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Posts Tagged ‘Weekly’

Weekly Photography Challenge – Black and White Portraits

16 Dec

There is something very appealing about the simplicity of a portrait in black in white. It becomes less about the setting, background and environment and more about the person being photographed.

This week we want to see what you can do to create your best black and white portraits. Here are some articles to help if you need assistance:

  • How to Create Good Black and White Portraits
  • 5 More Tips for Making Better Black and White Portraits
  • 3 Simple Steps to Craft Better Black and White Photos
  • Avoid These 5 Common Mistakes in Black and White Photography
  • A Guide to Black and White Conversion in Photoshop
  • A Guide to Black and White Conversion in Lightroom

Weekly Photography Challenge – Black and White Portrait

Simply upload your shot into the comment field (look for the little camera icon in the Disqus comments section) and they’ll get embedded for us all to see or if you’d prefer, upload them to your favorite photo-sharing site and leave the link to them. Show me your best images in this week’s challenge. Sometimes it takes a while for an image to appear so be patient and try not to post the same image twice.

Share in the dPS Facebook Group

You can also share your images in the dPS Facebook group as the challenge is posted there each week as well.

The post Weekly Photography Challenge – Black and White Portraits by Darlene Hildebrandt appeared first on Digital Photography School.


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Weekly Photography Challenge – Wide-Angle

09 Dec

Different lenses produce a different look and effect in your images. Wide-angle lenses add depth and dimension to your images and give them a sense of three-dimensionality. They can be used to add humor and add interest as well. But, you must use a wide-angle lens properly.

Weekly Photography Challenge – Wide-Angle

The key to using a wide-angle lens is to get close to your subject. Really close! Not so close that you can’t focus, but close enough to make the subject appear larger than real life.

  • Wide Angle Versus Telephoto Lenses for Beautiful Landscape Photography
  • How to Use a Wide-angle Lens with Wildlife for a New Perspective
  • How to Use a Wide-Angle Lens for People Photography
  • 6 Reasons to Love Ultra-Wide Lenses

Simply upload your shot into the comment field (look for the little camera icon in the Disqus comments section) and they’ll get embedded for us all to see or if you’d prefer, upload them to your favorite photo-sharing site and leave the link to them. Show me your best images in this week’s challenge. Sometimes it takes a while for an image to appear so be patient and try not to post the same image twice.

Share in the dPS Facebook Group

You can also share your images in the dPS Facebook group as the challenge is posted there each week as well.

The post Weekly Photography Challenge – Wide-Angle by Darlene Hildebrandt appeared first on Digital Photography School.


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Weekly Photography Challenge – Framing

02 Dec

There are many ways to compose or images and many different elements you can use for effective composition. Framing is one such element of composition that can be very powerful for leading the viewer’s eye when done well.

Eastman Kodak House (the home of George Eastman who founded Kodak) framed by the trees in the front garden.

Weekly Photography Challenge – Framing

Framing isn’t just about finding an archway, window, or doorway to shoot through though. You need to have a strong and interesting subject inside the frame. An empty parking lot framed with a stunning doorway is still a boring, empty parking lot.


Here some tips if you need help with your framing:

  • How to Use Framing in an Urban Environment
  • Tips for Framing your Images to Tell a More Compelling Story
  • How to Use Framing to Create a Sense of Scale
  • Tips for Using Natural Framing to Improve Your Composition
  • How to Use Framing for More Effective Compositions

I shot this Japanese style pagoda closer up, but it was lacking something. So after walking down the path, I turned around and shot it again, this time using the large trees as framing elements.

Simply upload your shot into the comment field (look for the little camera icon in the Disqus comments section) and they’ll get embedded for us all to see or if you’d prefer, upload them to your favorite photo-sharing site and leave the link to them. Show me your best images in this week’s challenge. Sometimes it takes a while for an image to appear so be patient and try not to post the same image twice.

Share in the dPS Facebook Group

You can also share your images in the dPS Facebook group as the challenge is posted there each week as well.

