan. — Nikon D800 | 35mm | 1/100s | f/2.8 | ISO 400
© Kevin Landwer-Johan

4. Think “figure to ground”

Figure-to-ground photography is when the main subject sits in stark contrast to the background. This means your subject is most prominent in your photo, even if it only occupies a small portion of the frame.

You can create this look when your subject is in the sun and the background is in the shade:

Black and white street photography drummer. © Kevin Landwer-Johan. — Nikon D800 | 105mm | 1/1000s | f/2.8 | ISO 400
© Kevin Landwer-Johan

Or when your subject is in the shade and you have a very bright background. (A silhouette is another example of figure-to-ground photography.)

5. Find a good background

Finding a good background is important for color or black and white street photography. However, when working in monochrome, your background choice is influenced more by lighting.

Will a background that’s completely in the sun or in the shade suit your subject best? Will the type of images you want to create be stronger if there’s more or less tonal contrast in the background?

Once you find a good background, be patient. Wait for some interesting activity to occur – and when it does, take a photo.

6. Be comfortable with what you’re doing

The more comfortable and confident you are when you are out taking photos, the better your images will be.

So if you’re not comfortable in one location, move somewhere else, because worrying about your situation will distract you from being creative.

When you are comfortable, you’ll be able to think more clearly and visualize the scene in black and white. Focus your thoughts on how the parts of your image will look. Observe the colors and imagine how they will look when converted to grayscale.

Don’t get consumed with worries about how other people will notice you and what they might think.

Market street photography. © Kevin Landwer-Johan. — Nikon D800 | 35mm | 1/250s | f/5.6 | ISO 400
© Kevin Landwer-Johan

7. Aim for timelessness

Black and white street photography can have a certain timelessness to it.

But how can you deliberately create a timeless effect?

Look at what you’re including in your compositions. See if you can create some images containing nothing that would indicate when they were taken.

For instance, avoid things like cars and motorcycles. Smartphones are another element that dates a picture.

Think about the items you include and ask yourself:

Would they have been in your picture if you had taken it fifty years earlier?

This can be a fun exercise and could be developed into an ongoing project.

Tricycle taxi in the market, Black and white street photography. © Kevin Landwer-Johan. — Nikon D800 | 35mm | 1/1250s | f/4 | ISO 400
© Kevin Landwer-Johan

8. Compose well

Be aware of everything you include in your frame. Make sure to only shoot what’s relevant to the main subject and to the style of photograph you want to create.

If you are capturing too much and it’s not making your photo stronger, move closer or change your focal length.

Look at the light and shadow and use these intentionally as compositional elements. Include strong shadows to help shape your images. Frame your subject with light and dark areas.

Don’t only focus on capturing a moving subject at the decisive moment; make sure to include it meaningfully in your composition.

Man resting in the market. © Kevin Landwer-Johan. — Nikon D800 | 35mm | 1/4000s | f/1.4 | ISO 400
© Kevin Landwer-Johan

9. Use negative space

Filling your frame does not mean it needs to be cluttered. When it’s intentional, negative space in your black and white street photography can be used very effectively.

When space is left in a photograph without purpose, it weakens the image. But deliberately including empty space will often create a more compelling image.

Think about the lighting and tone in the empty space. Is it going to take away from the main subject? Or will it help the main subject stand out?

Street photographer. © Kevin Landwer-Johan. — Nikon D800 | 35mm | 1/160s | f/5.6 | ISO 200
© Kevin Landwer-Johan

10. Take your time

Whatever genre of photography you enjoy, taking your time and not rushing will empower you to capture better photos.

Slow down. Observe what’s happening around you as you are out taking black and white street images.

Look for patterns of movement. When you find them, they will help you predict the best times to take photos.

Watch for when the decisive moment happens and be ready to capture it.

Market porter in black and white. © Kevin Landwer-Johan. — Nikon D800 | 35mm | 1/2000s | f/3.2 | ISO 400
© Kevin Landwer-Johan

11. Manage your camera settings

Being in control of how your camera autofocuses and exposes your photos means you can be more precise and more creative.

I prefer to use single-point focus as it allows me to focus on the part of my composition I want sharp. If your camera has touchscreen focusing, you can do precise focusing very quickly and easily.

Manual mode and semi-automatic exposure modes put you in charge of which tones in your image will be well exposed. Sometimes, you may want shadows to render black. Other times, you may want highlights to completely blow out while you capture shadow detail. You can manage all of this in Manual mode.

