Skip to content
  • Categories
  • Recent
  • Tags
  • Popular
  • World
  • Users
  • Groups
Skins
  • Light
  • Cerulean
  • Cosmo
  • Flatly
  • Journal
  • Litera
  • Lumen
  • Lux
  • Materia
  • Minty
  • Morph
  • Pulse
  • Sandstone
  • Simplex
  • Sketchy
  • Spacelab
  • United
  • Yeti
  • Zephyr
  • Dark
  • Cyborg
  • Darkly
  • Quartz
  • Slate
  • Solar
  • Superhero
  • Vapor

  • Default (No Skin)
  • No Skin
Collapse
Code Project
  1. Home
  2. The Lounge
  3. Tips for photographs

Tips for photographs

Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved The Lounge
question
31 Posts 13 Posters 0 Views 1 Watching
  • Oldest to Newest
  • Newest to Oldest
  • Most Votes
Reply
  • Reply as topic
Log in to reply
This topic has been deleted. Only users with topic management privileges can see it.
  • W Offline
    W Offline
    Wendelius
    wrote on last edited by
    #1

    Hi, I'm trying to learn to take better photographs than just point-and-shoot style pictures. Any tips you could share for a novice photographer? :) Especially if you have something in mind for moving targets (people) and/or in low light conditions since I find these quite challenging.

    L P B M G 12 Replies Last reply
    0
    • W Wendelius

      Hi, I'm trying to learn to take better photographs than just point-and-shoot style pictures. Any tips you could share for a novice photographer? :) Especially if you have something in mind for moving targets (people) and/or in low light conditions since I find these quite challenging.

      L Offline
      L Offline
      Lost User
      wrote on last edited by
      #2

      Advice originally from Lord Lichfield. Take lots and lots and lots of photos. These days of digital photography it is inexpensive to do so - so taking many shots of the same subject, with various settings and make a note of the setting s(unless your camera is smart enough to do so for you) Then look critically at each photo and begin to understand how the different settings affect the result. Moving targets - depending on the outcome you want, you can use a fast shutter speed to freeze the action, or a slower speed to blur the action; follow the action with your camera with a slowish shutter speed can be an effective way of showing movement. Low light - use a tripod and experiment. I took loads of low light photos in my youth, using a torch to just light the areas I wanted to, using very long exposures. Was quite effective. Other piece of advice I was given (after I bought a very expensive camera) was not to buy a very expensive camera with all the bells and whistles - if you have less bells then you concentrate better on using them well rather than being overwhelmed by the opportunities. I didn't take my camera off Tv mode for the first several rolls of film for this reason, and I think it really did help. Finally - don't hide the photos -show them to people and accept their praise and criticism.

      MVVM# - See how I did MVVM my way ___________________________________________ Man, you're a god. - walterhevedeich 26/05/2011 .\\axxx (That's an 'M')

      W 1 Reply Last reply
      0
      • W Wendelius

        Hi, I'm trying to learn to take better photographs than just point-and-shoot style pictures. Any tips you could share for a novice photographer? :) Especially if you have something in mind for moving targets (people) and/or in low light conditions since I find these quite challenging.

        P Offline
        P Offline
        PaulowniaK
        wrote on last edited by
        #3

        Whenever I go out visiting places, I only take a picture if I think I can look at the outcome completely out of context and still think it looks good. That is, if it's a picture of a building, does it look good without the caption "This is where we went for our honeymoon and that's why it's special". I don't have much experience with moving targets, but for low light conditions, the key is to fix your camera and use slow shutter speeds. If you can get away with 1/25 or quicker shutter speed you're probably fine. If it gets any lower, rest your camera on something sturdy and use the 2-second timed shutter. That way, your camera won't jerk when you press the shutter button. Any slower than 1/15, I'd use a tripod. Happy shootin' ;)

        Almost, but not quite, entirely unlike... me...

