How to Deliver Your Perfect Shots Using Digital Photography

Trial and error is familiarized by so many photographers who try to find the perfect shot out of their work. But these times are gone. Photographers had to take several shots and develop them to find out if a fine or even perfect image was taken.

In the present day, many individuals who have decided to shift from an old SLR models to digital ones. With DSLRs, they can spend more time to concentrate in taking those great pictures. If those pictures do not meet their standards can be deleted right away.

SLR stands for Single Lens Reflex. The name connotes the use of lenses and a mirror. Mirror reflects light entering the lens up into the view finder. Thus, a photographer can estimate how the picture will appear when the film is developed. Moreover, a SLR camera uses separate lenses that can be flip-flopped depending on the resolution needed. Hence, this camera can be used to capture image with varying depths. Similarly, a digital SLR or DSLR camera uses lenses and mirror. But rather than a conventional film used to capture the image, a DSLR camera uses light sensor chips and digital memory. Put it this way, a DSLR camera is the computerised variation of the conventional SLR camera.

However, the functions of these models are rather different so it is recommended that users should spend time playing with their device. Owners should use that “trial and error” technique by taking a few shots and storing better quality pictures. Eventually, they will get familiarized with their tool.

Photographer who decides to use these kinds of cameras should really invest on memory cards and lenses. Thus, if they happen to become professionals someday, additional equipment will surely keep them busy for choosing photography as their career.

Here are some tips that will by all odds assist owners of DSLR cameras to deliver a perfect image using state of the art digital photography gadget.

1. The law of photo shooting remains the same whether using an the conventional or a digital camera. For example, if the sun is behind the image, the picture will appear in silhouette. If light is in front of the image, the picture will appear squint unless there are sunglasses on.
2. Use your sunglass to act as a polarizer to take away unnecessary reflections from blazing objects.
3. In a conventional manner, people will take full body shots against a backdrop, but it is advised to take a shot from shoulders up because image of those will appear really small.
4. If the above technique happens to be really difficult for you, you can take a shot of the person at one side rather than at the center. Then the owner can just zoom in so the person appears to be at the center.
5. Change your white balance setting from auto mode to cloudy when shooting outdoor portraits or at bright landscapes.
6. You can make use of sunglasses to increase the exposure of objects.
7. When using a polarizer, be sure that the source of light is perpendicular to the object.
8. Do not use the flash mode when the backdrop is already bright.
9. Zoom in to put emphasize on certain asset or characteristic of the subject being captured.
10. Practice. Practice. Practice.

It is suffice to say that practice is what really makes perfect shots!
Article Source : www.articlephotography.com

Tips On Exercise Good Travel Photography

Traveling is one of life's greatest pleasures. Capturing those precious and exciting moments is even more pleasurable, especially if it's a once-in-a-lifetime trip. For the photo enthusiast, taking pictures of everything in sight is as important as going to these places.

So how can you exercise good travel photography? Here are some tips:

1. Choosing the right variety of camera

Purchasing the perfect camera can be as hard as deciding where to go on a vacation. A primary consideration for travel photography is whether to get a single lens reflex camera or a SLR, or a point-and-shoot type. They each has their own benefits and disadvantages.

In SLR, lenses can be interchanged. A photographer can view exactly what the lens is seeing because of its reflex viewing system. Point-and-shoot, meanwhile, have viewfinders that adjust the view of the image automatically. They are easier to use than the SLR, but its viewing range is a bit limited.

2. Selecting the right kind of film

The dilemma in choosing the right kind of film can be solved by determining the output desired and the traveling conditions in which the pictures will be taken. You need to choose between a color negative or a color side if you want to take colored pictures. The benefit of using a color negative is that it tends to be forgiving of corrections in color or errors of exposure. Professional photographers, however, go for slide films because almost all commercial reproducing is produced from transparencies.

3. Researching for the trip

Knowing the right information about the place your visiting is as important as shooting the pictures. Planning the trip in detail enables the photographer to improve on the quality and quantity of opportunities where he can take great pictures. It is essential to read before a trip. Browse through materials such as travel guides, magazines, maps and newspapers. Also, try to talk to someone who has actually been their. The information that they can give will be very valuable.

