|
|
Take Spectacular Nighttime Photos with Your Digital Camera - Part II
Night photos can take on a somewhat magical quality you may find lacking in normal daytime photography. Amazing night pictures certainly can attract attention. As the sun goes down, however, it becomes harder to capture images without the proper equipment and techniques. Thus, as was mentioned in Part I of this series, taking incredible nighttime photographs requires a lot of planning.
When your digital camera receives less light, it cannot absorb the surroundings as well in the resulting photographs. Some pictures may turn out too dark. Others can be too blurry. Your camera requires more time to absorb enough light to create an effective picture, so any shaking of the device will result in photographs lacking sharpness.
To compensate for the lack of lighting, here are several things you can do with most middle and high-end digital cameras to get the results you need. Part III of this series will continue with even more expert ideas.
* You may think that professional photographers take a large amount of time to set up a shot, perform complex calculations, talk about all sorts of topics such as f-stops, shoot one photograph that accurately represents their interpretation of a particular scene, and then leave.
While most of this may be true, the last part - only taking one photo - is far from it. Many, if not most, professional photographers commonly take a multitude of shots for every subject! Traditional photographers can go through rolls and rolls of film on a single shoot, and digital photographers may use gigabytes of memory.
Professionals know that no matter how well everything has been factored in when setting up a shot, 'stuff happens'. It is better to take time shooting a particular subject ten times and get one outstanding photograph than to take one or two photos that turn out blurry or dull.
Most photographers perform a trick called bracketing, where they intentionally adjust their camera settings in small increments in case their calculations were not precisely correct.
Heed this advice when taking photographs at night. If you have a particular subject you want to reproduce in digital form, don't rely on taking 'the one perfect shot', but take several photographs in case problems occur with the lighting, or lack thereof.
Remember, you're shooting digitally, which means you can later throw out all the bad photos in your camera's virtual 'trash can', and no one ever needs to know! I can't tell you how many times I've done this, especially when taking late-night shots of the Chicago cityscape in places I couldn't bring a tripod. I may shoot hundreds of shots and only keep a few dozen.
* If your digital camera has a special nighttime mode, study your manual and learn how to enable this feature. Perhaps your camera has a button or dial next to a graphic of a half-moon to signify this setting. This works well for some late-night situations.
* Forget about using the flash unless you purchase a high-quality accessory flash unit. Flash shoots a burst of light out of your camera and works most effectively when your subject is within a few feet. If your subject is a long way away, your small flash unit will never reach it effectively.
Nighttime photography requires a little extra work out of you and your digital camera. To prevent against mistakes and increase the chance of a spectacular shot, it may be necessary to take the same picture multiple times, adjusting your camera settings slightly to help ensure at least one picture will come out well. The digital camera manual must be studied, as many high-end cameras contain automatic features to help take better photos. And, a natural tendency most people have to use flash must be avoided. By heeding this advice, you can learn to take spectacular nighttime photos.
Look forward to article III in this series in the near future!
Copyright 2005 Andrew Malek.
Andrew Malek is the owner of the MalekTips computer and technology help site at http://www.malektips.com. Visit his digital camera page at http://malektips.com/camera/ for hundreds of more digital photography tips.