        W 1 Reply Last reply
        0
        • L Lost User

          Advice originally from Lord Lichfield. Take lots and lots and lots of photos. These days of digital photography it is inexpensive to do so - so taking many shots of the same subject, with various settings and make a note of the setting s(unless your camera is smart enough to do so for you) Then look critically at each photo and begin to understand how the different settings affect the result. Moving targets - depending on the outcome you want, you can use a fast shutter speed to freeze the action, or a slower speed to blur the action; follow the action with your camera with a slowish shutter speed can be an effective way of showing movement. Low light - use a tripod and experiment. I took loads of low light photos in my youth, using a torch to just light the areas I wanted to, using very long exposures. Was quite effective. Other piece of advice I was given (after I bought a very expensive camera) was not to buy a very expensive camera with all the bells and whistles - if you have less bells then you concentrate better on using them well rather than being overwhelmed by the opportunities. I didn't take my camera off Tv mode for the first several rolls of film for this reason, and I think it really did help. Finally - don't hide the photos -show them to people and accept their praise and criticism.

          MVVM# - See how I did MVVM my way ___________________________________________ Man, you're a god. - walterhevedeich 26/05/2011 .\\axxx (That's an 'M')

          W Offline
          W Offline
          Wendelius
          wrote on last edited by
          #4

          Thanks, really good advises. I think I have to learn use Tv mode frequently :)

          1 Reply Last reply
          0
          • P PaulowniaK

            Whenever I go out visiting places, I only take a picture if I think I can look at the outcome completely out of context and still think it looks good. That is, if it's a picture of a building, does it look good without the caption "This is where we went for our honeymoon and that's why it's special". I don't have much experience with moving targets, but for low light conditions, the key is to fix your camera and use slow shutter speeds. If you can get away with 1/25 or quicker shutter speed you're probably fine. If it gets any lower, rest your camera on something sturdy and use the 2-second timed shutter. That way, your camera won't jerk when you press the shutter button. Any slower than 1/15, I'd use a tripod. Happy shootin' ;)

            Almost, but not quite, entirely unlike... me...

            W Offline
            W Offline
            Wendelius
            wrote on last edited by
            #5

            Thanks, good advice. I obviously have to learn more about proper 'framing' :)

            1 Reply Last reply
            0
            • W Wendelius

              Hi, I'm trying to learn to take better photographs than just point-and-shoot style pictures. Any tips you could share for a novice photographer? :) Especially if you have something in mind for moving targets (people) and/or in low light conditions since I find these quite challenging.

              B Offline
              B Offline
              bryce
              wrote on last edited by
              #6

              i'd start by asking camera types - not nerdy programmer types. :) Bryce

              MCAD --- To paraphrase Fred Dagg - the views expressed in this post are bloody good ones. --
              Our kids books :The Snot Goblin, and Book 2 - the Snotgoblin and Fluff The Snotgoblin for the Ipad

              W 1 Reply Last reply
              0
              • W Wendelius

                Hi, I'm trying to learn to take better photographs than just point-and-shoot style pictures. Any tips you could share for a novice photographer? :) Especially if you have something in mind for moving targets (people) and/or in low light conditions since I find these quite challenging.

                M Offline
                M Offline
                Michael Bergman
                wrote on last edited by
                #7

                Composition for taking pictures isn't much different than composition for painting and drawing. Don't center your subject. Look for parallel or slightly converging lines and capture those as they will tie the picture together. Movement of the viewer's eyes should go diagonal for upper left to lower right or lower left to upper right. Get a good book on pictorial composition. Good luck.

                m.bergman

                For Bruce Schneier, quanta only have one state : afraid.

                To succeed in the world it is not enough to be stupid, you must also be well-mannered. -- Voltaire

                In most cases the only difference between disappointment and depression is your level of commitment. -- Marc Maron

                I am not a chatbot

                W 1 Reply Last reply
                0
                • W Wendelius

                  Hi, I'm trying to learn to take better photographs than just point-and-shoot style pictures. Any tips you could share for a novice photographer? :) Especially if you have something in mind for moving targets (people) and/or in low light conditions since I find these quite challenging.