The post Weekly Photography Challenge – Framing by Darlene Hildebrandt appeared first on Digital Photography School.


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Weekly Photography Challenge – Backlighting

25 Nov

Light is the key to photography – without it, we’d be pretty hard pressed to make any images at all. They are also many kinds of light – hard light, soft light, front light, side light, overhead lighting and one that I use often to add more drama to my images – backlighting.

Backlighting can be used to create dramatic shadows.

Weekly Photography Challenge – Backlighting

This one is pretty straightforward. Find a subject where the light is behind them – voila you have backlighting. While that part is easy, make sure you get a good exposure. If you want a silhouette, underexpose the subject a little. If you want the subject properly exposed you might want to increase exposure a little.

Here are some tips and ideas:

  • Using Backlight in Nature Photography
  • Three Types of Light: Diffused, Backlight and Reflected – What are They and When to use Them
  • How to Create Backlight or Hairlight outdoors with Natural Light
  • Rediscovering Backlit Subjects

Foliage and flowers make great subjects for backlighting.

More use of shadows and backlighting.

Any translucent objects look great with backlighting – it enhances their colors.

Simply upload your shot into the comment field (look for the little camera icon in the Disqus comments section) and they’ll get embedded for us all to see or if you’d prefer, upload them to your favorite photo-sharing site and leave the link to them. Show me your best images in this week’s challenge. Sometimes it takes a while for an image to appear so be patient and try not to post the same image twice.

Share in the dPS Facebook Group

You can also share your images with the dPS Facebook group as the challenge is posted there each week as well.

The post Weekly Photography Challenge – Backlighting by Darlene Hildebrandt appeared first on Digital Photography School.


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Weekly Photography Challenge – Blue Hour

18 Nov

Blue hour is the time of day after sunset (and just before sunrise) when the sky still has some color it and it’s not pure black. This is the number one tip for shooting night photography – don’t shoot at night! If you want a dark, deep blue sky – shoot at blue hour.

This is a bonus – you don’t have to stay up all night getting shots for this week’s challenge. Just catch the blue hour and you’re good to go.

Blue hour in New York City.

If you need some help:

  • Video Tutorials and Tips for Shooting Blue Hour
  • 5 Quick Tips for Better Blue Hour Photography
  • New Photographer’s Guide to Blue Hour
  • Recommended Gear for Doing Long Exposure Photography at Twilight and Dusk
  • Do you pack up and leave after sunset and miss the fun of night photography?
  • How to do Long Exposure Photography and Light Trails at Night

Weekly Photography Challenge – Blue Hour

Simply upload your shot into the comment field (look for the little camera icon in the Disqus comments section) and they’ll get embedded for us all to see or if you’d prefer, upload them to your favorite photo-sharing site and leave the link to them. Show me your best images in this week’s challenge. Sometimes it takes a while for an image to appear so be patient and try not to post the same image twice.

Blue hour in Rome, Italy.

San Francisco – the complementary colors of blue hour make for stunning compositions. Use it to your advantage.

Share in the dPS Facebook Group

You can also share your images on the dPS Facebook group as the challenge is posted there each week as well.

The post Weekly Photography Challenge – Blue Hour by Darlene Hildebrandt appeared first on Digital Photography School.


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Weekly Photography Challenge – Hit the Streets

11 Nov

Street photography is an interesting genre of photography. In some ways it sees quite simple – all you need is a camera lens and your own two feet to do it. Yet in other ways, it can be quite hard and complicated.

  • How can you keep moving subjects in sharp focus?
  • Do you even want to do that?
  • How do you approach people to photograph them?
  • What if you get in trouble?
  • Do you need a model or another kind of release?

Trinidad, Cuba – bought some meringues from this lovely man just so I could take his photo.

Weekly Photography Challenge – Street Photography

If this is something you’ve struggled with, here are some dPS articles to help you out.