4. The right way in creating a travel journal

The pictures taken during a trip should tell a story, and should not be just a jumble of random pictures. It should chronicle the trip from start to finish. It is important to track the dates that the pictures were taken.

One should not turn down the experience of travel, just the same, as one should not forget to capture precious images from that trip. Perfect planning and having a keen eye for a good image can be the key to achieving everything.

How to Take Good Action Photo

This is a case to illustrate how to get the best pictures for action events, in particular, with a Canon EOS 40D digital camera, a Canon EF 70-200mm f/4 L IS USM Lens in a football game.

1. Firstly, you will be a bit under-lensed with the 70-200 as far as focal length reach. But since that is the lens you have to work with, here are my suggestions. First, at 200mm of reach, your images will only be good and sharp up to distances of about 25-30 meters away. So move around and try to stay close to the action.

2. If you will be shooting soccer games in the daytime with decent lighting, use Av mode, and select the 70-200's largest aperture value ... f/4. This lens produces very sharp images and great background blur at f/4.

3. Set your ISO to a value that gets you a shutter speed of at least 1/1000s, if not higher. If you can get 1/4000s at ISO400, go for it. Don’t be afraid to start out using ISO400. This camera produces neglible noise at ISO400.

4. Use one of the preset WB settings as applies to your sky conditions. If its cloudy/overcast outside, use the Cloudy WB setting, if its sunny outside, use the Daylight WB setting.

5. Use center weighted average metering, as this metering mode takes less of your background into account while properly metering your subject.

6. I like to use the Standard Picture Styles, and set Contrast and Color Tone to the default "0" setting, but set the Saturation to -1, but its all a matter of your taste.

7. You want to expose for the players faces/skin, not the uniforms or the field. Its OK to overexpose the uniforms a little bit in order to get proper exposures on the faces/skin. As far as dialing in the correct exposure using Av mode, you will need to check your review image and histogram. In Av mode, you will have to use the Exposure Compensation function to adjust your exposure. Take some test shots before the match begins and start off by using “0” EC. If your player is underexposed, bump up your EC in positive 1/3 steps until you reach the proper exposure. If your player is overexposed, lower your EC in negative 1/3 steps until you reach the proper exposure.

8. If it's a sunny day, shoot with the sun behind you or at least to the side of you. Avoid shooting in the direction of the sun, as your players' front sides will be in the shadows.

9. As far as focusing is concerned, use center point only.

10. Use Ai Servo AF (continuous focus mode) and use the high speed drive (6.5 fps). Set CFn. IV-1 to setting #2 and use your AF-ON button for continuous focusing and use the shutter release button to only actuate the shutter. Track your moving subject by keeping the center focus point over the subject, pan the camera to follow his movements, all the while keeping your thumb mashed down on the AF-ON button. When you see the action you want to photograph, keep your thumb on the AF-ON button and fire the shutter button at the desired time and keep tracking and keep firing thru-out your burst sequence.

11. Make sure you have a fully charged battery and a large enough CF card. For shooting a soccer match, I would highly recommend shooting in jpeg rather than RAW. The files sizes are hugh when shooting in RAW. Since you are likely to take hundreds of images during the match, your CF card will fill up quickly. Its also alot of photos to have to post process when using RAW. Most sports photographers shoot in jpeg.

Hope this helps and good luck with the photoshoot. Article Source :www.photos-of-the-year.com

Shoot Like Professionals

Whether you just have a simple point-and-shoot camera or the more expensive digital SLRs, you can definitely take quality pictures like the pros do. It’s not the type of camera that takes great shots, it’s the photographer. If you don't know how to correctly take a shot, you can take a really bad picture from an SLR camera.

As long as you know how to correctly take pictures and are willing to make some adjustments, taking great photos will be easy for you. Here are some tips to help you shoot like professionals even with your simple digital camera.

1. Would you like your shots to have a warmer feel? Most shots taken from a digital camera without any adjustments look cool and clammy. This is because the white balance setting is set to “auto” as default which is fine for snapshots.

