Category: Techniques
Exposure Scenarios
This article is going to get into some specifics on exposure and how you might set up your camera to get the best exposure in certain situations. I will do that by presenting some exposure scenarios you are likely to encounter and show you how I would handle them. My hope is that it ties… Continue reading Exposure Scenarios
Understanding Dynamic Range (and Avoiding Blown Highlights and Black Shadows)
In digital photography, the concept of dynamic range refers to the difference in light intensities in the scene you are photographing. Think of a scale with something super-bright (like the sun) on one side and something very dark (like a closet with the lights off) on the other. Dynamic range refers to how much of this scale… Continue reading Understanding Dynamic Range (and Avoiding Blown Highlights and Black Shadows)
F-Stops Made Simple
A confusing number that beginning photographers face right away is the “f-stop” number. It is important because it measures one of our three primary exposure controls: aperture size. However, the concept of “f’-stops” doesn’t make sense at first glace and many are confused by it. But understanding the figure is really pretty simple. In this article, I’m… Continue reading F-Stops Made Simple
Getting Started Using Curves Adjustment Layers in Photoshop
What if I told you there was only one tool you needed to affect the lightness and darkness values of your picture? And what if I told you that the same tool was the only thing you would need for all color correction in your picture? Would you be interested in learning that tool? No… Continue reading Getting Started Using Curves Adjustment Layers in Photoshop
How to Remove Unwanted Items from Your Pictures
Mastering the Clone Stamp tool. We all confront the situation where there are people you don’t want in your picture. Or phone poles and power lines. Or imperfections in the picture. We want to get rid of them. The best way is usually the Clone Stamp tool. In the video below, I will walk you… Continue reading How to Remove Unwanted Items from Your Pictures
Getting Started with Night Photography
Night photography immediately solves a huge problem that you confront constantly in photography. That problem is being faced with boring, ordinary scenes. If you take a picture of a building or a standard street scene during the day . . . boring. Yawn. But that same scene at night can be a great and… Continue reading Getting Started with Night Photography
Getting Extraordinary Lighting
You may have heard that dawn and dusk are the best times for photography. And that’s true. The best lighting is almost always to be found at these times. In fact, many outdoor photographers simply put their cameras way between about 9:00 am and 5:00 pm. So step one of “how to get extraordinary lighting”… Continue reading Getting Extraordinary Lighting
How to Create an Online Photography Portfolio
It was only a few years ago that you would need to hire a web designer if you wanted a top notch website to display your photography portfolio. Your choice was either spend a lot of money or go with a junky design. The last few years, however, have seen an explosion in the quality… Continue reading How to Create an Online Photography Portfolio
What You Need to Know About Color (and what you don’t)
Some photographers want to know the details of the scientific process by which their camera captures and renders color. I don’t. Other photographers get particular about very slight differences in shades of color, and will seemingly fuss over slight color changes for hours in an effort to get exactly the right shade. I confess, I… Continue reading What You Need to Know About Color (and what you don’t)
Applying the Rule of Thirds
There is probably no rule in photography as well known as the “Rule of Thirds.” And for good reason. It serves is a simple yet fundamental principle to use for taking good pictures. In this article I will explain what it is and show you how to use it. If you are already familiar with… Continue reading Applying the Rule of Thirds
Nail the Exposure With Spot-Metering
You shoot in manual mode. You know in general how the camera meters light. You know in general how the metering modes work, including spot-metering. You understand all of that, but still the question arises: how exactly should you go about metering a scene and setting the proper exposure? In this article I will show… Continue reading Nail the Exposure With Spot-Metering
Get Proper Exposure by Understanding Camera Metering
We photographers spend a lot of time worrying about exposure settings. Virtually anything you read will stress shooting in a manual mode so that you can control the exposure. But underpinning this is an assumption that we know, or that our camera knows, the proper exposure level in the first place. In other words, we… Continue reading Get Proper Exposure by Understanding Camera Metering
Best Practices for Eliminating Spots in Photoshop
In a sense, there is nothing simpler than removing unwanted spots or small items from your photos using Photoshop. You just select the Spot Healing Brush, click on the spot, and presto – no more spot. It couldn’t be simpler. But when you are shooting outdoors things can be messy and you will sometimes find… Continue reading Best Practices for Eliminating Spots in Photoshop
10 Keys to Successful Tripod Use
Using a tripod opens up a world of possibilities. It allows you to use slower shutter speeds than you would otherwise be able to use. You can blur out the water in waves or waterfalls. You can create star trails. Or you can just make sure your shot is tack sharp. But to do so,… Continue reading 10 Keys to Successful Tripod Use
5 Easy Steps for Curing Your “Auto Mode” Addiction
Most people getting started with photography begin with their camera in Auto mode. In fact, everybody does. At some point, however, the thought begins to creep into your mind that you should be shooting in some other mode. You begin to see others’ photography and their control over the camera and would like to do… Continue reading 5 Easy Steps for Curing Your “Auto Mode” Addiction