A good photograph is one that captures the viewer’s attention. The photographer has to be able to tell a story with the photo. A good photo should convey a message, evoke emotion, and tell an interesting story. A good photographer has to be skilled in their craft because they have to know how to use the camera and various lenses for different purposes. They also need to know about light and how it affects photographs. Basics Of Photography If you are a sports fan, you know what it means when a team goes into a “rebuilding year”.  It is just when the owners or coaches decide its time to train…

If you are a sports fan, you know what it means when a team goes into a “rebuilding year”.  It is just when the owners or coaches decide its time to train new members and correct bad habits in others.  And invariably, what team leadership says when they go into such a time is that they are going “back to basics.” Sometimes it’s good for us as photographers to go back to basics.  And, of course, if you are just getting started in the world of photography and want to learn “the ropes”, the basics are a natural start.  But you want the basics of what the professionals know about…

Photography requires a few skills to make your prints look professional.  One part of making a print professional is lighting.  Lighting in photography takes a little planning and understanding of a few techniques.  You best subject or object might not turn out that way if the proper light does not help to laminate the area. Below are a few tips on using light for photography. First you must decide if you will use artificial or sunlight.  If you are using sunlight you will rely on the Kelvin scale to determine the temperature of light and therefore the color of light.  The color of light is important to maintaining the colors…

There are many mediums to choose from in photography.  Often a person will begin with still life photography and work their way towards portraits, wildlife, or landscapes depending upon their interests.  Still life photography teaches a person to use light and shadows to find the emotion of the object.  Here I will discuss many different aspects of still life pictures. Still life expresses the photographers self while using in animate objects such as pottery, flowers, candles, leaves, and fruit.  The first step in still life photography is the lighting.  You will want the object to have light from a single direction, so that you can cast shadows as well as…

Filters have two different meanings depending on how long you have had photography as a hobby.  Most of us today think as filters as an option with Photoshop.  This is not the case.  Before the invention of computers and things like Photoshop we had small glass discs to create the filtered affect.  There are many options with filters you can blur a picture, sharpen the picture, and even block out the UV rays.  Filters are often used to correct a problem or make a picture look a little different. Lets talk about filters that blur a photograph.  When you are taking a picture of a waterfall at the bottom where…

When getting started with digital photography, there will be a few standard pieces of equipment you’ll need to purchase. If this is to be a casual hobby, or you’re just learning, you don’t need to go all out and buy everything top of the line, but getting some quality items that will last you a long time and can take great shots is very important. Start with the basics and upgrade your equipment over time as needed. The Camera The main thing you’ll need to get started in digital photography is a decent digital camera. They’re available with many different features and at varying price ranges, so depending on what…

  Choosing the right digital photography software can be almost as important as choosing the right camera. While your digital camera will play the largest role in capturing those stunning shots, your software will be the behind the scenes editor that cleans up any noise and corrects your colour when lighting conditions or white balance was less than perfect. Editing to Perfection So many photos we take are almost perfect but they have those one or two little flaws. Most photo editing software will allow you to touch up basic colour issues or red eye, but some can provide you with much more involved editing options to give you complete…

  Digital photography can be a great hobby or a lucrative profession. Some people take pictures mainly to capture memories of family and friends while others are avid shooters of sunsets and landscapes. Whatever your reasons for taking pictures, knowing a little about digital photography can make a huge difference in the quality of your photos. Reading the Manual For the most part, no one likes pouring over a long manual to learn what their electronics can do. People often just attempt to learn through practice and figure things out on their own. With your digital camera, you could be overlooking a lot of features that come with it and…