                  G Offline
                  G Offline
                  GuyThiebaut
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #8

                  I started photography back in the days of genuine 35mm SLR cameras. The one piece of advice I would give is to photograph in black and white. I say this becasue it will help you to understand composition as well as how both light and shadow affect an image. Also some pictures just come out better in black and white.

                  “That which can be asserted without evidence, can be dismissed without evidence.”

                  ― Christopher Hitchens

                  L W 2 Replies Last reply
                  0
                  • W Wendelius

                    Hi, I'm trying to learn to take better photographs than just point-and-shoot style pictures. Any tips you could share for a novice photographer? :) Especially if you have something in mind for moving targets (people) and/or in low light conditions since I find these quite challenging.

                    D Offline
                    D Offline
                    dan sh
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #9

                    I am not really a seasoned photographer but there are few things I try to follow. Hope that helps you too. 1. Take pictures. A lot of them. It really helps. 2. Be brave. Try all the modes available with you camera. Canon Australia's website had/has around five beginner's tutorial kind of videos which provides very basic information about different modes. For moving targets, fast shutter speeds and continuous capture. For low lights, high ISO values (this also works for moving objects). Take multiple pictures of same thing with different settings to find the best one.

                    "The worst code you'll come across is code you wrote last year.", wizardzz[^]

                    P W 2 Replies Last reply
                    0
                    • D dan sh

                      I am not really a seasoned photographer but there are few things I try to follow. Hope that helps you too. 1. Take pictures. A lot of them. It really helps. 2. Be brave. Try all the modes available with you camera. Canon Australia's website had/has around five beginner's tutorial kind of videos which provides very basic information about different modes. For moving targets, fast shutter speeds and continuous capture. For low lights, high ISO values (this also works for moving objects). Take multiple pictures of same thing with different settings to find the best one.

                      "The worst code you'll come across is code you wrote last year.", wizardzz[^]

                      P Offline
                      P Offline
                      PaulowniaK
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #10

                      d@nish wrote:

                      high ISO values

                      Works to an extent, but don't over do it ;) Raising the ISO means making the film (sensors) more sensitive, which means they pick up on noise more.

                      Almost, but not quite, entirely unlike... me...

                      1 Reply Last reply
                      0
                      • W Wendelius

                        Hi, I'm trying to learn to take better photographs than just point-and-shoot style pictures. Any tips you could share for a novice photographer? :) Especially if you have something in mind for moving targets (people) and/or in low light conditions since I find these quite challenging.

                        B Offline
                        B Offline
                        BillWoodruff
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #11

                        Hi Mika, My first principle is whenever possible use a tripod, and a remote release shutter (I use a wireless one). For macro-lens, close-up, photography of small Asian "sacred art" objects, or detailed study of complex reflective patinas on metal, this is absolutely required (as is carefully controlled indirect lighting, light-tent, etc.). Of course there are contexts where that's not possible, like when you are in a crowd at some sporting event, etc. For low-light situations I always want to have the camera on a tripod, or firmly mounted in some way, and use a remote trigger release. A lot depends on what features your camera supports. If it supports use of "automatic exposure bracketing:" that takes a number of pictures in quick sequence, each time increasing,or decreasing, the exposure (bracketing), that's a good way to have a wider choice of shots to post-process. I'm still using what is now a rather old Canon D350, and still feel I haven't mastered half of the features it offers :) Use of flash can be altered by making your own cheap "diffusers" for the flash unit (assuming you have built-in flash) out of several commonly available materials, like a semi-transparent plastic milk container[^]. Happy snapping ! best, Bill

                        "Humans are amphibians ... half spirit and half animal ... as spirits they belong to the eternal world, but as animals they inhabit time. This means that while their spirit can be directed to an eternal object, their bodies, passions, and imaginations are in continual change, for to be in time, means to change. Their nearest approach to constancy, therefore, is undulation: the repeated return to a level from which they repeatedly fall back, a series of troughs and peaks.” C.S. Lewis

                        W 1 Reply Last reply
                        0
                        • G GuyThiebaut

                          I started photography back in the days of genuine 35mm SLR cameras. The one piece of advice I would give is to photograph in black and white. I say this becasue it will help you to understand composition as well as how both light and shadow affect an image. Also some pictures just come out better in black and white.

