Photography is fun...and easy
by Bert Quibuyen
Digital cameras have progressed to a point where it's actually hard to take a "bad shot." - Digital PhotoPro Magazine
In the past, photography was quite intimidating. Things like f-stop, shutter speed, depth of field, exposure value, film speed, film type, exposure metering, lighting, lens type, camera type, flash synchronization, focusing, etc. had to be learned in order to come up with a "good shot." But now, anyone with a modern digital camera doesn't have to know all these things. One just needs to be creative.
Modern digital cameras include a variety of settable parameters designed to optimize shooting conditions. Hundreds of possible conditions are programmed into the camera, which the camera recognizes once it is aimed at a particular scene. This is the manner in which point-and-shoot cameras work, and that's the reason point-and-shoots account for more than 90 percent of digital cameras sold worldwide. Nowadays everyone has a camera. Even cell phones have cameras. To get a good shot, all one needs to do is to point and shoot. That's how easy it is.
Good photography, however, is not simply pointing the camera and shooting. A very important element is required, and that is CREATIVITY. Anyone can take a technically good photograph but not anyone can take an aesthetically good photograph. There are five elements of good photography:
1. Good composition. That includes framing, rule of thirds, lighting, and balance of shapes.
2. A good photograph is well exposed. No longer a problem with modern digital cameras.
3. It should evoke feelings. Mood can be expressed in photography.
4. It should tell a story. A baby in the family, a wedding, a family vacation, a portrait, etc.
5. It should say something about life. A good example of this is photojournalism.
Any one of these elements will make a photograph a step away from "that's nice." Use more or all of these elements and a photographic masterpiece is created -- a photograph with the 10-second factor. If it takes at least 10 seconds to look at a particular photograph, it is a good one.
Portraiture
This type of photography aims to portray a person. It should tell a story about the subject, his mood, his interests, perhaps even his job. The ideal lens is a 105-135 mm lens. A medium telephoto lens takes the camera farther away from the subject and therefore is less intrusive. It also flattens the face and eliminates unflattering distortions when a normal 50 mm lens is used close up. The medium telephoto lens also has a narrow depth of field making the background blurry and less prominent, and therefore making the subject stand out. It helps to use props when taking portraits. For example: if the subject is a doctor hang a stethoscope around his neck, if he likes to golf make him hold a golf club, if he's a photography buff have him hold a camera, etc.
People photography
We take a lot of people pictures, as you'll notice in social events and gatherings. Traveling also involves taking pictures of the local people. A wide-angle lens is useful in indoor settings and whenever there's a big group of people to be included in a single frame. A normal and telephoto lens is recommended when taking pictures of people on the streets. Make sure your subjects do not freeze when you squeeze the trigger. Here's one neat trick you can do: aim the camera at the subject or subjects, count one, two, three, cheese BUT don't press the shutter right away. Wait a split second after before pressing the shutter. This way your subjects have already relaxed and no longer stiff. Candid shots of people are also interesting and sometimes even funny. Take as many shots as you can. After all, you're not buying film and the memory card can take hundreds of photographs.
Babies
I've always advised new parents to get a good digital camera and take pictures of their babies from the time they were born up to the present. These are priceless images that your family will enjoy looking at forever. The best lens for this type of photography is a telephoto lens.
Animal photography
Many people have pets and pets are just like family. Take pictures of anything your dog or cat does, whether sleeping, eating, licking your hands, catching a frisbee, riding in your car, anything. Animals have a short lifespan and when they're gone, only those beautiful pictures you took are left to remember them by.
Landscape photography
Next to taking pictures of people like family, friends, and ourselves, landscape photography is the most popular. This is because a beautiful scene will always make a good photograph. The ideal lens for this type of photography is a 24-28 mm lens, commonly called a wide-angle lens. A wide-angle lens has a deeper depth of field and therefore anything near and beyond will be in focus. A polarizing filter helps in defining clouds and in saturating the sky. Some point-and-shoot cameras have built-in creative filters that can be used for this purpose. Composition is important in landscape photography. Make sure to "frame" your photograph with a tree or a rock for a better visual impact.