  • 7 Steps to Improve Your Closeup Candid Street Photography
  • How to Plan a Street Photography Shoot When Traveling
  • How to Tell a Story With Your Street Photography
  • The Ultimate Guide to Street Photography
  • Tutorial – Easy Camera Settings for Street Photography
  • 7 Tips for Overcoming Nerves When Doing Street Photography
  • A Simple Way to Conquer Your Fear of Street Photography
  • 10 Non-Technical Ways to Improve Your Street Photography

Two key tips I will give you myself are – find good light and shoot there AND find a good or interesting background and wait for a subject to enter your frame.

Be patient!

Here I saw this amazing late afternoon light on the stairs. So I waited for someone to descend and enter the light.

I was attracted by the symmetry of the arched windows but wanted someone to walk past between them. So I fired this frame when the two kids were walking through the scene and got a bonus silhouette in the foreground – which adds even more depth to the image. I waited about 5 minutes for this shot to happen.

Shadows make for dramatic photos. Find them and use them in your images,

Simply upload your shot into the comment field (look for the little camera icon in the Disqus comments section) and they’ll get embedded for us all to see or if you’d prefer, upload them to your favorite photo-sharing site and leave the link to them. Show me your best images in this week’s challenge. Sometimes it takes a while for an image to appear so be patient and try not to post the same image twice.

Share in the dPS Facebook Group

You can also share your images on the dPS Facebook group as the challenge is posted there each week as well.

The post Weekly Photography Challenge – Hit the Streets by Darlene Hildebrandt appeared first on Digital Photography School.


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Weekly Photography Challenge – Play with Your Food

04 Nov

Your mother may have told  you not to play with your food, but this week you have our permission.

Shot I did in New Orleans – very famous coffee and donuts.

I recently shared some video tutorials with food photography tips – check those out if you need help.

Here are some other dPS articles on the topic if you want more tips and ideas:

  • 4 Tips for Beginners to Food Photography
  • The Secret to Finding the Hero Angle in Food Photography
  • 8 Tips for Food Photography Newbies
  • How to Take Cool Food Photos in Your Refrigerator
  • Household Items to Bring to Your Next Food Photography Shoot
  • 5 Tips for More Professional-Looking Food Photography
  • 5 Tips That Will Make Your Food Photos Stand out from the Crowd
  • Using Focus Creatively with Food Photography

I used to do food photography commercially – a long, long, time ago! Here are some of my tips:

Don’t forget your fruit and veggies – even still in the tree or on the vine.

Food in its raw form including still on the tree works!

Not quite on the tree. I added the hands here to add interest and show scale, as well as the inside of this nut.

Add a human element or photograph the preparation of the food as well as the finished product.

The making of the iced coffee.

Add a human element for interest. Yes I did drink it and yes it was amazing!

Get the light right. The most common placement or direction of light with food photography is to have the light actually coming from behind the food. It makes it look shiny and more appetizing that way. Like this Colombian ajiaco soup.

Play with angles, light, and composition. Don’t just take one shot.

I wanted to show how full the table was here so I used this overhead angle. This is shot I did for a hotel in Nicaragua showcasing the breakfast they serve.

I took a lower camera angle here to show the setting of where the breakfast is served.

Here I added the human element and motion with the juice pour.

Now it’s your turn!

Weekly Photography Challenge – Food

Simply upload your shot into the comment field (look for the little camera icon in the Disqus comments section) and they’ll get embedded for us all to see or if you’d prefer, upload them to your favorite photo-sharing site and leave the link to them. Show me your best images in this week’s challenge. Sometimes it takes a while for an image to appear so be patient and try not to post the same image twice.

Share in the dPS Facebook Group

You can also share your images on the dPS Facebook group as the challenge is posted there each week as well.

The post Weekly Photography Challenge – Play with Your Food by Darlene Hildebrandt appeared first on Digital Photography School.


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Weekly Photography Challenge – Sunrise Sunset

28 Oct

Shooting the sunset or sunrise is a great way to come back with spectacular images. This week it’s time to get out there at dawn or dusk and make some magic.

Sunset in Nicaragua.

