Photoscout

• 4 Digital Photography Tips

  September 2nd, 2008 / No Comments

  Many people believe that digital cameras do all the work in shooting digital photos. After all, you only have to push the button and amazing photos magically appear right before your eyes. This is not true, of course. You can make beautiful images using a simple camera or lousy photos using the most expensive digicam available in the market. The point is that fantastic shots are not due to the type of camera alone; the photographer is the one that makes the stunning images. With a willingness and a little knowledge, you can make great photography using even the simplest digicam. Here are four tips that will help you shoot photos like a pro.

  1. Know your digicam

  All too often when people buy a digicam, they excitedly rip off the box and then proceed to tinker with the gadget. They briefly browse through the manual and then never read it again. This is not a good idea at all. You have to understand how your digicam works. You need to know how to control the flash, how to play with different camera modes, and how to control exposure. The knowledge you obtain about your digicam will be priceless when you’re out there shooting special photos.

  2. Learn to use the flash

  Controlling the flash is an important thing you must know about digital photography. Photographers do not rely on the digicam’s automatic flash setting. You have to switch on or switch off the flash, depending on the situation. For instance, it is sometimes advisable to switch on the flash when taking outdoor photos. This is to illuminate your subject, particularly if the object or person is in the shade. Also, you can choose to switch off the flash when you are taking indoor shots since using the flash indoors sometimes results in unnatural skin color.

  3. Play with the macro mode

  Remember the time when, as a kid, you discovered an entire community of ants that you never knew existed while playing on the grass? Nowadays, you might not want to see yourself on all fours just to have a detailed view of flowers or insects. All you need is a digicam that has a close up mode and you are ready to explore the world in finer details. A macro mode is perfect for taking detailed shots of objects.

  What you need to do is to choose a subject (a flower or an insect), switch on macro mode, and then get as close to your subject as your digicam will allow. Focus your camera properly before you depress the shutter button completely. Since you have shallow depth of field when you use the macro mode, you have to focus on the detail that interests you the most, and let the other parts of the subject go soft.

  4. Play with the ISO setting

  Basically, the ISO setting controls the image sensor’s sensitivity to the amount of light present. Always use a low ISO setting if you are shooting a photo of a still object such as fruits. This means a longer shutter speed and a cleaner image. If you are taking a photo of an object in motion, like a young boy singing, then use a higher ISO setting. But remember, the higher the ISO setting, the faster shutter speed; and also requires less light. Thus this will yield noiser photos.

  Posted in Digital Photography

• Black and White Portraits

  August 20th, 2008 / No Comments

  Many black and white photographers are into portraits. This is a favorite subject because black and white portraits are elegant and powerful and have timeless quality that is difficult to match in color. Not only this type of photography produces great images, it also brings out what is usually not seen in other photographs - the person and the character behind the face. It lays bare the subject’s soul and exposes all his or her traits and flaws. Looking at the black and white portrait is like looking at the subject’s personality, rather than the physical attributes. Black and white portraiture shows the subjects as they really are.

  Subject

  You do not need an actor to photograph in black and white. Everyone can be a good subject. Whether you are taking a portrait of a housewife, an athlete, or an outlaw, you can capture what is behind their gaze or facial expression in monochrome. But there are some demographics that lend themselves more to the allures of black and white portraits than any other - the old, wrinkly people. The lines and folds in the face make a really captivating black and white photo. Portraits of old people reveal their character and personality. They tell a story.

  Another great subjects are young children. Whether you are taking a photo of a child licking ice cream or a hungry street child, black and white photography can reflect their innocence alongside joy/suffering on print. Regardless of your subjects’ age, getting in close when photographing them can be worth your while. Many photographers make an extreme close-up, usually losing the ears and the top of the head out of the frame. They focus only on the facial features of the subjects.

  Setting up

  The exposure should be set right in order to get the crispest whites and the darkest blacks. Try to bracket your shots. Use the exposure compensation function of your camera to take a picture at the automatic setting, then one at -0.5EV and one at +0.5EV to make sure you get come up with the best results. You can also experiment with this as this can produce excellent silhouettes.

  Lighting

  Think very carefully about lighting. If you are taking a picture of an old person, strong daylight can help if you want to highlight the lines and folds of the face and add character. On the other hand, if your objective is to make your subject look younger in photograph, a bright burst of flash can help. In addition, you can also bounce light off a piece of white card for a lovely effect. With proper lighting, black and white portraits can capture the atmosphere and show to the viewer the emotion you are trying to convey.

  Painting with light

  You can take photos in black and white. But many photographers also shoot in full color, converting the photos later on using RAW file editor. Either way, you have to approach your subjects in an entirely different manner. Piercing green eyes or bright red make-up simply will not have similar impact in a black and white picture. What you should do is focus on texture, shape, and shade.

