Phtography Tips

awahid, life, photography 4 Comments »

There was post on flickr group about the photography tips, which I really like. These tips are basics, and will help a lot if you are new to photography. 

 

 

General Photography Tips

  • Always make sure you have enough power for your digital camera
  • Make sure you have spare batteries for your digital camera
  • Keep your camera and SLR lenses clean and dry and carry a lens cleaning kit
  • Never remove your memory card or switch off your camera while pictures are being saved
  • Keep memory cards away from magnetic forces
  • Before embarking on a holiday or assignment, get your camera and accessories checked over
  • Think about camera bags and cases before embarking on a trip
  • Avoid placing the main subject of your photo in the centre of the frame. Think composition before pressing your camera’s shutter release
  • Never be afraid to experiment with your camera
  • Remember, anyone can take pictures, but only those with passion take photographs with lasting quality

 

Wedding Photography Tips

  • If you’re not the official wedding photographer, keep out of their way. It’s a difficult enough job to do!
  • Arrive early at the church/venue and work out the best photo locations, taking into account the weather and the direction of the sun
  • Take an umbrella!
  • Seek permission if you wish to take photographs indoors
  • Take spare memory cards as you may not have time to delete unwanted shots as you go along
  • Use a camera tripod
  • Don’t be shy, talk to the wedding guests and tell them when you’re taking the photograph. This will help avoid ‘wandering eye’ syndrome when everyone looks in different directions
  • Make a list of the traditional groups that you should photograph and make sure you don’t miss any important shots
  • Ask the bride and groom if there are any particular photographs they want
  • Be on the look out for informal shots, the most successful informal-looking pictures have usually been set up by an experienced photographer!
  • Use fill-in flash and carry a reflector to use with your camera when the light is strong or dull
  • Besides photographing groups, take plenty of close ups. Portraiture is popular at weddings

 

Beach Photography Tips

  • Prevent sand getting into your camera and lens. If you do not have anything else to protect your camera, use a plastic bag
  • Keep your camera well away from the sea as salt water can also be a camera-killer
  • Consider using a waterproof housing for your camera
  • Look for high vantage points such as cliff tops for interesting viewpoints
  • Use an ultraviolet filter to reduce the blueness of the light
  • Use a polarising filter to give dramatic skies. This filter intensifies the blues and increases contrast. It can also help cope with reflections from water
  • Look out for pictures including features other than people. Patterns in the sand, driftwood and other items washed up can make interesting subject matter
  • Be sensitive to other people on the beach. Your intentions could be misinterpreted by topless or naked sunbathers

 

Ski Photography Tips

  • Keep your camera and camera batteries warm, next to your body, at very low temperatures battery life can be short
  • Use a UV filter on your camera lens. This prevents your photographs looking excessively blue
  • Use fast shutter speeds to capture sharp action shots
  • Be aware of other skiers, if you’re looking through your camera you may not see them coming
  • Look for colourful ski gear to photograph
  • Try following the action using a slow shutter speed of about 1/15 sec (panning). This can make for very striking photographs
  • Look for pattern pictures in the snow
  • Avoid taking photos when the sun is overhead. It makes the snow look flat and uninteresting

 

Safari Photography Tips

  • Take a telephoto lens, no shorter than 300mm. The larger the animal is in the frame, the more impact your photo will have
  • Use a minimum shutter speed of 1/500 sec even when using a tripod
  • Use a tripod to get razor sharp images. Alternatively, rest your long lens on something steady, cradled in a camera bean bag
  • Get out early in the morning to take pictures. Most animals are more active at this time of day, but not tourists!
  • Watch the background and make sure there is nothing intrusive in your photograph. Moving just a couple of yards either way may improve your image considerably
  • Think carefully about your aperture. By using a large aperture you can throw the background out of focus to isolate your subject
  • Don’t give up when it’s cloudy – soft lighting conditions can be very effective
  • Look for animals doing something other than just sleeping
  • If you can, move closer to the animal and try using a little fill-in flash to give “catch lights” in the eyes. This can be tricky with lions!

 

Night Photography Tips

  • A good camera tripod is essential, but otherwise steady your camera on a wall or post
  • Start taking photographs at dusk when there is still detail in the sky
  • Use a remote control release to prevent camera-shake and, if you have one, use a mirror lock
  • Try very long exposures. This works particularly well when moving traffic is in the frame
  • Fireworks are excellent subject matter. Experiment with slow and fast shutter speeds for creative effects
  • Some of the most atmospheric night shots are taken in fog or mist
  • Take a torch. Setting camera controls by touch needs practice

 

Sunset/Sunrise Photography Tips

  • Look for strong and interesting silhouettes to photograph against the light
  • Lift your camera up to exclude any unwanted foreground which will only show as a dark landscape
  • Experiment by over and underexposing the sky
  • Turn your camera away from the sunset and photograph the reflected light in windows and buildings
  • A graduated grey filter can be useful to darken the sky against the foreground landscape
  • Take a sequence of photographs showing the changing colours of the sunrise/sunset
  • Rest your camera on a solid platform or object. Better still, use a camera tripod
  • Do not look directly in to the sun, especially through your camera lens

 

Historical Site Photography Tips

  • Study monuments and buildings carefully, noting when the sunlight falls on the most interesting viewpoints
  • Avoid photographing monuments against dull and cloudy white skies. If possible, wait until the sun shines
  • When using a wide angle lens, be careful with converging verticals. Use a spirit level on a tripod to get the camera level
  • Try to visit historical monuments when battle re-enactments are taking place. There are some wonderful photographs to be taken at such events
  • Look for decay and detail which can be more interesting than general views
  • Study picture postcards of the building or monument to see what the ‘professional photographer’ has taken and where the best viewpoints are. Try to improve on these photographs
  • Get permission to photograph indoors
  • Flash can kill indoor atmosphere so try to use available light. You will definitely require a camera tripod for this technique

 

Underwater Photography Tips

  • See whether an underwater housing is available for your existing digital camera
  • If you use a camera housing, beware of bubbles drifting in front of the lens
  • The best time of day to take underwater photographs is between 10am and 2pm when the sun is overhead
  • Shoot at an upward angle where there is more light
  • Look for strong colours and try to isolate the subject from the background, the deeper you dive the less colourful it is
  • Get in close to your subject. Through a diving mask, everything looks 25% closer than it is
  • Take powerful silhouettes by shooting with the sun behind your subject
  • Experiment by taking pictures with your camera half in and half out of the water. This needs practice but the results are striking

Mobile review or is it my chat review???

Technology, awahid, blog, life 10 Comments »


One of my friend, new to blog world pushed me to write this post. We were having a discussion on mobile phones and she asked few questions about my cell model and specifications, in reply I showed my love towards LG Shine. After sometime she shared a link… Which lead to her blog, she wrote a post based on my personal opinion and she quoted my chat as well. Oh My … I had mixed type of feeling while reading her post, I was bit angry and was smiling as well. I was angry because she had quoted me without my knowledge and her mobile reviews were based on only my personal opinion, which may lead to false conclusions. I was laughing because it seems very funny to quot a chat. It seems she was reviewing my chat more than a LG shine mobile. I am bit lazy type of person who always try to use less words and avoid long and endless conversation, thats why I shared the links to LG mobile specification. If she had told me before that she wanted to write a mobile review on LG shine I would have given a better help in this regard.

I like her style but I wanted to ask every couple of questions

If some one out of no where ask you something and write a blog on that.

How will you feel?

How will you react?

Is it ethical to write a blog on some ones chat without permission of that person?

Will you do anything like this in future?

Abdul Wahid © All rights reserved