Search results for: photography tips solutions understanding shallow depth field
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by John Harris · Posted
It would be foolish to claim that there is only one way to take a portrait, but there are some accepted norms and basic camera settings that you should understand if portraiture is to become your area of photographic interest. Remember though, as you walk down your creative path, that a portrait is more than a headshot, more than a beautiful photo of your subject; it is an opportunity to get to know someone, to have a visual conversation with a person, and to use your photographic skills to pass that understanding of the person on to the
by Mathew Malwitz · Posted
There’s an old adage that claims in order to be a wildlife photographer, you need a lot of time and a lot of money. This is only partly true. Many great wildlife photo opportunities can occur in urban parks and even in your own backyard, as long as we know what we’re doing. In this article, we’re going to cover a number of essential tips that will help you become a better wildlife photographer.
If you’ve read our introduction
by Todd Vorenkamp · Posted
Taking a look at any modern mirrorless or DSLR camera, you’ll notice a slew of controls, buttons, and dials. Atop nearly all cameras sits a large dial labeled with many letters and icons. This is our mode dial. It is how we control the level of power we give to our camera or take for ourselves.
One of the wonderful things that modern electronic digital and film cameras give you is many high-tech options for your image making. One of the horrible things that modern electronic digital and film cameras give you is many high-tech options for your
by Mathew Malwitz · Posted
Aperture is one of the most significant settings in photography and also one of the first we should learn. It’s also one of the three settings collectively referred to as the exposure triangle that help to determine an image’s exposure.
Much like the iris of the human eye, a lens’s aperture opens and closes to control the amount of light reaching a light-sensitive imaging area. For this reason, the setting is
by Mathew Malwitz · Posted
The most engaging portraits seem to have direct eye contact between subject and viewer, as if the camera were simply a window through which we’re looking. But is it that simple? So much goes into making a good portrait, can success simply come down to eye contact between subject and camera and is it even necessary to concentrate on the eyes for a portrait? There are certainly wonderful portraits that do not focus exclusively on the eyes that illustrate character with other aspects of the body, from posture to hands, but as an introduction to
by Mathew Malwitz · Posted
Photographing pets is something you likely do daily, whether it be with a phone or a dedicated camera. I don’t know about you, but I have thousands of pics of my pup filling up my photos app. After all, pets are part of the family, and we want to capture them in the best possible light. In this quick guide, we’re going to look at 10 ways you can improve your pet photography with practical creative tips and techniques as well as gear.
1. Get to your pet’s level. If there’s one trick to make your images more engaging, it’s to physically shoot
Posted
Landscape photographer Peter Baumgarten discusses his thought process when creating an image to help you better understand what your gear, settings, and composition choices can accomplish.
0:00 - Intro
1:13 - Why Landscape Photography?
3:38 - Be Prepared
7:01 - Understanding the Light
13:05 - Composition & Settings
24:44 - Gear
44:35 - Cloudscapes
55:36 - Focus Bracketing
1:02:00 - Shallow Depth of Field
1:11:24 - Include People
1:16:34 - Simplicity
1:21:09 - Q&A
by Tim Ireland · Posted
Macro photography allows photographers to explore the intricate details of subjects at a 1:1 or greater magnification ratio. However, capturing sharp, stable, and well-lit macro shots can be challenging, due to factors like camera shake, focusing difficulties, and lighting issues. This comprehensive guide will delve into the support systems and related tools that can enhance your macro photography experience, addressing specific challenges that may arise.
Stabilization Tools
Studio Stands: Studio stands are large, stable support systems
by John Harris · Posted
What can you do with a high-end telephoto lens? Be a boss, is what you can do. I mean, c’mon! Strutting around the sidelines or cuttin’ through the bush with one of these beasts resting on your shoulder―not only do you look tough, but you’re also carrying a lens that you need to get the best photos in sports and wildlife photography. When I say best, let’s not underestimate the greatness of photographers who can create wonderful images with a wide-angle lens or even a telephoto of lesser quality, but to really excel in the disciplines of
by Todd Vorenkamp · Posted
Specular out-of-focus highlights have appeared in photographs since the first photos were taken through lenses. In 1997, Photo Techniques magazine introduced the word “bokeh” to the photography world’s vernacular and the out-of-focus areas of photographs have been scrutinized ever since. Before the term, there was certainly discussion about the aesthetics of the out-of-focus specular highlights of a photograph, but until 1997, there wasn’t a good word in the English language to describe the phenomenon. Credit goes to Mike Johnston, article
by John Harris · Posted
Bokeh is a word that carries a lot of weight in modern photography circles and can, surprisingly, breed heated conversations, but what does it really mean and how does it apply to portrait photography? As an introduction, consider the word—which is derived from the Japanese term for “blur” or “haze”—to mean the aesthetic quality of the out-of-focus parts of an image surrounding an in-focus subject. It is not simply something not in focus, it is a product of shallow depth of field and can be quite beautiful on its own, but also lends to
by Bjorn Petersen · Posted
Using flash is one of the technical aspects of photography that’s difficult to understand, mainly because it’s something you cannot really see with your own eyes. Working with natural light, you can usually envision how your shot will turn out, and then when you become a bit more skilled, you can even envision how the effects of aperture and shutter speed will affect your images. Working with flash further complicates our visual relationship to what we’re photographing, since it’s an additional level of abstraction we’re adding to the mix
by Jason T · Posted
One of the perks of working at B&H is that sometimes you get to play around with high-end gear that you would never be able to afford yourself. That’s been the case for me during the past six weeks, since Leica let me borrow the incredible Leica 10-P and Leica Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4 ASPH. lens while I worked on a
by Jill Waterman · Posted
Ami Vitale has a remarkable affinity for life-changing events. A native of South Florida, Vitale was a self-described shy, gawky child who, like many young girls, possessed little confidence. The assessment of a grade school teacher, who told her she was not very good at English, stuck with her for years. “I just thought that I had no ability as a writer, or as a creative person,” she says. “I remember thinking I was going to become an engineer because I had almost perfect math scores on my SAT.”
Photographs © Ami Vitale
by Todd Vorenkamp · Posted
Aperture is the size of the opening in the lens. Some lenses have fixed apertures, but most photographic lenses have variable apertures to control the amount of light entering the lens. This aperture is regulated by a diaphragm made of overlapping blades that can be adjusted to vary the size of the opening through which light passes. The size of the opening also has a secondary effect on the photograph, as the diaphragm also changes the angle at which the light passes through the lens. We will discuss two "side effects" of changing the