2012年11月29日星期四

How to Stop Blurry Images: 3 Important Tips


By on July 16, 2012 in tutorials, Photography Tips Blog


how to stop blurry images

Photographers around the world are worried about getting blurry pictures, especially if they get the chance to capture a moment that rarely comes. If you want to be able to see to it that you will get crystal clear images every time that use your camera, then you should brush up on the different things that you have to know in order to learn how to stop blurry images. Here are some tips that you may use in order to limit the chance that your precious moments will pass without you getting the chance to document them. With the following tips, you should be able to avoid blurry images showing up in your files and you will be able to see to it that you will get amazing pictures every single time.

Tip #1: Focus Camera Within the Least Amount of Time

One of the most important things that you have to master in the process of learning how to stop blurry images involves focusing your camera within the least amount of time possible. After all, your picture will be very blurry in all the wrong places if you fail to set the focus on your camera properly. Choose the part of the picture that you want to come out clearest and make sure that you adjust your focus in such a way that the right parts will come off crystal clear. Mastering the art of finding the right focus for your pictures will allow you to ensure that your photos will come out clear and not blurred. Even better, it will allow you to make sure that you highlight the subject in your photographs.

Tip #2: Use the Right Motion Blur Settings

Capturing a very fast moving object in a picture can be very tricky, especially if you are going to place your camera on automatic setting. If you would simply just point and shoot your camera, then there is almost a hundred percent possibility that your photos will come out blurry. Having said this, make sure that you at least use the right motion blur settings when you are shooting a moving subject. This will not remove the blur completely, but doing so will make the image clearer. If you want to shoot moving objects with absolutely no blur, then you have to see to it that you tweak your camera’s setting accordingly.

Tip #3: Use a Tripod to Keep Camera Stable

Finally, make sure that you use the right techniques and mechanisms in order to keep your camera as stable as possible. There are a lot of tools that you may use in order to do this, as you learn how to stop blurry images. Using a good tripod, for example, will give your equipment the stability that it needs, especially if you were to use long exposures and slow shutter speeds. If you are a serious photographer, then it is imperative that you invest on a tripod that you may bring everywhere and mount on any kind of surface. This way, you will be able to ensure that all the photos that you shoot will come out crisp and crystal clear, and no doubt, beautiful.

2012年11月26日星期一

Macro Butterfly Photography


photographer unknown
For many nature photographers, butterflies are a favorite subject among their photography works. However, it’s really difficult to photograph these pretty sensitive creatures since butterflies always fly from one flower to another, which means that photographers almost have no enough time to get ready for shoot. The following are some basic tips for macro butterfly photography, and I believe those who get good butterfly photographs have already keep these tips in mind.

1. Use right equipments
Elly
A long macro lens As butterflies are sensitive and usually fly away when you approach too closely, a macro lens with a longer focal length will be better. Some pros suggested that at least a 100mm lens should be used while a 50mm or 60mm lens is too short.
A fast shutter The butterfly is always moving which means that you probably have only seconds to shoot the scene. In order to help capture the still butterfly and increase the chances of getting a sharp photo, use a fast shutter by increasing your ISO to 400.
A tripod A tripod could provide some stability when you are shooting the butterfly. But, we know we have no time to prepare everything as the butterfly moves quickly, so keep the head loose and then you could move the camera quickly as well.

2. Shoot in cold weather
Generally, you are able to approach the butterflies more easily in the early morning to get a good macro shot. As it’s still too cold for butterflies to warm up their body to fly away, you could have more time to get everything ready and make your image. Sometimes, you can also grasp this kind of chance in the late afternoon or evening.

Saleem Khawar


3. Move slowly, be patient
When trying to get close to a butterfly, you should move slowly to approach it. Be careful that don’t block the sun or the butterflies may fly away. When composing your image, you’d better still keep your action slow, just be patient for every step and possibly try again all the steps.

4. Stay still & wait for the butterfly
If you have tried many times to approach the butterfly which results in no satisfied pictures, wait for the butterfly. Pick a flower which is perched on by butterflies again and again, setup your tripod and camera there, and then stay still to wait until the next butterfly lands. “Be patient though: it might be 15-20 minutes before a butterfly shows up.” said by a photographer with experience.

5. Get a calm background
photographer unknown
The background is very important in all kinds of photography. Make sure you get a calm background which is not distracting or has something that would ruin the photograph, such as bright flowers or stems of other plants. Use the depth of field preview button of your camera to check the background.
 
Hope these basic tips are helpful for nature photography beginners. Wish all of you could have fun shooting butterflies and get interesting & wonderful macro shots of butterflies.

