Photographic Lenses – A perspective from an avid shutterbug in Wellsford.
Have you ever wondered why photographs turn out different than what you saw through the viewfinder? Why is my photography blurry or out of focus? How do I capture more of the subject area in the photo? How can I get closer to the subject? Why is the photograph darker than suspected? I have had these questions over the years and have studied photography lenses so that I can select the most appropriate camera and camera lens for my subjects.
Today, with the most wonderful world of photography , and the technology at hand, it is much easier to shoot those prize photos even for the weekend shutterbug. But, if you understand even a few basics your photographs can turn out much better than you anticipated. It has become really easy for anyone to pick up a point and shoot fixed lens digital camera and take a great photo. With the influx of many high end, high megapixel cameras available for under $200.00, anybody can put memories in their pocket.
Wellsford Photography – Famous Photographers
1. Print your images
Are your photographs destined to remain hidden on a hard drive forever, unseen by the world? Remember the buzz you once had in the pre-digital days, when you saw your photographs the first time in print?
Why not peruse your recent holiday snaps, and select your best work to be immortalised with ink on paper. Frame them; hang them in your home; give them away as gifts.
2. Update your camera gear
There comes a time when your digital camera doesn't do your skills justice. While point-and-shoot cameras are convenient and cheaper, they are restricted by their simplicity and their smaller sensor size.
Unfortunately, the old adage 'you get what you pay for' is still the truth. Even an entry-level DSLR and kit lens will produce sharper and bigger images, and allow you to play with a wider aperture range, from at least f/4 to f/22.
If you're into landscape photography, a sturdy tripod is a must, as is a polarising filter to darken blue skies. A cable release will prevent camera shake during longer exposures. A decent kit bag will protect your expensive gear, and enable more efficient access to it.
3. Subscribe to a photography magazine
The racks of most bookshops are stacked with numerous photography magazines. My favourite is Digital SLR Photography*, which boasts a higher standard of writing than found in other titles from the UK. Of course, these days you can subscribe to the digital version of magazines, and download them to your mobile device of choice.
4. Start a personal project
A popular pastime is to shoot a photo every day for 365 days. The idea is to force yourself into the habit of getting your camera out regularly, not just for holidays, or special occasions. Shoot ordinary events or items.
10. Join the club
Photo albums have now been replaced with on-line galleries. Host sites include Google Photos or Yahoo's Flickr, but if you're serious, why not build your own personal website? This is no longer such a daunting task, as it was a few years ago. Cloud-based hosts include clikpic.com and wix.com where beautiful templates make DIY web design a breeze.
However, if you and computers don't mix, you can always find a like-minded community of real humans in a local camera club. These not-for-profits offer advice, training, competitions, trips, conventions and printed publications.
11. Take a photography course
Most folks will benefit from attending at least one photography course, especially when they're starting out. This needn't be a four-year university degree. Check out your local high school - many offer night classes for adults, and are great value for money.
Alternatively, many pro photographers run seasonal workshops on portraiture, wildlife or landscapes.
12. Go on tour
To really improve your photography, you need to grab your camera, and practise, practise, practise.
Perhaps the best way to fast-track your camera skills is on an intense weekend shooting on location, with an experienced guide. He or she will transport you to the best hot spots at the best time of day, to ensure you get great images.
If this article has inspired you, feel free to make contact - I'd love to help take your landscape photography to the next level.
[ Digital SLR Photography magazine: Digital SLR Photography ]
12 Inspiring Ways To Fast-Track Your Photography
It's been a hectic time of artistic painting creativity over the past few months. So much so that I had a hard time remembering the last time I was behind the lens! I could name a million reasons as to why I haven't picked up the camera but let's face it, they would all be excuses not reasons!
So it was with much enthusiasm and a lot of coffee that I went back behind the lens. Some images required for a small campaign for my own hometown and backyard, the Otways, Great Ocean Rd and Apollo Bay Victoria, Australia.
3AM wake-up call and packed into the car, ready for a few hours on the road.
For those of you not familiar with the Great Ocean Rd - its mile after mile of twisting, curving, winding one lane road that hugs the coast line of Victoria. Awesome if you love driving which I do. It can be a nightmare during the day when the road is usually taken with tourists, some of which aren't sure which side of the road they should even be driving on, let alone actually doing the right speed limit on hair-pin turns with a steep plunge into the ocean on one side and a cliff wall on the other.
Prepare the shots and angles and get the work out-of-the-way, then sit back and just enjoy the serenity and peace for a while, before the roads start getting busy.
Time to head back home - this time taking the quicker less-scenic route. Three and a half hours later back home safely with some new memories and a few choice shots of some of the most picturesque places on Earth.
I could have made up more excuses if I had chosen to, but I chose otherwise. These are the moments in life that will make you a true professional creative or just another hobbyist.The outcome of your life is based on the choices that you've made in the past. Tomorrow's outcome will be based on the choices that you make today. What will you choose?Wellsford How to Take Amazing Travel Photography