If you need some tips to help you on this one you can find a good video here and links to several articles on shooting the sunrise and sunset.

Remember you don’t have to have the sun in your photo to make it an effective shot. Use the nice soft directional light at these times of day to your advantage.

Sunrise in the beach in a fishing village in Nicaragua. I used the soft warm light to show the subject – this young girl taking home a fish for her efforts helping the fishermen on the boats coming in.

Another Nicaraguan sunset. Add an interesting subject in front of your sunset for a more dramatic photo.

Weekly Photography Challenge – Sunrise Sunset

Simply upload your shot into the comment field (look for the little camera icon in the Disqus comments section) and they’ll get embedded for us all to see or if you’d prefer, upload them to your favorite photo-sharing site and leave the link to them. Show me your best images in this week’s challenge. Sometimes it takes a while for an image to appear so be patient and try not to post the same image twice.

Share in the dPS Facebook Group

You can also share your images on the dPS Facebook group as the challenge is posted there each week as well.

The post Weekly Photography Challenge – Sunrise Sunset by Darlene Hildebrandt appeared first on Digital Photography School.


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Weekly Photography Challenge – Black and White Landscape

21 Oct

Landscape photography is a popular genre, but it can be hard to do it really well.

If you want to take your landscape images to the next level – try shooting some in black and white! There is some help here if you need it: Video Tutorial – Tips for Making Dramatic Black and White Landscape Photos. 

Photo by Yuriy Garnaev on Unsplash

Weekly Photography Challenge – Black and White Landscape

Simply upload your shot into the comment field (look for the little camera icon in the Disqus comments section) and they’ll get embedded for us all to see or if you’d prefer, upload them to your favorite photo-sharing site and leave the link to them. Show me your best images in this week’s challenge. Sometimes it takes a while for an image to appear so be patient and try not to post the same image twice.

Share in the dPS Facebook Group

You can also share your images on the dPS Facebook group as the challenge is posted there each week as well.

The post Weekly Photography Challenge – Black and White Landscape by Darlene Hildebrandt appeared first on Digital Photography School.


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Weekly Photography Challenge – Light Painting

14 Oct

Earlier I rounded up a couple videos on how to do two very different styles of light painting. You can see them here. Below are two images of my own where you can see the two different techniques and the results.

In this image, I have light painted the building with a regular flashlight.

This shot is a combination of 3 people doing the light painting to make this happen. One on the building with a flashlight, another on the train tracks with an orange colored wand, and me on the wagon making the funky shape.

Note: the image above was done using some special tools. Read this for more info: Review: Light Painting Brushes – Tools for Creativity.

Weekly Photography Challenge – Light Painting

Before you give up before you even start, assuming this is too hard for you – wait!

Light painting does not have to be hard at all, and I’ll give you some articles to check out that can help you. But you can keep it simple and try a sparkler like this:

Or a cell phone which was used to light up the car in this shot.

If you need more help try these articles:

  • How to do Light Painting with a Piece of Fruit and a Cell Phone
  • Beginner’s Guide to Light Painting
  • Light Painting Part One – the Photography
  • Light Painting Part Two – Photoshop
  • How to Make Unique Portraits Using Light Painting
  • How to do Light Painting Photography Art with Endless Possibilities
  • How to Create Beautiful Light Painting Images With an Illuminated Hoop
  • Fire Spinning with Steel Wool – A Special Effects Tutorial

Share your images below:

Light painted train caboose.

This was created using gloves that glow different colors. My husband did the light painting, it’s the name of his favorite beer in Nicaragua.

The ultimate light painting is fire spinning.

Simply upload your shot into the comment field (look for the little camera icon in the Disqus comments section) and they’ll get embedded for us all to see or if you’d prefer, upload them to your favorite photo-sharing site and leave the link to them. Show me your best images in this week’s challenge. Sometimes it takes a while for an image to appear so be patient and try not to post the same image twice.

Share in the dPS Facebook Group

You can also share your images on the dPS Facebook group as the challenge is posted there each week as well.

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