  Posted in Black and White Photography

• Rain Photography

  August 5th, 2008 / No Comments

  Rain photography is categorized under nature photography. It usually requires the photographer to go outside, so it’s also considered outdoor photography. Once you get through dealing with potential resistance from family and friends to go outdoors, and despite the risk of getting colds, you’ll see how rain gives you new dimensions of photography opportunities. But many photographers, even professionals, find it miserably difficult to shoot photos in rain. With some care and lots of practice you can produce memorable and interesting rain photos.

  Rain photography bonuses

  Why are so many photographers so drawn into rain photography, despite the difficulties associated in shooting photos in rain? It’s because rain offers unique features that make a great photography. Here are just some of the bonuses rain provides: dark cloudy skies and hazy conditions can make very artistic and ethereal looking photos; raindrops on flowers and leaves; the rainbow after the rain; overcast skies enable for a great black and white portrait; rain makes a scintillating effect to nearly everything it touches.

  What to shoot

  There’s no limit to creativity. You can shoot anything stunning and captivating from the camera lens view. But there are certain things you need to consider before, during, and after rain for optimum photography.

  Before rain. You can shoot skies fully covered with stormy clouds. Dark clouds usually create magnificent backgrounds for breathtaking images. For example, stormy clouds make a great background for a long road that appears to meet the sky at a faraway place. Lightning before rain provides an awesome effect to the photo. During a storm, you’ll see different colors in the sky, so planning is very crucial before shooting great photos of lighting.

  Shoot in the rain. Rain bridges the gap between the sky and the earth, making it one. There are plenty of subjects to shoot when it’s raining: people running for shelter, children playing under the rain, a beautiful young lay stranded at a bus stop, animals searching for shelters, raindrops falling on the roof and other surfaces, and many more.

  After rain. The wet world gives you an opportunity to shoot different designs, reflections, and textures created by the rain. You can shoot droplets of water on or hanging from flowers, leaves, railings, and other surfaces. It is recommended that you shoot these droplets in close-up. Reflections are great subjects to shoot. Still water on the ground usually give dazzling reflections of anything above it, producing different perspectives. Plant leaves washed by rain create varying textures to the background photo.

  Measures and precautions

  You need to have a water proof camera as raindrops that drip into your camera can spoil the photo and worse, damage the camera. You also need water proof pants, jackets, and gloves to protect yourself from the rain. If you don’t have a waterproof camera, then you should have the following water proof camera accessories: rain hoods, towel, shower caps, protective filters,and lens shades.

  Posted in Outdoor Photography

• Shooting Landscapes in Black and White

  July 22nd, 2008 / No Comments

  A golden field of rice ready to be harvested, contrasted with the lush green leaves of the surrounding trees, will look very lively against deep blue sky with wispy cloud formations, when it is photographed in full color. But the drama of the landscape is usually lost in black and white photography, as the lively colors all dissolve into dull shades of gray. Of course, many good photographers are able to reflect in their black and white works the drama of landscapes. But this comes with time and practice.

  Shooting landscapes in mono

  So why do many photographers, amateurs and professionals alike, shoot landscapes in black and white when many people appreciate them in color? True, a landscape presented in color is a visual feast. But there is something about an amazing black and white landscape that draws us in, in many ways that color is not capable of doing.

  Great colored landscapes evoke immediate and momentary emotional impact. On the other hand, an outstanding black and white landscape can be so captivating that you want to look at the print again and again, each time discovering different details and perspective. Compared to colored prints, black and white landscapes have stronger emotional and aesthetic impact in the long run.

  You can capture color in shooting landscapes in color, but you get gradation and texture if you shoot them in black and white. What is more, black and white photography also captures how light plays with the river, field, sand, rocks, vegetation, etc. It shifts the attention on pattern, shading, form, and many other graphic concepts, giving the photo a unique quality with hue and tone.

  Tips

  Here are some quick easy tips on what to consider to come up with a perfect monochrome landscape:

  Light is perhaps the most important element of a black and white landscape. Make sure that the landscape has well defined shadows that greatly contrast with bright highlight.

  Make sure that clouds are not covering the sun, which is the source of light that makes the different levels of brightness and darkness.

  Pay attention to foreground details as this makes an excellent composition. You can direct the eyes of the viewers to your main subject by making the foreground interesting.

  It may be helpful to view a landscape not as a series of colors, but tones. You need a lot of  practice to learn this. But it is not difficult to learn that a clear blue sky will become a lifeless one toned gray area in black and white photography.

  Camera settings

  Many photographers recommend shooting landscapes in RAW format and then change the photo later to monochrome using RAW file editor. Then tweak in graphics programs. Few professional landscape photographers shoot their subjects with a monochrome camera setting to begin with. You can also underexpose your photos by 1 or 2 stops to prevent blowing out highlights.