If you want a warmer effect, though, with sharp colors, you may want to set the white balance to “cloudy” setting instead of auto. This is like adding a mild warming filter to the lens of your camera. Cloudy setting increases the yellow and red colors adding a richer and warmer effect to your shots.

2. Polarizing filters can be one of the most important investments you can add to your digital camera. These filters reduce the glare and unwanted reflections on your shots. This is great when you frequently take landscape and outdoor shots. Pictures taken with a polarizer have richer and more saturated colors.

If your camera won't allow filters, like a simple point-and-shoot camera, don’t fret! You can still have a polarizing effect on your shots by placing a good quality pair of sunglasses in front of the lens. It gives an effect similar to a polarizer. Just make sure that you place it to the lens as close as possible and the rims are not seen.

3. For an outdoor shot with shine, use your camera’s “flash on” or “fill flash” feature. This lets you control when you want the flash to go off, instead of it deciding when it wants to. This mode exposes first the background then adding enough flash to illuminate your subject.

For great results, place your subject where the sun illuminates the hair from the side or back. Alternatively, to let your subject be comfortable and not be annoyed by the sun’s heat, place your model in the shade then use the flash to illuminate the subject.

However, built-in flashes only have a maximum range of 10 feet. Thus, it would be better not to go too far from your subject.

4. Taking detailed shots of objects like flowers or small insects is easy with your digital camera. Most digital cameras have a feature called “close up” or “macro mode” usually indicated by a flower sign. With this mode turned on, you can take shots of objects as close as possible. However, you only get a shallow field-depth when taking close up pictures so it is better to focus on the most important part of the subject then allow the other parts of the image go soft.

5. Leveling the image may be difficult for amateurs as well as some pros. One way to get a level or an even shot, especially of a nature shot, is to look for some horizontal lines as guide. If you have a view of the horizon, where the sky meets the ocean, you can use that as your leveling guide.

If it still is difficult for you, you can try to take several shots at different angles so you’ll know which one would give you the best shot. After some time it will become natural for you to take even shots.

These are just some of the tricks you can do to take wonderful shots on your digital camera, be it a simple point-and shoot kind or the more professional SLR type. Photography is really an enjoyable and fulfilling hobby, especially when a lot of people also appreciate your shots. And it is not that difficult to have shots that most people will like. Just explore, read different books, and take advice from pros and you’ll surely be one of them in a matter of time.

Tips On Exercise Good Travel Photography

Traveling is one of life's greatest pleasures. Capturing those precious and exciting moments is even more pleasurable, especially if it's a once-in-a-lifetime trip. For the photo enthusiast, taking pictures of everything in sight is as important as going to these places.

So how can you exercise good travel photography? Here are some tips:

1. Choosing the right variety of camera

Purchasing the perfect camera can be as hard as deciding where to go on a vacation. A primary consideration for travel photography is whether to get a single lens reflex camera or a SLR, or a point-and-shoot type. They each has their own benefits and disadvantages.

In SLR, lenses can be interchanged. A photographer can view exactly what the lens is seeing because of its reflex viewing system. Point-and-shoot, meanwhile, have viewfinders that adjust the view of the image automatically. They are easier to use than the SLR, but its viewing range is a bit limited.

2. Selecting the right kind of film

The dilemma in choosing the right kind of film can be solved by determining the output desired and the traveling conditions in which the pictures will be taken. You need to choose between a color negative or a color side if you want to take colored pictures. The benefit of using a color negative is that it tends to be forgiving of corrections in color or errors of exposure. Professional photographers, however, go for slide films because almost all commercial reproducing is produced from transparencies.

3. Researching for the trip

Knowing the right information about the place your visiting is as important as shooting the pictures. Planning the trip in detail enables the photographer to improve on the quality and quantity of opportunities where he can take great pictures. It is essential to read before a trip. Browse through materials such as travel guides, magazines, maps and newspapers. Also, try to talk to someone who has actually been their. The information that they can give will be very valuable.

