12 Tips to Help You Improve Your Nature Photography Skills

Tags: Photography for beginners, Newbie Photography, Photography, Nature Photography

By David Eldon 

Nature photography covers shooting flora and fauna. This means plants, flowers, and animals, photographed in their immediate environments.
It’s challenging because of the variety of subjects and movement. But we’ve got you covered with all the nature photography tips you need.
 

12. Pick the Right Lens for Nature Photography

There is a famous Boy Scouts saying – always be prepared. This applies to nature photography too.

Figuring out the best lens for a particular type of photography isn’t an exact science. You may have different goals for different shots.
In general, you’d do best to use a lens with a longer focal length. This could be a zoom lens, with a wide aperture.

This is for two reasons. First, you’ll want the longest reach possible. Some nature photography subjects, such as animals, will involve some distance. This way, you can observe and photograph without disturbing them.

Second, we’ll want to provide a sharp image of our subject against a creamy, blurred background. This will make the subject pop. To do this, you need to understand the foreground and background distances. Use a lens with a wide aperture such as f/1.4, f/1.8, or f/2.8.

11. Separate the Subject From the Background

Nature photography usually features a subject such as a plant, animal or flower. This means that you need to separate that subject from the background of the frame.
You’ll need to judge the placement of the elements in the frame. And you’ll need to make a few adjustments.

First, you’ll want some distance between your foreground and background. This will help separate them in the shot.
Use a wider aperture (lower f-stop number) such as f/2.0 or f/2.8. Focus on the subject in the foreground. The wide aperture should yield a softer, blurry background.

10. Crop Close on Textures

We draw inspiration from nature for many things in life. From colors, to sounds, to patterns. Some of the most interesting subjects can be right in front of us.

When shooting nature photography, zoom in and crop close on your subject. This could be tree bark, a leaf, the forest floor, a lizard’s skin.

There is a whole new world waiting for you when you look closer. For an even closer look, invest in a macro lens. These lenses magnify even the tiniest details and can produce some amazing images.

Photo by sohail na from Pexels

9. Study Your Subjects for Better Nature Photography

Nature photography is an interesting topic, and continues to be so all over the world.

It’s very important to study your subject, as far as nature photography tips go. This is for a few reasons. First, we can better capture images of things we understand.

Knowing your subject’s habits will also help you predict shots. You’ll know when that swan is about to charge, or when that particular plant is in bloom. And if you find out the animal you’re photographing isn’t so dangerous? Then you can start capturing close-up photography.

8. Shoot Your Subject in Their Natural Context for Powerful Images

This isn’t a hard and fast rule, but rather, a guideline. If you’re going to shoot nature photography, try to keep everything in the shot natural.

There’s nothing wrong with taking a picture of the bird on a power line, or spider on the side of your house. It can make for some creative and interesting juxtapositions.

But if you’re after powerful nature photos, then photograph animals and plants in their natural habitat.

7. Take the Right Gear for Taking Nature Photography

We’ve already discussed lenses, and later we’ll touch on camera bodies. But it’s easy to overlook other useful items.

On the photography side, a camera bag with extra gear such as batteries and lenses is a no-brainer.

But how many times do nature photographers venture into a remote shooting location without their tripod? More times than you can count, I assure you.

Also, don’t forget to wear appropriate clothing for the location and season. It may not seem like weather for a jacket, but wait until the sun drops behind the horizon.
Plan ahead. Hats, gloves, and different shoes could all prove useful. This might be one of the most important wildlife photography tips for beginners.

What about navigation? Don’t depend on your phone. Bring a current map and a compass, and learn how to use them.

6. Find the Best Camera for Nature Photos

Shoot with what you want. You might be tired of the phrase “the best camera is the one you have with you”. But there is definite truth in that statement.

You can create amazing smartphone photography with an iPhone or Android device. Smaller apertures, dual-lenses and optic zooming are all becoming common features. These allow you to create some pretty compelling photos even without a DSLR.

To see what’s possible, check out our article here. And see what others have done with minimal gear and tiny camera sensors. Even national geographic photographers didn’t all have digital cameras.

5. Use Natural Light to Improve Your Photos

Natural light photography is outdoor photography using direct or indirect light from the sun or moon. Nature photos will look great in the morning or evening light in general. And during the golden hours in particular.

This light after sunrise and before sunset has a softer, hazy quality. It illuminates your subjects more evenly and eliminates the harsh midday shadows.
Imagine a small bird in a tree or even the leaves of that tree. If that’s your subject, it will be softly lit with the golden hues of a setting sun. That’s what I would call atmospheric.

