Digital Photography Tips and Techniques

Digital Photography Tips and Techniques

I am an intermediate level photographer who wants to learn how to shoot landscape in a way that is innovative and interesting, so the title caught my attention.

Digital Photography Tips and Techniques

In the first page I discovered this was not a technical book, and not even a "how to" book. It is more of an overview of the authors thoughts on life and how photos should convey your sense of the world. 

Digital Photography Tips and Techniques

. The entire first section of the book is devoted to explaining how photos should reflect "Tao", which is the "mystical sense of being in-synch with nature...

Digital Photography Tips and Techniques

" and "Wabi-sabi", which is another mystical version of life. He also quotes a lot of poets. Actually, he never does explain how to capture Tao or Wabi-sabi. He just shares his thoughts on those concepts. You have to figure out how to capture them.

Digital Photography Tips and Techniques

It turns out that the "Tips and Techniques" subtitle for the book does not mean "Technical" Tips and Techniques. If you want to explore thoughts on Tao and Wabi-sabi, this book will feed your need. If you want technical info, this book will disappoint you.

Digital Photography Tips and Techniques

I feel all information is valuable, and the last section of the book showed some cool techniques to combine images to make really nice landscape photos, and for that I feel it is worth buying...just don't expect to get technical tips on how to make a creative landscape photo. However, if your funds are limited, and you want to learn "how to shoot creative photos", not just landscapes, spend your money on one of Tony Sweet's books (any one...they are all very good at conveying technical how-to's in a non-technical way).

Digital Photography Tips and Techniques

One example of the nature of this book: There is a chapter called "Seascapes". I live five miles from the ocean and would like to capture some creative shots of waves crashing against the rocks. The chapter is 5 paragraphs long

Digital Photography Tips and Techniques

Digital Photography Tip - How To Photograph Christmas Lights

Christmas is coming and so is the urge for us who love digital photography to get out there in the burbs and photograph the beautiful Christmas lights. It's a beautiful time of year and when you are as passionate about digital photography as I am, then this is the time you whip that digital camera out.

Taking photos of Christmas lights with your digital camera can be a very disappointing experience for digital photography enthusiasts. Pictures of Christmas lights in digital photography are aimed at being crystal clear with beautifully bold colours and hopefully we can capture the delicate glow that radiates from the lights themselves.

But...Christmas lights don't always provide the ideal digital photography experience does it? J In fact, in digital photography, Christmas lights can turnout to be smudged dots of colour, like water over ink and way too dark. The first time I took a digital photography image of Christmas lights the flash went off accidentally causing a flattening out of my images not to mention the lovely colours disappearing and it ended up just being a digital photo of the neighbour's front lawn. Not to mention how it set the dog off barking!

So just what is the digital photography secret to getting crystal clear shots of our suburban Christmas lights?

Okay now I'm going to share a secret with you. The best way to get suburb results of sharp, colourful Christmas lights is to choose the house you are going to photograph. Depending on where you live and how fast you can run, you may need to tee it up with your neighboughs first and offer them the photo. The same rules apply with your Christmas tree.

Take your tripod with you. Take your digital camera off "auto" and take it off "auto flash".

Now try a method called bracketing. Set the aperture at a wide f stop, such as 2.8 or 3.5 for example. Then proceed to try some different settings. Set the shutter to 1/30 or higher. I'd recommend, if it's really dark in the street something around the one second, two seconds or three seconds shutter speed.

There is a groovy little trick you can also do for helping you learning faster, about what works in digital photography and what doesn't. That's recording and documenting your digital photography experience. I usually take a note pad with me and write down the number photo and the f stop and shutter speed so when I look at the photos I know which digital photo has worked and what has not.

But in the dark it's very hard to write down anything so you can do what I sued to do, and that is record on Mp3 what your settings you had on what photo. For example you can record yourself saying "picture one, f stop 2.8, shutter speed 2 seconds." Then again as you have tried another setting "picture seven, f stop 22, shutter speed 1 minute."

These are just examples but they really work. Don't forget the basics with your night time photography such as wide aperture and slow shutter speed and the necessity of a tripod.

