Take Better Pictures with Your Digital Camera

 

Photo credit: zoutedrop 

By Dan Feildman

Be smart with photography  Photography is both about knowing how to use a camera and also knowing how to make decisions. Today's media projects images that can be difficult to understand, and learning photography can help you to understand what you're being shown every day on television, on the internet, and in movies.

Photography is a good way to occupy your time, especially if you are a teenager, as it is fun and harmless. Besides that, it's a great way to bring a community together for a project, such as photographing activities and gatherings.

When you buy a digital camera, you have to know how to take care of it to keep it in its best condition. In order to have the clearest photos possible, you must make sure to regularly clean your optic lens and keep from leaving fingerprints on it. If this happens, parts of your pictures will be blurry, and dirt can build up over time. Not all cleaning products are suitable for a camera lens, so make sure that you don't use tissue paper, any household cleaning solutions, and definitely not saliva. Instead, you should buy the proper products at a camera store, in order to keep your camera at its best.

Understanding how your camera focuses will help you get better pictures. Just about all digital cameras these days have autofocus with two-step shutter release.

In dark lighting, you will notice that when you press the button halfway down, a red light appears for a moment, but not in areas that are lighter. Then, when you press the button down fully, there is a flash. When you hold down the button halfway, that focuses the image, and when you depress it fully, the camera takes the focused image. If you want the subject of your photograph not to be in the center but still focused, first center them in the middle of the picture and focus the frame by pressing down halfway. Without removing your finger, reframe the picture with your subject in the right position, and take the picture. Your subject will still be focused.

One aspect of taking a pleasing photograph is depth of field. When you look at a picture, you will notice that all the area surrounding the focused subject is also focused. This area is called depth of field. In order to change the way the depth of field in a picture is seen, focused, and lit, you must change the width of your lens. The wider the lens is, the smaller the depth of field will be. To decrease the depth of field you can also move closer to your subject. To increase it, you can use a smaller lens or move further away from your subject.

A great technique that helps photographers create eye-catching pictures is the rule of thirds. This is a composition technique, create a pleasing balance between the different objects in a photograph. In order to use the rule, divide your screen into six different parts: three horizontal sections, and three vertical. The focal points, where the eye is attracted when it first looks at a picture, are where the lines intersect. Placing the subjects of your pictures at or near the focal points can help create a balanced and attractive picture.

Landscape photos are very popular and can be very nice-looking. The whole photograph will need to be in focus, unlike some pictures where only a certain part is in focus. In order to have the picture completely focused, you'll need to have a short focal length. This will create a larger depth of field, and everything will be focused. In order to creating a pleasing balance between land and sky, or water and sky, you can use the rule of thirds. Furthermore, if you want a sense of three dimensions, you can have a subject in the foreground.

A tripod is a good investment in photography, especially if you want to take panoramic pictures. You'll have to set your tripod in a place where you can swivel the camera smoothly from left to right, and not up and down. You will have to figure out where you want your pictures to overlap, so that you don't have huge gaps in your resulting picture. Once you figure that out, you can swivel your camera in one direction, clockwise or counterclockwise, to take the pictures you want. Once you're done, all you have to do is put them together with a simple graphics program or photo-editing software.

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How to Capture Great Landscape Photographs

Renown photographer Ansel Adams has this to say about landscape photography:

"Landscape photography is the supreme test of the photographer - and often the supreme disappointment."

Photo Credit: Sunset on La Digue, Seychelles - tiarescott 

Shoot breathtaking pictures  If you follow this site, you will get to know and learn more about this genre of photography as we bring you tips and more information that will truly enhance your skills in taking landscape pictures. You don't need to be a professional photographer to shoot breathtaking pictures of majestic mountains, cascading waterfalls, meandering rivers. wide open plains and more.

As professional photographer Roy Barker will tell you, it's easy to capture landscape pictures because "they are all around us."

"Landscapes are pretty permanent; they don't move, and so all that is necessary is to get there with a camera," says Barker.

