“Fill the frame” and “get in close” is a mantra for photographers. Another saying is: “If your pictures aren’t good enough, then you’re not getting close enough.” Most photographers will tell you that you should crop “in camera.” That is to say you should compose your pictures, whether by zooming in with your lens or [...]
Most people when using their DSLR cameras never venture further than using the “program” mode of the exposure systems. In “program” the camera sets both the shutter speed and aperture. Some more adventuresome picture takers may use “shutter priority” (you set the shutter speed/the camera sets the aperture) or “aperture priority” (vice versa). Very few [...]
Another assignment I remember from my old photo-student days was the outdoor portrait and it, like the front, side and back lighting assignment, was a lesson in light. You would think that shooting outside would be pretty easy. There is plenty of light, so worrying about having a fast enough shutter speed to eliminate camera [...]
I particularly like to shoot silhouettes. In truth, I probably shoot them too often, but I can’t get enough of them. They provide a strong, graphic image. Whether in black and white or in color, they tend to be compositionally bold with strong visual impact. Photographing a silhouette isn’t hard, as long as you follow [...]
It’s easy to blame your equipment when it takes an improper exposure. But a camera is an unthinking, unfeeling machine. It doesn’t know if a scene is too dark or too light, nor does it care. It takes in information about what’s coming through the lens and then adjusts the camera’s settings to set algorithms. [...]
In photography as you advance in skill level there are many things to consider in improving your photos: timing, equipment, lighting and composition among a myriad of others. But there are three basic things that every picture-taker needs to know to come away with better photographs. Notice I said “picture-taker” and not photographer. While every [...]
From casual picture-taker to advanced amateur to professional shooter, what does one need to take his or her photography to the next level? Aside from a passion for photography in general, I’d have to say one of the first things is the ability to honestly critique your own work. Sure, having a great eye and [...]
The second half of the 2012 London Olympic Games are about to start, and the closest that most of us will get to see the Olympics is to watch them on TV. But there are things that you can do to photograph your local sports like the pros do at the Olympics. Access: The [...]
All cameras’ internal light meters are calibrated to read a scene to average out as 18% gray. Around 60 to 70 years ago, when meters were first built into cameras, that value was decided upon by the photo powers that be. In the old days, it usually meant lining up a needle in a circle [...]
A review of the rules
When my photo instructors at Sacramento City College, Dick Fleming and the late Andy Delucia, came up with the “10 Rules of Photography,” they rattled them off in a extemporaneous, stream-of-consciousness fashion. They did it on a whim more out of humor than anything else. They never wrote them down (in fact I had to [...]