2012年11月22日星期四

Tips for Thanksgiving Photography


Great holidays always present perfect opportunities to take nice and precious photos for eternal memory. We had Halloween weeks ago, and now Thanksgiving has arrived. When you are shooting pictures of people you love or dinner you like on Thanksgiving Day, pay attention to the following tips for better shots.

Start with a proper subject
Each successful shot should have a proper subject or a unique theme. Family members, the turkey, or other specific things related with Thanksgiving could be your main subjects and make sure that the background won’t ruin the entire photo. Besides, the theme of Thanksgiving should be portrayed on the pictures. That is family, togetherness, harvest and gratefulness.
photographer unknown

Capture while people are caught unaware
Photographers may ask people to position, to sit, stand or pose candidly. However, taking pictures while people are captured unaware will be far more interesting and precious. This tip is almost available for all types of photography, not only Thanksgiving shots.

Shoot from a higher position
If you want to take pictures of the whole family gathered around the dining table having the meal or posing to carve the turkey, shoot this scene from a higher position so that all your family members and the mouth-watering food will be captured.

Last thing to mention, don’t forget to take pictures of yourself together with the whole family, photographers should be involved in the happiness of Thanksgiving Day as well!

2012年11月19日星期一

Reflection Photography: Rain Reflections


Here is a statement I saw yesterday: Rain + Photography = Not a Great Combination. To most photographers, who like challenges and pursuit more interesting & eye catching shots, this statement is definitely false as rainy weather usually presents perfect chances to get most out of a photographer’s shooting skill while producing dramatic atmosphere and romantic scenes.

Brian Fisher
A popular theme or style of rain photography is Reflection, always making the shots in rain beautiful and unpredictable. For those who don’t mind getting a little bit wet and the cold weather, take out your camera and photograph the pictures composed of rain reflections and surroundings on wet streets. The following are some  basic tips of shooting rain reflections, just take a look:


Photograph while the rain is coming down  
Some photographers love to shoot in the rain to add an abstract or artistic feeling to their photos as the raindrops break the surface of the water, sending ripples across it. This will make the buildings blurred and its straight lines into zigzagging shapes. 

Give images of brightly lit objects  
As objects that are shaded would probably end up looking dull and rather miserable when you shoot the reflections, remember to give images of a brightly lit subject which will produce a better reflection.

Scan each and every puddle  
We could take photos of water reflections everyday next to the sea or a lake. But in a rainy day, every photographer wants to try something different. Thus, scan each and every puddle that you come across for the special and great view that you would never come across on a bright and sunny day.



2012年11月14日星期三

Portrait+1.5: an effective portrait retouching tool


The best retouching always needs a careful eye, an empathetic heart, and a patient mouse. As a professional portrait retoucher, you are required to emphasize one’s natural features while removing circles and blemishes. If you want to maintain one’s personality, the first thing you need to do is to study his/her character and decide which attributes to accentuate and which to minimize before retouching.

It’s necessary to Map out a portrait retouch strategy before removing freckles once launching the software. In previous version of Portrait+, you can apply any style with one click to instantly enhance your portraits. But now, to offer a more superb service to whomever wants to express individuality, Portrait+ has upgraded its functionality to support customization. Before beginning, learn from its newest features to complete a successful retouch.

Conceal blemishes, balance skin tones and reduce wrinkles to improve the appearance of skin. A person’s skin should be appropriate to his or her age. Creating a perfect skin needs 7 steps: Remove Circles, Remove Blemishes, Foundation, Whiten Skin, Soften Skin, Remove Shine and Blush. Every step provides you a subtle enhancement.

Refine contours of the face to be smooth and flattering. Adjust the intensity to slim face, lift cheeks or enhance nose. Bulges caused by awkward smile, weight, or age should be carefully reduced or smoothed out.

Emphasize eyes to twinkle as a bright star. The eyes are the most important facial attribute to emphasize. A slight change on eye liners, eye color, eye lashes, or eye shadow will give you a refreshing appearance. Brighten eyes, enlarge eyes or shape eyebrows are also available for you.

Deepen smile and whiten teeth to attract people’s sights. Free to change your lipstick that you have never tried before. This simple yet essential step will help you discover and define a brand-new character.

Evaluate the results and save them for next use. You may get accustomed with those styles so as to neglect some details. Check them again to ensure everything is perfectly done. Save your favorite makeup as templates. You can apply them with a click next time. The quality of all retouched photos can be customized to meet your requirement.

If you want to take a free trail, please click here to get more information.