4. The right way in creating a travel journal

The pictures taken during a trip should tell a story, and should not be just a jumble of random pictures. It should chronicle the trip from start to finish. It is important to track the dates that the pictures were taken.

One should not turn down the experience of travel, just the same, as one should not forget to capture precious images from that trip. Perfect planning and having a keen eye for a good image can be the key to achieving everything.

The World Of Modern Photography.

After the invention of the camera and the growth in popularity of photography, it is only natural that mass production as well as dissemination of photo prints will follow. Because of photography, personal as well as public history, time, and the perception of man himself has notably changed. The idea of privacy became altered as more and more well known public figures and that of the common man were recorded. Photographs became the unchallenged proof of any experience, event, and even a state of being.

Photography as an art

Certifying photography as an art form was a hard thing to undertake during its early stages. It was challenged by artists as well as critics and focused on both the chemical and mechanical facets of photography. They considered photography as a craft and nothing more.

Taking away the restrictions

When musuems and art schools finally opened up themselves to photography, the resulting trend was carried up to the present. Photographers began to set themselves free from the strict impositions made by the norms of the straight aesthetic mode as well as the documentary modes as forms of expressing their individuality. By the 1960's photography became a major force in visual arts. This art form has been combined with other types of expression including computer imaging as well as mixed media.

Practical applications of photography

Photography has many practical applications. It has evolved to become a vital tool used in diverse fields like education, medicine, military activities, and commerce. Science has greatly benefited from photography, including aerial mapping of areas, geology, surveying, archeology, meterology, and anthropology just to name a few.

The digital age

With the onset of the 21st century, images can be manipulated and altered in so many ways with the help of digital imaging and computer utilizing techniques. Digital photography started a change in photographic techniques and its nature. The conventional method of photography involved the passing of light into a lens then to an emulsifying agent or digital photography, where color filters as well as sensors are used to create an image. There are two kinds of techniques used in digital photography. The first one involves the use of 3 layers of filters. Each one only allows one color like green, another red, and the last one, blue.

These are some of the notable things with regards to modern photography. Photography has been present for more than a hundred years and yet more and more innovations are taking place. Looking at it, one can surmise that more things are yet to come in the world of modern photography.

Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 9-18mm f/4 - 5.6

London, 13 May 2008 – In yet another expansion to the rapidly growing E-System lens line-up, Olympus unveils the ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 9-18mm 1:4.0-5.6 (18-36mm)* extreme wide angle lens. This affordable complement to the ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 18-180mm 1:3.5-6.3 (36-360mm)* enables stunningly original perspectives with an extra-wide field of view. And at just 280g, it weighs in at significantly less than those of the competition. The Four Thirds-based ZUIKO DIGITAL
ED 9-18mm 1:4.0-5.6 (18-36mm)* extreme wide angle lens will go on sale from September 2008 in Olympus’ ‘standard’ range of lenses.

Focus on more with the larger depth of field afforded by the ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 9-18mm 1:4.0-5.6 (18-36mm)* lens. This super-compact and light-weight addition to the E-System family is ideal for anything from sweeping desert landscapes to broad shots: emphasise the green of a cactus against burnt red cliffs, or capture the breadth of a farmer’s market in a single shot. Meanwhile, a remarkably compact design – featuring a diameter of 79.5mm, a length of 73mm and a weight of only 280g – ensures utmost mobility.

Enjoy the impeccable optical quality inherent in all ZUIKO DIGITAL lenses with this bright model: 13 lens elements in nine groups, including one aspherical ED lens and two aspherical elements award the ED 9-18mm 1:4.0-5.6 (18-36mm)* with a pronounced advantage over the competition. Coupled with the ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 18-180mm 1:3.5-6.3 (36-360mm)* lens, this affordable combination provides you with an incredible 9-180mm range (18-360mm)* for unparalleled versatility. A minimum focusing distance of 25cm round out this 2x-zoom model’s list of convenient attributes.

The ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 9-18mm 1:4.0-5.6 (18-36mm)* lens will be available from September 2008.

* Figure in brackets represents 35mm camera equivalent.