Turkish market street photo. © Kevin Landwer-Johan. — Nikon D800 | 120mm | 1/800s | f/2.8 | ISO 400
© Kevin Landwer-Johan

12. Use a higher ISO

Setting a higher ISO allows you to use a faster shutter speed and a narrower aperture.

And when you want to freeze movement, a fast shutter speed is invaluable.

So don’t be afraid to boost your ISO!

Black and white street photo of a woman sewing at the street side. © Kevin Landwer-Johan. — Nikon D800 | 35mm | 1/200s | f/3.2 | ISO 160
© Kevin Landwer-Johan

Black and white street photography: conclusion

Black and white street photography looks classic. But capturing images with the intention of rendering them in monochrome requires that you think carefully about the light and tones in your compositions.

So before you head out with your camera, take a look at some black and white street photography from the masters. Check out Bruce Davidson, William Klein, and Robert Doisneau, for starters. Look for the secrets of style in their work and let it inspire you.

And remember the tips I’ve shared today!

Now over to you:

What’s your favorite tip from this article? Which tip are you going to implement immediately in your work? Share your thoughts (and your black and white street photos) in the comments below!

Woman in a street parade. © Kevin Landwer-Johan. — Nikon D800 | 105mm | 1/320s | f/2.8 | ISO 400
© Kevin Landwer-Johan

Why is street photography often black and white?

Because it’s classic and timeless.

How do you change a street photo to black and white?

All image-editing software allows you to convert images to black and white. Desaturating is the simplest way to make a color photo black and white, but it will not bring out the best in the image. You will see better results by controlling the conversion.

Should I shoot in black and white or convert later?

You can adjust your LCD so it shows you a black and white image. On cameras with electronic viewfinders, you can also do this with the display. When you capture a RAW image, it’ll be in color; by converting to black and white from a RAW file, you’ll get the highest-quality results.

What does black and white do to an image?

Black and white can make an image look timeless!

The post 12 Tips for Stunning Black and White Street Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.

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Abstract Street Photography: The Essential Guide

18 Mar

The post Abstract Street Photography: The Essential Guide appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Anthony Epes.

the essential guide to abstract street photography

Want to know how to capture beautiful abstract street photography?

You’ve come to the right place.

While I am not a traditional street or abstract photographer, I love shooting in cities – and I love how street and abstract photography allow for so much fun and exploration.

white figures on the ground abstract street photography

So in this article, I’m going to share some tips, tricks, and ideas to enhance your abstract street photos.

And hopefully, the next time you’re out, you can capture some awesome photos of your own!

abstract street photography textured wall

What is abstract street photography?

There is no one definition of abstract street photography, which is a relief. That way, you can make the genre your own.

For me, abstract photography means that you are removing the context of the subject so that what you’re looking at isn’t always clear. In abstract photography, you are re-forming the world to make your own subjects, making things that are not what they appear to be in real life.

And abstract photography is also most significantly about the emotion of the image – what mood, feeling, or atmosphere are you creating?

“Photography isn’t about seeing, it’s about feeling…If you can’t feel what you’re looking at, then you’re never going to get others to feel anything when they look at your pictures.”

– Don McCullin

Now, street photography often involves capturing candid moments of life out on the street. I like to keep the idea of street photography pretty broad, though – to include any imprint of humanity, any aspect of life, whether we see people or not!

window reflection abstract street photography

Ultimately, when we take the idea of abstract photography out onto the street, we can have a lot of fun capturing the spontaneous, often chaotic, ever-changing nature of humans and life.

We can let our imaginations run wild and recreate the world around us.

So let’s get started!

Abstract street photos take work

Before I dive into my tips and tricks for abstract street photography, there is one thing I want to clear up:

Abstract street photography takes real work.

People sometimes presume that, because abstract street photos look simple, capturing great shots is easy, and that you don’t have to work hard to get a good result.

I would counter that taking an interesting photo is challenging in every genre – and perhaps even more so in abstract street photography, because there are no confines, no rules, nothing to aim for. Everything in your images is a reflection of what you can see in the world.

Your imagination is essential

For me, abstract street photography is pure imagination, because you are creating something almost from nothing. It relies on your ability to see the world creatively, not realistically.