2012年11月13日星期二

Zoo Photography through a Wire Fence


It has been reported that our local zoo has introduced several alpacas, which has arouse great attention. During the weekend, many parents will take their child to take a visit to those special guests. Of course, photographing this happy moment is hard to be missed. But trying to shoot an interesting subject behind a wire fence can be a challenge. So how do you minimize the impact of the fence in your shots? Here are a few quick tips:

Lion photographed by John Hodgkin
Switch to Manual Focusing. Your camera may not know what to focus on – the fence or the object behind it. Switch to manual focus mode and you’ll be in complete control of what is in and out of focus.

Get close to the Fence. Try to make the fence so out of focus. To do this one strategy is to get up very close to the fence – so close your lens has no chance of focusing on it. It may not be possible to be right up against a fence but the closer the better.

Use a Large Aperture. Choose a large aperture will help to narrow the depth of focus and will hopefully through the lens even further out of focus.

Wait until Your Subject is away from the Fence. If your subject is moving around behind the fence, wait until they are a little further back from the fence to take the shot. The closer they are to the fence the more the fence will be in focus.

A mandrill, photographed by John Hodgkin
Position Your Lens to Shoot Through Larger Gaps. This one isn’t rocket science but if the fence has largish openings you’ll do better to position these gaps in the middle of your frame.

Avoid Reflections. If there are reflections from the sun or other lights coming off the fence you’ll find the fence becomes even more noticeable. Try to find a part of the fence that is shaded – or get someone to stand in a way that casts a shadow on the fence.

Incorporate the fence into your composition. Consider breaking all the above rules to try that out!


2012年11月8日星期四

Great Angles for Food Photography

Food Photography is very similar to photographing people in a sense that each person has her best side. Considering the variety of food out there, diverse cooking and presentation styles, the final results are endless. Here are top 10 angles for Food Photography from digital photography school.
Angle 1: Head-on Zen:
The camera is completely centered to the subject. This created a very clean contemporary look and feel.

Angle 2: From Above:
Camera is positioned directly above the subject and perfectly centered.



Angle 3: Lost in Space:
For this shot, food was placed directly onto the white plexiglass surface; a soft box was positioned below the plexi.


Angle 4: Tilt Towards:
Camera is tilted right, so the subject tilts counterclockwise and the dish is welcoming you in, motivating the spectator to indulge in image.

Angle 5: Tilt Away:
Camera is tilted left, so the subject tilts clockwise, pulling away from you, engaging the viewer the desire to follow.

Angle 6: Close up and personal
Don’t be afraid to get close to your subject. When you are shooting close ups, the point of reference loses its importance, so any camera angle will produce an appetizing image.

Angle 7: Above with Perspective:
The camera is positioned above the front of the subject and then tilted up until the subject fills the frame. The photograph will engage the eye to scan the image from the foreground to the background.

Angle 8: Diagonal:
Turn you camera so the subject starts in one corner and ends in the opposite corner, breaking the space diagonally.

Angle 9: With respect to the Line:
Align parallel lines to the vertical edge of the frame. This created a very monumental and unusual composition, granting unprecedented importance to this slice of a regular cheese cake.

Angle 10: Gentle tilt:
If the camera had been leveled, then the middle wedge would create a horizontal line that would divide the composition in two sections and forcing the eye to travel away from the center.

Conclusion:
Try to forget about the rule of thirds and everything you just learned, just move around your subject and really try to see it and when you see it, draw the camera to your eye and start framing. 

2012年11月7日星期三

Shooting in the Rain


Weather is getting much colder these days. And the continuous rain plays as a role of “accomplice”. Many people hate rainy days for it means wet clothes, crowded traffic. But it reminds me of one classic movie, Singing in the Rain. If we change our perspective, the annoying rainy day can also turn into lovely one. Now, let’s learn some preparation before shooting in the rain. With some proper planning you can have a great time outside.

Soumya
Be prepared. A large ziploc bag takes up no room in your bag and can be used in a pinch to cover your camera. You can shoot through a ziploc bag as a last ditch effort to get the shot.

Invest in rain gear. Many companies make specific bags for different DSLR models that are designed to use most of the functions on the camera and offer a better shoot-through plastic protector. They are cut generously enough to cover you and your backpack or messenger style bag and help protect it from the elements.

Look for the reflections.  Rain collecting in streets can cause some beautiful reflections. Point your lens down and look for reflections in the water of surrounding scenery and frame accordingly.

Artem Tschaikowsky
Increase your ISO. With the rain come clouds which block the sun – these darker shooting situations are similar to shooting near dusk, so a higher ISO sensitivity is needed.

Take a friend along. Take a friend with you to help hold an umbrella, and to be a second set of eyes to help look for reflections, patterns and subject matter.

