Steps to Improving Your Landscape Photography

How many times have you been driving and wanted to stop and take a shot of that breathtaking landscape. You then stop, look around and the shot even looks better. Your heart even skips a beat. You go for it and return to the car with a huge smile.

When you get back home you download your pictures, process them and then you find out that what you shot was not what you placed your eyes on. What went wrong? Well its simple your lens and the sensor of your camera do not work like your eyes and your brain does. You select different parts of the scene and produce beauty out of them, your sensor doesn't.

So what do you now? For landscape photography you need time and a couple of tips, follow them, practice and your shots will improve.

The general rule for landscape photography is to keep as much of the scene in focus as possible. This means that you have to maximize the Depth of Field or DOF. In other words you have to choose a small aperture setting (remember small in this case means a large number) to obtain a greater Depth of Field. The greater the DOF is the more focus you will achieve. This also means that your shutter will stay open more than it would normally be.

Since you are now using a longer shutter speed to maximize your Depth of Field you need to ensure that your camera is stable and not shaking. The best thing to do is to use a tripod and a cable or wireless shutter release mechanism. Doing so your camera will not shake and your photo will be not blur.

Decide what your central point will be, what is your subject, where is it, what size is it, does it have enough contrast with the rest of the picture and how does its shape compare to the rest of the composition. Your central point, know as Focal Point, is what will make your shot stand out and not allow the eyes of the viewer to wonder. The Focal Point in landscape photography can take the shape of many different things, a building, a tree, a rock, a person, etc. The placement of your subject is very important, use the rules of composition for this purpose.

Your horizon is the next step to consider and an important one. Make sure your horizon is straight and in the lower third or the top third of the photo. The rule of thirds applies very well to landscape photography.

Now look for lines in your shot. Lines are a way to guide the eye. It gives your image a sense of direction. Lines should direct the viewer towards your subject. A line can be road, a river, shoreline, mountain edges, etc.

Another element of your landscape composition that can create an amazing landscape shot is a foreground object, this creates depth in your shot and prevents it from being flat. The foreground will help you balance your image.

When possible convey and transmit the movement that you see, wind, water, moving clouds, a bird. A static image is less dramatic than one that showcases movement, it ads drama, mood and creates a point of interest.

Shoot landscapes either early morning or at dusk, light is the best at this point and colors, textures, patterns will pop out and impact your image.

Take your time before taking the final shot. Try different points of view. The same image will look completely different if you go lower or if you go higher. So walk around, climb a little, get on your knees or in a ditch. You will be surprise at what you see.

Each 'Photography Project' is a new challenge for The Duenitas Digital World, which is met with great motivation and enthusiasm! The Duenitas Digital World team is technically proficient under any conditions and work in an unobtrusive respectful way. The Duenitas Digital World is flexible and reacts well to unplanned happenings; capturing the perfect image as they go.

The Duenitas Digital World is based in Miami, Florida and covers South Florida, the Caribbean, Mexico and Central America. They specialize in the following Photography Topics: Weddings, Resort, Real Estate, Product, Family & Event and Commercial Photography.

The Duenitas Digital World is also proficient in Graphic Design, Web Design and Social Media.

Website: http://www.theduenitas.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TheDuenitasDigitalWorld

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The Art of Taking Candid Portraits

Location: Where the photography is going to take place? Is it indoors or outdoors? If it is indoors, is it a residential setup or a corporate office? How much light is available and what types of lights are these, tungsten, fluorescent or combination of both?

Also, keep in mind that when you are required to travel outside city, carrying additional equipment will be cumbersome and you may have to incur additional costs in transporting it.

Outdoor location photo-shoots are more challenging as the local weather conditions may throw some new surprise elements. What time of the day you will shoot depends on the subject or model's comfort level, attire and your own expertise in handling the situations. Most of the professional photographs, shoot on locations that are popular like beaches and in front of famous monuments like Taj Mahal, Leaning Tower of Pisa etc. In order, to avoid excessive glare of the sun, many professionals shoot in the 'golden hours'. The hour after sunrise and before sunset are considered good, as there are no hard shadows and the temperature also more soothing.

During noon time, with the sun blazing overhead, you can experiment with large diffusers available commercially or you can get them custom-made as per your requirements and specifications.

