Tonal contrast actions in Photoshop give control over the contrast in the highlights, mid tones ans also in the shadow areeas of images, each can be controlled seperately for adjustment.
Author: Geoff
Photographing Landscapes
There is nothing better than getting out away from it all and immersing oneself in a beautiful landscape. The secret to capturing beautiful landscapes is to be there at the best time of the day and that is usually early morning or late afternoon.
Nikon, Nikkor 200mm f/4D IF ED AF Micro Lens Review
The auto focus version of this lens is quite a lot bigger than its older brother manual version. It is heavier and physically bigger, however the biggest benefit is the superb optical quality of this lens. In the area of image quality it leaves little to be desired. The auto focus action of this lens is quite slow, as are most of the Micro lenses, but auto focus would rarely be used when this lens is used for close up images where it excells.
Using a Tripod
A tripod will make a significant improvement to the sharpness of many images. Generally a tripod will comprise two main parts, the main part comprising the three legs and the upper part comprising the head to allow movement of the camera. A tripod is very usefull in obtaining sharp landscape images and also very usefull… Continue reading Using a Tripod
Using a Monopod
Many images will be improved if a monopod is used to stabilise the camera and lens. A monopod will not stabilise a camera to the same extent as a tripod, however it will aid significantly in obtaining sharper images. The monopod illustrated below can be used by itself or it can be used in conjunction… Continue reading Using a Monopod
Camera Vibrations and Image Sharpness
Modern Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) cameras have mechanical components for both the shutter and the mirror mechanism. These mechanical components can have a significent effect on the sharpness of any image due to the vibrations within the camera causing the camera to move. The mirror slap vibrations in particular will cause a degradation in… Continue reading Camera Vibrations and Image Sharpness
Multiple or Double Exposures
With todays digital photography technology, multiple exposures can be relatively easy to produce under controlled conditions. Here Photoshop can come to the rescue. Multiple exposures ar relatively easy to produce by using layers, selecting the areas around the image that you want to eliminate and then combining the layers. Some selections may need to be… Continue reading Multiple or Double Exposures
Photography by Moonlight
Todays cameras with their high ISO capability give us a great opportunity to capture images at night time under Moon light. As your eyes can adjust to moonlight to enable you to see, your camera can also do a very good job of exposing an image provided that you understand a few basic techniques and… Continue reading Photography by Moonlight
Large Aperture Lens
Large lens apertures will be required in dull light. The image below was taken inside a building in very dull lighting conditions, in these situations large lens apertures of f/1.4 to f/2.0 will be required. The larger the lens aperture the more light is received at the film or image sensor. Also large apertures may… Continue reading Large Aperture Lens
Slow Shutter Speed
Slow shutter speeds can be used when you wish to gain a sense if movement or blurring of the image. In the image of the train above, the shutter speed was several seconds long, allowing the lights of the train to move across the image. It is very advisable when using slow shutter speeds to… Continue reading Slow Shutter Speed
Lightning Images
Lightning images are generally very stunning. They are very similar to fireworks to capture. However to capture those instant moments with a camera can be quite is a challenge as lightning is very unpredictable and difficult to judge where it will strike. It is best to attempt to capture lightning images at night time.
Raw Image Files and Processing
In general most Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) cameras offer several options to record the image files. In general these formats are TIFF, JPG or RAW files.
Isolating the Subject
Isolating the subject can assist in moving the viewers attention from the background to the main subject. IIn the case of the image below an aperture setting of f/4.0 and a shutter speed of 1/250 of a second was used. This low aperture with a 105mm telephoto lens helps to throw the background out of focus.
Moving Images
A slow shutter speeds can be used when you wish to gain a sense if movement or blurring of the image. In the image of the amusement park below, the shutter speed was several seconds long, allowing the lights of the wheel to move around the image.
Saturation
Increasing the saturation of an image is a great way to give it a lift. With film we used to use polarising filters to reduce reflections and to improve the saturation of our images.
Solarization
In the days of film photography solarization resulted from extreme overexposure. A pseudo-solarization can be created in the darkroom by taking the picture normally and then during the development phase exposing the image for a few moments to white light.
Street Photography
Walking the streets will present many opportunities for photography. In general a 35mm size camera is ideal for street photography and a zoom lens of around 17-70mm will prove to be of great value.
Look for simple uncluttered object to photograph with a clear background to make the main subject stand out.
Create a Photo Essay
A photo essay is in effect a short series of photographs which tell a story or document a series of actions. A photo essay is illustrated by a series of images which you may see in a magazine to tell a story. In general it will show a series if actions to illustrate the story.
Insect Photography
Insects can be quite difficult to photograph due to their size and some special camera equipment may be required to enable close focussing.
Humor in Photography
There is always room for some humor combined with your photography. This photographic series of a horse at the Silverton hotel near Broken Hill, Australia is a good example of what can be acheived with some foresight combined with a little bit of luck.