Daily Photo Tips Archive

Page 101

These photography tips are a record of new entries to the Daily Photo Tips RSS feed since November 2007. There are currently 1567 tips in the database! Contact Me to comment or add tips.

Daily Photo Tip

Lens flare can be partly controlled by stopping the lens down. Since the size of the polygonal shapes that flare in the frame match the aperture, reducing the aperture should reduce the size (but possibly not the intensity) of the shapes. (First published Oct 30, 2011)

25.Jan.08Reflections give you the ability to distort a scene, giving you more control over its appearance. Try using reflections to further abstract your subject.

24.Jan.08When in the field, it's easy to get wrapped up in the technical details of photography. Take a moment every now and again to appreciate where you are, what you're doing, and the great opportunities you have.

23.Jan.08Jagged lines, especially when ascending or descending, give a strong feeling of aggression and chaos. Including many dark, jagged lines in your photo will make your viewer feel alert and uneasy.

22.Jan.08Most photo software offers automatic options for most adjustments. For very new photographers, these tools can provide a quick and easy fix, though much control over the photo is lost.

21.Jan.08The advantage of an automated workflow is the speed with which you'll be able to process photographs. Though you won't be able to optimize each one, you'll be able to process more each day.

20.Jan.08Small apertures produce a greater depth of field, but slightly reduce the overall sharpness of the photograph. If you don't need a large depth of field, try a slightly wider aperture.

19.Jan.08Thinking only 'outside the box' is as restrictive to your photography and creativity as only thinking 'inside the box'. Forget about the box already!

18.Jan.08Reflections in semi-transparent materials allow you to merge two scenes together in a single photograph – the reflection and the scene behind it become able to co-exist in a single plane.

17.Jan.08Digitally decreasing colour saturation will lead to a slight decrease in local contrast. Colours will blend more smoothly, but subtle details in the blending areas may become less obvious.

16.Jan.08If there are a lot of people or animals in your photograph, try to make a lot of exposures. This increases the likelihood of getting an acceptable photo.

15.Jan.08When you're thinking about buying into a new camera format, be sure to consider the true operating cost of the format, including equipment maintenance and price per photo.

14.Jan.08Using a low ISO produces lower contrast in the final image. This makes it easier to maintain details in the extreme highlights and shadows of your photograph.

13.Jan.08Be aware of heat waves whenever you're photographing a distant subject low to the horizon. Heat waves appear anytime the ground becomes warmer than the air, distorting or blurring distant objects.

12.Jan.08A high contrast subject will appear sharper than a low contrast subject. Shooting subjects with high 'apparent sharpness' can help compensate for soft lenses or poor technique.

11.Jan.08Though some high-end zoom lenses can nearly match the image quality of prime lenses, they are usually larger and heavier. Sometimes two prime lenses are lighter than an equivalent zoom.