Daily Photo Tips Archive

03.Jul.09The depth of field preview button will only let you approximate depth of field. To precisely tune depth of field, you will have to either calculate it or bracket shots at different settings.

02.Jul.09Before buying a camera that includes a digital zoom, be sure you know what its optical zoom capabilities are. Since a digital zoom is only a cropping tool, the optical zoom is the only truly useful zoom feature.

01.Jul.09Due to their cases, field cameras sometimes have fewer movements than other large format cameras. Keep this in mind if you're in the market for a large format camera.

30.Jun.09When working in a crowded or high-theft area, carry your camera in a plain bag or backpack, and only take it out when you need to use it. No-one will steal a camera they don't know you have.

29.Jun.09Check your lens's aperture periodically against another similar lens. If two lenses cause the same camera body to produce the same final exposure, the apertures are quite likely both correct.

28.Jun.09Try underexposing or overexposing to affect various colours in your photographs. Some hues will look drastically different depending on the exposure value.

27.Jun.09If you're shooting photographs to sell as stock, be sure to create a horizontal and a vertical composition of a scene if possible. Some clients will only be able to use one or the other.

26.Jun.09Lenses can be 'too sharp' for portraits. Some portrait photographers feel that extra-sharp lenses reveal too many blemishes and details.

25.Jun.09The price of photography equipment can vary greatly, even between shops in the same city. Once you've decided on an item to buy, call around to several shops to compare prices.

24.Jun.09If focus is critical for a particular photograph, try using the focus confirmation found on many cameras, even if you focus manually. This will give you extra assurance that you've done it right.

23.Jun.09'Image accuracy' refers to how much distortion there is in the final image, or the geometric quality of the image. Accuracy can also be used to qualify lenses. An accurate lens is one with very little distortion.

22.Jun.09Try using a reflector to fill shadows outdoors instead of a flash. A reflector can be more natural looking, and does not need batteries. Any white surface will do.

21.Jun.09When light is refracted, it is bent while passing through a transparent, dense material like a camera lens. Refraction sometimes bends all light colours equally, or may separate them into their colours, as in a prism.

20.Jun.09Don't try to force your art to have a unifying theme or style. Often, as your work evolves, you will begin thinking in similar patterns, and a theme will naturally emerge.

19.Jun.09Even the best photographers screw up important photos from time to time. Don't worry about it too much. Always focus on the photographs you will take in the future, and forgive yourself past errors.