                          “That which can be asserted without evidence, can be dismissed without evidence.”

                          ― Christopher Hitchens

                          L Offline
                          L Offline
                          Lost User
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #12

                          GuyThiebaut wrote:

                          Also some pictures just come out better in black and white.

                          Penguins playing the piano?

                          MVVM# - See how I did MVVM my way ___________________________________________ Man, you're a god. - walterhevedeich 26/05/2011 .\\axxx (That's an 'M')

                          1 Reply Last reply
                          0
                          • W Wendelius

                            Hi, I'm trying to learn to take better photographs than just point-and-shoot style pictures. Any tips you could share for a novice photographer? :) Especially if you have something in mind for moving targets (people) and/or in low light conditions since I find these quite challenging.

                            Mike HankeyM Offline
                            Mike HankeyM Offline
                            Mike Hankey
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #13

                            As most people have said take a lot of pictures! Practice, practice, practice! I bought a decent camera (Nikon D5000) and it has a Manual mode so that you can adjust all the settings yourself but if you get in a situation where you're not sure it can be put in auto take a picture and see what settings the camera uses. Use it as a learning tool! Would also recommend a Photoshop, Gimp or Paintshop program to edit your photos. I use Lightroom 4 and Photoshop. Good luck and most of all enjoy!

                            VS2010/Atmel Studio 6.0 ToDo Manager Extension
                            Version 3.0 now available. There is no place like 127.0.0.1

                            W 1 Reply Last reply
                            0
                            • W Wendelius

                              Hi, I'm trying to learn to take better photographs than just point-and-shoot style pictures. Any tips you could share for a novice photographer? :) Especially if you have something in mind for moving targets (people) and/or in low light conditions since I find these quite challenging.

                              H Offline
                              H Offline
                              hairy_hats
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #14

                              Learn the thirds rule and use it!

                              W 1 Reply Last reply
                              0
                              • W Wendelius

                                Hi, I'm trying to learn to take better photographs than just point-and-shoot style pictures. Any tips you could share for a novice photographer? :) Especially if you have something in mind for moving targets (people) and/or in low light conditions since I find these quite challenging.

                                K Offline
                                K Offline
                                Keith Barrow
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #15

                                Most of what I would have suggested has been stated anyway. But: Learn the relationship between shutter speed and aparture (ie slower speed -> smaller apature and faster -> larger). And how you can use the ISO to control this a bit more. Closing the apature by one f-Stop requires half the shutter speed (see http://photo.net/casual-conversations-forum/00Kp9A[^]) and doubling the ISO halfs the required shutter speed. One of the things to get to grips with is depth-of-field: a small apature works like a pinhole camera, where it is all effectively in focus (good for Landscapes) a large apature reduces this drastically (good for portraits, especially against fussy backgrounds). 2) In low light high-iso helps but in general the higher the iso the coarser the grain, though this can add to the atmosphere. Most digital cameras do not deal with very low-light/long exposures well and tend to speckle/have noise. For film cameras a tripod/ Shutter release is much better for static scenes. I have some nices shots of Paris at night I couldn't take with my Digital camera. Natually moving targets need a higher shutter speed, or you'll get blur. The faster the movement, the higher the speed. People running should easly be frozen at 1/250th. My dad regularly photos racing cars, and he has to set the speed even higher, with the result that the depth of field os poor. What he does is focus on a point dead ahead before the car comes, and follows the car he wants to photo in the viewfinder until it gets to that point. This takes a bit of practise. Moving objects in low light are a headache, fast isos are pretty much the only way to go, unless you want blurring for an artistic effect.