This type of light can provide an emotional overlay to your images. This is hard to reproduce otherwise. You’ll notice the difference in the effectiveness of the shot. You might even notice a difference between morning and evening shots. Check for colour temperature changes.

4. Choose the Best Time of Day to Get Perfect Nature Shots

There are advantages to shooting in the early morning or late evenings. This includes the likelihood of the area you’re shooting being less crowded.
This is especially important in high-traffic “tourist” areas. These are popular national parks and other landmarks.

If you’re shooting animals, aim for mornings and evenings. You’re more likely to score great wildlife shots then. Many animals escape the heat of the day. They are much more active when it’s darker and cooler.

3. Use Different Angles and Perspectives to Stand Out

Landscape photography isn’t about pleasing someone else. Or appealing to someone else’s sense of style. It’s about shooting what makes you happy.
Take the time to study other nature photographer’s work if you’ve not discovered your own style yet.

What angles do they tend to use? What colors do they coordinate within the frame? How close do they get to their subject?
Try to do something different. Go against the grain! Use a different angle, shoot a close-up where others would shoot wide-angle.

Nature offers us unlimited beautiful setups. Go out there and take advantage of them! Using your own creativity is one of the best wildlife photography tips for beginners.

2. Bring Your Crop Sensor Camera Body

If you have a full-frame and a crop sensor camera body, consider leaving the full-frame at home. Lenses have a more pronounced effective focal length on crop sensor cameras.

This is especially useful when shooting animals. There is a distance you must maintain to avoid frightening them. A 50mm lens on a crop sensor camera body will show a 1.6x effective magnification over a full-frame camera. Using a crop sensor means getting as close as you can for your nature and wildlife photography.

1. Respect the Animals and Environment

It’s impossible to explain this without using the phrase “leave only footprints”. As cliche as it is, it couldn’t be more accurate.

Be sure to take home any rubbish, even if you think an item is biodegradable. An orange or banana peel can take up to 2 years to decompose. Respect the environment you’re shooting. You have to understand the importance of not disturbing natural environments.

We are photographing a sensitive world that is the home of many living things. We should make every effort to have a minimal lasting impact on that world.

Are you a nature photography lover? What other tips would you give a beginner? And what are some of your favorite subjects and environments in the great outdoors to shoot in?

Comment below! 

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Beginner Photography Tutorial

 

Watch this, and our other videos on Youtube.

Camera Settings for Landscape Photography – Free Quick Guide

 

Landscape photography is a hugely popular genre, with most photographers enjoying the chance to capture stunning images in the great outdoors.

It is an accessible genre as even those who live in a city can find a green space to create shots.

And the world is full of beautiful locations that offer fantastic photographic opportunities.

In this guide, we’ll be looking at specific camera settings to help you get started in landscape photography. We will also explore other tips and tricks to assist you in getting the best landscape images possible.

Here’s what’s covered in this guide:

• Why do you want a lens with a fixed maximum aperture?
• Thoughts on whether to use a tripod
• Recommended filters and how they affect camera settings
• Turning on the Rule of Thirds grid…
• The need for camera Raw as your chosen camera file format
• Auto white balance, good or bad? (Important Info!)
• A cool and useful accessory – the Reverse Neutral Density filter
• Camera setting suggestions for all of these possibilities!

Get your Camera Settings for Landscape Photography guide right here:

https://photzy.com/download/camera-settings-for-landscape-photography-free-quick-guide/ 

Copy and paste the link above into your browser, click ENTER, and enjoy.  

 

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15 Tips to Take Your Photos From Amateur to Pro

Tags:  Photography for beginners, Amateur Photographer, Newbie Photographer

By Darina Kopcok 

 

 

 

Shooting JPEG Will Limit Your Editing Options – Switch to RAW

Before you pick up a DSLR, you should have a basic understanding of the various digital file formats. Most DSLRs these days shoot both JPEG and RAW files.
A JPEG has a limited number of brightness levels it can capture as opposed to a RAW file. A JPEG records 256 brightness levels, while a RAW can capture up to 16,384!
Also, each time you edit a JPEG, you lose information. You can completely destroy the quality of a JPEG file by editing it a couple of times.
The beauty of a RAW file is that you can convert it to a JPEG, or another type of file like a PSD (Photoshop) file.

1. Too Much Light Will Ruin Your Photos – Here’s Why

Understanding lighting is the foundation of photography. There is a misconception that abundant light is good and low light is bad.
Some of the loveliest portraits are taken an hour before sunset, during the golden hour. The light casts a warm and flattering glow on the subject.
And many landscape photographers take stunning nature images during the ‘blue hour’.
Too much light, in the form of a very sunny day, can create harsh shadows on your subject. This can be very challenging to work with.
Before you start shooting, take some time to observe the light. What direction is it coming from? This will influence where you place your subject.
When shooting portraits, lighting coming from the front looks soft and beautiful.
When shooting static subjects like food, front light can create unwanted shadows. It can also cause the image to look flat and lifeless. Side or backlighting is usually the better choice.

