Winter is officially over and spring has finally sprung, and that means it’s time to pull out a macro lens and bone up on your skills. The quick video below provides five very helpful tips that are different from those we’ve discussed in the past.
Motion blur is a very popular technique in which slow shutter speeds are used to give photos a sense of movement, and appropriate subjects span the gamut from flowing water, clouds blowing across the sky, and even action shots of athletes. This effect can be achieved in the camera or during post processing.
There was a time when lens flare was considered a negative attribute of photos shot outdoors. Often caused by using a lens with inferior coatings (or no coatings at all), flare can also result from failing to use a lens hood when shooting on sunny days (depending on your position relative to the sun).
One of the primary goals of landscape photographers is to arrive at a “correct” exposure, and we regularly post tutorials on this subject to help get the job done. But in the quick tutorial below you’ll see why certain types of scenes look much better by adding a bit of intentional overexposure during the editing process.
If you ask a bunch of budding landscape photographers to name the biggest challenge they face, the answer you’re likely to receive is “getting a perfect exposure.” This can be difficult with all forms of outdoor photography, but it’s particularly an issue when shooting landscape scenes with a wide range of tones from bright highlights to deep shadows.
Camera technology these days is amazing; it’s practically magic. The problem, though, to my way of thinking and photographing, is that the magic offers a very wide and deep comfort zone—you might call it a zone of automatic decisions, and it’s probably best not to spend a lot of time there, certainly not if you want to create individualistic images.
Photographing birds is a great way to try your hand at shooting wildlife because traveling to exotic locations isn’t required. All you need is a nearby park or nature reserve, and you can even get started in your own backyard.
Regardless of how you pronounce “bokeh” (see our hilarious video on this topic), it’s an important concept to understand if you want to shoot photos that grab attention by making the primary subject in a scene really stand out against a soft and pleasing background.
What if we told you there’s an easy-to-used tool that helps nail exposure with every image you shoot? There is, and it’s called the histogram. Unfortunately it’s often overlooked.
All photographers are looking for an edge when it comes to shooting in mixed light outdoors, where there’s often a wide range of tones from bright highlights to deep shadows. While arriving at a balanced exposure can be challenging in these situations, there’s a way to use varying light levels to advantage.
Whether you consider yourself an inexperienced landscape photographer, or you just want to give this popular genre a try, the quick tutorial below is just what you need to up your game. In barely nine minutes an accomplished pro reveals his five favorite tips for those new to the game.
Nailing exposure is often a challenge with all forms of outdoor photography because of ever-changing light, complicated scenes, and a variety of tones from foreground to background. With wildlife subjects this task may require even more thought and precision.
You don’t have to be an experienced landscape photographer to appreciate the magic of sunset and sunrise. In fact, these spectacular scenes are among the most commonly photographed by anyone with a camera.
When most of us got started in photography we were told to “always shoot with the sun at your back.” That advice was reasonable for beginners interested in capturing simple images with a “Kodak Moment” look.
There are a number of reasons that landscape and other outdoor photos may be underexposed. Perhaps you neglected to add the necessary EV compensation, or an overly bright sky biased the exposure.