PictureCorrect.com: Beginner Tips for Setting up a Photo

Since I like to travel light, I rarely buy souvenirs. The most important things I bring home from a trip are my photos. I love taking and sharing photos, but I’m very much an amateur photographer.

Photo by sandeepachetan; ISO 1600, f/2.8, 1/30-second exposure.

I don’t know the lingo and I have a DSLR (digital single lens reflex, whatever that means) camera that ups my street cred, but in all honesty, I’m still figuring out what most of the buttons and settings do.

It’s intimidating to wade through all of the information, equipment, and technology available, but there are a number of things that you can do immediately to ensure that you come home from a trip with a great set of photos that are presentable and fun to look at regardless of the type of camera you own.

These are some of the things that I quickly think through whenever I’m setting up shots:

1. Prioritize your subject

Don’t try to highlight everything in one shot. If there is more than one potential subject in the frame, decide what takes precedence and then focus on it.

Do you care more about the person or the landscape? The two should not be competing. If it’s the landscape, make sure the person is not obscuring any important elements. Consider shifting them left or right. If it’s the person, bring them closer to the camera so that you can really see their face and have the landscape serve as a beautiful backdrop.

Before you click, scan what’s inside your frame to make sure you’re not cutting off any important elements (the top of a mountain? the top of a person?). Include some space around the subject to create a natural border. When in doubt, include more space than less. It’s easier to crop a photo later than to Photoshop an arm back in.

2. Don’t shoot into a light source

Unless you know what you’re doing, your subject will be back lit and the light will wash out the entire photo. If you really want to take the photo, and the light source isn’t too strong, you can try shooting with a flash so that it lights up the subject in front of the light source. Sometimes this works, sometimes it doesn’t. It can look kind of artificial.

On the other hand, light hitting a subject at an angle can create some beautiful effects and contrasts.

Photo by perlaroques; ISO 100, f/14.0, 1/13-second exposure.

3. Make sure your subject is actually in focus

Maybe you’re looking at the person, but the camera has decided to blur them out and focus on the leaves in the background. Check before you click. Use a tripod or surface to stabilize your camera if necessary.

4. Experiment with different camera angles

While shooting at eye level will give you some concise, straight-forward photos, try occasionally shooting at different angles to add interest. Shoot subjects from above, below, and the side. This will make for more dramatic photos and create size variation and interesting perspectives. In some cases, it will also allow you to capture more details because you’re cutting across planes. Plus, kneeling down to take a shot makes you look really cool.

5. Include variations in color, texture, and/or light

If what’s in your frame doesn’t include contrasts in at least one of these areas, your photo will probably be quite flat and blah to look at.

6. Find frames within the environment

Try to find things that can be used as frames for subjects in your photo. A window or a doorway are more obvious options, but don’t limit yourself. Think outside the box. Shooting through a bike wheel or a space between a collection of objects could create an unexpected and interesting shot.

Photo by Giuseppe Milo; ISO 400, f/8.0, 1/350-second exposure.

I personally think the most important part of photography is learning to see things in different ways and being flexible with your vision. After you’ve become more adept at setting up these basic shots, a lot of “rules” can be disregarded to create more avant-garde photos, but this is a good place to begin to ensure that you take sharp photos that “pop.”

About the Author:
This article was written by Perrin Smith from nodnsmile. A backpacking and photography enthusiast.

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PictureCorrect.com: Are Camera Brands Following ISO Standards?

When opening up your aperture and slowing down the shutter speed doesn’t cut it, we opt to increase the ISO value to make the images brighter. This is supposed to make the sensor more “sensitive” to light. ISO is something that came into existence from the film days. But does it hold the same significance in today’s world of digital photography? Photographer Tony Northrup believes that camera manufacturers are dishonest about ISO:

ISO Is Not Standardized

ISO, which stands for the International Organization for Standardization, actually lacks standardization. What an irony! Actually, ISO is an organization that has done amazing work in standardizing across various platforms. But that doesn’t seem to be the case in photography. Have a look at the following images taken with different cameras with the same settings and lighting conditions:

The top image is a full stop darker. Why do you think the ISO performances are different?

Manufacturers have been using the base ISO value as 100 from the early days. But with time, sensor technology has kept on improving, and the sensor’s ability to absorb light has been improving as well. However, the base ISO is still 100. So, in fact, a camera might be performing at ISO 1600 when you set the camera’s ISO to 3200. This makes you feel that the camera is capturing cleaner images at a particular ISO with its every new iteration.