2. Use Spot Metering for a More Precise Exposure

The simplest form of in-camera light metering is “average metering”. The camera reads light levels across the entire viewfinder. It calculates an exposure based on the overall average of luminance.
It works well for scenes with equal amounts of lights, darks, and midtones.
But any scene that that doesn’t average out to a standard of 18-percent reflectance will be a problem.
Centre-weighted average metering is a variation on average metering mode. It gives the brightness of the objects in the centre of the viewfinder more weight in the exposure calculation than objects around the outer edge of the frame.
This is based on the assumption that the subject of interest is likely to be near the centre of the frame. And that it should get exposure preference over objects in the periphery.
Spot metering is the opposite of average metering. It samples the brightness of a small screen area. And it allows you to select the exact portion of the scene on which to base your exposure.
It’s very useful for situations where large areas of very light or dark tones would create an exposure bias that would detract from the central subject. This is the case for backlighting, high key, or low key scenes.
The image below is a good example of when you’d want to use spot metering. This is because it has a lot of contrast.

3. Use Bracketing to Capture the Right Exposure

Even the best light meters and exposure systems can be fooled by difficult lighting situations. And the preview screen on the back of your camera is not a very reliable indicator of correct exposure.
This is why it’s very important to shoot in manual mode.
To do this, you need to learn the Exposure Triangle; that is, how aperture, shutter speed and ISO work together.

It is also necessary to learn how to read a histogram. Most cameras these days have a built-in histogram function. Using it will be a lot more helpful to you than relying on your LCD screen.
One way to ensure that you got the correct exposure is to shoot the scene at several exposures. Then you can choose the best one.
This technique is called bracketing.
You shoot a “bracket” of alternate exposures over and under the presumed good exposure.
If your base exposure isn’t correct, then one of the other images is likely to be properly exposed.

4. Which Lenses Should You Use and When

There is no one lens that is appropriate for every type of photography or shooting situation.
This is why it’s a good idea to buy your camera body and your lenses separately. The kit lens that comes with your camera is usually not the best quality. And it will not always be suitable for the kind of photography you want to do. Especially if you’re aiming to take more professional pictures.
When I shoot food photography, I usually reach for my 24-70mm zoom lens, or my 100mm macro. For portrait work, I prefer an 85mm. If you’re travelling or doing landscape shots, you’d be better off with a wide-angle lens.
Keep in mind that the crop factor of your camera will have a bearing on which lenses you choose.
Entry level DSLR or “prosumer cameras” usually have a cropped sensor. A Canon Rebel is an example of a good DSLR with a cropped sensor.
What this means is that a 50mm lens will behave more like a 80mm lens because of the crop factor.
If you have a camera with a cropped sensor, make sure that any lens you buy will be usable if you decide to upgrade to full-frame.

6. Using Aperture to Control the Depth of Field

Aperture is a regulator that controls the flow of light through the lens. But aperture also affects your depth-of-field.
A change in depth-of-field can cause a dramatic change in your image.
Depth-of-field refers to the area of acceptable sharpness in a photograph. Aperture controls how shallow or deep the zone of acceptable sharpness is.
Smaller apertures (higher f-number) produce greater depth-of-field. Larger apertures (lower f-number) produce shallower depth-of-field.
The size of the image sensor, the focal length of the lens, and the aperture all affect the depth-of-field.
To control the depth-of-field in your photograph, you must control the aperture. This is a balancing act between exposure and depth-of-field considerations.
In portrait photography, the most important thing is to get the eyes in focus. Many professional photographers shoot portraits at a very wide aperture.
But when shooting still life, you’d want your aperture to be at 5.6 and higher, depending on the subject.

7. What to Do About Digital Noise

ISO is part of the Exposure Triangle. It affects how sensitive your camera is to light. As you increase your ISO, your image will become brighter.
But with that brightness comes an increase in noise.
Digital cameras are much better at handling noise than they used to be. Many digital cameras go up to ISO 6400. At what point you start to see significant noise will depend on your camera.
There’s a major problem with shooting at a high ISO. Increasing the exposure in post-production will alter the look of the grain.
Test your camera to see how far you can push the ISO before you destroy the quality of your images. Use a fast shutter speed and a smaller aperture like F8 or F11 so you get sharp images.
Take the same image at a variety of ISO settings. Start at 100 all the way to the max ISO of your camera and compare them in your editing software.