If you are in a moving vehicle for example and you are taking shots of Christmas lights from a bus or car, then you can always use the maximum aperture and a smaller shutter speed. For example f stop 1.4 and a shutter of 1/350 or higher.

And don't forget if you do have the time to set up a tripod and try the bracketing technique (ideal) also remember if you have the shutter open for a while the light can bounce off other objects such as windows and roofs. If you get too much reflective light, simply reduce the time the shutter is open.

Good luck and may you have a beautiful Christmas!

Happy Shooting,

Amy Renfrey

P.s Take a look at the photo used to describe the article; http://www.nomorebadphotos.blogspot.com

Digital Photography Tip - How To Photograph Christmas Lights

Night Photography Techniques

Digital Photography Tip - How To Photograph Christmas Lights

Digital Photography Tip - How To Photograph Christmas Lights
Digital Photography Tip - How To Photograph Christmas Lights

Night Photography Techniques

Haulover Canal - A Fertile Fish Cut Where You Can Catch Almost Anything

Haulover Canal, located in north Brevard County, is a manmade cut between the Indian River and the Mosquito Lagoon. In 1884, when the canal was blasted out of coquina rock to provide a link between the two water bodies and throughout the late 1800s; the canal was an important waterway for steamboats and paddle wheelers. Today Haulover Canal, located just northeast of Titusville, has become known as one of the best protected fishing hotspots in all of East Central Florida.

The canal countours quickly from the bank to 10 foot or more depths and provides a home to "bull redfish", black drum, grouper, "gator" seatrout, snook, sheepshead, and mangrove snapper. It is also home for dozens of sea manatees that feed on the lush grass beds in the area. A slow speed, no wake zone, is in effect throughout the waterway which makes it pleasant for bank fishermen as well as the manatees.

Many people fish Haulover Canal year round because of the protection it affords anglers from the wind, and all the fish it holds in the coquina rock ledges. The submerged trees and stumps along the edge of the canal provide cover for small "puppy drum", sheepshead, trout and snook.

There is almost always a current flowing through the canal, that is generated by the wind moving water from either the Indian River, or the Mosquito Lagoon. A negligible current from Ponce Inlet, far to the north, can occasionally be detected when no wind is present; but there is no measurable current in either of the lagoon systems to speak of.

Some of the largest "bull" redfish and black drum in the area are caught in the canal on cut baits, blue crab, or live pinfish drifted along the bottom. Bank fishermen use the same baits with surf rods and enough weight to hold bottom with excellent results. You never know what you are going to catch in Haulover Canal. Haulover Canal is also a shrimping hotspot during the summer nights when the current is moving.

The shrimp are swept through the cut, and boaters anchored near shore, equipped with underwater lights and dip nets, can load up 5 gal. bucket limit of "jumbo" shrimp in a hurry, when the conditions are favorable. The abundance of shrimp also triggers the snook and "gator" sea trout bite.

At night you can hear the trout and snook smacking the surface in their feeding frenzies, and more often than not a manatee will surprise you with a friendly visit. Although night bank fishing is prohibited in the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, night time boating and shrimping is allowed. A special free, self issuing, Refuge Sport Fishing Permit is required by everyone fishing or shrimping in the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.

It outlines the special fishing regulations applicable for the area and can be download online, or you can get it at boat ramps and refuge entrances, in the Fishing Maps & Regulations Brochure. The popular Bairs Cove boat ramp is located on the southwest side of Haulover Canal, is open 24 hours a day, and offers convenient access to both the Indian River and Mosquito Lagoon. With April almost gone, and May just around the corner, you can expect some outstanding fishing opportunities in Central Florida's Haulover Canal.

Haulover Canal - A Fertile Fish Cut Where You Can Catch Almost Anything

Night Photography Techniques

Haulover Canal - A Fertile Fish Cut Where You Can Catch Almost Anything

Haulover Canal - A Fertile Fish Cut Where You Can Catch Almost Anything
Haulover Canal - A Fertile Fish Cut Where You Can Catch Almost Anything

Night Photography Techniques

Night Photography Tips for Amateurs

Taking a photo is not as easy as focusing on the subject and then clicking the camera. It takes more than that. In fact, it takes a lot of intuition and a set of lessons. This is why amateurs in photography need not only experience but also lessons in techniques and of course in the basics.