Light: Photography is all about light. Whether you are shooting indoors or outdoors, the light will play a crucial role in the final results. There is a limitation to the amount of post production manipulation that you can undertake in editing software like Adobe Photo Shop. One of the best sources is the natural light: Sun. The best of the portrait photographs can be taken in natural light with couple of reflectors and maybe diffusers. How the reflectors and the diffusers are used, depends entirely on your creativity and the results expected from the photo-shoot.

Artificial lights can be tungsten or fluorescent. You will have to transport the lights and may require assistance from your friend or hired helping hands.

Another, manner in which portraits are shot is using a dedicated external flash unit, either mounted on the hot-shoe of the camera or off the camera using a trigger. The direction of the light will make lot of impact on the final result. In most of the cases, you can bounce the light from the white ceiling or in some cases, from a white sheet of plastic or board.

Subject: A lot depends on the subject who will be photographed. Are you clicking formal photographs or informal ones? Are you shooting a man, woman or a child? What mood are you trying to capture? There are many points and issues that have to be addressed, before you can embark on portrait photography.

Capturing the mood is the key to good portrait photography. One of the key points is to communicate openly with the model or person who is going to be photographed. There are entire books written on this subject and investing in some of them will be a good move.

Portrait photography is rewarding monetarily as well as creatively. You can explore, the various styles of other renowned photographers and develop your own unique style to create visually arresting images, that are cherished by your subjects as well as you feel proud to add to your portfolio.

Corporate Photography page Corporate Photographer website.

Visit: Industrial Photographer for many commercial photographs

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Photographing Trees - Tips And Ideas For Tree Photos

Nature photography is a favorite genre of photography, and within nature photography, trees are one of the most common subjects. Trees are widespread, tremendously diverse, and can make both beautiful and majestic subjects of a photo. In some respects, trees are also easy to photograph: they are widely visible, and unlike animals, they sit still, allowing you to carefully compose exactly the photo you wish to capture. The best way to get better at photographing trees is to get out there in the world, look at trees, and take lots of photos of trees. However, there are a few tips and tricks that you may not have thought of, that can help you to take beautiful photos of trees.

Tip #1: Experiment:

The best way to get better at photographing trees is to take photographs of trees. However, getting creative with your composition, angle, and the aspect of the tree that you wish to focus on can help you to discover new ways to produce artistic or powerful photographs of trees. Pick a tree, any tree, and try photographing it in as many ways and from as many angles as possible. Focus on the leaves, the bark, the stems, the roots if they are visible, the fruit or flowers, or the bare branches, depending on season. Compare the bark on the trunk to the bark on smaller branches, or the leaves low on the tree to the leaves higher to the top (if you have a way of getting close enough to photograph them). Try taking photos of the tree from a distance, as well as photos taken from within the tree, looking outward. Photograph the ground under the tree; look up through the tree to the sky. Photograph the miniature ecosystem created by the tree, the moss or lichens growing on the trunk or roots, the animals or other plants that make this tree its home, and the soil or ground in which the tree lives.

Tip #2: Return to each tree at different times of the day and year:

Trees are remarkably dynamic. The color and appearance of deciduous trees changes sharply in the different seasons, as they sprout fresh leaves, as their leaves mature and turn darker green, and then as the leaves turn colors and drop in the fall. Evergreen trees have more subtle changes throughout the year, but are dynamic as well.

Trees also look radically different at different times of day and in different lighting. Trees are light capturing machines, and accordingly, the visual effects as the sun shines on them from different angles throughout the day can be surprisingly complex and interesting.

In some cases you may wish to photograph sunlight filtering through branches or interesting shadows cast by the sun, whereas at other times you may find that an overcast or even rainy day brings out color contrasts that were not evident on a clear day. Inclement weather such as floods, droughts, snow, and ice storms often produce new and beautiful scenes with trees that can be captured in photographs. Although a tree may stand in the same place for years, sometimes you may only have one opportunity to capture a unique occurrence in a photograph.

Tip #3: Know your trees:

Botanical knowledge is not necessary for being a good nature photographer, but it certainly cannot hurt. Some people look at a tree and see just a tree; others might see an oak, or further, specific species like a pin oak, northern red oak, or swamp white oak. Each different species has a particular appearance and growth habit. Knowing more about the biology and ecology of trees can guide and enrich your experience as a photographer in a number of ways.

