Photography Tips & Tutorials1000 articles

It is helpful to think of a RAW file as having three distinct part. Camera data, usually called the EXIF or metadata, including things such as camera model, shutter speed and aperture details, most of which cannot be changed. Image data which, though recorded by the camera, can be changed in a RAW editing program such as Adobe Camera RAW (ACR) and the settings chosen here directly affect how the picture is processed. Changeable options include color depth, white balance, saturation, distribution of image tones (contrast), noise reduction and application of sharpness.

A slow shutter speed will need to be chosen to show the motion of the water. The slower your shutter speed the greater the motion captured. I suggest you experiment. After a shot immediately check the results on your LCD screen. Then adjust, to a slower or faster shutter speed, until you get the shot you want. To achieve optimum results will require a shutter speed of at least 1/15 of a second, or longer. Truly smooth water should be captured if you leave the shutter open for over a second.

Wildlife photography inspires professional and amateur photographers alike. It can be a real challenge to capture a natural looking photo in a suburban setting. If you can eliminate any man-made distractions from your photo, you can create the illusion of an image captured in a totally natural environment. A bad background can really spoil the impact of a good wildlife subject, but how do we avoid it? Of course these days there are plenty of people who would just edit it out using a computer, but (believe it or not) most people still prefer to rely on their camera skills rather than on software. Here are some simple tips to help you eliminate a bad background from your wildlife photos.

Color is one of the most obvious elements of composition. Everyone knows that intense colors make people take notice of your images. Ever wonder why there are so many sunset and flower shots? Color is the reason. Color has a couple of functions in photographs. First, color grabs the attention of the viewer. Perhaps, because this function of color is so palpable, many photographers miss the more sophisticated, and in some cases far more powerful, function of color: color sets the mood of an image. Since color is such an important compositional ingredient, the experienced photographer will want to use color to its fullest extend — incorporating both functions of color into images.

With travel photography you want to convey not only the sites and scenes you have seen but also the feelings and emotions associated with the locations. The unexpected is always around the corner when you travel and with some careful preparation and a keen photographic eye you can produce some memorable results. Good travel photography starts at home or the office before you leave for the airport and weeks in advance of your trip. Here’s how capture great travel images.

There are few subjects that draw photographers as much as wildflowers. Why shouldn’t it be so? After all, wildflowers seem to offer the photographer so much: striking hues, graceful curves, and dramatic color contrast. It’s no wonder that so many people photograph wildflowers. However, like any other area of photography, creating wildflower images that rise above the ordinary requires knowledge and skill. Thus, this article looks at seven ways that can be used to create great wildflower images.

These three tools provide you with essential information about your image or photograph. The Histogram will tell you everything you need to know about the exposure of the photograph, whether it is under or over exposed, and the tonal range. The Eyedropper tool will give you valuable information about the colours in the image; especially if there is a colour cast (a colour cast is an undesirable overall dominant colour) you need to correct. The Info palette (or window) will provide numerical feedback when using the eyedropper and also when using other tools.

Aperture and shutter speed settings can seem confusing for a new photographer. Luckily your semi-automatic settings, Aperture Priority and Shutter Priority, make them a little easier to understand. These semi-automatic modes allow you to take control of one setting, and the camera sets the other automatically. This lets you have some creative input, with the safety net of knowing the camera will take care of the level exposure. You decide how you want your photo to look, and the camera will make sure it is correctly exposed.

Always be aware of the direction of the sun. This is so important that when I arrange a tour, I try to find out the direction of the sun and time it so it is in the best possible position when I visit. The sun is our ultimate light source, and the result of our travel photographs are often heavily dependent on where it happens to be. Generally, you want the sun behind you when you take photos. That’s when you are more likely to get a blue sky, and shadows are all pushed away from you.

Smoke photography can be extremely frustrating yet fulfilling at the same time. It all depends on how you approach the subject. If you have spare time and/or stuck indoors on a rainy day, then it’s the perfect opportunity to try this technique. There is no need for expensive camera equipment. Just your camera, flash and a few household products will do the job. All you need is a basic understanding of the relationship between the subject, lighting and background. The one vital ingredient that I would say is a must is PATIENCE! Oh, and a camera of course… Without those two things, you will walk away very stressed.