Photo HowTo

Just as there are differences between early and late morning light, so are there differences between morning and afternoon light.  The most obvious difference is the direction of the light source as the sun rises and as it sets.  This has nothing to do with the quality of the light, but may affect the composition of a photograph using shadow for dramatic effect, as a shadow falling in a particular direction can give a more pleasing picture than the same shot with shadows coming from the opposite direction.

Plasticity is a word used very often by professional photographers, many of whom use it to describe an artistic attribute of their work.  A definition of what they are actually talking about is, however, rather elusive.  They know what they mean - they expect to be communicating with like minds, who also know what they mean – but when you are outside the loop, you are left wondering “what’s it all about”? 

Using flash in photography is essential (in most cases anyway) – it is a simple but hard-working unit that provides you with that extra lighting to work with shadows or poor lighting conditions. A Speedlight is a flashgun and it’s ideal for working on a low-budget or for reportage-style photos.

The first rule of any kind of professional photography is – no SLR, no real fun. The truth is, in the absence of a real camera, point and shoot cameras will get you just that far. Camera control is simply inexistent with point-and-shoots and even if you want to try it out to learn more you will find that you cannot use it even to that end.

We discussed a series of important facts in regards to shooting outside, but it is time to move towards less-discussed topics. As a photographer, you need to pay attention to all these details in order to build a quality outdoors photo session.

Whenever aiming to shoot portraits anywhere outside the studio, finding the perfect location can be a significant issue. The environment has to fit your idea, it has to go well with the model, and it ultimately has to complement each aspect of your setting.

Choosing between film and digital is not a matter of personal taste anymore. The advantages of the digital environment are quite clear – apart from the obvious costs of working with the film itself, there is a technological progress issue. Camera companies are constantly trying to improve their digital cameras and coming up with new methods of helping you take better photographs – from allowing you to shoot at high ISO values without having to deal with pesky noise, to giving you a great number of options in terms of settings.

Being a photographer involves a fair amount of creativity by default, even if we do not sit around and notice it at times. Probably the most frustrating moment is when that creative nucleus we all have, seems to get us stuck in a rut. That feeling of inability to find another amazing idea and take incredible shots takes us all a little down.

Whether you want to go out with a friend and just take a couple of snapshots or you are in the middle of a photo session, creative use of props can really add a touch of WOW to your images in the end.

When it comes to photography equipment, it takes knowledge, a little bit of intuition and a lot of practice to reach a point where you can even consider the fact that “you know what you’re doing”. On that note, there is an old photographer’s anecdote:

When you begin to learn more about controlling light, you start wondering about how much time light needs to reach your subject, and the quantity of light you need to fill in certain dark areas.

The truth is, there aren’t any filters that will make your portraits insanely great. The tool is your skill. But that doesn’t mean filters can’t really make things interesting. The point of using filters is to gain a certain advantage over a certain situation.

Posing for portraits is certainly no simple matter. Nor does it only require a lot of attention to detail from both the photographer and the subject, but it is also a lot related to body language. Further, posing for portraits is not governed by clear rules – not all subject should face towards the camera, and not all subjects should always look away from the camera. All these clichés should be avoided in professional portraiture.

In the first part last week, we went through a couple of techniques that are to make your pictures a lot more interesting. We will review 7 more tips, and that might just make the difference in your portrait photography skill set.

In order to take stunning photographs, sometimes you have think a little bit out of the box.