As you get to know the various species of tree, you will know where to return to later to find beautiful fall colors, spring flowers, or interesting shapes of bare branches in winter, even when you visit at a different time of year when the scene may look more mundane. Knowledge of a tree's ecology and biology, and your own skill at photographing that type of tree often go hand-in-hand. You will find that as you learn more about a tree, you become better capturing interesting aspects of it in pictures, and you will also find that the more you photograph a tree, the more curious you become about the tree itself and its relationships to other living beings.

In summary:

Reading about how to photograph trees can only get you so far. Turn off your computer, get outside, and take some pictures. You do not need to do anything fancy; start with the first tree you find!

Alex Zorach takes photographs of trees both to capture their natural beauty, and to illustrate ecological concepts and environmental issues. He publishes photos as well as writings on politics, religion, and a variety of other subjects on Cazort.net, his personal and opinion website. If you are interested in tree photograph, you are likely to enjoy his collection of pictures of trees, as well as his photographs of a wide variety of other subjects.

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Digital Photography - Optical Image Stabilization

In this article, we are discussing the world of digital camera optical image stabilization. This technology has been around since first introduced in 1995, however, it just recently made its way into the amateur photographer market of lenses and cameras.

Lens Stabilization - Lens stabilization is a technology used in some camera manufacturer's lenses where the recorded image is stabilized by varying the optical path to the sensor. Right now, the two major companies having used lens stabilization the longest are Canon and Nikon. Canon calls their technology Internal Stabilization (IS) whereas Nikon calls theirs Vibration Reduction (VR).

Lens stabilization was never meant to prevent motion blur of the subject - just the minute shaking from the photographer hand-holding a lens, however, some lenses now include a secondary panning or active mode to compensate for those conditions.

A general rule-of-thumb with lens stabilization, you can expect to gain at least a two-stop improvement over a non-stabilized lens. For example, if you are using a 100 mm lens, you would not normally try to use a shutter speed of less than the reciprocal of the lens or 1/125th second.

By using lens stabilization, you could expect to handhold up to two-stops less or at 1/30th second. While the stabilized lenses of the big two are common in many respects, they are different.

Comparison - In a comparison test between a Nikon and a Canon stabilized lens, the Canon lens ended up being quicker and quieter, while the Nikon lens was smaller and lighter in weight. Both had the same maximum aperture, roughly the same focal length and basically, the same price. But it didn't stop there.

Canon's IS lenses have two modes, Mode 1 and Mode 2. Mode 1 is for general photography where the lens elements float thereby compensating for camera shake along both the vertical and horizontal axis. Mode 2 is used for panned shots and when used, it deactivates image stabilization in the horizontal direction. The mode switch is a small ribbed slider switch located on the lens barrel.

On the other hand, Nikon's Vibration Reduction system detects smooth movement on the horizontal axis, interprets it as panning, and engages its compensatory motors accordingly. It does not need or use a switch to select a mode, so the Nikon lens is smarter in that respect.

How It Works - Both Canon and Nikon use the same basic technology. Both use two shake-detecting sensors to detect lens movement - one for yaw and one for pitch. The two sensors detect both angle and speed of the movement and sends information to a high-speed processor in the lens.

The processor interprets the detection signals, converts these signals to drive signals telling the lens group which way to move to counteract the shake, therefore creating a stable image.

Camera Stabilization - Some companies, such as Konica-Minolta, Pentax and Olympus build stabilization into the camera body itself instead of the lens.This works by moving the image sensor to counteract for the movement. While this method works well with shorter focal lengths, it does not work well with longer ones as the sensor can not move enough to counteract all the detected movement.

What The Future Holds - The big two in this field, Nikon and Canon are working on making optical stabilization both more responsive and available on a wider range of lenses. In the past, optical stabilization, whether built into a lens or camera body, did not function well at slow shutter speeds. Recently, some new developments in technology resulted in lenses working much better at slower speeds. As the technology gets less expensive to manufacture, both companies are working on building optical stabilization into their less-expensive lenses and I imagine one day in the not-too-distant future, it will be as common as auto-focus is now.

Summary - There are several advantages to using optical stabilization:

That is an important feature when trying to photograph inside certain buildings that do not allow tripods or flash photography.