Close-up or macrophotography
Most digital cameras have a close-up setting (it's the flower icon on your settings). You can't go wrong with macrophotography. Find a rose or any flower, even an insect, and you've got a picture.
Travel photography
A 24 to 28 mm wide-angle lens is ideal. A very common mistake of travelers is taking too many pictures of themselves in front of popular tourist landmarks. One or two pictures taken in front of the Pyramids, Taj Mahal, Tower of Pisa is enough just to show that you've been there. Don't forget to take pictures of the local scenery, the people, the street corners, vendors, anything not in the tourist brochures. These photographs will remind you of that particular place later and you'll be glad you took those pictures. By the way, if you're shooting the locals in a foreign country, ask permission. It's just common courtesy.
Wedding photography
For advanced amateurs and professionals, this is a profitable activity. An advanced point-and-shoot camera like the micro four thirds types can be used but a DSLR is better suited for this type of photography. For convenience, a zoom lens from wide- angle to telephoto can be used, like having three lenses in one. Many lens manufacturers make this type of zoom lenses. A good example is the Nikkor 28-200 mm zoom. For a wedding photo album to stand out, it must contain interesting photographs of the wedding, plus those of the bride and groom, family, and their friends. The usual photos taken at the altar with the priest as well as photos taken with the guests are a must. However, being very creative will make the photo album stand out. Use lots of imagination. Wedding albums are keepsakes and people tend to look at them many years later to bring back that special day in their lives. A good photographer will make it worthwhile.
Photojournalism
This is the type of photography where content or message is more important than composition. Remember the little Vietnamese girl running in Saigon, the Vietcong prisoner being shot in the head by a police captain, the GI kissing a nurse in New York after D Day, the raising of the US flag in Iwo Jima? These are all examples of good photojournalism. When the photographers were shooting these pictures they didn't have time to make sure composition was good, exposure was correct, shutter speed was right. All they wanted to do was FREEZE that particular moment in time. And they did it so well that they won the Pulitzer Prize in photography.
Most digital point-and-shoot cameras have built-in zoom lenses. Make sure the one you buy has one.
If you want to really get serious in photography, there are several items you need to have. You'll need a tripod. Tripods ensure that the camera won't move and therefore you get a sharper image regardless of shutter speed. They’re also useful in landscape photography and macrophotography. Another important item is a camera bag. As you progress in your chosen hobby, you'll probably be adding a bigger DSLR, a couple of lenses, an additional electronic flash, a light meter. You'll also need some lens cleaners and Q-tips. A good sturdy camera bag will give you many years of service, as well as protecting your equipment.
Here's a tip on how to clean your camera lens: DON'T ever use lens cleaning tissue, paper napkins, or your shirt to wipe out dirt or a smudge on your lens. These could damage the coating on the front element of your lens. If your lens is dirty, simply breathe on it and wipe with a Q-tip. Breathing on it puts some moisture on the lens and the Q-tip is to wipe off the moisture.
Practical uses for a camera: For insurance purposes, take pictures of the interior of your home showing all your furniture, appliances, and anything valuable. In the event of a robbery or fire, it's much easier to process your insurance claim if you have visual proof of what you've lost. Also, in case of a vehicular accident, take pictures of the accident scene, the vehicles involved, and even plate numbers of cars around. These pictures should be taken BEFORE the vehicles are moved. Photographic proof is better than your word when dealing with ICBC.
Your photographs can be winners too. If there's a photo contest, submit your photographs. The judges might like your entry and you can be the winner.
Photography is a personally rewarding hobby. And it's no longer expensive like it used to be. You can get a fairly good digital camera for less than $200 and you don't have to buy expensive film anymore. No more waiting for a week to process film. The photograph is simply downloaded into a computer and can be sent out to all your friends without charge. Prints can be made right from your home printer. The SD card or memory card can be reused many times over and can take hundreds of images.
If you enjoy photography, go out and take pictures. It's spring and flowers are starting to bloom. Tulips and daffodils are in their full splendor. Plenty of photo opportunities out there. You also get fresh air and exercise as an added bonus. And it's FUN and EASY, absolutely!
