Tips/Tricks thread

[jjeling]

I myself am constantly trying to find ways to improve my own photography knowledge and skills. One of the first things I try and do is not only gain knowledge from other users on the forum, and share the knowledge I have myself. One of the best ways I have come to do this through is from a Tips/tricks/advice threads. Beginners would also flock to the thread to look for help and ideas. As minor as it may seem to the experienced, the rule of thirds is a major one I have examples and short write ups on and photo manipulation during the exposure. It is just a suggestion. Take it for face value but I feel it would be a good addition to the forum. Thanks again. Cheers!

[mindforge]

Adjustment layers.

I think every digital photographer needs to learn all the different adjustment layers (especially curves) and use them. They can make the difference in a picture.

There are several colors I always desaturate. Red is one of them. For some reason, to me at least, reds always stand out. So, I desaturate my reds and utilize layers so I can just paint in the red I want desaturated. I usually then tone it back a little with opacity. Reds get me. Also, you can use this to make sunsets really pop by saturating specific colors. I don't always edit in this manner but adjustment layers are my greatest ally in post.

[jjeling]

Now many of you are aware that you can move the position of the camera during a long exposure to get a desired effect. Sometimes you can control it others you cannot. I took a recreational photography class my last semester of college. Could have taught the class myself, but that's not important. Over time, I have learned, always listen to someone with experience, no matter how much they have. There is always something to learn from someone. After a while, I developed a relationship with the instructor and aided in the class instruction. The last week he said I didn't have to show up to class for my efforts and would still receive an A in the class. Thank God because on the final day he was giving different tips as to how and take different pictures. Like anything, it has a limited use and shouldnt be overused. But during a long exposure instead of moving the camera, if you have an adjustable focal length lens, it can be moved during the exposure. The change in the focal length will give an effect that is impossible to duplicate in any software program. Its fun sometimes but, does not work to much. Just thought I would share it. Here is the only half way decent result Ive received. Have fun.

[jjeling]

During my time spent as a a photographer, there are many tips and tricks that I have learned. There is the rule of thirds, one of the most important things you must know about photography. Then there is the exposure, aperture, white balance, and iso. Again, extremely important elements that take time and patience to develop. Using the flash is another skill that should be learned depending on you style. Get a tripod. A tripod is like a carpenters hammer. Never in my life have I heard of a photographer that does not use a tripod. If not a tripod, then a monopod. Get a tripod. This stuff is extremely important to know, but many that do know this information forget to change their perspective on things. When I got started, there was not a single picture I was happy with. For several months getting an image I wanted was so elusive I actually put the camera down for a few weeks, to ponder what I could do. Being completely self taught, I could only rely on what I have seen in magazines and on TV to mold my own skills. Then one day, the idea of that new perspective dawned on me. A common concept about photographers is like piano players, they dont like to get their hands dirty. Depending on your style, it can be true. For many others, this could not be anymore wrong. Especially for myself. When I go out, I always wear clothes I do not mind getting dirty. When I come back, most of the time I have dirt everywhere, and need to take a shower. It is all to get a new perspective on things. Laying on the ground, climbing a tree, walking out into the water, and mud. If its cold, dress warm, if its hot, don't wear anything lol.gif bring some extra water. Mosquito's=100%deet. Its a nice day, its a better night. It is worth it! More quality images have come from this than any other tip I have learned. Just be careful with your camera. My first DSLR was a Pentax K110d. Unfortunately, it is not weather sealed. It is all but ruined. Its nearly impossible to see through the viewfinder(foggy), and the interior of the camera is even worse. I can still get images from it, but not without spending 5 minutes on each image cleaning spots from it, even after being cleaned. Be aware of your surroundings as well. Here in this part, we do not really have killer bees, poisonous snakes, or spiders to worry about. Just be careful when you do this, bring a friend, get dirty, have fun.

[jjeling]

For those beginners out there, one of the most important rules you need to learn first is the rule of thirds. This is the one thing in photography that is used the most. When taking a photograph, it is easy place the subject of the photograph directly in the center of the image. Try as hard as you can to break yourself of this habit. Although it is not always applicable, it is 90% of the time.