One of the hardest thing to master is night photography, not only because the subject is hard to find but also because the shadows will make it more difficult for the amateur photographer to take a good shot. Below are some tips that any amateur photographer can use to master night photography.

Safety

The first thing of course that amateur photographers need to remember is to choose the location well. Remember that if you are going to do the shoot, you will have valuable equipment with you. There are places in the country especially in the cities that are very dangerous at night. Safety is paramount. If possible, do your explorations with one or two people as you cannot very well conduct your shoot in daylight or under artificial lights.

Spares

Another reminder is that batteries often run out easily in cold conditions, so it is best to carry an extra or if you have none, try to fully charge your batteries before going out of the house and proceeding with the shoot. You should also bring a good case for your camera as moisture during the night can easily permeate to your camera.

Other equipment

The best camera to use for night work is actually the one with the manual exposure settings, preferably an SLR (single lens reflex). Automatic cameras are not often recommended, as they are not powerful enough to fight the darkness. Another requirement is a sturdy tripod with a rubber leg to minimize slippage. A cable release is also needed as this will enable you to hold the shutter speed open.

Exposures

One important thing that an amateur must remember in conducting night photography is the fact that longer exposures are needed for black and white photos compared to ordinary lighting. Color film, on the other hand, will produce shifts in colors.

Use of flash

With insufficient light from the moon, most photographers will supplement the light with a hand-held flashes, a technique known as “painting with light.” Other more sophisticated ones may also use movie lights and torches as additional lights.

Night Photography Tips for Amateurs

Night Photography Techniques

Night Photography Tips for Amateurs

Night Photography Tips for Amateurs
Night Photography Tips for Amateurs

Night Photography Techniques

Choosing a Print Lab For Your Photography Business

Most new photographers have little experience in print fulfillment. Sure, we have all printed our images on our home printer, or taken them down to the local discount store for prints. Some of us have tried consumer labs like MPix, Shutterfly, Winkflash or Flickr. While these labs can produce good quality prints at good prices, they are often not set up to produce consistent output with the kind of interfaces that a photography business needs to remain efficient. For example, the ability to use online order management tools like ROES (Remore Order Entry System) and FTP (File transfer Protocol) is often a key requirement of a photographer doing regular print fulfillment business.

When I got into the professional business, I spent some time evaluating print labs, and learning how to interface to the labs. I found that most labs will work with new photographers on account setup, trial prints and developing the interface between photographer and lab. During that journey, I identified several areas that you may want to consider as you search for the print labs that will become your business partners.

Print Fulfillment Lab Evaluation Criteria

Cost

Often the first thing you look for. Look at unit costs. If you plan to do lots of printed proofing, the 4x5 or 4x6 bulk proof cost may be important to you. If your major fulfillment will be 5x7 or 8x10, look for good unit prices on them. If you will be sending small orders in (less than about 20 prints per order), see if they have minimum order amounts. Also figure in shipping if it's separate.

I like to identify a couple "typical" order scenarios and price them at different labs, such as:

Proofing: 150 4x6 proofs, no color correction

Small Order: 5 wallet sheets, 5 8x10s and 10 5x7's, no color correction

Large Order: 20 wallet sheets, 30 8x10s, 5 11x14 and 60 5x7's, no color correction

Figure out how much each lab would charge for your typical orders, including shipping.

Quality

This is a tough one to evaluate objectively. First, you MUST be color correcting your monitor with profiling tools! I suggest choosing three or four representative images from your portfolio and having them sample printed at each lab. Each image should be 300dpi at the print resolution - or in pixel terms for an 8x10, 2400x3000 pixels. Choose at least one color headshot if you do people photographs, at least one black and white (color space converted, not B&W space), and some with bright primary colors, particularly red and yellow. Each of the labs' print devices will have a different color profile, and the prints will come out different. Without getting into lab printer profiling, you want to understand how their equipment prints your images.

