Photography Tips & Tutorials7171 articles

A polarizing filter is an amazing tool, but when used correctly, you will get maximum performance, and improvement in your photographs. First of all, you achieve maximum polarization when the sun is low in the sky. This means, mornings and afternoons are better times to shoot landscapes with a polarizer, than say at high noon. Most dramatic landscapes are not shot during daytime, they are typically captured early or late; in either case, the sun is low.

Beginners often ask me whether or not they require a portrait lens for baby photography. The answer in relation to baby portraiture is an absolute yes. With a standard lens you will need to get in very close to a baby. You can shoot from further back and crop digitally later, but, from a quality perspective, it’s best to have ‘more image to play with’. The fact is that the closer a stranger (you the photographer) gets to a baby the less chance there is of a good ‘quick shot’.

A portrait photograph of high quality can mesmerize those who look at them, giving great insight into not only the subject’s physical stature, but also their emotions and feelings. Such photographs will stand the test of time and be enjoyed by many generations.

After selecting the location which you feel will enable you to capture a great picture, evaluate the amount of light available in the area. If this is for an important picture, make the effort to consider the effects of light at different times over the course of 24 hours and decide during which part of the day the light will be most beneficial.

Winter shooting can be tricky as majority of the landscape is white and the background is bright. When shooting a snow filled area, the brightness of the snow may often cause your digital camera to somewhat underexpose the scene, thus making the snow to look gray. To correct this, you might have to increase your exposure compensation so the whiteness of the snow can be appropriately captured.

The term “white balance” originates from the world of video imaging where a device (waveform monitor) was used to match or “balance” the signals from the camera’s red, green, and blue channels to make accurate whites under various lighting conditions, thus balancing your white.

If there is one occasion that everyone wants to celebrate with photographs, it is their wedding. It is an occasion that every one wants a degree of professionalism, and many people want to ensure quality. Therefore there are many opportunities for a photographer to make money, if they are willing to cover weddings.

When dark clouds roll into the sky most photographers run for shelter, but the ones who stay out and brave the weather can sometimes capture the most amazing photos. Bad weather can give photographers a chance to capture rain photos, snow photos, or even lightning photos. In the world of photography the rarer and harder to capture photos tend to sell for a higher price; so there is a potentially large market for bad weather conditions if you are a photographer.

This is probably the hardest part of taking night time images. How do we calculate the proper exposure? Color temperature varies when working with artificial light, so different exposure times are necessary. It’s best to bracket your shots to get the perfect result. Don’t be afraid to use plenty of film to get the perfect result.

Through many photography trips I gradually developed a strategy for traveling lightly and conveniently with a sufficient amount of camera equipment. On long trips I typically take along two cameras; one digital SLR (Single Lens Reflex) camera and one small digital point-and-shoot camera. For the SLR camera I take two lenses; one midrange telephoto lens (70-200 mm) and one fixed wide angle lens (24 mm).