  Filters

  Filters are very important in black and white landscape photography as sky can sometimes appear boring and lifeless. Filters help in separating colors that look the same once translated into black and white. For instance green and red look have similar tone once they are changed to monochrome. Graduated filters are also helpful to keep detail in the clouds and in the sky. Red filters darken the blue sky, producing intense mood and the most dramatic atmosphere. You can use blue filters for hazy or misty conditions. Yellow filters have the most natural and least dramatic. You will have to experiment with filters to achieve desired effects.

  Posted in Black and White Photography

• Dramatic Lighting

  May 19th, 2008 / No Comments

  The thrill of outdoor photography is that you will never know when a dramatic scene would come up. But travel photography should not be left to chance. One should know the best times in a day when to expect dramatic lighting and take good shots.

  The best times to anticipate for dramatic lighting are just before or after a storm. Often, downpours end with dozens of brilliant rays of sun peeking through the clouds. Another visually stunning location are cathedrals when the suns hits the window and the light is shining on the altar.

  Dramatic images could also be spawned during sunrise and sunset. Wait for dawn to break and get near silhouettes of landscapes. This is also the same thing when taking shots after the sun has set. Other than the effects of sunrise and sunset, the low-angle light most of the time adds high drama.

  Still, there are pitfalls of dramatic illumination. Pictures tend to have lots of contrast. This can be fixed by using the spot meter or by moving close to the subject and taking an exposure reading from the highlights.

  Posted in Outdoor Photography

• Direction of Light

  May 6th, 2008 / No Comments

  Lighting is important in photography, whether it is a studio portrait or an outdoor landscape. It gives detail, depth, and emotion to the image. In the same way, the source and the direction from which light comes from and strikes the subject, relative to the position of the camera, has a significant effect on color, form, and texture in the photo.

  There are three kinds of lighting and we would discuss each one of them and their uses.

  Frontlighting is the most common. The light source falls squarely on the front of the subject. Auto-exposure systems handle frontlighting well because it is even.

  Frontlights produces bold, saturated colors, but can wash out some colors if overdone. The disadvantage is that since all the shadows are blotted out and falling behind the subject, frontlit scenes lack a sense of depth.

  Here is where other light sources are used to produce more shadow. Sidelighting comes from the left or right side of the subject. Since the light is traversing across, it catches every surface bump, leaving a trail of light shadows and highlighting surface textures.

  Sidelighting is ideal for landscapes where you want to present the tactile qualities of a subject. Sidelight also imparts form to objects. Sidelighting also works for portraits because it creates a delicate modeling of facial features.

  Finally, backlighting can produce theatrical effects, especially with landscapes. Shadows coming towards the camera exaggerate details like depth and distance. They also help lead the eye into the scene.

  When backlighting is used behind partially translucent objects, it creates an effect called rim lighting. This separates the subject from its surroundings. As a reminder, backlit portraits may need to increase exposure by a few stops over the metered value to keep the face being lost in shadow or may need to use flash fill instead. In outdoor shots, keep the sun out of the frame or it will give you underexposed photos.

  In outdoor photography and in practicality, one can change the apparent direction of lighting by shifting locations. Walk a few steps or take a shot from a different angle.

  Posted in Photography Techniques

• Using Flash

  April 22nd, 2008 / No Comments

  Utilizing the power of the flash in photography could help the budding artist in you get the most out of your pictures. But caution not to abuse the flash since this may backfire and work against you.

  Flash is most helpful in taking action shots, freezing that single instant without blurring the subject and the details. Flash also makes sure that pictures would not get blurred if the film has low ISO or grainy if shooting in low light.

  Flash can also be utilized in very bright light, for example during midday when the sun is high up. Although there is almost no shadow, details get blotted out especially when an object obstructs the light coming directly from above. I was advised in my photography class to use a flash even in broad delight since the facial shadows would block the features of the rest of the face.

  All cameras have built-in flash already, but professionals still prefer to use external flash or accessory flash units. This way, they can control which shots need flash and how intense or direct the flash should be.

  The drawbacks of using flash though is that sometimes it creates an unnatural intensity of light to the image. One way of alleviating this is make sure that the subject is at a considerable distance. If your camera has flash settings, adjust them accordingly.

  Another problem with flash is red eye. Newer camera models though have preflashes or that lingering red light before the actual flash to prevent most instances of red eye.

  Posted in Photography Tips

• The Importance of Framing

  April 15th, 2008 / No Comments

  One of the basic principles in basic photography is framing. Simply put, it is the idea of filling up the whole frame with your subject. Getting closer shots means you get to see more details of your subject, thus capturing more features of the subject and more emotion if it is a picture of a person.