If your lab offers color correction as part of fulfillment and you want to use it, request some of the test images to be color corrected and some not, to establish some measurement of the impact.

Delivery

How quick will the lab turn around your standard print products? How about more sophisticated print items like cutting, backing, canvas, gallery wrap, press printed items, books and specialty items? Most labs will quote standard turnaround times for various print types. When you do your sample runs, make sure you note their turnaround time.

Many labs will have a cutoff time for next-day shipping. I know at least one large lab that staffs a third shift on Sunday night to catch all of the weekend photography uploads and ship them on Monday. This is a huge benefit for those that like to provide quick turnaround to their clients.

Service

I group tools and responsiveness under Service. How easy is it for me to order what I need, track my orders, know when they shipped, and contact someone if I have problems?

Upload mechanisms - a minimum requirement for me is a good ROES system, where I can drag and drop images and send the order to them on the web. If the ROES system has lots of options for titling, multi-image collages and such, that's a plus.

Responsiveness - If I have a problem, I like to talk to a warm body. I run my business after normal work hours, so having someone answer the phone after 5PM EST is great for me. Getting an email or phone response by mid-day the following day is an absolute requirement.

Extra mile - Some labs excel at packaging, follow through and proactive contact. When I switched my winter high-volume work from one lab to another, I received a call from the old guys and we had a good discussion on why I switched. Based on that feedback, I went back to them for some of my other business. That same lab tosses a lollipop in the box on occasion. A nice treat!

Packaging - Some labs have impeccable packaging, where the product is always preserved. They include 2-day shipping in the product cost. Others put the product in an envelope and hope it doesn't get crushed or bent along the way. Belive me that there is nothing more frustrating than opening an envelope to see bent or creased prints!

Upload/workflow capability - I already mentioned ROES as a minimum. If the lab has special software for book design and other special items, that's even better. Online order review and tracking and shipment tracking is great.

Drop Ship - The ability for the lab to drop ship orders to customers in unmarked packaging may be a need for you. Check them out with a sample order to your mother!

Product Capability

Newer photographers may not know the whole realm of products offered beyond the traditional glossy or lustre print. There are metallic prints, special papers, stickers, tiles, canvas, press products and a huge range of photo products.

Bound proof books - available in many sizes from 4x6 to 11x14 and up, these books are great ways to show session proofs to customers, should you choose to do that. Many customers will also buy these if they look good enough!

Canvas products - gallery wrap canvas, where the image wraps around the inner frame, is very popular now and is a great upsell.

Press printed products - produced on printing presses, the quality of production is often very high, and the labs offer books, posters, brochures, bookmarks, greeting cards and more.

Novelty items - Stickers, tags, dry erase boards, mugs, coasters, cutouts, puzzles, clothing and many more items are offered. You may choose to do your main print fulfillment at one lab and doing your specialty items at another lab.

Summary

You need to do your own homework.  Search for "Professional Print Labs" and other key words.  Check out their offerings and prices.  Ask them for demo prints.  Make up an evaluation spreadsheet.  You'll likely be using this lab for many years, so choose carefully!

Choosing a Print Lab For Your Photography Business

Night Photography Techniques

Choosing a Print Lab For Your Photography Business

Choosing a Print Lab For Your Photography Business
Choosing a Print Lab For Your Photography Business

Night Photography Techniques

History of Surreal Photography

Surrealism in photography was one of the major revolutionary changes in the evolution of photography. Rather than art, photography was reviewed as a copying effort. Surrealism is the introduction of the 'more than real' images to the art forms.

Surrealism was a movement in the art and intellectual activities, emerged after World War I. Andre Breton, was the founder of the surrealistic concepts and he has gathered the influence from the Dande movement. Surrealism is actually the real expression of mental emotions, without any polishing. Andre Breton describes surrealism in Surrealist Manifesto, as the pure psychic automatism expressed in the real functionality of a person. Surrealistic art forms characteristically differ from the conventional forms in not having specific shape or idea. It can be the expression of basic human instinct and imaginative faculties of the unconscious mind. But, when surrealism comes to photography, the critics did not even imagine such a possibility. However, "Marquise Casati" by Man Ray, made a change to the belief, as it featured multiple eyes for the photograph. Even though, it was an accidental blurring, it proved the chances for the feasibility of surrealistic works.