CLICK HERE TO SEE SAMPLES OF BERT'S WORK
In the past, photography was quite intimidating. Things like f-stop, shutter speed, depth of field, exposure value, film speed, film type, exposure metering, lighting, lens type, camera type, flash synchronization, focusing, etc. had to be learned in order to come up with a "good shot." But now, anyone with a modern digital camera doesn't have to know all these things. One just needs to be creative.
Modern digital cameras include a variety of settable parameters designed to optimize shooting conditions. Hundreds of possible conditions are programmed into the camera, which the camera recognizes once it is aimed at a particular scene. This is the manner in which point-and-shoot cameras work, and that's the reason point-and-shoots account for more than 90 percent of digital cameras sold worldwide. Nowadays everyone has a camera. Even cell phones have cameras. To get a good shot, all one needs to do is to point and shoot. That's how easy it is.
Good photography, however, is not simply pointing the camera and shooting. A very important element is required, and that is CREATIVITY. Anyone can take a technically good photograph but not anyone can take an aesthetically good photograph. There are five elements of good photography:
1. Good composition. That includes framing, rule of thirds, lighting, and balance of shapes.
2. A good photograph is well exposed. No longer a problem with modern digital cameras.
3. It should evoke feelings. Mood can be expressed in photography.
4. It should tell a story. A baby in the family, a wedding, a family vacation, a portrait, etc.
5. It should say something about life. A good example of this is photojournalism.
Any one of these elements will make a photograph a step away from "that's nice." Use more or all of these elements and a photographic masterpiece is created -- a photograph with the 10-second factor. If it takes at least 10 seconds to look at a particular photograph, it is a good one.
Portraiture
This type of photography aims to portray a person. It should tell a story about the subject, his mood, his interests, perhaps even his job. The ideal lens is a 105-135 mm lens. A medium telephoto lens takes the camera farther away from the subject and therefore is less intrusive. It also flattens the face and eliminates unflattering distortions when a normal 50 mm lens is used close up. The medium telephoto lens also has a narrow depth of field making the background blurry and less prominent, and therefore making the subject stand out. It helps to use props when taking portraits. For example: if the subject is a doctor hang a stethoscope around his neck, if he likes to golf make him hold a golf club, if he's a photography buff have him hold a camera, etc.
People photography
We take a lot of people pictures, as you'll notice in social events and gatherings. Traveling also involves taking pictures of the local people. A wide-angle lens is useful in indoor settings and whenever there's a big group of people to be included in a single frame. A normal and telephoto lens is recommended when taking pictures of people on the streets. Make sure your subjects do not freeze when you squeeze the trigger. Here's one neat trick you can do: aim the camera at the subject or subjects, count one, two, three, cheese BUT don't press the shutter right away. Wait a split second after before pressing the shutter. This way your subjects have already relaxed and no longer stiff. Candid shots of people are also interesting and sometimes even funny. Take as many shots as you can. After all, you're not buying film and the memory card can take hundreds of photographs.
Babies
I've always advised new parents to get a good digital camera and take pictures of their babies from the time they were born up to the present. These are priceless images that your family will enjoy looking at forever. The best lens for this type of photography is a telephoto lens.
Animal photography
Many people have pets and pets are just like family. Take pictures of anything your dog or cat does, whether sleeping, eating, licking your hands, catching a frisbee, riding in your car, anything. Animals have a short lifespan and when they're gone, only those beautiful pictures you took are left to remember them by.
Landscape photography
Next to taking pictures of people like family, friends, and ourselves, landscape photography is the most popular. This is because a beautiful scene will always make a good photograph. The ideal lens for this type of photography is a 24-28 mm lens, commonly called a wide-angle lens. A wide-angle lens has a deeper depth of field and therefore anything near and beyond will be in focus. A polarizing filter helps in defining clouds and in saturating the sky. Some point-and-shoot cameras have built-in creative filters that can be used for this purpose. Composition is important in landscape photography. Make sure to "frame" your photograph with a tree or a rock for a better visual impact.
