These quick and easy tips should help make your location portraits more unique, fun, and interesting.
So, you’ve found a nice location that gives you some interesting backdrops for your next portrait shoot. But it’s only one part of the picture. In this quick tutorial for Adorama, Gavin Hoey provides some tips and ideas on how to use props, wardrobe and styling, lighting, and a little bit of post-processing to add character to location portraits.
If you’re new to interchangeable lens cameras, this cheat sheet should help you understand how focal length affects your photos.
The primary advantage of interchangeable lens cameras, as the term suggests, is that you’ll be able to shoot using different lenses with varying focal lengths. Therefore, learning how focal length works and its relationship with the angle of view will help you choose the right lens for the kind of photography you want to do. For this, we’re sharing a cheat sheet that will serve as your handy dandy guide.
If you’re just getting into landscape photography, we bring a handful of tips on what to avoid while you’re finding your way around the craft.
With landscape photography having been one the most popular photography genres, it’s not surprising that more photographers are getting into it today. However, there are some common misconceptions and mistakes that beginners can find themselves making which can hamper their progress. This was what landscape photographer Mark Denney learned the hard way. In one of his videos, he addresses this by sharing some of the mistakes he made when he was starting out, and how beginners today can avoid them.
Check out this cheat sheet featuring simple portrait lighting techniques that you can try.
Getting the lighting right is key when it comes to shooting professional portraits. While it doesn’t always have to involve complex setups, it can be daunting to figure out where to start if you’re new to portrait lighting techniques. With this quick tutorial and cheat sheet, you’ll learn of a bunch of simple lighting styles to try for your next practice.
If you’re wondering what your camera’s histogram readings are saying, we have just the right cheat sheet for you.
Understanding how the histogram works and what the graph readings mean are vital to a well-exposed photograph. We covered some basics in several tutorials, and also recently shared a photographer’s insights on the common misconceptions about this graphical representation of the tonal values in an image. Now, to help you remember all that, we’re sharing a very useful cheat sheet that covers the histogram in a nutshell and how to read it.
If you’re thinking of shooting in the bright outdoors anytime soon, this photography cheat sheet will give you some ideas on working with directional light.
Landscape photographers typically prefer shooting either early in the morning, or during the Golden Hour for its soft, gorgeous light. But there’s more to it than just avoiding the hard light during most of the day. Knowing how to work with directional light from the sun will help you get the results you need from these outdoor shoots. Let this quick tutorial and cheat sheet be your guide for your next practice!
Understanding how depth of field works may seem baffling at first. But with enough practice, it will allow you to work with different lenses, camera systems, and subjects with ease.
Depth of field is another of those technical-sounding terms you’ll have to grapple with if you’re new to photography. It’s one of the essential creative controls that allow you to utilize sharp focus to determine the look of your shots. With this quick tutorial and cheat sheet, you’ll get a head start on mastering this concept by learning how to work with it in four common shooting situations.
All you need to know about color temperature and its relationship with white balance summarized in one handy cheat sheet.
White balance is one of the crucial elements you have to work with to ensure accurate colors in your photos. To be able to do this, you have to know how to use the color temperature scale. Whether you’re just discovering color temperature in photography or looking for a better understanding of it, we’re sure this infographic by Digital Camera World will serve as a quick reference for you.
We hear a lot about histogram and how it’s important to be mindful of it during a shoot. But it stills sparks some confusion, so a photographer shares his take to help us understand it better.
The histogram is one of those technical-sounding terms you’ll encounter while learning photography. We have a lot of resources on the subject, but if you’re just getting started, this video by Matt Granger will also help you get a better understanding of what it is, what it tells photographers, and how we can use it as a guide when we shoot.
Getting your dog to look at the camera is all about training them to do it, and here’s how.
If you’re someone who gets frustrated about how to get their dog to look at the camera for a photo, then fear not. The answer is pretty easy and you’re going to kick yourself for not thinking about it first. To understand this, you should think about your dog and what they like. It’s obvious that belly rubs aren’t going to be easily communicated to your pup in order to get them to look at the camera, but a toy could do the trick. Even better though–so could a treat.
Here’s a quick portrait photography tutorial that demonstrates how different aperture settings affect your shots.