8. Calibrate Your Lenses to Your Camera for a Sharp Focus

Most lenses these days can focus either manually or automatically.
Manual focus is when you take complete control of where the camera focuses. You turn the ring on your lens until the area you want sharp comes into precise focus.
This is not the best approach if you have less than 20/20 vision. If you are even a bit off, you can miss focus. Blurry images are often the result of missed focus.
Autofocus is when the camera adjusts the lens to focus on your subject for you. But the AF system can end up focusing on the wrong part of a scene, or struggle to lock onto anything.
This is especially true in a dim environment, or when presented with a scene with low contrast.
One way to make it easier to get that razor sharp focus is to calibrate each of your lenses to your camera body. You can have a professional do this for you or learn to do it yourself.
Straight out of the box, most lenses are either slightly front or back focusing. You need to make micro-adjustments to get accurate focusing.

9. Which Rules of Composition Should You Use

A simple concept to get you started is the “Rule-of-Thirds“.
This is a compositional principle that divides an image into nine equal sections. It does so by using two horizontal lines and two vertical lines.
The important elements in the scene fall along these lines. They can also fall at the points where the lines intersect.

The Rule-of-Thirds is a great starting point, especially for certain genres like landscape.
There are other compositional principles that are even more powerful though. Check out the Phi Grid and Fibonacci Spiral.

10. Use a Diffuser to Soften Harsh Sunlight

Think about shooting outside on a cloudy day. The clouds act a giant diffuser, filtering the harsh rays of the sun as they hit your subject.
When it’s a hot, sunny day, the brightness of the sun can create harsh shadows in your images. A diffuser placed in appropriate relation to your subject will soften that light for a more even and appealing look.
There are a lot of professional diffusers on the market. Some have handles, which is very handy for doing portrait photography (pictured below).
You can also use translucent curtains or even shower curtains to make your own, if budget is a concern.

11. Fill Shadows With Reflectors

Fill light refers to the amount of light that is bounced back onto your subject. It is used to eliminate or soften shadows caused by the main light source. This is how you control contrast.
Changing the direction and intensity of your shadows can create a variety of lighting scenarios.
How you work with the shadows in your images can set your work apart from other photographers’.
Professional reflector kits are foldable discs. They come in gold, silver, white or black. You can use them interchangeably, depending on your lighting scenario.
You can also DIY your reflectors by using poster board, styrofoam, or cardboard for the same purpose.

12. Shoot With a Grey Card for Better White Balance

Use a grey card to determine the correct exposure and make sure that the whites in your images look white.
We’ve all taken winter scenes where the snow looks grey. This is because when metering, your camera looks for an average of 18% reflectance.
A scene that is very bright or very dark will not match this standard. A grey card will help you by providing a standardized reflectance target.
All you have to do is place it in your scene at the same angle as your lens and take a shot.
This will help you later when you are adjusting the white balance in Lightroom. You can click on the grey card with the eyedropper tool to get the correct white balance reading.

13. Use the Inverse Square Law to Change Brightness

Light intensity varies with the distance from the light source. The closer you are to your light source, the brighter the light. And light intensity falls off as distance from the light source increases.
Inverse Square Law is a simple and straightforward principle of physics. And the best part about it is that it can help you learn how to take professional pictures.
This law states that the intensity of light is inversely proportional to the square of the distance from the source.
And now in English. If you double the distance from the light source, the intensity is reduced to 1/4, not to 1/2 as you might think.
The distance times two is two, two squared is four, and the inverse of four is 1/4. The same formula works in the opposite direction.
To put this in photographic terms. Doubling the distance between the light source and your subject reduces the brightness by two stops.
And halving the distance between the light source and subject increases the brightness by two stops.

14. Calibrate Your Monitor for More Accurate Editing

So your images look different on your laptop screen than they do on your phone or your desktop computer. This has everything to do with monitor calibration.
Calibration ensures that your monitor is showing the real colour, saturation, and brightness of your images. It does this by making a colour profile, which you need to update often.
If you are editing or shooting in a room with a lot of daylight, you cannot see your monitor accurately. The reflection of light on your screen will make a huge difference.
You can use a monitor calibration tool such as that by ColorMunki to solve this.
I calibrate my monitor for each shoot I do.

15. Start With Editing Basics in Lightroom

The digital file is equal to a film negative in the sense that it needs to be processed. A RAW file in particular lacks contrast and will look flat without editing.
Learning the basics of Lightroom editing will improve your photography. And there are a lot of resources online that can help you with the ins-and-outs of the program. You can quickly learn how to edit photos like a professional.
If you’re serious about how to take professional pictures, you will start shooting in RAW as soon as possible.
RAW gives you so many more options when it comes to editing, and with that comes creative freedom.