If you are an aficionado of landscape photography and you want great pictures, the advice to put a great deal of effort into a shot is something to remember. For a landscape photograph to be something out of the ordinary, perception and technique will be the order of the day.

Read what Roy Barker has written about the art of landscape photography...

Basic techniques for taking 

great landscape photos

Photo Credit: Inside Mongolia - tiarescott

People often enjoy good landscape photographs because of the almost magical nature of the photos to transport the viewer to the location that was photographed. Although seemingly simple to take, only photographers who are aware of some key techniques will take very good landscape photos.

If you look at a few of the really great landscape photographs, you will be able to identify a certain amount of common elements to them. There is a foreground portion, appropriate composure or framing and they will all draw on the rule of thirds one way or another.

The foreground

When you consider landscapes, they are often vast, breathtaking areas which can be awe-inspiring when you are physically present. To reproduce this effect in photography, you need to present the viewer with a sense of dimension. The best way to do this is to include an element that can be easily distinguishable in the foreground.

This way, you show your viewer the true size of the landscape and they will be able to relate to it better. One main point to remember in landscape photography is that your pictures need to be in focus from foreground to background. The way to do this is to shoot with a narrow aperture. This is also referred to as using a high f/stop.

You need to scout your landscape area first for elements which you can use as foreground elements. Consider the following example: you’re shooting a lovely vineyard located in a mountainous region. One element you can easily include is an individual grape vine. Since the vineyard will be scattered with these vines, you can frame your photo to have one or two of these vines in the foreground. Since there will be so many of them, the viewer will be able to follow the line of vines towards the distance thereby gaining a sense of understanding of the vastness of the vineyard and landscape itself.

Different photographers prefer different elements to depict as their foreground. Some other examples of this are using a car to photograph a long, winding road or a boat on a beach. These elements themselves can be the subject of the photograph as well.

Otherwise there are instances when an old metal railing is used in the foreground to photograph a big city in the background. If executed correctly, mis-matching foreground and background elements can be quite compelling. Think Central Park in New York City with grass and trees in the foreground and big buildings in the background.

Composition

Composing or framing your photograph is another way you can draw attention to where you want your viewer’s eyes to go. It adds more context to your subject. Framing elements can be objects like trees, a window or doorway. Some photographers use the technique of placing the branches of a tree on the upper part of the frame that seem to ‘point’ to the landscape you are photographing. Having framing elements in your photographs to ‘lead’ the viewer’s eyes to your subject or by surrounding your subject is usually a good technique to learn.

When framing your subjects in this manner, make sure you don’t make the mistake of drawing attention to your framing elements by not focusing correctly. Since you’re taking landscape photography, use a high f/stop to gain good focus on both your foreground and background elements. Ideally, you would want your framing elements to be a little less prominent than your subject. One sure way of doing this is to use the light creatively to render the framing elements slightly darker than the subject. Think of an archway which is slightly shadowed which leads to a large garden and castle.

The Rule of Thirds

This often misunderstood and badly used technique is practically essential in landscape photography. Because of the nature of landscape photography being so wide, a certain amount of structure is required. Achieving this structure is easy by applying the rule of thirds. The basic idea of the rule of thirds is that the frame can be divided into 3 horizontal and 3 vertical sections. The ideal locations to place the important points of your composition is where these lines meet. In landscape photography, the rule is invaluable to photographers who need to determine where to place foreground and horizon. It can either be 1/3 sky or 1/3 land.

You can get instant access to more detail at the Science of Landscape Photography.

PhotoCredit: River at dusk in Japan - Visuallens

About the author: Roy Barker works in the Profitable Photography Business . His site is dedicated to coaching you in starting your own photography business but places a strong emphasis on profitability issues and guidelines. 

Know How to Control Your Depth of Field

A rocky vantage point of view from Mt Kinabalu - Photo by angela7dreams

Control your images  As you progress with your photography you'll likely "wake up" one day realizing that you need to have greater control over your images.

Basically, this means controlling the depth of field by adjusting the Aperture-Priority mode. That done, the camera will ensure proper exposure by automatically adjusting the shutter speed.

