Practical Photography - UK (2020-01)

PracticalPhotograPhy.com 45

Modernlifeis hectic,but yourhobbyshouldn’tbe partof

th e pressure.Thegreatadvantageof beingan enthusiast

photographeris thatyourtimeis yourown– there’sno

cl ientclamouringforim ages.Whenyou’reouttaking

photographs,beconsciousof thebeauty

ofnaturethatsurroundsyouand

ta kethetimeto appreciateit.

Landscapephotography,in

particular,will takeyouto

some wonderfulvistas,and

whilephotographywill be

yo urmainaim,alwaysmake

ti me to take in the view.

This mindful approach will

also pay dividends in your

work. Rushing a shot is rarely

a route to perfection; settings

get confused, compositions are out

of kilter and focus can be off. In the days

of large-format photography, the likes ofAnselAdams

wouldspendseveralminutessettingup theircameras,

andif youslowdownandtakethetimeto lookat a scene,

it ’s verylikelyyouwill seea shotyoumayhavemissed.

sl owdown

to be mindful

8

tip

shooton a

film camera

Digitalis great,butit’svery

‘i nstant’. To really appreciate

the slower pace of

photography, try

shooting film.

Above A narrow aperture has rendered a large depth-of-

field, which is not ideal as the background is very busy.

shot at f/22

portraiture

To isolate the subject from the background and draw attention

to the model’s face, portrait photographers use a wide

aperture to give a narrow depth-of-field. Focus is critical, so

single point AF is used and centred on the subject’s eyes.

Wildlife & action

These genres rely on split-second timing to get the shot, so

it’s a case of setting up the camera for rapid shooting. Spot

metering ensures a good exposure, while depth-of-field is

sacrificed for shutter speed. Continuous shooting modes

ensure there are no missed shots when the action starts.

10 Ways To Improve

Matheus Bertelli

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