You don’t have to try all these tips on how to take professional pictures at once. Choose one tip and experiment with it or investigate it further.
Photography is an inseparable combination of technical skill and creativity. In fact, the more you understand, the more it will enhance your creativity.
You will be able to get the most out of your camera and create images that reflect your photography vision.

 

 

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Audrey Ann Photo 

 

Darryl T

Scouring the internet to find and bring to your attention, Photographers and their amazing skills, I'm happy to introduce you to Audrey Ann.  I found her on Pinterest.  You can find fantastic resources on her blog, Facebook, Instagram, and of course Pinterest.  I've included links in the article below to allow you to find her at each of these sites with just a click of your mouse.  But for now, here's a sample of what you'll find.

 

4 Ways To Get A Blurred Background in your Photos 

by Audrey Ann

When I started out on my photography journey, the very first thing I wanted to learn was how to blur out the background whilst leaving my subject in sharp focus.  It’s an effect I still love as much today as I did back then, as it’s such a fantastic way to draw attention to your subject, especially when the background is busy or cluttered.

Although you definitely get more control over the end result if you have a DSLR camera, you can still get this affect with a point and shoot, provided you have some control over your settings.  Don’t worry, I’ll give instructions for you along the way too!

No. 1:  Shoot in AV Mode or Scene Mode

If you are shooting with a DSLR camera, you’ll need to move away from the AUTO setting. (Go on, I know you want to!)  Change the dial at the top of your camera to Aperture Priority Mode, listed as either an A or AV.

This will allow you to control the aperture, but let the camera take care of balancing your shutter speed and ISO to get the correct exposure, so you don’t need to worry about it.

If your camera will not allow you to shoot on AV mode, it will usually have SCENE modes instead. Switch to this on your dial instead, and choose “portrait” as the scene type.

No. 2:  Choose a Small F-Stop Number

The next step is to set your aperture.

The aperture is basically a hole in your camera that allows light to reach the image sensor.   When you set your aperture, you are controlling how big or small that hole is. This is measured is F-stops – you’ll see it on your camera as F followed by a number, such as F3.2 or F5.6.  Confusingly, a bigger number means a smaller hole and vice versa.

You don’t need to worry too much about learning this, as all we really need to know is that to get a blurred background, we need to have a large aperture, so choose the smallest F-number you can.   It really depends on your lens how small a number you can use – some lenses stop down to F1.8 and others will only stop down to F5.6, so just turn the aperture down to around F2.8, or as low as you can if you can’t go down that far.

If you are using the Portrait scene mode, the camera will do this for you!

No. 3:  Move your Subject away from the background

Next, you want to make sure that your subject is standing a good distance away from the background. For example, if you are shooting your subject with a wall behind them, move them a good few feet forward from the wall – the more separation between the two you have, the more background blur you will get!  This goes for both DSLR and point and shoot users!

No. 4:  Zoom in / Shoot with a Longer Focal Length

You will also see a difference in the amount of blur in the background if you stand farther back from your subject and zoom in. Unfortunately, with some lenses there can be a drop off in quality the more “zoomed in” you are, but you can play with it until you find a sweet spot! 

And that’s it! I suggest practicing this with a stuffed animal or toy, or anything that doesn’t move basically (like your children!) until you get a feel for it.  Once you have got it down you will use this all the time, I promise!

Audrey Ann is a photographer who loves to find and capture the beauty in the chaos of everyday life. In her blog, Live Snap Love, she shares tips and tutorials to help improve your photography skills and take the images of your chlldren you’ve been dreaming of! You can find more photography resources on her Blog or follow her on Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest.

 

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A Simple Guide to the Different Types of Digital Cameras

By Darina Kopcok 

Shopping for the best digital camera can be overwhelming for a beginner photographer. Or for a professional looking to change the format. There are so many different types of cameras.

There’s only so much your smartphone can do. At some point, you’ll want to invest in a digital camera for higher image quality.

Here are the various camera types that you should consider.

7. Compact Cameras

Also known as a point-and-shoot camera. A compact camera is an inexpensive entry-level camera for the amateur digital photographer.

These cameras are small and lightweight. They usually come with standard, automatic settings. They tend to be smaller as they don’t have an optical viewfinder.

They are the most user friendly of the types of cameras options. You frame your subject and press the button. The camera does all the work. It assesses the scene and determines a correct exposure.