Man Ray and Lee Miller are considered as legends in surrealistic photography as they were very successful to overcome the limitations of photography to create surrealistic images. Maurice Tabard is another famous surrealist, who had his own technique for surrealistic imaging. Hans Bellmer creatively used mechanical dolls to symbolize sexualized images, where as for Rene Magritte camera was the tool to make photographic equivalents of his paintings.

Surrealist photographs are described as the images, which symbolically represent dreams, night mares, intoxication, sexual ecstasy, hallucination and madness. The difficulty with photography medium is that it imbibes the reality, and often the real images cannot be sufficient to express such unconventional patterns. But, the famous surrealist photographers are able to fulfill the task since they can use the photographic techniques effectively. The ordinary snapshots, body photographs, anthropological photographs, medical photographs, movie stills, and even police photographs are manipulated to create the impression of surrealist images in the photographs.

Surrealism in photography is mainly performed using the different techniques. The differential techniques of light and lenses can itself be the primary technique for surrealism. Photomontage is one of the popular processing techniques, in which the several images are coupled together. In photogram, a photographic paper can be used instead of camera to imprint the image. The images produced by the flush of light can create amazing images that has a surrealistic look.

Multiple exposure is another technique for surrealism, in which the camera is clicked twice or more, without rolling the negative. The second image will be superimposed on the first image and the final product will be an undefined mixture of both. Cliche verre or glass negative is the surrealistic technique that uses negative coated from glass plate. Anyhow, solarization or Sabattier effect seems to be the most remarkable technique for surrealism. It produces dramatic effect of patterns through the flushing of the light on the photograph, while developing in the darkroom. It was discovered by Lee Miller, which have selective reversal of highlights and shadows. The light and dark areas with the distinct line of reversal make it most appropriate for surrealism.

Surrealism in photography has progressed much from its primitive stages. The new technology and lenses offer immense opportunity to the new generation photographers to portray their mental emotions in the frame of cameras.

History of Surreal Photography

Night Photography Techniques

History of Surreal Photography

History of Surreal Photography
History of Surreal Photography

Night Photography Techniques

Painting Lessons and Tips - Oil & Acrylic Painting Supplies - What You Need to Start Painting Right

Painting Lessons and Tips - Oil & Acrylic Painting Supplies - What You Need to Start Painting Right

It is important to learn and master painting by start right with all the supplies you need before you take your painting lessons whether it be in private painting lessons or a DVD painting course.

This article is for people new to painting with oil or acrylic paints who need to know what to get when first starting out. When I started to learn to paint, I had the same questions, but I couldn't find a clear answer. What supplies do I need to learn to paint fine art?

Essential painting supplies for starting off right

Acrylic or Oil paints - Ok, it sounds strange, but you do not want to forget in your rush to get everything else, do you? You will need a couple shades of each main color, reds, greens, blues, yellows, an orange, a purple, and some browns like burnt umber and burnt sienna. I use plenty of burnt umber! You'll want an extra tube of white paint. Black and gray depend on preference. The color names vary by brand. Student quality paint is cheaper and great for while you learn. Paint gets used up quickly! A palette knife for mixing paint A palette for mixing paint before adding it to your canvas or board Gesso for preparing canvas or panels for painting. Paint brushes - Paint brushes come in different sizes and shapes. There are rounded, flat edged, and tongue shaped paint brushes. Get at least 3 of each in different sizes. Medium gel - Use this for thinning oil paint for different consistencies Solvent - you can use this to clean oil paint from your brushes A jar or glass of water for cleaning acrylic brushes and keeping the paint from drying on them while working. An easel - A stand up easel is best for painting while you stand for full body movement. Desktop easels double as carrying cases for paint. rags for wiping oil paint off your brushes I'm sure you are as excited about learning to paint with oil or acrylics. I wish you the best of luck and hope you'll let me know where you are in your painting journey whether you are a starting now as an artist or if you are expanding your artist skill set into painting. It is a well respected form of fine art which you will love!