- One is a photographer can be more responsive by not having to set a camera on a tripod to photograph at moderately slow shutter speeds.

- Two, the photographer in many cases no longer needs to lug around a tripod thereby lightning up the load.

- Three, it is easier now than ever before to get crisp sharp images hand-holding a camera system that employs some type of optical stabilization.

The last feature is important when trying to photograph inside certain buildings that do not allow tripods or flash photography.

If you are considering an equipment purchase or upgrade, look into purchasing either a lens or camera equipped with optical stabilization. Your slow shutter speed photos will improve by using this new technology.

If you liked this article, visit our website at http://www.sunlightmedia.net/sunlightmediatravelwritingandphotography/ for more tips and techniques.

Ron

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Kids And Animals

There are two words in professional photography that can strike fear into even the most seasoned photographer are the words "kids" and "animals."

Unlike a job where you know you'll be able to spend an hour with the subject and come away with at least a few winner shots, while kids and animals have the capacity to make you crazy. They'll give you the best looks when you're changing lenses and getting setup, but when it's time to shoot, they become uncooperative. Animals can be frightened by the camera, children become fascinated by it.

Kids

Spending some time up front with kids can go a long way to putting them at ease. Talk to them for a few minutes in the company of their parents, get down to their level and explain what you want to do. Even very young kids seem to respond well if you spend just a few minutes explaining what's going on and how they can help.

A trick that works for very young children and babies is putting a mirror near by or ask a parent to stand next to you and hold it. Infants are fascinated by their reflection so be ready to shoot when the mirror comes out and make sure your camera and flash units are set for continuous shooting.

For older children talk to the parents before the shoot and encourage them to bring along some of their favorite books and toys. Sometimes the presence of a coveted toy can put a child at ease and add to the picture.

You'll also discover kids are easier to work with individually than in groups, where the temptation to act out in front of siblings can be difficult to manage.

Animals

Nothing can challenge your photographic skill quite as much as animal pictures. Outdoors you're at the mercy of distractions and the elements, inside the distractions of a new environment can make even normally cooperative animals difficult to control.

One device that used to help when photographing horses is wrapping a trash bag around the top of a buggy whip or crop. Have an assistant raise the bag and rattle it briefly and gently when you're ready to shoot. It's a rare horse that won't lift up its head and put its ears up when the bag rattles.

The operative word for the bag trick is "briefly". Rattle it too loud or too long and you're likely to scare a horse and, since most times you'll be shooting with the animal in a show halter, scaring them can put them and you at considerable risk.

Cats and dogs are normally easier to manage, but also present unique challenges. Cats are notoriously aloof and uncooperative. The fish pole type toys where you can dangle a toy just out of reach can sometimes get cats attention. A laser pointer can also be a useful distraction. Be prepared to shoot the second you turn off the laser pointer as cats will almost always look up right at that moment.

Another trick with cats is to hiss at them. It's instinctual for them to face a potential threat and almost every cat will turn quickly toward that noise.

With dogs it's just a matter of patience. Dogs will be excited at the new surroundings and you'll be the most interesting thing in their world.

It often helps to have the owner bring a portable kennel if they have one. Dogs go into "den mode" once they've been in their kennel for a while and you'll sometimes have a few minutes of relative calm when you first bring them out. It also helps to walk them first and let them sniff out their new surroundings.

Mainly, with any animal, you'll want to allot plenty of time and be pleasantly surprised if it goes faster.

You'll learn even more with Proud Photography - one of the best online photography schools available today at http://www.proudphotography.com/

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Best Nikon Camera For Beginners: Don't Buy That New SLR Camera - Not Until You Have Read This!

So you have embraced the world of digital photography and now searching for the best Nikon camera for beginners. This could be one of the best moves you have ever made especially if you want to get serious in creating stunning shots, after all using a digital SLR camera has lots of perks; they are designed for versatility, speed and excellent quality images even in poor lighting conditions.

Well, I would say that choosing Nikon among other camera brands out there is not surprising at all; this giant has a track record of amazing digital photography innovations for decades.

But then, this fact could be both a pro and a con when buying your first SLR digital camera...the pros are pretty obvious of course....the cons - if you get to choose between lots of high quality cameras with great features and specs, it could be really confusing, not to mention, intimidating particularly for first time users.

