Everyone knows that free is good. However, there is a dark side to this idea–especially in photography. People and businesses want to keep a low bottom line and if they can obtain things at no cost they will, especially photography. If an image is found online and the owner is unreachable, it is open to theft. These images are considered orphan works. There are policies in place in some parts of the world that make this easy. It is sometimes sad to say, but photography is not always about hitting the shutter. We as photographers put a lot of work into image creation. However, we should also think about protecting those images by making sure it’s clear who owns them. In the ever changing world of copyright laws, precautions have to be taken. Here are some ways to avoid that.
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We often talk about cameras, lenses and lighting but rarely do we talk about what’s behind them–your eye. Not the organ, no, the part of your mind that actually helps you see the world and share it with others. This is what inspires you to capture the world with your lens, what drives you. To me, photography is a person showing how they see their world and capturing moments in time. A person’s “photographic eye” is something that is developed over time with training.
Want more Useful Photography Tips? Take a look at all of them right here.
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When you’re down to the macro focusing range, it is almost never recommended to shoot wide open. The reason for this is because you’re focusing so closely to the subject, very little will be in focus at any given aperture. So you’ll need to stop down the lens. But in order to also minimize your post-production, we recommend putting a flash on your camera to get it right the first time around. Set that sucker to TTL, and put a Rogue FlashBender on it and hover the modifier over the subject. The flash output will bathe the subject in beautiful soft light that will look extremely natural–perfect for shooting the rings at a wedding. Flashes can be affordable too, just take a look at this list! And when you’re ready for more, take a look at our lighting modifier guide.
Need extra help? Here’s a demonstration of how flash and apertures work together.
Gear Used: Canon 5D Mk II, Tamron 90mm f2.8 VC, Phottix Mitros, Large Rogue Flashbender
Want more Useful Photography Tips? Take a look at all of them right here.
Often when I shoot products for the website, I try to think of different and creative ways to light the scenes but also have a natural and lifestyle like appeal to them. Due to a busy shooting schedule, legitimate window light isn’t always available–so it needs to be faked. Firstly, we should keep in mind that the larger and closer a light source is to a subject, the softer the light is. And in general, the light coming in from a window is usually quite soft. Soft light refers to the quality of the shadows.
So when I shoot some images, I often simply take a speedlite, place it right up against a white wall, and shoot with an according shutter speed, aperture and ISO. Once again, shutter speeds control the amount of ambient light leaking into the photo white the aperture controls flash exposure but not flash output. Additionally, ISO controls overall light sensitivity in the scene. Often when I’m doing this, I use TTL. For this particular set of images above, I used a Phottix Mitros flash with their Odin triggers in conjunction with Tamron’s 90mm f2.8 Marco VC mounted to my Canon 5D Mk II. And if you didn’t know beforehand, you might just think that this was all shot with natural light.
Want more Useful Photography Tips? Check out our entire catalog here.
No matter how advanced autofocusing algorithms have become, they still tend to suffer in low light situations. Granted, your camera has an AF assist lamp/bulb. But sometimes, that little short-ranged illuminator isn’t enough to help your camera focus in the near dark.
Over our years of running this site, we’ve had to test many cameras in low light settings. And even though we place our focusing points on highly contrasting points, it hasn’t always worked. The solution is something that is highly mobile: your phone. Many phones have a flashlight app (or one can be downloaded.) If you shine this light on your subject, your camera will have less trouble focusing on that area of the frame.
To do this, you’ll need to hold the camera with one hand and your phone with the other–so hold super still while you’re doing it. For extra stabilization, hold the camera in closer to your body and control your breathing. Some people fire better at the top of their breath while others do better at the bottom.
Want more Useful Photography Tips? Check out our entire catalog here.
You remember that kid who was allergic to everything growing up? For the most part that was me, and phases of those allergies come and go with my immune system. Being a creative and journalist over the years, I’ve had to do shoots where I ended up with red eyes from pollen or totally sick for the next couple of days. And as a photographer, we all know that time is money and that any time lost needs to be recounted for with you working twice as hard after your recovery.
If you’re an allergy prone photographer, though, there are a couple of things you should keep in mind whether you’re hankering for capturing that perfect landscape, or the newly engaged want you to photograph them amongst some beautiful cherry blossoms.
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