Must-See Digital Photography Websites PCWorld (blog) But what of digital photography? Obviously, you already read Digital Focus. And while you're here at PCWorld, you might also check out the monthly Hot Pic photo contest slideshow and check in on the latest camera reviews. But what's going on elsewhere ... |
 Wired News | In Digital Age, Sourcing Images Is as Legitimate as Making Them Wired News Photo: Paul Shambroom For decades, photographer Paul Shambroom has trained his lens on the infrastructure of America, from nuclear weapons storage facilities to manufacturing plants; local council meetings to emergency response teams. |
The 5 Best New Apps This Week Mashable Everpix automatically stores and organizes all of your photos in one spot. As of Wednesday, it has an iPhone app that will automatically add your mobile photos to the same spot. In addition, the app gives you access to all of your photos on the go. |
I feel a need to document my life in photographs Hattiesburg American I got my first camera, an Instamatic, when I was a child and I was proud of the grainy and blurred photos I took with it. In high school my father gave me a more sophisticated 35mm, and that is when my love of the art truly began. |
Workshops focus on digital photography Daily Mail - Charleston by From staff reports Charleston photographer Thorney Lieberman has scheduled two digital photo workshops at his East End studio. "Intro to Photoshop and Lightroom" takes place 6:30 to 8:30 pm for three Thursdays beginning Feb. 9. |
 evertiq.com | Kodak fell behind evertiq.com Kodak pioneered the research and development of digital photography in the seventies, but the company let Japanese companies go ahead with its introduction into mass markets. A mistake as it turns out. Kodak could not catch up. |
Understanding Photography Manipulation and Its Ethical Applications GroundReport Whether you obtained it from the web, purchased from a photographer, or clicked it you every image has some digital drawback in it that need to be manually removed by using the means of photography manipulation. It may include a wide range of things ... |
Nikon's imminent D800 could offer high-sharpness option CNET ... PST Follow @stshank It looks like Nikon's highly anticipated D800, a large-sensor SLR that supplants the three-year-old D700, will cater to photographers who want to leave behind that mixed blessing of digital photography, the antialiasing filter. |
Organizing Photos, Fixing Dark Prints, Solving File Format Problems, and More PCWorld (blog) I have a question about organizing my photos. Many times I have started to organize them, and while I have some already organized, inevitably things get messed up. I have original photos, copies, resized copies intended for a digital photo frame, ... |
Few negatives seen in digital photo boom Timaru Herald I converted to digital four years ago and I appreciate the convenience and value for money that is associated with digital photography." She said the digital age was definitely here to stay especially with the increase in sharing photos with family and ... |
Sepia Toned Prints from Your Colour or Black and White Photos ? 5 Minute Digital Fix
Quite often I will have clients bring in old photographs of their "elder" relatives that were taken before colour photography was around.
Infrared Photography and the Car Thief ? Successful Digital Imaging
Infrared photography is sometimes placed on the outside edge of the mainstream photographic world. To the uninitiated observer infrared photography conjures up television images of car thieves speeding away from police helicopters during the dark hours of the night, only to be caught hiding beneath bushes beside a darkened home as their hot bodies light up the camera monitor in the police chopper like Bedouin camel herders atop a Sahara sand dune.
Photography - Rules of Composition
Composition is defined as the combining of distinct parts or elements to form a whole. In photography that definition is very important in taking quality pictures. The following rules of composition should be learned and considered but not necessarily used in every photo. Once you have learned these rules you will be more observant of the possible photo opportunities that surround you. But keep in mind that the really famous photographers usually find a creative way to stretch or break the rules of composition.
Fuji Digital Cameras
Fuji digital cameras entered the market in the late 90's. Started in Japan in 1934, Fuji has always tried to stay ahead of the pack. The history of this company is rather interesting so let us take a look at it.
Where Do Great Ideas Come From?
At a Photo Club meeting I attended recently, the President made a comment on another meeting he had attended, where someone in the audience asked the presenter where to find good subjects to photograph. The presenter in question started giving specifics instead of identifying the core issues in question, Attitude and Perspective.
Removing Spot Scratches in Your Treasured Photos ? 5 Minute Digital Fix
Probably one of the most common problems you will be faced with in doing any type of digital photo restoration work will be to do with spot scratches on your old photos.
Candid Photography
Candid photography is photography that focuses on spontaneity rather than technique. Your subject's focus is not on the camera, but on their current task. So we're not talking about the photo albums full of people looking at the camera and smiling here! Your subjects are un-posed and the shots are unplanned.