Painting Lessons and Tips - Oil & Acrylic Painting Supplies - What You Need to Start Painting Right

Night Photography Techniques

Painting Lessons and Tips - Oil & Acrylic Painting Supplies - What You Need to Start Painting Right

Painting Lessons and Tips - Oil & Acrylic Painting Supplies - What You Need to Start Painting Right
Painting Lessons and Tips - Oil & Acrylic Painting Supplies - What You Need to Start Painting Right

Night Photography Techniques

Equipment for Nightclub Photography

You don't need fancy, high end, expensive equipment for nightclub photography. Any decent prosumer level DSLR kit and a flashgun that's fully compatible with the camera body and supports i-TTL (Nikon) or E-TTL (Canon) modes will do.

Since all the photographs will most probably be resized for web use megapixels also don't matter. Even if you are expected to submit high resolution photos on a CD/DVD, unless they'll be used to print huge and I mean huge posters or banners, you don't really need more than 6 megapixels to get the work done. The only thing that I'd suggest to really think investing in, if you are serious about photography, is a ''fast'' lens with a fixed aperture value.

''Fast'' lens is a term usually used to describe lenses with maximum aperture value of f2.8 and below (f1.8, f1.4, f1.2). If you are still using a kit lens, take a look at the writing on it now, you will probably see something like 18-55mm, which describes the focal range covered, followed by 3.5-5.6, which means that at 18mm the maximum aperture opening of this lens is f3.5 and at 55mm the maximum aperture opening will be f5.6. Therefore, the aperture is not fixed throughout the focal length of this lens and changes as you zoom in or zoom out and can result in some inconsistency.

For instance, I use a Sigma 24-70mm 2.8, so if I set the aperture value of f2.8 it will stay at 2.8 whether I am shooting at 24 or 70mm. By now you probably understand why I started by suggesting a lens with a ''fixed'' aperture. These lenses are not cheap, but they are worth it, providing more predictable results, consistency and are generally better in terms of built and optical quality. Also, consider buying used equipment and if you are on a budget, instead of going for Nikon or Canon lenses, look for ones from other manufacturers such as Sigma, Tamron, Tokina etc. Lenses with focal lengths of 17-70 or 24-70 are in my opinion optimal choices for nightclub photography.

Now I'd like to talk about some accessories which nightclub photographers use to improve picture quality. Assuming that you already own an external flash unit, which is very important for nightclub photography, first accessory worth mentioning is a flash diffuser that attaches to the tip of the flashgun. Contrary to what many people think it doesn't really diffuse light parse, it spreads the light, producing much softer lighting as a result. They are very cheap and you can get one of eBay or Amazon. You don't really need any bulky, expensive light spheres and other bigger types of diffusers. Although, they do produce excellent results and some photographers use them for weddings and even in a studio, they are just too bulky to carry around in a nightclub and are very likely to fall off the tip of your flash gun and sooner or later someone will surely step on it.

Whilst we are on the subject of lighting, I might as well get it out of the way by suggesting that you should never point the flash directly at your subject, as it will not only make the background very dark, but also produce very harsh shadows. Instead turn the flash head up, whether you're photographing in landscape or portrait format, and bounce the light off the ceiling. As you gain more experience you will learn to read the surrounding well and sometimes even bounce the light of the walls for a different result. I will talk more about flash settings later.

Second very important accessory is a lens hood. Not only it is very important from picture quality perspective as it helps you avoid getting lens flares and produce better overall contrast in your photos, but it will also protect the front element of your lens. For instance, if you accidentally hit the lens against a wall or a bar stand, or some lady rubs her purse against it, the hood will protect the front element from getting scratched. Although, not all the kit lenses come with a hood, you can still purchase one of eBay. It'll probably either be a rubber type that pops on or a threaded one that screws into the filter thread of your lens. Both types are absolutely fine!