Most of us are caught up completely in the real world, the things we have to do, the places we have to go, our responsibilities and tasks. So it’s easier to take a nice portrait than to go out and shoot something where you almost need to detach yourself from the real world that you live in and enter a state of pure creative imagination.

Abstract street photography is about capturing a feeling

The most important skill you should develop is the ability to be present in the moment when you are out shooting.

We love to escape the moment with continuous thoughts about the past and the future, about what emails we need to write, what we need to say to our annoying neighbor, what happened yesterday at work, etc.

We can also get too involved with thinking about how we are shooting – are we in the right spot, should we go somewhere else, did we bring the right lens?

But while some analysis of what we are doing is essential, it can also stop us from experiencing and seeing what’s happening all around us.

When we are fully in the present moment, and not thinking or planning, we can really appreciate our experience, and we can connect more fully to what’s happening around us.

When we see a brooding sky that gives an ominous feeling, we can capture that. When we see something weird and a little gross on the floor that intrigues us, we are more likely to notice it.

And if we see a man walking to work looking a little downcast, we can capture it:

And by being totally in the present moment, we are more likely to bring the feelings of what it’s like to be there and see what we are seeing into our photos.

Abstract street photography is your interpretation of the world

Photography helps me become more of who I am. It helps me see more of the world and really encourages me to pay attention. When I shoot, I allow myself free reign to follow my curiosity.

Abstract street photography is one of the most fun and joyful photographic genres. For me, it’s about playing, about just walking around and looking at things while thinking:

That reminds me of what I think the texture of the moon is like.

Or:

Those dark shadows make me think of a spooky story I read as a child.

Or:

A part of that sculpture looks like an elegant painting.

I am particularly fascinated by things I find at my feet. I have endless photos of weird things I’ve seen: crushed, burned burger buns, smashed fruit, accidental paint drippings, and more. I am entranced by these oddities.

“I really feel sorry for people who think things like soap dishes or mirrors or Coke bottles are ugly, because they’re surrounded by things like that all day long, and it must make them miserable.”

– Robert Rauschenberg

lemons in the street abstract street photography

Find what entrances you out in the world. Find what makes you go, ooh, that’s super interesting!

The more curious you are, the more you’ll find. And the more it will become your photography, your interpretation of the world.

Composition in abstract street photography

How can you create beautiful abstract street compositions?

It’s useful to draw from all of the traditional compositional rules and techniques, such as negative space, leading lines, and the rule of thirds. But I’d like to mention a few other guidelines that are particularly useful when we are creating abstract street photos, starting with:

Reduction

I often like to say that composing a photo is more about removing and reducing what is in the frame. It’s extremely easy to overcomplicate your photos, to have complex backgrounds, to include elements that detract from your subject, to not notice things in the corner of the shot.

This is particularly true with street photography, because there is always so much going on in the city. Yet we often don’t actually notice all of the visual information because our brain spends a lot of time blocking most of it out. If we noticed everything, it would be very overwhelming for us. Our brain can only deal with so much, so it’s selective about the information allowed inside.

But when we are shooting, our camera notices everything! So we can end up with unwanted elements, or not really see the complexity of the background until afterward.

Ultimately, we have to be really aware and conscious of what we are placing in the frame.

When out with the camera, I encourage you to ask yourselves:

What can I remove from this photo? What is unnecessary? What distracts from the subject?

textured glass — Textured glass is an awesome abstract element to play with – combining subtle, pretty colors, the light streaming through, and interesting textures from the glass.

Breaking the world down into elements

One way to really help your brain deal with the visual complexity all around you – and to help your eyes compose beautiful, striking, and intentional photos – is to look at the world not as one mass of things, but as many elements.

When you break the world down into elements, you see a collection of shapes, lines, forms, etc. And you don’t see the world in 3D surround sound where everything is joined together.

Can you look around at your environment now and see each thing as one singular element? Try it! It’s an exercise that helps you become more intentional about what you are placing in your frame.

Celebrating the purity of light, form, and shape

I love abstract photography because you can focus on the singular elements of light, shape, and form.

Shapes can be fascinating as shapes, not as anything else:

When we focus our attention on something small that holds our interest, we can find fascinating worlds to photograph.

“The moment one gives close attention to anything, even a blade of grass, it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself.”

– Henry Miller

What does the photo below make you think of?

How about this one?