Close-up or macrophotography
Most digital cameras have a close-up setting (it's the flower icon on your settings). You can't go wrong with macrophotography. Find a rose or any flower, even an insect, and you've got a picture.
Travel photography
A 24 to 28 mm wide-angle lens is ideal. A very common mistake of travelers is taking too many pictures of themselves in front of popular tourist landmarks. One or two pictures taken in front of the Pyramids, Taj Mahal, Tower of Pisa is enough just to show that you've been there. Don't forget to take pictures of the local scenery, the people, the street corners, vendors, anything not in the tourist brochures. These photographs will remind you of that particular place later and you'll be glad you took those pictures. By the way, if you're shooting the locals in a foreign country, ask permission. It's just common courtesy.
Wedding photography
For advanced amateurs and professionals, this is a profitable activity. An advanced point-and-shoot camera like the micro four thirds types can be used but a DSLR is better suited for this type of photography. For convenience, a zoom lens from wide- angle to telephoto can be used, like having three lenses in one. Many lens manufacturers make this type of zoom lenses. A good example is the Nikkor 28-200 mm zoom. For a wedding photo album to stand out, it must contain interesting photographs of the wedding, plus those of the bride and groom, family, and their friends. The usual photos taken at the altar with the priest as well as photos taken with the guests are a must. However, being very creative will make the photo album stand out. Use lots of imagination. Wedding albums are keepsakes and people tend to look at them many years later to bring back that special day in their lives. A good photographer will make it worthwhile.
Photojournalism
This is the type of photography where content or message is more important than composition. Remember the little Vietnamese girl running in Saigon, the Vietcong prisoner being shot in the head by a police captain, the GI kissing a nurse in New York after D Day, the raising of the US flag in Iwo Jima? These are all examples of good photojournalism. When the photographers were shooting these pictures they didn't have time to make sure composition was good, exposure was correct, shutter speed was right. All they wanted to do was FREEZE that particular moment in time. And they did it so well that they won the Pulitzer Prize in photography.
Most digital point-and-shoot cameras have built-in zoom lenses. Make sure the one you buy has one.
If you want to really get serious in photography, there are several items you need to have. You'll need a tripod. Tripods ensure that the camera won't move and therefore you get a sharper image regardless of shutter speed. They’re also useful in landscape photography and macrophotography. Another important item is a camera bag. As you progress in your chosen hobby, you'll probably be adding a bigger DSLR, a couple of lenses, an additional electronic flash, a light meter. You'll also need some lens cleaners and Q-tips. A good sturdy camera bag will give you many years of service, as well as protecting your equipment.
Here's a tip on how to clean your camera lens: DON'T ever use lens cleaning tissue, paper napkins, or your shirt to wipe out dirt or a smudge on your lens. These could damage the coating on the front element of your lens. If your lens is dirty, simply breathe on it and wipe with a Q-tip. Breathing on it puts some moisture on the lens and the Q-tip is to wipe off the moisture.
Practical uses for a camera: For insurance purposes, take pictures of the interior of your home showing all your furniture, appliances, and anything valuable. In the event of a robbery or fire, it's much easier to process your insurance claim if you have visual proof of what you've lost. Also, in case of a vehicular accident, take pictures of the accident scene, the vehicles involved, and even plate numbers of cars around. These pictures should be taken BEFORE the vehicles are moved. Photographic proof is better than your word when dealing with ICBC.
Your photographs can be winners too. If there's a photo contest, submit your photographs. The judges might like your entry and you can be the winner.
Photography is a personally rewarding hobby. And it's no longer expensive like it used to be. You can get a fairly good digital camera for less than $200 and you don't have to buy expensive film anymore. No more waiting for a week to process film. The photograph is simply downloaded into a computer and can be sent out to all your friends without charge. Prints can be made right from your home printer. The SD card or memory card can be reused many times over and can take hundreds of images.
If you enjoy photography, go out and take pictures. It's spring and flowers are starting to bloom. Tulips and daffodils are in their full splendor. Plenty of photo opportunities out there. You also get fresh air and exercise as an added bonus. And it's FUN and EASY, absolutely!
CLICK HERE TO SEE SAMPLES OF BERT'S WORK