Month: April 2020

How to Improve Family Photos with Proper Staging

How to Improve Family Photos with Proper Staging

Posted on by Annette Hendrick

The hardest choices we make before taking family photos have to do with location, how to arrange the people in the photo, what to wear, and pose to consider. Most times, the poses are random, repetitive, and they make the pictures dull or predictable. It should not be a problem anymore because you are about to know how to improve those family photos and add some life, color, warmth, and fun in them through proper staging.

The following are things you can do to stage the family photos.

1. Use natural light whenever possible

Most of the time, we put in the flash to brighten up our pictures and make them more precise. When you resort to using natural light, the blend is seamless, and the picture looks very natural. Using natural light may mean either taking the photo in an environment outside the house or posing near a window or door that lets the light come in. You should use the flash if you have a high-quality camera.

2. Always consider the background

The background where you take a picture is a determinant of the final output. When you take a photo inside the house, ensure to de-clutter that environment and get rid of anything that may divert attention and cause the picture to look too occupied. The effect of a clean and organized background that has no clutter amplifies and brings more clarity to the people in the photo. You also do not want people moving around the back when taking the family photo. Pick a place that is far from disruption of any kind.

3. Add some balanced color

You can not underestimate the power of having a solid color in your family photo. The effect of color that is well balanced gives the picture some personality, warmth, and depth. Dull images are boring to look at, while a solid color tells a rich story. A family photo is all about sharing good times, the fun and liveliness, do not forget to get people into their best mood because nothing speaks color and warmth like a genuine smile. Take photos when people are fresh and genuinely happy.

4. Stagger the heads

When taking family photos, don’t stick to the typical straight lines or rows. Make the picture more attractive by staggering the heads. It is advisable that if you have more than two people in the photo, then create diagonal lines from one person to the next. Make sure that no two heads are on the same level. It is a good thing to try and blend something natural to the photo to create this effect. You may use a stool to make some people sit while others stand or in the case of an out of the house photo, use things like small hills and considerable stones to have staggered heights.

5. Have or create natural bends

When taking the family photos, do not let the people stand stiff and straight. The look is very unnatural, so look for ways to create natural curves within the picture. You can have some people squat while others bend a body part or two and, of course, in a logical manner that does not look odd. You can let some people bend a knee to emphasize the hip, hook a finger in a belt loop, cross one foot over the other, and so forth. This effect makes the photo look much more natural, fun, and welcoming.

Conclusion

These are some of the ways you can use to stage and spice up family photos. Next time you take a family photo, remember to get creative.

How to Brighten Your Photographs by Using Proper Lighting

How to Brighten Your Photographs by Using Proper Lighting

Posted on by Annette Hendrick

Using the photograph lighting is inevitably part of a photographer’s job when you want to brighten your photographs. The way you light up the camera determines the results. Using the correct photographic technique can have a significant impact on brightness. However, to gain confidence in using external and internal flashes when taking photographs, you must first understand the multiple uses. Primarily, proper lighting is used to brighten the scene or a nearby subject. If you can set the camera’s mood, focus on pixels, and create special effects for the photography. This is by making funny photography flash useful for photographers. Here are the tips on how to brighten your photographs by using proper lighting.

Diffuse the Flash

This is the technique used to create more attractive lighting to diffuse light from the flash. The use of the diffuser increases the flash size area to generate smoother and even more uniform light. Professional speed lights also have the pop-up flash diffusers and Tupperware-type diffusers, optimized to widen flash coverage when directed towards the subject. For studio lighting without bulk, there are mini softboxes that may be used with the flash.

Use the Ambient Light

To brighten your photographs by using proper lighting, you can use ambient light. The background can disappear completely when you are busy revealing the subject. Adding ambient light and background visibility adds context to the subject and creates an atmosphere in the photo. To do this, take the photographs in manual exposure mode instead of automatic mode, then adjust camera settings first to display the background.

Use Colored Flash Gels

Using the colored flash gels is the best way to brighten your photographs by using proper lighting. Colored flash gels are attached to the flash to add the colored tint emitted to the light. In addition to the creative effects, it’s also often used to fit the flash color to ambient light. The lights in the room usually have different color temperatures than flashes. If you don’t match the light temperatures, the image does not look natural, and the viewer can easily see that the flash has not been used. This may be fixed easily by setting the white balance of the camera to automatic or tungsten and add the amber filter to the flash lens used to correct the foreground color.

Use TTL Technology

The use of TTL (Through The Lens) mode makes it easy to brighten your photographs in different ambient lights. When enabled, the flash communicates quickly with a camera that checks the existing lighting conditions and distance between the subject and the flash to determine the needed flash power used to light up the scene. Typically, this makes it right for almost any shooting situation.