Color

As you can see, I am not a black and white street photographer. I am an unashamed lover of color, and I love to celebrate all that color brings to our world.

My favorite photographer of all time, Ernst Haas, said:

“Color is joy. One does not think of joy. One is carried by it.” And I couldn’t agree more.

Abstract street photography is almost an excuse for me to just celebrate the power and joy of color. To let colors attract my attention and totally dominate the photo.

Texture

Being out on the streets is an invitation to explore so many fascinating textures.

Some of my favorite textures are the crumbling walls, torn posters, and disused locations of the forgotten parts of our cities.

Capturing textures gives such a feeling of realness to an image, as if the viewer can just reach in and feel the roughness of the wall, the coldness of the pipes, and the grain of the wood.

When we notice the world as a series of different textures, your photos gain plenty of depth. You’re giving people more of a sense of what it feels like to stand where you are standing, and what it feels like to look at what you are looking at.

Humor

Street photography is filled with humor. This is natural, given how much we humans love to do strange and funny things.

Humor is also a really fun thing to play with when you are doing abstract photos.

For instance, you can try disconnecting things from themselves:

Or you can just look for humorous objects:

white paper on the ground — Here, I see an alien looking up at me from the floor! This phenomenon is known as pareidolia, where you see a face or an image of something that isn’t really there.

Abstract street photography ideas

The best way to embed knowledge is to practice what you’re learning. Information is often retained only briefly if we don’t make the effort to implement it.

And here’s another reason to practice:

So you can take the ideas and knowledge you find interesting and make them your own. For me, it’s super important that I’m not confined in my photography, and that I’m not restrained by other people’s ideas of what’s right or wrong, good or bad.

painting on wall — Street art is one of my favorite things to shoot. I love to find new street art when I am out.

So use these ideas as starting points to leap off in your own direction. Maybe take two ideas and see what happens. Or just do an in-depth exploration of one!

Pareidolia

The Cambridge Dictionary describes pareidolia as “a situation in which someone sees a pattern or image of something that does not exist, for example a face in a cloud.”

Photographing pareidolia is a fun challenge; it’s about finding things that look like other things.

Easiest for me is to find faces or animals in completely unrelated subjects.

tree knots look like a face — Is this a crocodile? Is it a smiling alien?

Reflections

I love shooting reflections because they offer so many opportunities to create really cool images.

But while reflections create naturally busy images, still be conscious of what you are placing in the frame so the whole composition looks pleasing to you, not just chaotic.

Silhouettes and shadow

When we are shooting silhouettes and shadows, especially of people, we can capture some really amazing, pure expressions – because we don’t have the details of what the subjects look like.

I shot this one in Istanbul, and I love to wonder what was happening. Was it a morning greeting? An argument? A heated political discussion?

Here, I’ve gone more abstract and I’ve put two shadows together:

What are the objects? Who knows? What do they look like? That’s for your imagination to decide.

Abstract self-portraits

We always have a subject when we are shooting ourselves, right?

I didn’t use to enjoy taking self-portraits, but it’s something I do more now. Why?

Because I can experiment and not worry about what the subject thinks!

Take yourself to interesting places, then do self-portraits that play with reflections, color, and light. It will help you understand so much more about photographing people.

Plus, if you’re like me – the main photographer in your family group – at least you’ll finally have photos of yourself!

What’s at your feet?

Ever since I discovered Ernst Haas when I was young, I realized that anything could be my subject. All I had to do was be fascinated by it. That was the only requirement.

From that point on, I shot all kinds of road markings and things at my feet, as Ernst Haas did.

I find this exciting because it elevates everyday, mundane objects into something that can be beautiful (beauty in the mundane!).

We rarely pay close attention to things like the streets we are walking on, yet they offer so much possibility!

paint on road — We know what this is, but it becomes something a little different when we disconnect it from its environment. A letter “F” in thick yellow paint, with the rough texture of the gravel pushing through and some pretty light.

Perspective

We can use perspective in a really cool way with abstract street photography. We can find unique perspectives that present our subjects differently and make the subject look unexpectedly different.

I especially like to shoot upward and disconnect parts of buildings or things I see above me from their whole. The viewer then sees the shapes, the colors, and the textures without any knowledge of where or what it is.

roof in Morocco abstract street photography — This is a roof in Morocco. I was looking around a building, and then I looked up. Seeing dark shapes through the thin perspex roof was really interesting to me. Looking up is just as important as looking down at your feet!

