November 22nd, 2007 by
Os Digital School Photography lists out some of the ways to hold your camera properly. Holding your camera properly is not just for looking "professional", it all adds up to the stability of your camera. Stability means your photos will turn out sharper!
Here’s what Darren at DPS recommends:
- Use your right hand to grip the right hand end of the camera.
- The positioning of your left hand
- If you’re shooting using the view finder
- Add extra stability by leaning against a solid object
My little addition to these tips is:
Drink less caffeine - Caffeine causes your hands to tremble when taken in high amounts (4-5 cups a day) so try to keep it low.
Head over to the full article at DPS!
Food photography is one of my favorites type of photography. You can see some of my (bad?) attempts on my talented wife’s blog, lilkoala.com. She’s a great aspiring chef!
To be honest, food photography is ALOT more difficult than I initially expected it to be. Have a look at this great video for some ideas on how the professionals do it:
Did you see all the lighting, reflectors and other equipment that was necessary to produce the top-notch results? Lighting, food styling and effects (smoke, seared marks, etc.) are all important to get great food photographs.
Is it a little “deceiving” to use artificial effects to make food look more appealing and attractive in photographs? I guess if you look at it from a portrait photography angle, you often apply make-up to your subjects too. What do you think?
The Hidden Pond by Stuck in Customs
iDigitalPhoto has a great compilation of tips to improve your photos. Here are some of the tips that I find extremely enlightening:
Lighting
Light from the side brings out shapes, textures and structures. That’s why early morning and evening are rich times to photograph.
Color
Our eyes naturally adjust to colored or tinted light sources to make them appear white and so will your digital camera but only within certain limits. (Ahh, so that’s why!)
Flash
Balance the flash with day light for stunning results. Your camera may offer a ‘slow flash’ or ‘synchro flash’ or ‘daylight synchro’ setting.
Direct flash on groups of people produces better-looking images than direct flash on a single person.
Read more >>
Its been quite awhile since we talked about Shutter Speed and Aperture in photography. I came across a great video that demonstrates the relationship between aperture and shutter speed. It reminded me of the importance of the relationship and how it works to make a good exposure.
Have a look at the video and let us know what you think in the comments!
Digital Photography School has a great article on asking yourself some questions before taking a photograph. I’ll be the first to admit that I generally have the habit of being shutter-happy. I guess it’s a bad habit from my point-and-shoot digital camera days.
I’ve been putting in more effort before taking photos lately and this article really helps me in understanding what I should think about before taking a shot.
Here are some of my favorites out of the 10: 
1. What story am I telling?
This is an important question and one that should help you to make any number of decisions in terms of composition, framing, exposure etc. In essence what you’re asking is ‘why am I taking this shot? What is it’s purpose and what am I trying to convey?’ Is it purely a way to keep a record of a moment, are you trying to capture the emotion of a moment, is it possibly a shot to give to someone, is it part of a larger series of shots or will it be the only shot to commemorate the moment etc.
This is the hardest item for me. I’m not much of a storyteller. In fact, I do not have a story to go along with most of my photos. I just want to share what I see with anyone who views my photos. I need to put more effort to add a story to my photographs.
Read more >>
September 26th, 2007 by
Os Strobist is probably one of the best sources online for lighting techniques! Best of all, they look after your wallets by recommending more affordable ways to achieve professional lighting. This has to be one of my favorites sites that I go to visit daily.
Over 700 articles suitable for beginners like me, to professionals. If you’re serious about studio or flash photography, you have go read their articles. You’ll thank me soon enough 