When taking an image, it is necessary to imagine these lines. After imagining the lines, place your subject on one of the lines. Our eyes naturally look away from the center of a photograph, by placing your subject on one of these lines, the viewers eyes will naturally gravitate towards your subject making for a more captivating image. When looking at the first image above, the focus point is directly in the center of the photograph. However, your eyes do not recognize this. They recognize the white frame(rule of thirds) first and it confuses to about the subject of the photograph. Now look at the second photograph, the white frame is now in focus. Your eyes are no longer confused because what your eyes perceive as the subject really are the subject. Again, this is one of the most important tips in all of photography. Remember it, force it into your head. After a while it will come naturally, until then, remember, RULE OF THIRDS!




If there are any administrators that want to add or change this feel free to. This is the best illustration I could find for the rule, maybe some of you have better?

[mindforge]

If you have a dslr with selectable focus points, you can set it up so your focus point is always at this point also. With the d90 I carry around it is setup so that the focus point is to the left and up one... landing right at the upper right third center. It is a great tool and keeps you from centering... it actually punishes you for centering your shots because that is not the focus point. Think of it as training wheels... even for the experienced...

If you have been shooting for 20 years look for people to teach... so you can learn from them. I started a local organization of photographers. We get together pretty often.. usually twice a month and go shooting. There are several professionals in the group from different disciplines - wedding, photojournalist, etc... and there are a couple that like to use P&S cameras... there is something to learn from everyone.

Another tip: If you have a child over the age of 3, get them a digital P&S for under $100 and you will see a different view of the world through their pictures.

[jjeling]

It is impossible for me to say I have always thought about the composition of my photographs. In a previous post I mentioned the rule of thirds. This is something that will come through practice. Eventually your eye will be trained to this and it will be second nature. Over time though, the composition of your photographs will not necessarily follow the rule of thirds. This is when you must critically think about the image you are trying to capture. Myself for example, as a beginner, I used to just shoot away, thinking I was doing a good job. After a while, the images began to seem relatively boring. Nothing exciting to look at, just something to remind myself of what I was looking at. That is when my passion for photography really started. I began to just browse other images to see what amazed me and what didn't. An image study if you would like to call it that. Then I would try and figure out how the shot was taken. Where was the position located? What were THEY seeing? What were the camera settings? How were they in the right place at the right time? Then every time I went out, these thoughts began to play out in my own images. By criticizing myself, my eyes began seeing things in a new fashion. It only comes through personal criticism. Yes, you can ask for others criticism, but only after the image is taken. By criticizing yourself, you can correct the image before, or at the moment the image is taken. So, next time you are taking a photograph, do not necessarily plan on taking as many images as possible. Focus on an image that you feel is worth taking. Take the time to get it right. Criticize each image until you think it couldn't be taken any better. Not every image you take will be perfect. Practice makes better. Give it time though, and you will take better images, and then it will take less time to capture a quality image. You will learn the functions of your camera inside and out, and will then understand the lighting situation and how to adjust your settings according to your preference. Good luck. Cheers!

[jjeling]

I so many images, its hard to decide which one I want to show next. I have several images that were created in a similar fashion. Generally, they are created through images that I have a hard time figuring out what to do with them. Generally, they are good images, but lack the extra touch that makes them great. So I created this technique that allows for HUGE prints. It is actually four images, rotated the four different ways, and then stitched together. Since no cropping is needed, once they are aligned, it creates a perfectly symmetrical image. It is fun once you know what to look for to create images like this. Just know, I use four full size images. This quadruples the size of the image. Taken with a 6 mp camera, it is now a 24mp image. It can be printed as large as you could possibly want, without any destruction to the image itself. It also creates a huge file on your computer which sometimes has difficulty processing an image of that size. Here it is though. This image is for an example. I will post another one in another thread just to show. Cheers!

[Marko]

jjeling, you are bringing some fantastic ideas to our forum!! many thanks!

This is another great resource thread. In order to make it really well organized, posts with tips should have the TITLE of the post filled out to reflect the tip. I'm editing some now, but for the future please title the posts in this thread.

many thanks everyone!!!!

[Marko]

I've done a podcast on dodging and burning as well.

But in a nutshell, 99% of all printed or web photos will benefit from Dodging and Burning (lightening and darkening) specific areas of the image.
Almost all of the great masters dodged and burned extensively.
Dodging and burning can make an image sing!