Abstract street photography: conclusion

Hopefully, you now feel equipped to capture some beautiful abstract street photos!

So go out, explore, and have fun with your abstract photography.

Now over to you:

Do you have any abstract street photography you’d like to share? Do you have a favorite tip or trick from this article? Share your images and thoughts in the comments below!

The post Abstract Street Photography: The Essential Guide appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Anthony Epes.

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Composition in Photography: A Complete (and Modern) Guide

16 Mar

The post Composition in Photography: A Complete (and Modern) Guide appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Ana Mireles.

If you’re looking to learn about composition in photography, you’ve come to the right place.

In this article, I’ll cover what composition is, and I’ll explain how to use it to make your images eye-catching and unique.

So whether you’re a beginner photographer learning the basics or a more experienced shooter who wants to improve, read on to find out some of the most effective composition tools, concepts, and guidelines available!

What is composition in photography?

Composition in photography refers to the position of elements inside the frame and how they interact with each other.

Ultimately, composition is about the visual structure of your image.

Why is composition important?

The composition of your photograph impacts the way it’s perceived by others. When you choose what to fit inside the frame and what you leave out, where to position each element and so on, you’re capturing a scene with your unique vision.

That’s why it’s important to carefully compose your photos!

Basic techniques and concepts for composition in photography

We are instinctively attracted to images with a good composition.

Why?

Because we find them harmonious or interesting!

However, we are not as naturally skilled at creating stunning compositions.

That’s why photographers have developed basic compositional guidelines and concepts that can quickly improve photo compositions – without requiring years of experience.

Starting with:

The rule of thirds

You’ve probably heard about the rule of thirds – or at the very least, you’ve seen it. That’s because most cameras, including the one on your smartphone, have a rule of thirds grid overlay.

The rule of thirds grid is formed by four lines – two vertical and two horizontal – placed at an equal distance from each other and the photo edges (so the frame is divided into thirds).

Like this:

But what actually is the rule of thirds?

It’s a guideline stating that you should position compositional elements along your gridlines – and that the focal point of your composition should sit at one of the gridline intersection points.

You can follow this rule in both portrait and landscape orientation, and it works for all types of photography. For example, if you are doing a full-body portrait, you should often place the subject toward one of the gridlines and not in the center.

And when you’re photographing a landscape, you should put the horizon toward the top or bottom third of the image and never in the middle.

Note that the rule of thirds is a guideline, not a true rule. Once you’ve mastered it, I recommend trying to violate it with other concepts – such as symmetry, or with even more complex techniques such as the golden ratio (discussed below).

Leading lines

Leading lines direct the viewer through the image, like this:

When you read a text in English, you automatically start at the top left. Then you continue toward the right until the end of the line.

The same thing happens in photography. When we see an image, we also “read” it. Your eye goes from one element to the next – in order to view details and understand the story that’s being told.

That’s where the leading lines come into play: They guide the eye through the image.

Leading lines can be present or implied, and they can be straight or curved. For example, a leading line can be a curvy road getting lost in the mountains. This will compel viewers to follow the road, pulling them into the image.

Texture

Texture is often overlooked as an element of the composition. You can use it to create contrast between two elements – one that is smooth and one that is rough, for example.

You can also use texture to create interesting shapes and leading lines, or to add interest to an otherwise dull subject.

To work with textures, you need to consider the type and direction of the light. A hard light that comes from the side will emphasize the texture. A soft light coming from the front flattens the surface.

Color

Color is a key consideration for composition in photography. There are so many color harmonies that you have endless possibilities!

You can use complementary colors to create contrast and make your subject stand out. And you can bring together apparently unrelated elements that are united via a color scheme.

A good way to learn and understand color palettes is Adobe Color. You can use this tool even if you don’t have an Adobe subscription.

Simply select a color wheel with different color harmony rules, such as monochromatic, complementary, etc. You can also upload a photograph to extract the color scheme or gradient. And to stay updated, you can browse trends based on Adobe Stock and Behance.

My favorite tool in Adobe Color is Explore, where you can input a concept or a mood and see the colors that represent it (with multiple examples from the visual arts).

Shape

As photographers, we’re used to thinking of ways to add depth to a two-dimensional surface.

Because of that, it’s easy to overlook the importance of shapes. Yet when you’re composing your images, you can use shapes to establish a careful arrangement.