Bounce the Light

The essential things which the aspiring photographers known when he or she want to brighten the photographs from flash photography are to point the flash lighting directly to the subject for a bounce. Proper lighting is created by bouncing the light against the surface. Generally, this means that the flash is encrypted in another location, for example, on the neutral wall, on the ceiling, or on the reflective plate to provide a wider light source to hit the object.

Does Having an Expensive Camera Really Matter for Photographers?

Does Having an Expensive Camera Really Matter for Photographers?

Posted on by Annette Hendrick

Finding the right camera for you is one of the most important considerations when setting out as a photographer. Having a cheap, low-quality camera can help you get started, but you need an expensive camera to succeed as a photographer? This article looks into this question to see if you really need to spend a lot of money on a camera as a photographer.

Benefits of an Expensive Camera

There are real benefits you can get from using an expensive, high-quality camera. With a better camera, you will be able to take photos in higher resolution and be better able to photograph challenging scenes, like in low light. The main benefit you will gain will be the fact that your photography will not be limit by the capacity of your camera. You will need a good quality camera that responds well to your touch if you want to take high precision photos, like an insect or bird in flight. A poor camera will not be fast enough, and you are likely to miss the shot or have it blurred. This is especially frustrating for elusive shots like these, where you may have to wait for hours or days to try again. Having a high-quality camera will, in general, give you the best chance to take the best photos, up close or far away and regardless of light. However, a better camera can be less forgiving and require some real know-how to make the most of it. If you are patient, you can definitely take better photos with a good expensive camera than with a cheaper, lower quality one.

Expensive Cameras are Overrated

On the other hand, you can take some phenomenal shots with a cheaper camera. The real difference between a great photographer and a poor one is not the camera but rather the skill of the person holding the camera. I’m sure you’ve experienced this – I know my uncle adores a high $2,000 camera, but he rarely takes a picture with the person in focus! In contrast, I can take some great photos using my smartphone’s built-in camera. This shows that the camera does not make the photographer. Another point in favor of cheaper cameras is that they do not distract you. With fewer bells and whistles, you can focus on the shot and moment, rather than messing with eight different switches. There is less to mess around with and so less to go wrong!

Summary

As you can see, the really important thing for a photographer is their ability to take and find the best photo opportunity, not the camera they use. A more expensive camera is usually a benefit, but to get the most out of it, you need to have the skillset that matches the camera. Otherwise, you’re just wasting your money. So, work on becoming a better photographer and update your equipment as your skills increase. Or, get the best equipment you can afford and work hard to be able to make the most of the equipment. An expensive camera makes a difference if the photographer can make the most of it.

How to Take Great Photos When Facing the Sun?

How to Take Great Photos When Facing the Sun?

Posted on by Annette Hendrick

Many of us are familiar with the following scenario: We might be trying to take a photograph of our family at a famous landmark or a beautiful scenic viewpoint when on holiday. The opportunity is not to be missed; you might never visit this unique place again! Alas, here comes the problem. You are facing the sun. You do your best to shift your position, you ask the people you are taking a photograph of to move, but to no avail! The final photograph always ends up the same, everything is darkened by the overly-bright sun.

Such a scenario is quite common, and might end in disappointment for the amateur photographer. However, it might not be acceptable to the pro, or aspiring ones, who cannot afford to miss out on an opportunity of the perfect shot. Such ones might also worry about damaging their camera with strong sunlight. So how do you do it? How do you take great photos when facing the sun? Let’s find out some simple ways that even the beginners among us can apply.

Create Your Own Shade

If you cannot avoid taking a photo in the direct sunlight, one simple way to achieve a good outcome is to simply create your own shade. Whether using an umbrella, a backpack, your hand or anything else, block out the sun, and take the shot! If taking a still photo, this technique can be used in an even more advanced way. If access to photo editing software is available, simply take two identical photos, one normal and one with the sun covered. Then join the two photographs using software, infilling the blocked sun with the sun from the full photo! The effect can be surprisingly good.

Shoot with Flash

If taking photos of subjects in close proximity, it’s possible to fix the contrast of the photo with fill flash. The flash will light up the subjects, including the most shadowy parts, such as hat, nose, or eye shadows, and balance out the photo.

Make Use of Filters

If possible, take advantage of filters. Filters such as a neutral density filter and a polarizing filter can reduce the amount of light that enters the camera. This can give you more control over exposure, contrasts, and colors.

Fixing Strong Contrasts

If you fancy yourself as a bit of a photo editor and are taking a photograph of a still scene, there is an easy method you can use to fix big contrasts between overexposed skies and dark foregrounds. Simply take multiple identical photos at different exposure settings and join them together into a single HDR photograph using photo editing software. If an action photo is what you are after, don’t despair. It’s possible to use editing software to lighten darkened spots, even on just a single photograph. While it is true that some parts of the photo might acquire noise, the effect will not be so noticeable, unless the photo is shown in its original resolution.

These methods mentioned are only some of the many ways to take a successful photo while facing the sun. However, there is no doubt, taking good photos in such a setting is possible!