Next three pieces of accessory, that I'm about to mention, are in my opinion purely about personal preference. Many nightclub photographers will suggest that you use a UV filter. A UV filter is a clear piece of glass which screws onto the tip of the lens in the case of nightclub photography mainly for protection. To be honest I'm not a big fan of those, as in my opinion they limit some amount of light entering the lens, producing somewhat duller results. Of course you can use a UV filter and compensate for difference in final results by slightly changing some settings in your camera, if you want a bit more protection for your lens. In other words, it's entirely up to you if you want to use one or not. If you do decide to purchase a UV filter, I suggest you go for more expensive, pro quality filters, for the reason that cheaper filters will obviously degrade quality by causing ghosting, glares etc. There are many types of UV filters out there; they come single coated, double coated etc. Just look it up online and do some researches before you purchase one.

Another piece of equipment that I want to discuss is a vertical grip. You can purchase a vertical grip from manufacturers other than Nikon or Canon. For instance, Hahnel produces good quality grips for almost half the price and they do a great job. I've used a Hahnel grip on my Nikon D90 for about two years and sold it along with my camera in top working and cosmetic condition. Again, this accessory is all about personal preference and all it does is make it slightly easier to handle your camera when you take photos in a portrait format, as it lets you hold the camera much in a same way as you would in a landscape format. As a bonus you also get a second battery slot for a spare battery, which is helpful if you have a long night shooting. Plus you get an AA battery adapter with 6 AA batteries offers a flexible power-backup solution when you run out of power unexpectedly.

Finally, the last piece of equipment that I'll be talking about is a TTL off-camera shoe cord. This cord is the cheapest and probably one of the most reliable ways to get the flash off your camera without losing any functionality of the flashgun. Off-camera lighting is a completely different topic, but you can experiment by holding your flashgun in one hand and the camera in another and you will notice the difference in the way people are lit as you move the flashgun to the left, right or even above your camera. Alternatively, you can use wireless triggers or if you're a Nikon user most of the recent cameras support CLS (Creative Lighting System), which allows camera to act as a master unit and trigger the flash gun wirelessly even if it's not mounted on the camera body. This function works only with Nikon flashguns such as SB-600, SB-800, SB-900 etc. Earlier models don't support it. Refer to the user's manual to find out how exactly to set your camera and flash to communicate wirelessly.

Equipment for Nightclub Photography

Night Photography Techniques

Equipment for Nightclub Photography

Equipment for Nightclub Photography
Equipment for Nightclub Photography

Night Photography Techniques

Digital Photography For Beginners - Step by Step Guide to Stunning Digital SLR Sunset Photography!

Having a Digital SLR camera to use is the ultimate thrill for a budding photographer. Taking great sunset shots should be easy with such a tool, surely? You would think so, yet I know people who have invested in decent SLR's - but still could not create stunning sunset shots that even their previous compact camera could take. This digital photography for beginners article therefore suggests steps you can take to optimise your digital SLR for sunset photographs.

Many compact cameras have a setting for sunsets, yet DSLR's don't, so you have to take control of the situation. Turn off your fully auto, or basic shooting modes, and use your creative zone modes of P (program mode), Tv (shutter priority), Av (aperture priority) or M (manual) so that you have full control over the camera's parameters.

Auto White Balance can neutralise a sunset's glow, so switch to Manual White Balance and choose a setting of Cloudy or Shade.

Most DSLR's give you a number of "user defined" Picture Styles, so set one of these up for taking sunsets. Leave sharpness as standard, and add a little saturation.

You need to reduce the contrast to avoid your final image appearing over silhouetted. Adjust the Contrast slider in your user defined Picture Style one or two notches to the left. A reddish colour cast can also be achieved by doing the same with your Colour Tone settings.

Set your ISO at the lowest setting of ISO100. There's usually plenty of brightness in the sky, so this is fine. Sunsets can suffer from grainy images with higher ISO settings.

Exposure is important in any sunset shot. It's best to switch to Partial metering mode and take a manual meter reading. This can be a difficult aspect of digital photography for beginners to understand, so I'll explain how to do this. Once in Partial metering mode, point the camera at a bright area of the sky, directly above the setting sun. Press the Star button on the back of the camera to take a light reading and to set the exposure. Then compose your shot and press the shutter release to drive the autofocus and capture the image.