So how would you choose among the Nikon digital SLR camera models that are available in the market nowadays? How could you keep yourself from wasting huge amount of cash (these cameras doesn't come cheap!), just to realize in the end that you have made a bad choice?!

Important Facts That You Should Know Before Getting A New Nikon Camera

While any Nikon digital SLR is reasonably priced, they don't come cheap. So it is best to look into DSLRs that's according to your experience level. Since you're a beginner in digital photography and I assume in using a SLR camera, then it will be wise to look into entry level cameras that Nikon has to offer.

Entry level cameras allow you to enjoy digital photography without any hint of intimidation....very minimal if there's any. Just like your point and shoot camera, DSLRs are intuitive. You can still find lots of auto modes; they are user friendly and lightweight.

Nikon D3100 and D5100 are both great choices for beginners like you...but if you compare their prices and features, you'll see that with just a few more bucks, you'll have a better deal with the Nikon D5100, that's why it has recently become one of the top choices.

It also comes with a vari-angle swivel LCD, which is not just great for capturing hard to shoot subjects, but is also great for effortless video shooting. You'll never miss your point and shoot camera since D5100 includes cool image effects that you've come to love on your compact camera.

So what's the best Nikon camera for beginners?

The best thing about Nikon digital SLR camera models is that you are given great choices...just like the two models that I have mentioned above....but in the end it all goes down to your photography needs, the price you're willing to pay for a high quality SLR camera and how serious you intend to be in digital photography.

Deciding on which best Nikon camera for beginners to get can be a bit overwhelming especially if you don't have much idea about SLR digital cameras. Go to Click here if you want to have a closer look at Nikon D5100 and great tips on digital photography.

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Inside Product Photography Advice: Photographing Camera Equipment

An overlooked area within the field of product photography is the camera itself. Camera equipment and photography equipment poses a unique challenge to the product photographer, which is yet another reason why it's safer not to attempt your catalogue photography in house, relying on the services of a professional photography studio instead.

So what is it that makes cameras and camera equipment so challenging when it comes to photography? There are three main issues which need to be considered. The first issue is that the people who are likely to be looking at your photographs of cameras are likely to be camera enthusiasts, and therefore enthusiastic about quality photography. If the images you're using are of poor quality then this doesn't look inspiring, and is unlikely to appeal to image conscious consumers.

Having high quality photographic images is always important no matter what you're selling and no matter to whom you're marketing it. But cameras and studio equipment from lights to lens needs that edge in order to appeal to people who are likely to be that bit more critical when it comes to image quality.

The second issue that needs to be considered when thinking about camera product photography is that most items of equipment tend to be both dark and detailed. If you look at most medium to high end digital and SLR cameras they tend to be black almost all over. Not only this but there tends to be quite a few buttons, and many of these are black too. This poses a problem, because it can be very difficult to take a photograph of a dark, detailed object and manage to both capture the detail, and make the product look three dimensional. Too many amateur photographs of cameras and similar products either lose the detail, or make the camera seem flat, cheap and uninteresting.

The third area of concern relates to reflections, because there are one or two areas of the camera which are likely to reflect light or to reflect what's in the room or studio. The two most obvious examples here include the lens, and any digital preview screen on the reverse of the camera. The lens doesn't tend to pose a problem as far as reflecting the studio is concerned, because what will generally be seen are simply light circles. But these are important, and by using coloured lights, appropriately angled lighting and the right exposure it's possible to really make the lens stand out. This is important because often the lens is the only real element of colour, and by having a glowing lens with light circles it helps to add a great deal of depth to the image as well as providing a focal point.

The screen at the back poses a different problem though. By switching this off you lose a potential area of colour and interest, and you also pose the risk of having the photographer and studio reflected in the screen, which doesn't look very professional. Switching the camera on though and having an image on the screen doesn't always work, as the quality will appear greatly reduced. It's generally best to use post production editing to superimpose an image onto the area where the screen is on the camera, although this has to be done very carefully indeed in order to make it look natural. Again, any keen camera enthusiast will certainly spot a doctored image, and this will beg many questions as far as the authenticity and honesty of the rest of the image is concerned.

So when it comes to product photography for cameras and photographic equipment it really is far better to make use of a professional photographer and studio, otherwise you could find your business very underexposed.

For low cost, professional product photography solutions visit The Packshot People Ltd.

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