Think of a cake being photographed from the top; that’s a circle. If you cut out a slice, then you’re adding a triangle to the composition.

Every shape gives a different feel to our photographs. For example, squares convey stability, while circles make you think of movement and energy.

That’s why posing a group for a corporate portrait usually means forming squares or rectangles, whereas family portraits are often posed in triangles or dynamic shapes.

A good way to practice shape-based composition is by using shadows or shooting silhouettes. That way, you take out any three-dimensionality and focus only on the shape of objects.

Symmetry

Symmetry is defined as something that is exactly the same on both sides, such as a mountain peak or a tree trunk.

And it can work great in art – as long as you use it carefully.

Note that, in art, a scene is rarely 100 percent symmetrical. Instead, you’ll end up with scenes that are almost symmetrical and are well-balanced on both sides.

Like this lake photo:

The trees and water aren’t perfectly symmetrical, but they’re close, and the overall scene has a feeling of balance.

Take a portrait as another example. If you photograph a face perfectly centered in the frame, your image will be symmetric. It won’t matter if the subject has a birthmark on one of their cheeks, or that one of their eyes is slightly lower than the other – the symmetry will dominate.

One of the reasons we find symmetry so appealing is because we often find it in nature. And psychologically speaking, symmetry offers a sense of order that makes us feel at ease.

(A great way to play with symmetry in your photography is by shooting reflections or patterns!)

Contrast

Another important concept that can enhance your composition is contrast.

Since we are talking about photography, the first thing that comes to mind is contrasting light, such as low key photography. Here, you capture a very dark image where only a small detail is highlighted (which makes for a highly dramatic result).

However, tonal contrast is not the only type of contrast you can use to improve your compositions. You can also use color contrast (as discussed earlier), juxtaposition, and conceptual contrast (which pairs opposite ideas or aesthetics).

Advanced composition in photography

Once you’ve mastered the basics of composition, it’s time to challenge yourself and move on to more advanced techniques.

Here are some of the most popular tools to consider:

The rule of space

The rule of space tells you to leave space in front of the subject, especially if it’s a moving subject. The idea is that the viewer needs enough room to imagine the subject carrying on the action that it’s performing.

For example, if a duck is paddling away, you would put significant space in front, like this:

And according to the rule of space, if you photograph a person who’s running to the right, you should place them on the left side of the frame (and vice versa).

rule of space person walking with a cart

But remember that there’s an exception to every rule, especially when it comes to composition. So if you want to add tension or intrigue the viewer, try violating the rule of space!

The complicated thing about composition is that you must choose to apply or break the rules depending on the message you want your image to convey.

The rule of odds

The rule of odds is based on the principle that people find it more interesting to see odd numbers. While even numbers show stability and work well for symmetric compositions, odd numbers allow the eye to flow through the image.

So according to the rule of odds, you should include odd numbers of items in your compositions.

I recommend you use this rule when it fits the situation, much like you would with shapes. If you want a dynamic composition, you use triangles, diagonal lines, and odd numbers. And if you prefer stability, you can choose straight lines, squares, and even numbers.

In any case, the important thing is to use the rules to your advantage and take control of your compositions.

When you’re shooting food or products, it’s often easier to follow the rule of odds.

But following the rule of odds isn’t as easy when you’re photographing a family of four; you can’t just decide to exclude one of them!

(Though when you’re facing this situation, you can arrange the group so the viewer sees one plus three instead of four.)

Triangular composition

In the first part of the article, I talked about using shapes to compose your images.

But did you know that the most popular shape in composition is the triangle?

You can create triangles with poses in portraits, mountains in a landscape, or a church tower on your travels.

However, if you want to up your game a bit more, you can use golden triangles. This composition technique divides the frame first with a line that connects one corner with the opposite one, then adds two smaller lines coming out from each of the remaining corners.

Like this:

Ideally, you would place the most important elements of the composition where the lines intersect. To achieve this, you may have to tilt your camera; this is called a Dutch angle (aka the Dutch tilt, German tilt, or Batman angle).

That’s why it’s not always possible to use the golden triangle guideline (or, at least, it’s not always the best choice!).

The golden ratio

The golden ratio is a mathematical term that was later applied to art and eventually photography. It equates to 1.618, and there are two ways it can be applied to photographic composition:

As a grid or as a spiral.

