Aperture is one of 3 settings, along with shutter speed and ISO, that can be used to affect the brightness (exposure) of an image. It also affects how much of the image is in focus (DoF), and how out of focus areas appear (bokeh). This article covers how the aperture setting affects exposure, DoF and bokeh, and what aperture settings to use for certain effects.
Read the rest of this entry »Product photography usually involves taking a photo of a single item, with the photo shot so as to focus the viewer's attention on that item, and make the item look at its best. If you have a business selling products, you want to sell something on ebay, or you just want to try product photography for fun, this article will give you some tips on getting good results.
Abstract flower photos are usually created by focusing in on only a small part of a flower and / or using a very small depth of field to give the image a soft look.
For taking abstract flower photos I would recommend using cut flowers or potted plants that you keep indoors. By taking the photos indoors you can eliminate any problems with the wind blowing the flower while you are trying to compose and focus your photo. This also gives you more control over lighting - you can use long exposures without the worrying about the wind, or set up some lights and position them as needed.
Read the rest of this entry »When you look at smoke photos you might think that it is impossible to take such shots but it's actually not that hard. You just need to be patient because the ratio of good images to bad ones is pretty low. You will need a proper setup to photograph smoke.
Smoke Art #35 by Rex Boggs on flickr (licensed CC-BY-ND)
Food photography is a skill that takes years to master. While it may seem like it is easy just to arrange some food on a plate, take a few photos and then (best of all) eat it afterward, what actually goes into a food photography shoot is quite the contrary.
Food photography takes time, careful planning and a healthy dose of creative vision, which is why professional food photographers generally don't go it alone. Nowadays they will have a team working with them to help create those wonderful images, including a food stylist, creative director and a props assistant.
Food Styling by Rina Laxa on flickr (licensed CC-BY)
While many people enjoy taking photos of the sunset, often they will pack up and go home after the sun has disappeared below the horizon. But by doing this you miss out on all the great photos can be taken during twilight - after the sun has set, but before it gets dark.
Crematorium by Sergio Tudela Romero on flickr (licensed CC-BY)
The magic of twilight is that it is dark enough to allow you to capture the lights of a city at night, and light streaks from moving vehicles. However, it is still bright enough to give a beautiful blue tone to the sky, and let you capture photos with a shutter speed measured in seconds rather than minutes.
Read the rest of this entry »When you are photographing someone for a portrait photo, you generally want to capture them at their best and minimize any flaws. Of course, you can touch up portraits in Photoshop, but this can be time consuming, so it's much easier to get it right in camera.
Xue Haowen Headshots by Jonathan Kos-Read on flickr (licensed CC-BY-ND)
In the good old days of film photography the only way to achieve many effects on your photos was with the use of specialized glass (or plastic) filters, fitted to the front (or in some cases slotted into the rear) of camera lenses prior to taking the photo. Fortunately in the modern digital world some of these filters are still used and while many of the old effects can be reproduced in a digital darkroom, others still require the photographer to do the work prior to post processing.
The Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rijn used painting techniques suggesting ambient light rendering shadows and highlights which created the illusion of a three dimensional portrait. Filmmakers and photographers have picked up on this technique and applied it to portraiture and scene lighting.
Motion zoom can be created by zooming in or out while taking a photo with a slow shutter speed. Using this technique you can take a mundane subject, and change it into a surreal and abstract photo.
You can start at your lens' widest focal length and then zoom in while taking the photo, or start at the longest focal length and then zoom out, each has a slightly different effect. You can try zooming in and out during one exposure for a combined effect as well.
Zoomblur by Andreas Levers on flickr (licensed CC-BY)