Consider your composition. Silhouetted objects and figures in the foreground will add interest. Reflective surfaces, such as lake water, the sea or wet roads will bring added colour to the shot.

Beware - once the sun starts to near the horizon, it sinks surprisingly quickly. This also happens to be the optimum moment when you will catch the strongest shots, yet it can come and go in an instant. Be prepared - make sure all your settings are in place well before this time.

When the sun has disappeared, it doesn't mean you should. For another thirty minutes or so, there can often be some amazing colour across the sky, so keep looking for more opportunities for great photos.

I hope this step by step digital photography for beginners sunset guide has been helpful, and that you can catch some beautiful sunset photographs in the future. They truly are wonderful shots to look back on.

Digital Photography For Beginners - Step by Step Guide to Stunning Digital SLR Sunset Photography!

Night Photography Techniques

Digital Photography For Beginners - Step by Step Guide to Stunning Digital SLR Sunset Photography!

Digital Photography For Beginners - Step by Step Guide to Stunning Digital SLR Sunset Photography!
Digital Photography For Beginners - Step by Step Guide to Stunning Digital SLR Sunset Photography!

Night Photography Techniques

Perfect Prom Photos - 4 Tips For Taking Stunning Pictures on Prom Night With Compact Digital Camera

Most people would dress up elegantly in their glamorous prom night. As a photographer, you could expect many participants would dress up all in vain that could add more colors in your photo-taking process. If you're chosen (or hired) to take pictures of some people in the prom night - you have to know that the prom night can be an important time of their life; hence, it's a great challenge for you to capture their unforgettable moment of their life.

If you seriously want to capture good pictures with a compact digital camera during the prom night, there are few tips that you need to focus on:

Tip #1: Strike a pose

Although all prom night participants dressed up in vain, they still need to strike a perfect pose for the perfect shot. For close-up shots, it's similar to taking portrait pictures. You can ask the human subject to stare slight left or right at the camera lens. As for their body posture, avoid putting their hands in front of them. It is better that they keep their back straight and curl their arms like fashion models in the magazines. In this case, the perfect pose for both sexes is angling their body slightly to the side and anchoring their one foot forward.

Tip #2: Use the Image Stabilizer mode to avoid blurry images

In some non-improvised situations, your photo-taking process has to be fast and accurate as well as maintaining the high-quality image. By using the Image Stabilizer shooting mode, you'll be able to avoid having shaky pictures when you're taking pictures in various angles. It's also necessary to use your tripod or a monopod if you're taking pictures at the same spot for a long period of time.

Tip #3: Use the advance presets in suitable conditions

You have to aware of the specifications of your digital camera including the advance presents that can be used in different environment. For example, there's an "evening" preset that are suitable for evening photo shoot outdoors or you can increase the ISO settings that is suitable to capture fast moving shots. If you can manually alter the white balance preset, you can control the color temperature based on your preferences - as an alternative of using the auto white balance.

Tip #4: Avoid taking dark images

If everyone pose perfectly during the photo-taking process - it would be pointless if the colors of the image are not distributed orderly. For example, many would be disappointed when they see their faces overshadowed by other things - causing shades on their faces.

Most digital cameras have this problem resolved - for instance, Canon PowerShot SD780IS which offers Intelligent Contrast Correction system; that brightens the dark images without changing the originally bright sides of the image and enhances the picture with vivid colors.

Perfect Prom Photos - 4 Tips For Taking Stunning Pictures on Prom Night With Compact Digital Camera

Night Photography Techniques

Perfect Prom Photos - 4 Tips For Taking Stunning Pictures on Prom Night With Compact Digital Camera

Perfect Prom Photos - 4 Tips For Taking Stunning Pictures on Prom Night With Compact Digital Camera
Perfect Prom Photos - 4 Tips For Taking Stunning Pictures on Prom Night With Compact Digital Camera

Night Photography Techniques