The golden grid (aka the Phi Grid)

The Phi Grid divides the frame into nine blocks, just like the rules of thirds.

However, this grid doesn’t follow a 1:1:1 ratio – which means the blocks are not the same size. Instead, the grid is 1:0.618:1, so you get smaller blocks toward the center, like this:

This composition tends to be more natural, as the golden ratio is also found in nature. It also has a better reputation than the rule of thirds, which many consider to be amateurish – a first step that should be quickly outgrown for more complex techniques.

The golden spiral (aka the Fibonacci spiral)

For this composition tool, you should follow a spiral whose growth factor is the golden ratio.

It looks like this (though note that it can begin at any corner of the frame):

golden spiral composition in photography

This spiral is found in natural structures such as sunflowers, pine cones, seashells, etc. You can also find it in many artworks and buildings because many artists have used it throughout the centuries.

To train your eye, you can print or draw a golden spiral, then use it to study the photographs from Irving Penn or Henri Cartier-Bresson, who both used the golden spiral to achieve astonishing results.

Composition in photography: conclusion

Now that you know most of the popular composition tools, you can use them to dramatically improve your images!

I know it’s a lot of information, but composition in photography will become more intuitive as you get more practice.

My suggestion is to keep it simple at first and practice the tools one by one.

Once you get comfortable with each composition guideline, you can combine them to achieve a more complex result.

And remember:

These are just guidelines you can use as you see fit to find your own artistic vision.

Now over to you:

Which of these composition techniques is your favorite? Which do you plan to use in the future? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Composition in photography FAQs

How do I emphasize my subject?

To emphasize an element in your photograph, you need to draw the viewer’s attention to it. You can use composition techniques, such as leading lines, to achieve this.

Is the rule of thirds the most important composition rule in photography?

No, the rules of composition don’t have a hierarchy. Instead, rules work better in different situations, and the best technique for one photograph can be wrong for the next one.

Can I improve my composition by photographing with a smartphone?

Yes, these rules apply to all types of photography, including mobile and video. If you want some help getting started, most camera phones have a grid overlay that follows the rule of thirds. You can enable/disable it in the settings section. Alternatively, you can install a camera app that supports different types of grids (such as A Better Camera).

How can I improve my composition in Lightroom?

You can use Lightroom’s overlays to improve the compositions of your photos. To use these, select the Crop tool from the Develop panel. Make sure that the Overlay is enabled. Then press the “O” key to toggle between all the available overlays.

Can I break the rules of composition?

Absolutely! Even though some of them are called rules, they are only guidelines, tools, and techniques to help you achieve better results. There’s always flexibility to experiment. It’s important to know the rules before you break them, though!

The post Composition in Photography: A Complete (and Modern) Guide appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Ana Mireles.

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9 Pet Photography Tips

06 Mar

The post 9 Pet Photography Tips appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Guest Contributor.

If you’re looking to capture some stunning pet photography, then you’ve come to the right place.

Because while pets are unbelievably cute, taking pictures of your best friend isn’t easy.

Pets, unlike humans, do not understand what we are trying to do. They won’t just pose for the camera!

That’s where this article comes in handy.

I’m going to give you nine simple tips for pet photography…

…that will get you taking beautiful pet photos in minutes!

Let’s dive right in.

1. Use natural light

When doing pet photography, always use natural light.

Why?

For one, flash can cause the red-eye effect, which looks, well, bad.

Plus, flash bursts can scare animals.

That’s why I recommend shooting outside (go out when it’s cloudy for some soft diffused light).

You can also try shooting indoors, but make sure you’re in a well-lit room (ideally one with a large window).

2. Keep the eyes sharp

Sharp eyes are always important in portrait photography – and pet photography is no different!

As they say, “The eyes are the window to the soul.” And your pet’s eyes can be very expressive.

So make sure to focus on your pet’s eyes. Keep them tack sharp.

(If you’re working with a shallow depth of field and can only get one eye in focus, make sure it’s the one closer to the camera!)

These days, some cameras offer eye AF for animals. With eye AF activated, your camera will identify your pet’s eyes – and nail focus consistently! So if your camera does offer this feature, I highly recommend you try it out.

3. Go to your pet

It is very important that your pet feels comfortable and at ease.

So instead of forcing your pet to come to you…

…go to them.

Most importantly, get down on your pet’s level. Sit on the floor or lie on your belly and remember to shoot from your pet’s eye level or below.