In the previous post, we touched on the Landscape mode which is the other extreme from the Portrait mode, the later being designed to produce images with minimum depth of field.
As we know by now, the Landscape mode produces images with maximum depth of field. In the following article, Al Sanchez explains further the meaning of depth of field and how a photographer can make the best use of it.

Sun Moon Lake - Photo: Enid Yu

Using Depth of Field - Digital Photography Easy Tips

Depth of field is something that you really need to know about in digital photography. It is something that you know about already but may not know the name of.

The depth means the distance from the closest part of the photo and the part of the picture that is the farthest away that are all in focus. This is the area of the photograph that is clearly in focus.

A general idea of the range of the photo that is in focus is to see that the one-third in front of the object photographed and two-thirds behind the object is in the same depth of field.

The depth of your image is based on a lot of things. It can be affected by various things such as using the zoom button on your camera or changing the lens to a different type.

The depth is influenced mainly by the lenses focal length, the aperture of the lens being used, and how far the subject being photographed is from the camera.

The depth of area in focus can be manipulated by you as a photographer. You can choose to make it very large and have everything in focus or have a small area of the picture in focus.

The lighting and the aperture of the lens will make a great impact on the depth that the photo has. A smaller aperture f-stop will make you have a much larger depth range whereas a larger aperture will give you a smaller range of area in focus.

If you want to have a shallow depth of field then use large aperture numbers like F/2.8. This will make the subject in focus but everything else very out of focus. A large aperture like this will make very extreme blurred backgrounds that are unrecognizable. You can also make it slightly out of focus by using something a little smaller.

An expansive depth can be achieved by using a smaller aperture like F/16. This will give you a picture where mostly everything is in focus. Be sure, however, when taking pictures like this to bring a tripod. Many landscape photos do require tripods since they use very small aperture values that require longer exposure times.

About the author: Al Sanchez has a great program that teaches you how to take better photos. He also teaches people how to sell pictures online.

Using Landscape Mode for Great Outdoor Pictures

photo credit: Bruce Tuten

The Landscape Mode When you are on the Great Outdoors and taking pictures of majestic and panoramic sceneries, the thing to remember is to keep as much detail in an image as possible - and that's when the landscape mode in your camera is your best pal.

What this means is that you can maintain crisp focus for all objects in the scene, near and far. This landscape mode will minimize the aperture which will result in maximum depth of field.

Also remember that while the landscape mode is designed for vast scenic landscape photos, it can be used in any situation where you want everything in the photo to have good focus. So when you hit the trail to the Great Outdoors, keep this in mind.

In the following article, Suzanne VanDegrift gives you some insights into some great places where outdoors and photography are a perfect match.

Photography and the Great Outdoors

Combining photography with the passion of hiking, biking and mountain climbing can result in the most incredible photographs imaginable. Whether it's ice climbing in the Rockies, with your camera bag packed safely away, until you reach the summit where you have a breathtaking panoramic view of the frozen earth spread out as far as the eye can see.

Or a leisurely springtime hike up a flower carpeted Pocono hillside with your camera close at hand to catch that pheasant or covey of quail. The outdoors and photography are a perfect match.

If you're a week-end photographer who can't wait to get out of the city and become one with nature, there are countless opportunities that will allow you to fulfill your desire to "get away" and get that "shot of a lifetime".

Consider those who are lucky enough to live in Seattle, Washington where you can leave work on a Friday afternoon and be standing on the majestic and rugged coastline, removing your camera and tripod from their bag in time to be setting up to focus on one of the most beautiful sunsets on earth.

The next morning, while enjoying your first cup of coffee, you could be snapping pictures of the Grey whales which migrate north along the Washington coast between February and April every year.

photo credit: laurenz

Or maybe mountain scenery is your first love and you are fortunate enough to live in the Yellowstone area of Montana were the wildlife is phenomenal. Grizzly, coyote, elk.... big horned sheep playing on the mountainside. Buffalo grazing peacefully, as they must have a 100 years ago.