Remember all those manual photography cheat sheets that we’ve been sharing recently? Here’s how you can apply what you’ve learned about aperture when shooting portraits. In a quick video tutorial by Sony Artisan Miguel Quiles for Adorama, we see the results of shooting with the aperture wide open and stepped down, and when to pick one over the other.
Still figuring out how aperture affects your photos? Let this f-stop infographic be your handy guide.
If you’ve recently picked up a camera that allows manual controls, then among the variables at your fingertips is aperture. It’s the opening of your lens; each size is called an f-stop. Learning which f-stop to use to get the desired result is one of the fundamental lessons in photography, and for that we have just the cheat sheet for you.
While a handheld light meter is ideal, this paper “light meter” could still be handy in a pinch.
One of the major challenges of shooting with film then, and now, is shooting in manual mode. This is especially the case if you’re shooting with a fully manual camera that lacks a built-in light meter. You either have to get yourself a reliable handheld light meter, or train yourself to “read” light so you can adjust your camera settings for the right exposure. Thankfully, there’s a neat printable guide — let’s call it a cheat sheet while we’re at it — that you can use as a paper “light meter” during your shoots.
Still getting familiar with your camera’s controls? This simple photography cheat sheet should help with that and eventually get you experimenting with manual mode.
Missed the manual photography cheat sheets we shared previously? We bring yet another one that you can use both to practice shooting in manual mode and get to know your camera controls better. If you’re just getting started with photography, let this be your quick reference for your next practice!
This camera conversion project for infrared photography is not for the faint of heart.
Infrared photography is one of the most popular creative styles for both film and digital, but for the latter, you’ll need to have a camera modified specifically for this purpose. If you’ve ever been curious about how cameras are converted to enable them to shoot in infrared, fortunately, there are brave and experienced photographers like Davin Lavikka who show how it’s done.
Still haven’t figured out which camera is best for you? We found a neat cheat sheet that could help.
So, you’ve decided to take photography more seriously and finally get yourself a new camera. What you haven’t decided on, however, is the exact camera to get for the kind of photography you want to do. Well, we think this nifty cheat sheet we found will be able to help you pick at least the kind of camera to get. Hopefully, from there, you’ll be able to narrow down your search.
Take it from a photographer who travels more than I’d like to, shooting in hotels can be a logistical nightmare sometimes.
The first time I shot in a hotel, I made a big mistake. Looking back now, I honestly think that I still wasn’t in the right, but luckily I didn’t do anything that went on to scar my career. Additionally, I was quick, quiet, polite, and careful. I think that most folks who go about shooting in hotels tend to treat it like they’re on Spring Break all the time; but that shouldn’t be the aim. You’re there to work; even if you’re doing it for fun you should still conduct yourself professionally and be responsible. If you remember that you’re privileged to be able to shoot in nice hotels and not entitled to it, then you’ll already have one of the biggest ego checks in place. If you don’t have this, then please cease to continue reading this article. But if you want to get serious, read on.
Low light photography can be challenging for beginners and experienced photographers alike. But with some tips and this cheat sheet, you’ll be on your way to getting started or improving your skills.
Been wanting to try low light photography but not sure how to do it the best way? There are also many ways you can find yourself having to shoot in limited light, and it can lead to many disappointing photos. But, with these tips and a cheat sheet that you can use as a reference, you’ll be able to adapt to the scenes and get beautiful low light photos.
If you’re just getting started with studio work, this lighting cheat sheet will come in handy when you’re shooting a subject for portraits or videos.
New to shooting in the studio and wondering how to do the lighting? It’s definitely an important part of studio work, but all the equipment and lighting techniques could be intimidating to every beginner. However, with this simple cheat sheet we spotted from r/coolguides, you’ll be on your way to getting started with learning how to light.
Ever wondered which color filter to use for which effect when shooting in black and white? We’ve got you covered with another guide and cheat sheet.
At some point in your black and white photography journey, you’ll come across photos shot with color filters. If you’ve been wondering how to use them for your photography, we’ve found just the right stuff for you. First is a primer on using color filters for black and white photography, and then a simple cheat sheet that you can use for quick reference while you’re out shooting!
This cheat sheet is one of the most straightforward guides you can use when learning manual photography.
Taking full control of the camera’s controls can be daunting for any beginner. Thankfully, the Internet is full of tutorials and guides to help make the learning experience easier. We’ve shared a detailed version not so long ago, but we think this quick and simple guide is another cheat sheet to complement that. Take a look and see if it works for you!