Compact cameras have a built-in flash and a zoom lens. They also come with an LCD screen. You can view your scene before pressing the button to take the picture.

Many of these cameras even have some manual functions. These allow you to have more control over your photography.

But these types of cameras are all about ease of use. They won’t give you control over every camera setting. Some models also offer the ability to change lenses.

The downside of compact cameras is that they have a very small sensor. It doesn’t allow for great picture quality or printing large images.

Compact cameras are great for the hobbyist starting out. But they are not suitable for professional use.

Recommendations:

Nikon Coolpix A300

Canon Powershot Elph 190is

6. Zoom Compact Camera

Compact zoom cameras have a more powerful zoom lens. This means a much greater magnification ability.

They offer automatic exposure settings as well. But most also offer manual options and HD recording.

These types of cameras do not offer interchangeable lenses. This is due to the nature of the enhanced zoom function. The zoom ranges from 28-300mm.

Most models offer at least 12 megapixels. This is excellent for your personal images. As with other compact cameras, these types of cameras are not suitable for professional use.

Recommendations:
Canon Powershot SX540
Panasonic Lumix ZS50
Olympus Stylus 1s

5. Advanced Compact Cameras

These types of cameras are for the more experienced hobbyists. They want more control over their photos than what a regular compact camera provides.

Advanced compact cameras come with manual exposure mode and manual focusing.

These features put these a cut above regular compact cameras. But these cameras are still lightweight and user-friendly.

They will allow you to take higher-resolution pictures than your smartphone can provide. But they’re still small and compact. This makes them an easy walk-around solution for many shooting situations.

Recommendations:

Canon PowerShot G3X
Sony RX100 IV

4. Adventure Cameras

Action cameras have become very popular lately, and more and more models are coming out.

These types of cameras are similar in many respects to compact cameras. But they have the bells and whistles that allow them to withstand extreme conditions.

They are weatherproof and shockproof, with their lens behind very durable glass. Action cameras are very small, yet offer a lot of versatility and high resolution for their size.

As with other compact cameras, they are not suitable for professional use. This is due to its small sensor. They also don’t come with interchangeable lenses. They may also lack an optical viewfinder or even an electronic viewfinder.

Recommendations:

Nikon Coolpix AW130
Olympus TG-870

3. DSLRs – Digital Single Lens Reflex

Digital SLRs are for serious amateurs and professionals alike. These are larger and heavier than compact cameras. Most professional cameras out there are DSLRs, even through bridge cameras and mirrorless are gaining in popularity too.

Their design and function comes from film cameras. The higher-end models have a full-frame sensor. This is also inspired by the traditional 35mm film camera.

Many come with a cropped-sensor. This is cheaper for camera manufacturers to make. And it allows DSLRs to be accessible to a wide variety of consumers.

The lenses are interchangeable on these cameras. How they behave will depend on whether the camera you choose has a cropped sensor or a full-frame sensor.

The lenses for these cameras range in quality. Most manufacturers offer a line for amateur photographers. And then a much more expensive line aimed at professional photographers. An example here is Canon’s L-series.

DSLRs also offer a variety of manual settings and creative controls. You can take images in Automatic mode. But these types of cameras offer Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority, and Manual mode as well.

The benefit is that they have an optical viewfinder. They come in a range of sensor sizes, some being APS-C while others are full-frame. Shutter speeds can reach faster ranges and have a better low-light capability.

Recommendations:

Canon EOS Rebel T6i
Nikon D3400

2. Compact Mirrorless Cameras

They say that mirrorless cameras are the wave of the future. They offer most of the features of a DSLR camera. But they are smaller, lighter, and generally less expensive.

The name “mirrorless” is from the lack of an internal mirror that reflects light onto the sensor.

The light that comes in through the lens goes straight to the sensor. This then transmits the information it captures on to the LCD screen.

The new mirrorless cameras are a powerful alternative to the DSLR. They tend to use an electronic viewfinder rather than an optical viewfinder.

In fact, many professional photographers are switching over to mirrorless cameras. Or they’re using them as an alternative to their usual DSLRs, such as while traveling.

They are versatile, high-performance types of cameras. They will allow you a lot of control over your results.

You can change lenses on these cameras, and they have a ton of features for creative control. Some models offer facial recognition and have focus points in every part of the frame. This is excellent for event or wedding photography.
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Most offer high resolution and video, and also WiFi capability. This latter allows you to remotely control your camera. You can use your smart device from a distance.

The new mirrorless cameras are now capable of capturing incredible, high-resolution images. These types of cameras are comparable to some of the best DSLRs out there at a lower price point.

