Photo Tips

Hi everyone
Since I am the Moderator for the new Photo contests, I thought it would be best if I did not enter any of my own photos.
So, from time to time I will be some of my favorite photo tips. I hope these might be helpful....Some will be basic in nature while others might cover a bit more complicated subject.
Here is one I use lamost religously:
Good composition is essential in photography.
It allows you to
convey messages and emotions through the images that you shoot.
Fortunately, good photo composition is easy to achieve by following a
few simple guidelines.
Rule of thirds
First, learn the
"rule of thirds." As you look through your camera's viewfinder, imagine
there are lines dividing the image into thirds, both horizontally and
vertically, essentially dividing your image into nine equal-shaped
blocks. Frame your subject at one of the intersection points instead of
in the center of the viewfinder, as shown in the following illustration.

Now, with this said, many photographers make a very good living
breaking this rule, but your photography will become much more
interesting and visually stimulating if you use the rule of thirds when
framing your subjects.
eins

 

White Balance Trick....
If you have a camera that allows you to make a custom white balance measurement by taking a sample shot in the lighting you will be using for your photo, this trick might be handy. It works great for me!
Take 1 to 3 plain white coffe filter(s) and cover your lens ....then get your camera close to or up against the glass of your aquarium. Now take the white balance sample. This is much easier than trying to put something white in your tank or trying to find something white in your tank to take measurement from.
eins

 

Ill do a tip on ISo next....I was looking for a good subject for my next tip.

maybe histograms after that but histo's are kind of jumping into the advanced course and it kind of overlaps with post work too.

eins

 

ISO
As I said before...here is some info that should clear up any confusion on ISO.
Back before digital cameras became so popular, ISO indicated film
speed and you could only change the ISO in film cameras by buying
different
ISO rated film itself. Today though, digital cameras can adjust
themselves as if you had changed the type of film you are using. All
you have to
do is change the ISO setting on your camera.


The majority of cameras have an automatic ISO setting on them, and
most cameras are set to this auto ISO by default when you first buy
them.
However, most cameras also offer a way for you to change this setting.


ISO settings are in the form of numbers. The lowest is often ISO
100, but there are some cameras that offer ISO 50 too. How high the ISO
settings go will depend on the camera though. Many point and shoot
cameras will only go to ISO 400 but DSLR cameras often go to ISO 1600
and some
even go as high as ISO 3200.


You will need to read your camera's manual or specifications to know
the specific ISO ranges for the camera model you own or are thinking of
buying.


Now, with all that said, what is the point of ISO? Well there are
many uses for it, but the most common one is lighting control. The
higher
you have your camera's ISO set to, the easier it is to take pictures in
dark places.


If for instance, you are taking pictures of your child's school play
in a dark auditorium, you will have an easier time taking those
pictures
if you can set your camera to ISO 800 or ISO 1600. This is because the
camera needs less light when you are using higher ISO settings. So you
would be able to take a picture in a dark place without having as many
problems with blurring. The blurring is caused by camera shake when you
have a slow shutter speed, and the darker the place you are planning to
take pictures at, the slower your shutter speeds must be.


By increasing the ISO, you can also increase your shutter speeds or
the camera can do it for you automatically and this will help decrease
the
blurring in your pictures.


One important point to remember with digital cameras is that the
higher you make your ISO setting, the less detail and clarity you will
get
from your pictures. A high ISO setting will actually make the pictures
look grainy to the point of being almost old fashioned in many cases.


So if you want crystal clear, sharp looking pictures, you need to
use as low of an ISO setting as you can. As a guide, try to use ISO 100
as
much as possible, but when you are taking pictures in the dark, you may
need to increase your ISO or else you will not be able to get a picture
at all.
When I shoot my Macro shots I opt to use a very low ISO like 100 or 200 at the most. I get by with this by using a tripod and triggering the shot with the cameras built in timer.
Hope this clears up some of the mystery behind ISO...
eins

 

Is anyone interested in these tips?

I don't mind doing them but it seems like no one is even looking at them.
is there specific things you would like me to focus them on?

thanks
eins

 

I was hoping this could be a thread for tips and for questions and discussions.

Thanks everyone....I just didnt want to waste my time if no one was interested.

I will post answers to your questions in the next day or so...I am short on time tonight.

eins

 

Sone

I dont have a grey card....so I am not sure if it works any better..
My goal with white balance is to get it close in my situation because I will make my final adjustments post picture.
If I can get the white balance just close to where it needs to be then I can adjust it with my editing software without problems.
Problems pop when white balance is way out of whack and when you make the huge adjustment to get it right you have thrown all of the other colors in the picture out of whack.

If I come across a grey card I might pick one up....but the one thing I like about the filters is that you dont need to get in the tank at all to get a good white balance reading.

Hope that helps....

eins