Photography Success Without School
What I learned from a mentor that enabled me to go from an amateur photographer to a professional portrait photographer in very specific steps is something I like to pass on. Rather than spending countless hours in classes learning every possible detail, I learned just the necessary specifics and now I work out of my home full time and have been in business for over 17 years, but I started out with practically nothing; just an interest in photography and the need to earn more money.
7 Things You Must Do If You Want To Make That Perfect Camera Shot
Saturate yourself with your subject and the camera will all but take you by the hand. Margaret Bourke-WhiteThese tips should help you relive those moments back where you've said "if only I had a camera." Now you will have it captured on film. These tips should help you to be camera ready.
How to Create a Family History Video Memoir with Photos and Interviews of Your Loved Ones
Here are examples of two basic videos you can create quickly on a great budget:
Photography Business: Taking Baby Photos - for Professionals & Families
Babies make the best and the worst subjects to photograph. They are the best for two reasons, people are more tolerant at looking at baby photos, as well as the fact that babies are not aware their image is being captured, and therefore they do not tend to put on the "camera face" so typically used by elder children and adults. They are the worst subjects because their behaviour is unpredictable. Because their behaviour is uncensored, they show their emotions, and can just as easily cry as gurgle happily into the camera.
Selecting Your First Digital Camera
Purchasing a digital camera is a wise decision, particularly if you take a lot of pictures and you want to control how they are developed. Camera prices continue to plummet and Americans are exchanging their 35mm cameras for digital devices at a record pace. The choices for you can seem endless, but with careful comparison shopping you can bring home a bargain! The following online sites provide visitors with helpful information to make an informed decision:
Better Photos with Your Digital Camera
Everyone has a digital camera today and we all take a lot of photos. But if your photos still have trees coming out of your father's head, mom has red eye, and your beloved pet is never facing the camera then here are some tips to help you take better photos.
Freelance Photography: How to Begin Your Career
Photography is a vast world. There are many different types of photography and many different kinds of people that enjoy it. It's a hobby that be relatively inexpensive or one that you can invest a lot of money on. Photos are so special because they give us memories of times and places and events in our lives. We can hold onto these memories forever with a photograph.
Take Spectacular Nighttime Photos with your Digital Camera - Part I
Night photographs express a special something that cannot be seen in normal daytime photography. Whether it is a photograph of a moon and starlit sky over a windy deserted beach, the excitement of a downtown cityscape when the lights go on, or just a picture of you and some friends in front of a favorite hangout, nighttime photos, when done right, are sure to attract attention.
African Safari Photography Best Five Destinations
Good wildlife safari photography is not only about composition and camera equipment because you first need to find your subjects before you can even lift your camera. This best five African wildlife destinations list helps you do that.
Photography 101 Part 3
Content
Is your Digital Camera Compatible With Your Computer?
So you recently bought a digital camera or perhaps your thinking about it. And perhaps you may be wondering how many pictures will your computer hold? First you need to answer a few questions to come to an accurate conclusion. First, how big is your hard drive and how much free space does it currently have? You can find the answer to that question by first left-clicking on "My Computer:" Right-click on "C drive." A menu should appear. Left-click on "Properties." A pie chart should be displayed that will show you the size of the hard drive and how much of the disk drive is free. Your next step is too know how many mega pixels does your camera have? A pixel is a light sensing cell on the image pickup device.
Weddings, From a Photographers Point of View
Your wedding day is without a doubt one of the happiest and stressful days of you life. The happy part comes naturally but how can you cut down on the stress? Well from a photographers standpoint, seeing that he is with you from the beginning of the day till the end, and sees you before and after the wedding, I would like to offer some tips and secrets to make it more happy than stressful.
The Beginner Buyers Guide To Digital Cameras, Or The Ins And Outs Of Megapixels
The most important part of buying a digital camera is making sure that the one you select meets all of your needs.
| Photography site map Photography Information New Homes Photos Ridgefield Washington Photos - Phuket Thailand |