This is truly Big Sky Country where you can catch a glimpse of a graceful eagle gliding silently through the trees. These are pictures most people can only see in a magazine, not through their camera lens on a brisk autumn morning.

Remember it's important to research not only where you're going to be photographing and what camera equipment you'll be using, but also the bags, backpacks and pouches to which you entrust your valuable cameras, lenses, tripods and accessories

photo credit:  miguel vieira

The touring bicyclist needs to invest in a dry sack in the event he encounters inclement weather, but the young photographer hiking through the Sierra Nevada, in search of the various species of blooming cactus, probably would be in need of the backpack with room for her water bottles. Look for quality, durability and functionality.

Whatever your passion, wherever you call home. There are beautiful pictures waiting to be taken. That horse pasture you are fortunate enough to pass on your way to work every day. Stop; take a good look. I bet you'll see a terrific photograph. One you'd probably be in awe of if you saw it in a magazine. So pack up those camera bags and keep your equipment handy. You never know when that one perfect picture will appear.

About The Author: Suzanne VanDeGrift of Web Submission Services, Inc has developed this article for http://M-ROCK.COM , manufacturer of highly functional camera bags and backpacks which combine superior quality with a professional appearance.

Get Cool With Landscape Photography

Photo: cairnsie16

Photography covers a very wide field  -  from travel photography to nature, portraits, wildlife, etc. You name it, if you have a camera it's up to you to decide in which photographic direction you want to go. Whether you are an amateur or a professional photographer, you will find your photographic niche. Here, photographer and author Colin Hartness writes about Landscape Photography which is one of the most enjoyable niches in the field of photography and the rewards that go with it if you have the inclination to go down this road.

By Colin Hartness

There are many different types of photography. You can take pictures of anything and there is someone out there somewhere who would like to see the pictures that you take. So, photography is a great field to get into.

What is landscape photography?

Landscape photography is a great field of photography, especially if you love nature and if you love to travel. You can travel the world taking pictures of beautiful scenes across many countries. Of course, this is landscape photography on a big scale. Not many people are lucky enough to start off traveling the world.

But you can find beautiful landscapes right where you live. That’s the great thing about nature, it’s everywhere, and landscapes are everywhere. And that same sunset behind the mountain that you’ve seen everyday since you were a kid may look pretty amazing to someone who has never been to the mountains. Seeing the sun rise up out of the oceanfront may be absolutely astonishing to someone who has never been to the beach. It’s all relative.

What you may see every day is someone else’s treasure. If you can open your eyes to the beauty and see it, then other people can see it in your photography. It can be simple and everyday or it can be vast and amazing. It’s all about the great pictures you take. You may see a night city skyline, a series of lightening bolts or an interesting cloud; it’s how you take the picture that makes it beautiful to someone else.

photo credit: Nicholas_T

How to Learn Landscape Photography

If you are serious about landscape photography, you should take a course. You may have already had a course in photography but you will want to take one specifically for landscape photography so you can learn how to get the best pictures possible. You will want to learn what film to use and how to work with the sunlight or other natural light. You will also learn about achieving a sense of balance and scale, how to photograph running water and similar issues that a landscape photographer might face.

If you can’t find any appropriate classes in your area, you can find them on the internet. You can also find many groups and message boards designed for landscape photographers to meet, share photos and tips and ideas. You can get tips and advice for your questions if you join these groups. You can also view the work of others, some that may be much more experienced than you. You can learn from them and their photos.

How to Make Money with Landscape Photography

If you are considering landscape photography as a career (even part time), the first thing you are going to want to do is learn as much about it as possible; read books, take classes, visit websites. Then you are going to want to practice, and build a portfolio. Your portfolio should be updated often and only include your absolute best work. You may want to send some of your best photos to photo contests or magazines. These are good ways of breaking into the world of professional photography when you have no experience.

About the Author: Looking for information about Photography? Go to: http://www.asaphotography.com 'ASA Photography' is published by Colin Hartness - An excellent resource for Photography! Check out more Photography articles at: http://www.asaphotography.com/archive