Art Photography

Digital photography has forever changed the photography landscape. Has it changed the way we look at landscape photography?

In my gallery and on my website, I sell a photograph of a kangaroo on a beach. I am not the only nature photographer in Australia to have captured such a subject, so it is not a unique occurrence; but it is unusual. As such, many people have never seen such a thing with their own eyes.

Ten years ago, when film was standard, people would often ask “Where were you lucky enough to find a kangaroo on a beach?” Fair question.

Today, someone asked me “Did you superimpose that kangaroo on your computer?” Some people don’t ask; they just assume the photo is a fake. Some even want to argue with me even after I have told them where, when and how the photo was taken. People like to transfer their own limitations onto others. So, if they could not have taken that picture, they assume that nobody could. Therefore (they like to believe) it must be fake.

For nature photographers, being told your photo has been manufactured on a computer is like being accused of fraud.

The kangaroo on the beach is the most commented-on image in my collection, but it is by no means the only photo that invites doubt. These days it seems that any nature photo, if unique and perfectly captured (and isn’t that what we are all striving for?) is automatically an object of suspicion.

We have entered an era when technology has become so advanced, people have begun to doubt their own eyes when it comes to photography. It is true, some amazing things can be done with software, and many photographers find ‘photoshopping’ an image more interesting than taking the photo in the first place. This is a perfectly legitimate pursuit and one that is simply a fact of life in the modern world.

However, problems arise when people start to forget that good photography, and in particular good nature photography, existed long before the digital age. The skills of nature photography are as they have always been. An ability to read the light, to recognise and capture a spectacular sky, to simply know the time of day and the perfect weather to shoot your subject: these are the stock in trade of the nature photographer. Next comes knowledge of the camera and photography theory, along with a practiced sense of balance and composition.

If you get these right (and there are still plenty of photographers out there who can), you simply don’t need to rely on your computer to create a good image. In fact for most nature photographers, the whole point of the pursuit is the joy of capturing a perfect moment using only patience, skill and timing.

Technology is amazing. Using software, you can take the sky from one photo, put it behind the foreground from another photo, and add a few birds flying past for good measure. In the case of my photo, perhaps you could add a kangaroo into your beach photo. The point is, why would you, when there is so much satisfaction in finding that beach, and being there to capture the moment for real.

The truly wonderful thing about nature photography is that it can remind us of all the things we love about nature. It helps us to appreciate what is at stake as environmental issues come to the fore, and often (like my kangaroo on the beach) it allows us to see the natural world from a point of view that we never knew existed. Old school nature photographers like me don’t want you to look at a photo and see only the technology that produced it. They want you to remember what it is we love about nature, and perhaps pause to appreciate the skill and artistry of the photographer.

So the next time you see a great nature photo, show some respect for the patience and skills that went in to capturing that image. And if you aspire to one day do the same, try thinking a little less about your computer and a little more about nature. It can only make you a better photographer.

There’s one offshoot of portrait photography where the recommended settings are different, and that’s environmental portrait photography.  This can be achieved inside by positioning your subject in front of a window.  This technique is more effective indoors, as it is achieved by controlling light, and there is too much light to control out of doors.  In addition, they most often like to have a portrait of each child when there are more than one.  Whether your aim is professional digital portrait photography, or practicing it as a hobby, one of the best ways to go about it is to heed the written advice of experienced professional portrait photographers.  Natural light or umbrella lighting can achieve soft lighting; both of these reduce shadows and show the face in a “better more attractive light”.

If you are looking for an extra income from photography, a photography course that teaches you to click good pictures are more than enough but for those who are looking for a regular income, photography classes must cover the business aspect of photography as well.  Therefore a certain degree of self-confidence is necessary.  Now as the shutter moves up and down and your subject starts to relax, take few more snaps very fast.  Many photographers underate this essential requirement because posing will make or break your portraiture.  Some professional portrait photographers prefer to chat with their subject for hours before taking them to the shooting floor.  

The term portrait may refer to Portrait Painting and Portrait Photography both – here, the facial expression of the subject is captured by the painter or the photographer.  With professional help from your teachers, you will learn to build great portfolios.  Often the best strategy to relax your model is simply to engage them in conversation, as this will take their mind off the camera.  Anyone over the age of two can pose for the camera, with a vacuous expression, but the secret of saleable portrait photography is capturing more than the pose.  Know you camera, be interested in the people you deal with, and you will soon be a master of digital portrait photography.  An expert photographer would follow his own tricks to make the person feel comfortable and relaxed so that the right facial expression is captured.  Portrait Trainings – An Overview Once the business aspect of portrait photography is covered, it is the scientific and creative aspects that you need to learn.  You may go through portrait photography tips to know more about such tricks.  

Unless you’re shooting professional models, the hardest thing about taking portrait photos is not in fact camera settings or lighting, but ensuring that your model is comfortable and relaxed enough to give you good results.  Your model should be facing you, side on to the window.  When you plan to become a portrait photographer, you need to know your customers.  You shouldn’t look for a face that is over painted by a makeup artist.  Environmental Portrait Professional photographers always try to capture the true self of a person through photography.  Make money with Portrait Photography

When buying a new digital camera, most people start out with the best intentions of becoming a truly creative photographer. One look at that thick, complex technical manual, and they switch the camera to auto…and that’s where it stays. As a result, most of us settle for snapshot photography when our cameras are capable of so much more.

Does this sound like you? Don’t worry, you are not alone. Camera manuals reflect the technical power of modern cameras, but they are intimidating to any beginner who just wants to take a decent photo.