We all know how a dog looks when viewed from above; this is the way we always see them.

Instead, show us how your pet sees the world!

4. Highlight your pet’s character

You know your pet better than anyone else, and a successful picture is one that conveys the character of its subject.

So try to display your pet’s character in your photos.

If you have a lazy cat, show them yawning. If your animal is of the playful type, show them in action performing their favorite trick.

Really, the opportunities are endless! Just ask yourself: What is special about my pet?

And then try to communicate that in your next photo!

5. Go macro

Macro pet photography is intimate and often stunning.

And it’s not tough to do, either.

Simply use a macro lens, a telephoto lens, or some type of close-focusing camera.

Then fill the frame with your pet’s face and fur!

You’ll soon find that close-up shots make some of the best pet portraits!

6. Surprise your pet

One of the most difficult aspects of pet photography is keeping your pet still.

(Especially if you have a pretty energetic pet…)

So here’s an easy trick:

First, let your pet play quietly.

Then, once you have your camera set up and ready, give a quick whistle.

This will surprise your pet. With luck, you’ll have a few seconds to capture them in a nice, alert posture!

7. Time your session carefully

If you want to capture some formal-looking pet photography, then “schedule” your photoshoot when your animal is somewhat sleepy.

You might shoot after your pet has woken up from a nap. Or you might shoot late in the day, when your pet is tired and lacks energy.

That way, it will be much easier to capture a sharp shot.

Of course, if you want a more dynamic series of shots, then grab your camera at a time when your pet is especially active!

8. Be patient

Pet photography requires a lot of patience.

Dogs, cats, and other pets can be pretty excitable – but if you’re patient enough, your furry friend will end up relaxing.

And that’s when you can get some of your best shots!

In fact, you might consider starting your photoshoot with action images.

Then, as your pet calms down, you can capture intimate close-ups, cute poses, and more.

9. Experiment

Here’s your final pet photography tip:

Experiment!

Because while the advice in this article will certainly get you some great shots…

…there’s always room to try new things!

So take your time and enjoy the session. Don’t be afraid to test different approaches, angles, and compositions.

Shoot a lot; you can worry about the results later!

Pet photography tips: Final words

Hopefully, you now feel well-equipped to capture some stunning pet photos!

By getting low, being patient, carefully timing your session, and more, you can practically guarantee gorgeous results.

Now over to you:

What pets do you like to photograph? Share your favorite pet photography in the comments below!

This guest post on pet photography was submitted by Antoine Khater at All Day I Dream About Photography. Read more unique photography and retouching tips on Antoine’s website or subscribe to his RSS feed.

Pet Photography

GENERAL
- 9 Pet Photography Tips
  - 1. Use natural light
  - 2. Keep the eyes sharp
  - 3. Go to your pet
  - 4. Highlight your pet’s character
  - 5. Go macro
  - 6. Surprise your pet
  - 7. Time your session carefully
  - 8. Be patient
  - 9. Experiment
  - Pet photography tips: Final words
  - 1. Use natural light
  - 2. Keep the eyes sharp
  - 3. Go to your pet
  - 4. Highlight your pet’s character
  - 5. Go macro
  - 6. Surprise your pet
  - 7. Time your session carefully
  - 8. Be patient
  - 9. Experiment
  - Pet photography tips: Final words
- 9 Tips for Taking Better Photos of Cats
- Beginner's Guide to Photographing Horses
- Why Taking Pictures of Your Pets Will Help Make You a Better Photographer
- How to get the Money Shot in Pet Photography
- What Are Your Pet Photography Peeves?
PREPARATION
- 6 Tips for Working with Unruly Animals in Pet Photography
LIGHTING
- Tips for Great Lighting for Pet Photography
GEAR
- 4 of the Best Lenses for Creative Dog Photography
- Pros and Cons of Photographing Dogs with a Prime Lens
CREATIVE TECHNIQUES
- Five Tips for Creative Pet Photography
- 10 Amazing Camera Hacks for Better Dog Photography
POST-PROCESSING
- Fixing Animal Eyes in Lightroom
BUSINESS
- Five Things You Need to Know Before Starting a Pet Photography Business
ADVANCED GUIDES
- 6 Tips for Photographing Dogs in Action
- How to Shoot Animal Portraits
- How to Photograph Agility Events and Other Dog Sports

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