Here’s a visualization of the real ISO values that manufacturers label as ISO 100:

ISO Is Not a Physical Change

Changing the aperture and shutter speed have physical implications. The aperture sizes and the duration for which the sensor is exposed change. But nothing physical happens when you change the ISO value. The camera just determines how it’s going to post-process that image based on the ISO setting.

“The ISO you choose in your camera is just a post-processing instruction exactly like dragging the exposure slider in Lightroom. It is just digital gain.”

Upper ISO is Completely Made Up

Since increasing the ISO is just a way to multiply the numbers in a picture, why should there be a limit to it? By putting a limit on ISO, manufacturers are putting a limit on how high the camera multiplies the values that the sensor gives out.

“The really upsetting thing is when manufacturers market a new camera and they brag about the new upper limit. It’s not really an indication that the sensor is actually more sensitive. They’re just letting you multiply by a bigger number.”

Lower ISO Could Be Eliminated

A feature like the digital ND filter that’s built into modern cameras can allow shutter speeds to go up to 32 times the normal speed. This has all been made possible by the development of electronic shutters. So using this feature, instead of 1/100 second, you can shoot at 1/3 second, which is great for long exposures. Similarly, shooting at ISO 100 could become equivalent to shooting at ISO 3 with a virtually noiseless image.

Is ISO performance something you consider when purchasing a new camera?

“That setting on your camera, ISO, is basically fake and based on almost nothing.”

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PictureCorrect.com: Headshot Photography: Quick Tips from a Pro

When taking headshots, it’s essential that your subjects look composed and confident. And as a photographer, it’s your duty to make sure that happens. In this video by B&H, portrait photographer Peter Hurley shares five pro tips to help you take better headshots:

1. Keep it Simple

When taking headshots, the key is to keep the image as simple as possible. There’s no need to overthink or overdo it.

“If you look at my work over the years, it just becomes simpler and simple.”

Keep your subjects simple and straight, and just photograph them.

2. Keep a Consistent Portfolio

A portfolio showcases what kind of results can be expected from you. Your prospective customers need to know what to expect when they’re approaching you. So it’s important that your portfolio showcases work that’s consistent. To keep it consistent, make sure that your shots match each other.

3. Get the Jawline Out

Getting the jawline out is the most crucial thing you can do to make a human look better in front of a camera. Keeping it in will cause a double-chin. Nobody wants to have a double-chin in their headshot!

4. It’s All About the Squinch

Your eyes are the windows to your personality. Confidence and fear are reflected in the eyes. It’s important that you pay attention to how the subject’s eyes are behaving in front of a camera.

“When humans aren’t certain when they get in front of a camera, their eyes open up. That’s not cool at all.”

Ask your subjects to squinch their eyes a bit to convey confidence in front of the camera.

5. Confidence and Approachability

“As humans, we like to look at other humans that are approachable and that are confident.”

In order to get the winning shot, it’s your responsibility to couple confidence with approachability. The subject’s confidence is reflected from their eyes, and they appear more approachable when they smile. So ask your subjects to squinch and give a hint of a smile.

These are some really simple yet very effective tips that you can use to get some brilliant headshot images.

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PictureCorrect.com: Independence Day: Magnificent Fireworks Photography

On the 4th of July in the United States, after you’ve had your fill of barbecues and parades, it’s time to find the best vantage point for watching and photographing fireworks displays. Here’s a sampling of what you can catch with your camera if you get a good spot!

photo by Always Shooting

photo by Sacha Fernandez

photo by CityofStPete

photo by Matthew Paulson

photo by Eli Christman

photo by Jeff Krause

photo by Allen

photo by Jeff Krause

photo by Alan Charness

photo by James Jordan

photo by Pat Kight

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PictureCorrect.com: Tutorial: How to Photograph a White Product Against a White Background

Shooting products against a white background is popular these days, thanks to the boom in online shopping and marketplaces. But proper exposure and focusing become difficult when photographing white products against a white background. David Patino shares a few tips to overcome this challenge:

Setup for Product Photography

Patino uses a simple white reflector mounted on a C-stand to work as the white background for the shot. A flagged Profoto monolight illuminates the background to create the overly white background. He positions the monolight just below the product and aimed directly at the background (reflector).

A piece of Plexiglas held in position by two C-stands serves dual purposes. First, it’s a platform for your products.

A setup for photographing white products with a white backdrop

Second, the Plexiglas separates the product from the background. Two light heads (softboxes with grid) on either side take care of the lighting requirements.

Technique for Shooting White Products on White Backdrops

Patino first uses only the two lights on either side of the product to perfect the exposure on the subject while keeping the background light out of the equation.

