COLLECT YOUR EXCLUSIVE DIGITAL CAMERA TIP CARDS EVERY MONTH
HOW TO SHOOT...
LANDSCAPESTHE BLUE HOUR
APERTURE ISO SHUTTER SPEEDDANCING LIGHT LONG EXPOSURE
Make sure your dancer is wearing
brighter clothing than the
background to stand outHOW TO SHOOT...
ACTIONTHE SHORT STRAW
Try reducing the Saturation
setting in post-processing,
but boost VibrancyKIT CHECKLIST...
Dark backdrop, lights, tripod
FOR YOUR FIRST SHOT, TRY...TIPS FOR GETTING A GREAT SHOT...
Ask your dancer to speed up or slow
down their movements to get the
desired effect to work more easily.
Use a tripod to eliminate any movement
within the camera itself. This will also
keep the floor area sharp.f/16 100 ISO 1/2 secKIT CHECKLIST...
Box of straws, macro lens
FOR YOUR FIRST SHOT, TRY...TIPS FOR GETTING A GREAT SHOT...
Play around with composition. A
combination of flat, face-on and slightly
off-angle shots will all work well.
Don’t rearrange the straws. Go with the
flow of randomness that naturally occurs
by the placement within the box.f/2.8 200 ISO 1/320secFine art is about an idea, a message, or an
emotion – the artist has something to say.(^) Don’t be too abstract
To convey your message or feeling,
the viewer still needs to understand
what they are looking at.
(^) Getting busy
Once you have your idea, try to keep
the shot simple. A busy image may
only distract the viewer’s eye.
(^) Use contrast
As with most black-and-white images,
contrast is key. Use dark and light tones
to present the strongest image you can.
HOW TO SHOOT...
BLACK AND WHITE
FINE ART
The first gallery exhibition of
photography as an art form in the
US was The Buffalo Show in 1910
HOW TO SHOOT...
CREATIVE
KIWI COLOUR
HOW TO SHOOT...
PORTRAITS
IN THE STUDIO
Check the shutter speed at which
your camera syncs to a flash head.
Most sync at around 1/160 sec
KIT CHECKLIST...
85mm prime lens, lighting, plain backdrop
FOR YOUR FIRST SHOT, TRY...
TIPS FOR GETTING A GREAT SHOT...
Move your subject forward from the
background. This will leave them in the
light while darkening the backdrop.
Placing your lights off at a 45-degree
angle will create a contour around
the face and heighten the 3D effect.
f/4 100 ISO 1/160 sec
HOW TO SHOOT...
MACRO
HOW TO SHOOT...
LANDSCAPES
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HOW TO SHOOT...
ARCHITECTURE
SILHOUETTES
Make sure you use the right
metering mode. Choose Spot,
then aim it at the background
KIT CHECKLIST...
Almost any lens, and a backlight
FOR YOUR FIRST SHOT, TRY...
TIPS FOR GETTING A GREAT SHOT...
Expose for the brightest part of the
image: this will make everything
else in the shot dark.
If your camera is in Auto exposure
mode, it may try to use its built-in
flash, which will ruin the silhouette.
f/1.4 200 ISO 1/320 sec
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HOW TO SHOOT...
ACTION
DECISIVE MOMENTS
“There is nothing in this world
that does not have a decisive
moment.” Henri Cartier-Bresson
The moment you choose to release your
shutter can make or break a photo.
Never miss a shot
Thanks to modern camera technology,
capturing the perfect moment using
burst mode has never been easier.
Fast shutter speeds
Using a higher shutter speed will freeze
the action with a crisp, clear clarity –
even for fast-moving objects.
Generous framing
When you capture waves crashing,
be sure to give yourself plenty of
space around the main subject
so that the waves stay in shot.
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The great thing about the blue
hour is that it occurs regardless
of cloud cover and weather
KIT CHECKLIST...
Tripod, remote release
FOR YOUR FIRST SHOT, TRY...
TIPS FOR GETTING A GREAT SHOT...
This long exposure shot was taken at the
end of the blue hour and just before the
sun reached the horizon, which resulted
in the purple tones in the sky and scene.
With light levels so low, it was possible
to achieve a 30-second exposure to
smooth out movement in the water.
f/11 100 ISO sec^30
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Natural longer exposures can
produce the look of a ND filter
shot without the need for the filter
Being creative doesn’t have to be complicated:
just grab some items and photograph them.
(^) Creative colours
Although all colours can be used creatively,
for quick and great results grab anything
with vibrant and complementary colours.
(^) Backdrops
You can spend a fortune on backdrops –
alternatively, just pick up some cheap
sheets of card from a local craft shop.
(^) Lighting
You will find that a large window is often
enough to light the scene; if not, you
can always use a side lamp.
Try to buy matte cardboard rather
than glossy, to keep the shine and
glare down to a minimum
KIT CHECKLIST...
Tripod, remote release, ND filter
FOR YOUR FIRST SHOT, TRY...
TIPS FOR GETTING A GREAT SHOT...
A six-stop ND filter was used to increase
exposure time to 2.5 minutes, to capture
the horizontal movement of clouds and
smooth out the choppy water.
Consider composition: lead-in lines are a
powerful compositional device and help
to lead the viewer’s eye into an image.
f/13 100 ISO min2.5
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