Taking great photographs of children can be a stressful experience, especially if you’re conscious of the onset of boredom as you fiddle with your digital camera settings. .Memorable images never occur by accident, but happen as a result of thought, planning and the ability to anticipate a potential photo opportunity. Great portraits are more than just the sum of clever photographic techniques -they create a lasting impression of a particular day, event or rite of passage.

Read the rest of this entry

Towns often come alive at night, as the lights go on inside buildings, their exteriors are floodlit, and street lights get  switched on. If you’re going to a public display, arrive as early as possible, so you can check out the location and find the best  vantage point. If you’re not sure where to stand, ask where the fireworks are expected to explode, so you can position  yourself to get a clear view.

While it’s tempting to go really close to the display, you’ll get a much better perspective by staying well back. You’re  also less likely to have people getting in front of the camera or knocking into your tripod. It’s a waste of time and effort  trying to hand-hold for aerial displays, so remember to take a tripod, because it takes a few seconds for each volley of  fireworks to fill the sky.

Read the rest of this entry

One of the fundamental rules of digital photography is that you should stabilize your digital camera and select suitably fast shutter speeds to avoid blur. While there’s no question that sharpness is normally preferable, there are several instances where using blur intentionally can produce shots with more punch.

With action subjects, for example, a degree of blur often conveys a stronger sensation of movement and energy than a pin-sharp capture. Motion blur can also be used to produce semi-abstract or abstract imagery with a painterly quality or to give documentary and candid shots a more spontaneous, edgy feel.

Read the rest of this entry

Optical digital camera filters are a great way of not only adding drama to your landscapes but also enhancing the scene at the point of pressing the button. But as post-processing technique, such as HDR and split toning are becoming more and more popular, the need for filters in everyday use is slowly dying out. Gone are the days when a landscape photographer would have his bag rammed full of fancy filters ready to use one at any given moment.

These days, there are only really 3 types of essential filters for scenic photography – Neutral Density graduated filters (clear at the bottom, darker at the top) to help balance out exposure changes in a scene, solid NDs (dark all the way through) for enabling slower exposure times and polarisers, for cutting through reflections.

Read the rest of this entry

In order to capture the color in the sky with your digital camera, make sure you shoot at dusk, around 30 minutes after  sunset whereupon the sky will be a magical blue color. This window of opportunity will be longer during summer months and is  often referred to as the “golden hour”. In the city it is easier to get the timing right, because you will see building and  street lights become subtly brighter. The contrast between the sky and the buildings will also become more subdued.

Read the rest of this entry