  This is one of the simplest photo techniques yet, it is also one of the hardest to master. For beginners, it is important to know the nuances of your camera so that you will know how it works plus you will get used to carrying it, adjusting your style and technique to whatever works for you. This entails a lot of practice.

  The problem usually arises when the photographer commits the mistake of thinking he is already near enough to his subject. Sure, in your mind’s eye, you view your shot as perfect, and that is what you think you see in your viewfinder only to find out after taking the shot that you find your subject farther away than you originally thought it to be.

  A simple way to prevent that is to move closer. A few steps forward would do. If you think you are close enough, look at the viewfinder and see if there is still detail that you can eliminate. If in doubt, take a few more steps closer.

  A more expensive way of fixing that problem is to use a telephoto lens. This is usually helpful in faraway shots like sports or celebrity events. Getting used to utilizing lens also needs some practice, so take as many shots as you can.

  Things are made easier with today’s digital cameras since you can immediately see if the picture comes out right and you could re-do as many shots until you are satisfied. Back then using old point and click cameras, some head space is considered since photo shops usually tend to cut off prints. Since everything is digitized now, it is now you doing the cropping using the photo editor in your own PC.

  Posted in Photography Tips

• Depth of Field

  April 10th, 2008 / No Comments

  Depth of field is defined as the range in a scene, from near to far, that is in sharp focus. Depth of field provides depth, among other things, to your picture, thus giving it life, not like a flat two-dimensional photograph.

  Technically, depth of field is achieved when there are subjects in various distance in relation to the lens. You then adjust the focus by manipulating the aperture. A smaller aperture creates more depth of field, a larger aperture produces the opposite effect. Depth of field is dependent on lens focal length, aperture, and distance from the subject.

  With all things equal, shorter focal length lenses, smaller apertures, and greater lens-to-subject distance increase the range of sharp focus. Longer lenses, wider apertures, and a shorter distance to the subject, meanwhile, decreases depth of field.

  The ability to control how much is in focus effects your shots immensely. Shooting a landscape entails as much focus as possible, so a high depth of field is needed. In the opposite end, taking a portrait requires a shallower area of sharp focus, isolating the subject from the background.

  Although this is taught in basic photography, depth of field intimidates beginners because it is hard to pull off. There is a caveat with camera viewfinders. In point-and-click cameras, you are not viewing directly through the lens. Instead, you are looking through a separate viewfinder. In SLRs, on the other hand, you are looking through the lens at its widest aperture. It closes to a smaller f/stop only at the instant you press the shutter button.

  SLRs have a feature called a depth of field preview button. When you press it, the lens will briefly close to the shooting aperture, showing you the real depth of field. Take note that when you press this button, the image in the viewfinder will temporarily darken. If too much is in focus, simply open the aperture, put on a longer lens, or move closer. Or do all three.

  Posted in Photography Techniques

• Photos and Paranormal Sightings

  April 2nd, 2008 / No Comments

  You have seen it everywhere, from special episodes on weird tv or inspiration for the next Hollywood sci-fi flick. Either that or you know someone who claims to have either seen them firsthand or has actual physical evidence they took from their camera. Whatever the case maybe, there is so much paranormal going around you would think you are the last person on earth who has not experienced anything unusual in your lifetime… yet.

  Still, photos and odd sightings are common entertainment fodder either on Halloween or in dry times on primetime. Since not everybody has a video camera on hand, unlike those unfortunate kids in the contrived “Blair Witch Project”, the next best thing is to have a photo camera on hand to capture that fleeting moment of mystery.

  Why this topic for this blog? Besides the fact that it is about photography, there is always that doubt at the back of the head if the image is indeed legit or is just a creation of some imaginative mind. And to involve a technical aspect, why are most shots taken that involved weird phenomena are blurred and grainy?

  There was this one show, the title escapes at the moment, where the hosts try to recreate a supposed sighting captured on film using common materials, some visual effects, and cunning optical illusions. This way, the program gets to demonstrate which pictures are most likely legit shots of the unusual and which are pranks made to fool people.

  Technically though, there could be a lot of factors involved that made outputs scratchy. For one, think of the technology back then. Sure there was no Photoshop, but pictures were not A-grade either. Another thing to consider is the distance of the subject from the camera. The farther it is from the camera, the less distinct details could be seen. Then there is the subject of focus and camera shake or motion blurring. You are taking a picture of what you thought was Bigfoot from 50 feet away. You tense up as you fumble your way in clicking the shutter, excited at the idea that you have just captured an oddity.

  Eager to see what you got, what comes out is a mere figment of how you intended the shot to be. You may not have provided an answer to a mystery of life, you might have added one more. But it sure is good conversation piece at the dinner table and a surreal tale for the grandkids later on.

  Posted in Outdoor Photography