Recommendations:

Canon EOS M50
Sony a7R  III

1. Medium Format Camera Types

It’s out of the average person’s price range. And it’s unnecessary for most shooting situations. But the medium format camera bears mentioning.

Medium format refers to the 120 size film format used in the Hasselblad V system film cameras. Hasselblad are the leading manufacturer of this type of camera system.

Medium-format is a camera with a larger sensor than a full-frame DSLR. It is common in certain types of advertising work where very high resolutions are the norm.

These types of cameras offer amazing resolution. But they have less sophisticated autofocusing systems and burst modes. Thus, they are not suitable for every genre of photography.

The other downside is that the price tag for this type of cameras is exorbitant. Even most pros rent them rather than buy their own.

For example, the Hasselblad H6D-400c offers 100 megapixels and a 53.4×40.0mm sensor. And it costs almost $50,000 USD for the body alone.

Recommendations:

Hasselblad H6D-100c
Hasselblad H6D-50c

Maybe you’re a beginner, hobbyist, or looking to get into professional-level photography. No matter your level, there are many types of cameras to choose from that will suit your needs. You can even find a variety of cameras for kids.

Take the time to explore the features of several models before narrowing it down to a final choice.

 

 

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How to Capture Great Photos in Low Light

Tags:  Photography for beginners, Newbie Photographers, Newbie Shutterbugs, Low light Photography 

By Chad Verzosa

 

Types of Low Light

Visible

These are the dark areas you’ll find in the daytime. Shadows created by large buildings or trees can be down to -2 stops of light than the well-lit areas.

Low Light

After sunset, areas may still be visible, yet too dark to capture.

Dark

This is when only the brightest objects are visible at night-time.

Use a Slow Shutter Speed for Low Light Photos

So how do you shoot in low light? It all starts with shutter speed, which helps determines the amount of time light can enter the camera. The lower your setting, the more light will come into your sensor.

But a slow shutter speed also causes motion blur, especially without a tripod.

So how do you take with a sharp photo with low light?

As a rule of thumb, the average person can take a sharp, blur-free image by setting the speed to a fraction of the focal length when shooting handheld.

For example, to take a photo at 30mm, you would set the shutter speed to 1/30 of a second. Any slower and motion blur is likely to occur.

It’s worth noting that this rule is only relevant to full-frame cameras. If you use the same 30mm lens on a crop sensor, you’ll need to use 1/45th of a second instead of 1/30th due to your sensor’s crop factor.

Image Stabilization Allows You to Drop Your Shutter Speed Down

When it’s dark, sometimes 1/30th or 1/40th of a second wouldn’t suffice to capture correctly exposed pictures. But at the same time, going any slower also causes motion blur.

So how do you solve this issue when hand holding a camera? The answer is ‘image stabilization‘.

Nikon, Canon, and even third-party manufacturers make lenses that reduce camera shake. Not all lenses have this feature, but most kit lenses come with it.

Image stabilization is so effective that it can allow up to 4.5 stops of compensation. In other words, it lets you shoot at 1/15th of a second or lower without motion blur.

This impressive feature works best in conditions with visible light.

Find Ways to Stabilize Your Camera Without a Tripod

If you are capturing a low-lit scene and do not have a tripod, a few methods help keep your images well exposed and sharp.

One is to stabilize your camera by using your camera strap around your neck. Making it taught allows you to minimize camera shake.

To add additional stability, you can also rest your back against a wall. Doing so eliminates even the slightest movement you make while shooting.

But the best solution is to set your camera on a table or a ledge to ensure it doesn’t move while you’re taking photos.

These techniques work best in low light conditions.

Use a Tripod for Shutter Speeds Lower Than 1/60

The techniques I showed you on how to avoid motion blur when shooting handheld aren’t foolproof. Even a slight camera shake from your hands can ruin our shot.

So if you don’t want to take any chances, just use a tripod. And always bring it any time you want to shoot some low light photography.

Use a Fast Lens for Low Light Situations

The choice in a lens is crucial when it comes to the maximum achievable aperture.

Choose the widest possible apertures to capture images in the dark. An f/1.4 value will give you four times as much light as f/2.8.

Most kit zoom lenses find their limit at f/3.5-f/5.6 for maximum aperture. Meanwhile, professional zoom lenses often have a maximum aperture of f/2.8 or wider.

High-end prime lenses can be expensive. But you can also buy cheap options such as the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II if you’re still starting in photography.

Many prime lenses can reach f/1.4, and even some of the most specialist lense can drop down to f/0.95. The wider the aperture (the lower the f-number), the faster the lens is considered to be.