With the background light turned off, the backdrop appears black.

You might wonder why the background looks so dark. The grids on the two softboxes on either side of the product prevent light spill.

Now the background light is turned on.

The background light brightens the backdrop.

As you can see, absolutely nothing has changed, not even the exposure settings. Just that the background light was turned on. The exposure is good and there is a lot of detail in the roll of paper towels.

With the background light now turned on, it’s possible to control it independently of the other two lights and therefore control the brightness of the background.

Now that the scene is set you can change things around. So, if you need a moody result, you can simply turn off one of the secondary lights.

One side light is turned off for a moodier feel.

There you have it. An easy way to control the lighting of your images. The key to shooting white products against white backgrounds is to ensure that you have a way of controlling the background lights and the front lights independently.

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PictureCorrect.com: 6 Tips on How to Capture Great Fireworks Photos

1. Use a Slow Shutter Speed

When you photograph fireworks, it is very important that you set your camera to a slow shutter speed. This includes a shutter speed that is anywhere between 1 second and 30 seconds or longer, about ISO 100. The shutter speed that is suitable varies depending on the amount of ambient light as well as the amount of fireworks in the sky.

Why use relatively long exposures to photography fireworks? This is simply because long exposures can capture the burst of fireworks, producing moving streaks against the dark sky. Using long exposures will indeed produce stunning effects.

“Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks 2011” captured by Joyce A

Since slow shutter speeds are necessary, you will also have to ensure good camera support. This will make sure that the pictures taken will turn out looking steady and clear.

2. Ensure Camera Stability

No doubt, one of the best ways to ensure camera stability is to use a tripod. Nonetheless, if you do not have a tripod, you can opt to brace yourself against a building or maybe a tree. Otherwise, you can have your camera placed on sturdy surface. You can also use your camera’s shutter release cable or self-timer function. Using either of these options will release the shutter without any camera shake.

3. Do Not Use Flash

Don’t use flash when photographing fireworks. Flash will not help capture fireworks at a distance. Nonetheless, flash does help light up subjects in the foreground. A perfect example of this is when photographers shoot portraits with fireworks as the background; they will often use flash to illuminate their model.

“Kyle & Laura” captured by Charles Siritho

4. Set Your Camera and Lens to Manual Mode

Fireworks photography is definitely a genre for which you will have to be brave and enter into the world of manual settings. Both your lens focus and exposure mode must be set to manual. On your lens, adjust the focus ring so that it is set to infinity focus. The symbol for infinity is similar to the number eight, except that it is turned sideways.

5. Experiment With Exposure

As mentioned earlier, you should experiment with long shutter speeds. There really isn’t any perfect shutter speed. All you need to do is to try different shutter speeds and get the sort of fireworks photography you are after.

Another thing you should do is to dial in a relatively small aperture. Anywhere between f/8 and f/16 will be good. Doing this will prevent the scene from being overexposed during the long exposures.

6. Try Using One Long BULB Exposure

“Magic Kingdom – Happy Fourth of July” captured by
Jeff Krause

With one long BULB exposure, you can combine a few fireworks together into one picture when you hold the shutter open for half a minute or longer. Adjust your camera settings so that it is set to manual mode, and set the shutter speed to BULB. Check your camera manual for instructions.

As long as the shutter release is depressed, the shutter will stay open. This will allow you to photograph a few bursts of fireworks in one picture, rather than just one burst of fireworks.

While you’re at this, remember to block off the lens and sensor in between the bursts of fireworks by using a piece of paper or cloth in front of the lens. Doing this allows you to refrain from facing problems such as skies looking muddy grey in pictures.

About the Author:
This article was written by Michelle Lee Fui Jinn, tipsforphotographers dot com. It takes time to practice and improve your photography skills.

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PictureCorrect.com: Interesting Photo of the Day: Postcard Perfect at Moraine Lake

In a scene that looks almost too pretty to be real, photographer Shuchun Du has captured a pristine combination aqua-blue waters, verdant evergreen trees, and towering mountains. The location? Moraine Lake in Canada’s Banff National Park:

“Canadian Icon – Moraine Lake” captured by Shuchun Du (Via 500px. Click image to see full size.)

The glacier-fed lake is a popular tourist destination, but it looks like the lucky canoers in the picture have the lake all to themselves. Though this photo was taken in the summer, when the lake is at its fullest (and bluest), this landscape is beautiful all year round. We featured another shot of this locale during the winter season as our “Interesting Photo of the Day” here.

Shuchun Du captured the shot with a Nikon D800 at f/9 and with a 1/250 second shutter speed.

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