Digital cameras are like most computer programs; you may find you can get by with about ten percent of the available functions. So don’t get tied up in knots trying to understand everything. Just learn what you need to know, and learn it well, and you will be well on the way to being a better photographer.

Here are a few tips that may just take the complexity out of photography for you.

Tip #1. Stick with the basics. In the days of film, good photographers used SLR cameras with two main settings; aperture and shutter speed. These were the ingredients of all great photography. Today, cameras come with hundreds of features, but guess which ones you really need to understand? That’s right, aperture and shutter speed.

If you can understand these two settings, you are halfway to becoming a better photographer. Your manual (I never said you could throw it away) will tell you which buttons to press on your camera. However, to really understand what these settings are all about, don’t rely on the manual. There is plenty of information out there; workshops, websites, books and ebooks can help.

Practice has never been easier than it is today. Most cameras have semi-automatic settings, called ‘aperture priority’ and ‘shutter priority,’ that allow you to operate one setting while the camera takes care of the other. This is a great way to practice a skill without fear of getting too many failed exposures.

Tip #2. Learn from your mistakes. If you just delete every photo you are not happy with, you are missing a golden opportunity to learn from your own experience. Photos you consider ‘rejects’ actually contain useful information – you really can learn from your mistakes!

Let’s say you are experimenting with aperture. Try photographing a scene three times, with three different aperture settings, for three slightly different results. Instead of keeping your favourite and deleting the others immediately, you could transfer them to your computer and take the time to examine them properly. You can see how each setting changed the look of the picture, and which setting worked best for that subject. Now you can learn from your own results, not from some theory in a book.

Did you know that if you right-click your mouse over a photograph on your computer and select ‘properties’ you will find a lot of information embedded in the file? You don’t have to keep a note of the aperture/shutter speed information; your photo does it for you!

Of course in the long term you don’t want to keep every single photo you take, but you might want to keep a folder of ‘learning photos’ to refer to later, with maybe two versions of each subject you experiment with. To make it even easier, rename the pictures with relevant titles, for example: Wildflowers/Small Aperture, Wildflowers/Wide Aperture; Waterfall/Fast Shutter, Waterfall/Slow Shutter.

Tip #3. Learn The Art As Well As The Technique. Every problem in photography cannot be solved by the camera. Experienced photographers know that good lighting and creative composition is often more important than up-market technology. In fact, most photos fail not because of bad technique, but because they were taken at the wrong time of day, or the photographer did not put enough thought into the composition. Yet daily I meet people who think that all their problems would be solved by a better camera, or some mysterious technique they are yet to learn.

Remember what I said in Tip #1; aperture and shutter speed are the fundamental skills, and with a little practice, they are not hard to learn. Master them and you are halfway there. The key to becoming a really good photographer is a balance of technical knowledge and artistic skill. Practice both, and soon your friends will be coming to you for photography tips!

Today, digital photography is considered the most popular not only in the business industry but also for personal use. For all those who have shifted from film cameras, it is vital that you know the different terms related to it.

The first part of the digital photography tutorial will focus on the basic parts and terms you need to know before handling a digital camera. Below are the common terms used in digital photography:

1.    Pixel- means the tiniest part of the digital photo. A photo image is composed of combined millions of pixel.

2.    Resolution- the over all quantity of pixels in a photo. Increasing the resolution would make the image become sharper. Thus more pixels are needed to achieve a better photo image quality.

3.    Mega pixel- a photo composed of three to four mega pixels will have a better quality that a photo with only one mega pixel.

4.    Dots Per Inch (DPI) – this term is used to describe quality of the computer monitor and printer. Specifically, laser printers have more dpi resolution than monitors. Hence, higher the dpi resolution means better quality.

5.    JPEG (joint photographic experts group) – it correspond to the format for saving images in the digital camera.

6.    Memory Card- this is where the digital files are stored. Memory cards consist of different sizes and capacity. A memory card with higher storage capacity would be more convenient to purchase.

7.    LCD (liquid crystal display) – almost all digital cameras have this specification. The purpose of LCD is for the photographer to be able to view the scene first before capturing the photo.

Now that you already understand the first part of the digital photography tutorial, the second part will discuss basically on correct handling of digital camera.

Proper handling of digital camera is the next important step in digital photography. This is because the success of a digital photographer depends on his output. And the key to achieve quality photos starts in the way you use and handle the digital camera.

Learning how a digital camera works, understanding the strategies in taking photos, and how to take indoor and outdoor pictures are all part of the things a beginner should learn.

Below is the second part of the digital photography tutorial. These are good ideas to help beginner master the secrets of taking photos.

1.    Pay attention to the subject

One of the most fundamental digital photography tips. You should be able to compose carefully by working on the frame. Play with your camera, and explore the different shots. Avoid positioning your object at the center of the photo, as it may result to dead center image.

2.    Capture Close Up Photos

Take great images by capturing them in extreme close up. Close up photos add a little creativity and excitement to the photos. In addition, this feature is only of the different ways to enhance you photo.

3.    Use a tripod

Oftentimes digital cameras results to blurry photographs if your hands quiver a little. Getting a tripod will surely save your effort from taking low quality photos, and preserve otherwise great photos.

4.    Be active

Try creative shots. Take photos from the top of a hill, or off the side of a yacht. Go outside and explore your environment. You’ll surely have fun taking those once in a lifetime photo shots.

5.    Join a photography class

Your learning doesn’t only focus on the practical part. You must not only learn through your experience. Learning from an expert would also help to improve your skills as a photographer. Try to join a photography class in your community, or if there are online classes you can log on.

Becoming a professional digital photographer really takes time. You just have to be resourceful and keep on trying new techniques. Start by learning the digital photography tutorial because this will serve as a stepping stone for your future career growth.