Go for a Wide Aperture to Let More Light In

The aperture is the hole the light passes through in your lens. The wider it is, the more light comes in. Bear in mind that the wider the aperture, the lower the f-number and not the other way around.

This step isn’t particularly useful if you’re still using your standard kit lens because of it the maximum aperture of somewhere around f/3.5. Unfortunately, that value won’t let in enough light for good results. I suggest buying that cheap prime lens we talked about earlier since it has a maximum aperture of about f/1.8.

Setting your lens at f/1.8 lets in 4 times more light than f/3.5. That means you get to expose your photos faster to avoid motion blur.

But you also need to remember that a wide aperture will produce a shallow depth of field.

So if you’re taking photos of groups of people in dim environments, don’t use f/1.4 or f/1.8. Doing so would make the background and some faces blurry. Instead, use a higher value such as f/8 to ensure sharpness.

Adjust Your ISO to Get the Right Exposure

If you’re struggling to get the correct exposure just by changing the shutter speed and aperture, the best thing to do is to raise the ISO.

ISO is responsible for changing your camera sensor’s sensitivity. The higher the value, the better your camera can take pictures in dim situations.

But ISO is also tricky to manage because the higher the ISO, the more digital noise you’ll have in your photos. Typically, I don’t raise my ISO above about 1600 because the images start looking muddy and unusable if I go any higher.

Use a Large Sensor Camera to Capture More Light

The sensor is what captures the information that makes your image. It goes without saying that the larger the sensor, the better the quality and resolution.

Smartphones and point-and-shoot cameras typically have the smallest sensors. The next in line is the Micro Four Thirds, named after its size as compared to a full sensor. And the most common one is called the APS-C, which you can find in most consumer DSLRs and mirrorless options. At the top of the line is the full-frame sensor, which is inside professional cameras. At 35mm, it’s more or less the same size as 35mm film cameras.

So which camera is best for low light photography? The quick answer is a full-frame camera such as the Canon 5D Mark IV. Due to its sensor size, it can easily capture scenes with less noise. In return, it allows you to increase the ISO without having to worry about too much digital noise.

Shoot in Raw to Add More Exposure Stops

You need to shoot RAW all the time because it offers more flexibility when it comes to editing your image.

So why use RAW in low light photography? The most straightforward reason is that it lets you add 2/3 stops or more to your exposure without affecting the quality of your file.

AF Assist Will Help You Use Auto-Focus in Low-Lit Situations

Shooting in dim conditions may mean that your camera will find it difficult to auto-focus. Sometimes it’s just too dark for the camera to determine how far a subject is.

Thankfully, any modern digital cameras have an “AF assist” feature. The AF assist lamp is often in front of the camera. It turns on to illuminate the scene if it’s too dark.

You can activate this feature on your camera’s menu. It will automatically turn on when you half-press your shutter in dark environments.

Zoom In While in Live View to Focus in the Dark

Your “AF Assist” may not work in some situations, especially if your subject is too far away. In this case, a flashlight may help illuminate the scene to get a focus lock.

It would also help a lot if you turn on Live View and zoom in on the subject digitally to let you see the details better.

Using your screen as the guide, twist the focus ring manually until your main point of interest is sharp.

Now all you have to do is press the shutter and voila!

Play with Flashlights to Create Colorful Effects

Even when your camera is stable, any movement in front of the lens will still register as a blur. The photography process that uses controlled use of light is called light painting.

Ever wondered how to take photos of light streaks, here’s what you do:

Place your device on a tripod and choose a slow shutter speed (between 2 to 30 seconds). Get in front of the camera and trigger the shutter using a remote or a self-timer. Once you hear the click, start moving your flashlight around to create patterns.

Use Flash to Freeze Images

If you can recall, slow shutter speeds cause motion blur while fast shutter speeds freeze motion. So, where does flash fit in this scenario?

The beam that a flash produces is powerful enough to let you shoot with fast shutter speeds. That means that you can use 1/250th of a second even if it’s dark and still get sharp pictures.

But just because you’re using a flash, it doesn’t mean that you can set your ISO back down to 100. If you do, you’ll start to lose background detail in the dark.

I like to leave my ISO on about 400, as I feel it gives an acceptable amount of grain and detail. All cameras are different, so play around with yours to see what works best.

The pop-up flash on your camera often produces unflattering results. Nonetheless, it still works well if you want to freeze motion.

If you’re using an external flash, it’s best to bounce the beam off of a wall or ceiling. But you can also use a diffuser to make the light appear less harsh.

Like everything else, practice makes perfect. By understanding the various types of lighting conditions, you will see what is possible and where the limitations lie. Taking photos in low light conditions is one of the most exciting areas you can cover.

 

 

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