Rinse it off. If you take camera gear, waterproof point and shoot or bagged DSLRs to the beach or in salt water, rinse them off with clean fresh water before they dry.  The salt in the water can cause corrosion and dry-rot the rubber gaskets that help seal the memory card door.


2012年11月6日星期二

Photography in Golden Hour


If there's one thing that can make or break a photograph more than any other, it's lighting. You might have the most incredible landscape or stunning portrait model, but without the right quality of light you can still be left with a flat, dull, and uninspiring photo. To take a stunning photo, it is important to take advantages of "golden hour”- the first hour of light after sunrise and the last hour of light before sunset.

Rim Lighting
A huge benefit to having portraits backlit with the sun is achieving that wonderful rim lighting – where the edges of your model are outlined by a thin thread of light. When photographed at the right angle, you have an incredibly powerful portrait.

Use a Wide Aperture
For a truly artistic approach to shooting these golden hour portraits, you can open your aperture wide up which will give you a fantastic shallow depth of field and the setting sun can provide a huge amount of light that can turn into beautiful Bokeh.

Foreground Interest
A great layering technique that you’ll find often with these portraits is to shoot with a wide aperture and place something in the foreground – usually some type of foliage. Lock the focus on your model and the foreground will become blurred – giving a natural, soft layering effect that adds depth and interest to your image.


2012年11月5日星期一

Colors in Autumn Photography

Photo by Christopher O’Donnell
There is no doubt that the golden and red leaves on a background of lush green grass and beautiful blue skies are wonderful things. So how do you capture it? Darren from digital photography school offers us a few starting points to boost the colors in your autumn photography.

Use a Polarizing Filter
The saturation of colors that you get with one of these is fantastic. It is particularly useful in getting lovely blue skies but you’ll find that it decreases some of the haze that you often get at this time of year also.

Shoot in the Golden hours
While you can get great results at any time of the day – shoot autumn colors at the end of the day just before sunset when the light is golden. This accentuates the reds and golds even more than normal.

Photo by Christopher O’Donnell
Don’t ignore the Overcast days
Some people keep their cameras in their bags on days where the sun isn’t shining – but they can actually be the best days, for they help create a mood that you can’t get on a sunny day.

Look for contrasts
One way to accentuate the colors in your shots is to think about framing your shots in such a way that the different colors contrast with one another.

Photo by Zitona
Avoid shooting into the Sun
Shooting into the sun will result in shadows, lower saturation of colors and lens flare (which further reduces the impact of colors. If you do have to shoot into the sun use a lens hood or shield your lens with something to avoid lens flare.

Play with White Balance
Sometimes Auto mode with White Balance won’t give you the most vibrant results. Warm up your colors by increasing the color temperature a touch (not too much).

Underexpose your shots
Pull back the exposure on your shots a touch and you’ll find that it gives your colors a slightly deeper saturation.

2012年11月4日星期日

10 Occupations Relate with Photography


For anyone who is studying photography, below is a list of photography-related jobs. If you find it hard to make a job selection, you may take below occupation into consideration.
 
Portrait Photographer
The major photographic targets of portrait photographers include characters, graduation ceremony, wedding, and pets. They must understand light-transporting principle and get responsible for everyone’s position in photos.

Colorist
Compared with photo retoucher, colorist is much more like an artist. Carefulness is the most essential, without it, a work is easily ruined.

Commercial Photographer
Most of commercial photographers work for magazines or advertisements and aim to produce appealing and attractive photos. Basically, they have personal photo studios.

Freelance Photographer
Freelance Photographers work at home by himself. They don’t have a studio but they will rent model or photographing while traveling. Some freelance photographers only get enthusiastic for single activity, such as sports, nature or art.

Industrial Photographer
Industrial photographers work for company to photograph a large amount of works especially some architecture and mechanical equipment.

Laboratory Supervisor
Laboratory supervisors process films to correctly exposure at the later stage.

Photography Salesperson
Aiming to make studio’s work appreciated and purchased by more people, Photography Salespersons apply with commercial manners to attract more attention from the public.

Retoucher
Retoucher is responsible for the final enhancement of work. Through removing extra stuff, sharpening, denoising and more, a photo is perfectly enhanced.

Black-and-White Printer
The photography today can be divided into color and black-and-white. But, several decades of years ago, it appears black-and-white most. After studying at special schools, you can become a black-and-white printer to beautify and enlarge old photos.

Photography Instructor

After teaching lessons in colleges, art schools or high schools etc., a professional photographer becomes photography instructor. Their duty is to cultivate students to become the professionals.