Infrared (IR) photography allows you to turn a simple shot into an other-worldly scene. Plants and trees turn bright white, while skies and water darken considerably.
summertime blues by mugley on flickr (licensed CC-BY-SA)
The sun puts out a lot of infrared light, as well as visible light. By using a camera that is sensitive to infrared and a filter that blocks the visible light, we end up with an infrared photo.
Read the rest of this entry »A picture can tell a thousand stories and being a street photographer is one of the most rewarding things that you could ever do.
Ever since the first camera was designed photographers have been recording our world. Each individual capturing their own different style.
Some shoot candid, some shoot with black and white some like to interact with their subject. But all are doing the same thing and that is recording our history.
It Takes Time by Imahinasyon Photography on flickr (licensed CC-BY)
Real estate photography involves taking photos of properties, and making them look their best, in order to sell the property. It is particularly important for more expensive homes, where the high selling price of the home can justify spending more time (and money) on getting the best shots possible.
When photographing real estate, make sure that the property is clean and in pristine condition. It should also be furnished nicely. If cost allows, then a professional property staging company can be used. This ensures that the property looks at its very best for your photos.
Dining Room with Recycled Wood Ceiling by Jeremy Levine Design on flickr (licensed CC-BY)
If you are trying to build up a portfolio for real estate photography work, try contacting the sales offices for nearby new builds. You can ask to shoot the show home, which will be professionally staged and give you a good chance to get some great real estate photos.
Read the rest of this entry »Spring is the time of year when everything starts growing again. The days become longer, flowers start to appear, and the rain leads to lush green meadows. If you're feeling stuck for inspiration this Spring, here are five photo ideas to get you going.
Untitled by paalia on flickr (licensed CC-BY)
Many people find shooting a digital photo to be harder than expected. You might find that you have been taking digital photos since first introduced but have never quite captured that perfect shot you set out for.
Nothing is as disappointing as missing that important event, such as your daughter's dance recital or even your anniversary trip to Italy. When that once in a lifetime moment is remembered with a horrible photo, the frustration can be overwhelming.
That leads us to the question of how do you take that perfect photo? The first rule lies within the photographer themselves, for it is with the photographer that the photo begins, not the camera itself. It's just that simple. Think about how you can see a photograph that a child has taken playing around with a simple disposable camera and it is wonderful while a photo with the priciest SLR can turn out to be awful.
Read these tips on shooting digital photos and apply them the next time you have a chance. Before long, you'll be shooting photos like a pro!
Read the rest of this entry »Improving your photography can seem like a long and complicated process, but anyone with enough passion can become a great photographer. The same as any other skill or hobby, photography will take some time to master, but the rewards can be great. The following tips should help you on your journey as an amateur photographer:
Buying expensive equipment doesn't automatically make you a better photographer. A common mistake made by amateur photographers is to spend a lot of money on equipment they don't actually need and will hardly ever use.
The only thing you really need when starting out is a camera. Once you get used to using the camera, you can then figure out what it is you actually need. Any photography gear you purchase should be dictated by the type of photography you do and the way you like to shoot. For example, many articles suggest using a tripod, but if you like shooting people handheld in the street, you would never need a tripod.
what's in your photo kit? by D'Arcy Norman on flickr (licensed CC-BY-NC)
If you are not sure whether you need a piece of equipment, joining a local photography club is a good idea. Here you can meet up with many other photographers, and sometimes go out on shoots together. In most cases a fellow photographer will be happy to lend you a piece of equipment so that you can see if it fits your needs.
There are some common problems that often affect photos taken by new photographers, and even experienced pros make these mistakes some of the time. In this article we'll look at a 5 of the most common problems, and how we can avoid them.
Read the rest of this entry »Light painting is the process of manually lighting a photo during a long exposure, often using a torch or small LED lights. There are two types of light painting photography. One is where you shine the light onto your subject, I have covered this previously in How to use light painting for flower photography. In this article, we'll look at how to do light painting where you use the light source as the actual subject of the photo, painting the light into the air.
Painting the City by StandUPP on flickr (licensed CC-BY)
Are your photographs not quite what you expect them to be? Do you find that a lot of them are not clear or are unfocused? Do you hands quit before you do? This could be a result of you not holding your SLR camera correctly.
I know holding a camera sounds like a simple thing but many potentially great shots are ruined because the photographer doesn't have a stable hold on the camera. If you don't have the right grip on your camera you can come down with the deadly camera shakes. Which will result in blurry and unfocused pictures.
This is the type of thing that will push your frustration level through the roof, especially when you are taking pictures inside, or under low light conditions where the shutter speed is slower.
Read the rest of this entry »Levitating a person or object is an old magic trick that still wows audiences to this day. But you don't have to be a magician to create magical photos where your subject appears to be floating.
Never is an awfully long time. by Casey David on flickr (licensed CC-BY-ND)
There are two ways of taking floating photos. You can have your subject rest on an object, and then remove the object in Photoshop. Or you can just take a photo of the subject jumping.
Read the rest of this entry »