                                Sort of a cross between Lawrence of Arabia and Dilbert.[^]
                                -Or-
                                A Dead ringer for Kate Winslett[^]

                                W 1 Reply Last reply
                                0
                                • W Wendelius

                                  Hi, I'm trying to learn to take better photographs than just point-and-shoot style pictures. Any tips you could share for a novice photographer? :) Especially if you have something in mind for moving targets (people) and/or in low light conditions since I find these quite challenging.

                                  E Offline
                                  E Offline
                                  ErnestoNet
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #16

                                  Lots of good tips, with good photo samples: http://www.photographymad.com/[^]

                                  it´s the journey, not the destination that matters

                                  W 1 Reply Last reply
                                  0
                                  • W Wendelius

                                    Hi, I'm trying to learn to take better photographs than just point-and-shoot style pictures. Any tips you could share for a novice photographer? :) Especially if you have something in mind for moving targets (people) and/or in low light conditions since I find these quite challenging.

                                    J Offline
                                    J Offline
                                    jschell
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #17

                                    Mika Wendelius wrote:

                                    share for a novice photographer?

                                    ...Take a class? Or ten?

                                    W 1 Reply Last reply
                                    0
                                    • B bryce

                                      i'd start by asking camera types - not nerdy programmer types. :) Bryce

                                      MCAD --- To paraphrase Fred Dagg - the views expressed in this post are bloody good ones. --
                                      Our kids books :The Snot Goblin, and Book 2 - the Snotgoblin and Fluff The Snotgoblin for the Ipad

                                      W Offline
                                      W Offline
                                      Wendelius
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #18

                                      Maybe correct but where else would I get tips concerning the digital processor functionality etc :)

                                      The need to optimize rises from a bad design.My articles[^]

                                      1 Reply Last reply
                                      0
                                      • M Michael Bergman

                                        Composition for taking pictures isn't much different than composition for painting and drawing. Don't center your subject. Look for parallel or slightly converging lines and capture those as they will tie the picture together. Movement of the viewer's eyes should go diagonal for upper left to lower right or lower left to upper right. Get a good book on pictorial composition. Good luck.

                                        m.bergman

                                        For Bruce Schneier, quanta only have one state : afraid.

                                        To succeed in the world it is not enough to be stupid, you must also be well-mannered. -- Voltaire

                                        In most cases the only difference between disappointment and depression is your level of commitment. -- Marc Maron

                                        I am not a chatbot

                                        W Offline
                                        W Offline
                                        Wendelius
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #19

                                        Good advice, thanks!

                                        The need to optimize rises from a bad design.My articles[^]

                                        1 Reply Last reply
                                        0
                                        • G GuyThiebaut

                                          I started photography back in the days of genuine 35mm SLR cameras. The one piece of advice I would give is to photograph in black and white. I say this becasue it will help you to understand composition as well as how both light and shadow affect an image. Also some pictures just come out better in black and white.

                                          “That which can be asserted without evidence, can be dismissed without evidence.”

                                          ― Christopher Hitchens

                                          W Offline
                                          W Offline
                                          Wendelius
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #20

                                          I actually just 'upgraded' my old SLR to DSLR. That's a good tip, thanks :)

                                          The need to optimize rises from a bad design.My articles[^]

                                          G 1 Reply Last reply
                                          0
                                          Reply
                                          • Reply as topic
                                          Log in to reply
                                          • Oldest to Newest
                                          • Newest to Oldest
                                          • Most Votes


                                          • Login

                                          • Don't have an account? Register

                                          • Login or register to search.
                                          • First post
                                            Last post
                                          0
                                          • Categories
                                          • Recent
                                          • Tags
                                          • Popular
                                          • World
                                          • Users
                                          • Groups