How To Capture Mood In Your Photos With The Help Of Amazing Skies
What Is Mood?
Mood essentially relates to the lighting in a shot. Giving something mood usually means we are trying to make it dark and brooding – making it moody. But mood can relate to any lighting situation, to give your photo any mood/feeling.
For landscape photography, mood usually relates to the weather. A cloudy, unsettled day will create mood in a way most of us expect it to be - dark and brooding. Although the opposite, where streaks of the sun break through the cloud to shine light on parts of the green landscape is equally as good, it's just the mood/feeling is different.
Gear Choices
To take good moody landscapes, you're going to need a tripod as dark days may be good for the style of shot you're trying to create but the lack of light can lead to slower shutter speeds and working without a tripod can result in shake.
Be Patient
This type of photography requires patience. To get the best shots, you need to wait until there is a break in the weather to get some really interesting lighting effects from the turbulent sky. Of course, mood doesn't have to be cloudy, but with landscapes, it's more of a challenge to portray mood on bright, sunny, cloudless days.
When the right light does arrive, work quickly as it can be gone again before you know it. The key to this is always to be ready, having your gear out and framing in-mind before the right light does show its face.
Check the weather forecast the night before as there's no point heading out if you find the weather isn't going to be right. You also need to have the right type of location as you'll find some subjects will work better in dark, moody shots than others.
Convert Your Shots
Black and white is another way to create mood in your photography. Taking photos of a gnarly tree, for example, in black and white will look so much more foreboding than a shot in colour. You can shoot black and white in-camera although, if you shoot in colour, you can convert your shots to black and white in your chosen editing software, giving you more control over the tones, highlights and shadows in the shot.
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5 Essential Photography Subjects For A Photo Walk In The Woods
Today, we thought we'd take a look at some photography tutorials members can have a go at while enjoying the outdoors, plus with these particular tutorials, you probably won't have to venture far from home with your camera to capture some top shots.
As we're taking a walk in the woods, trees are an obvious subject but don't forget to look for small details such as leaves and then later in the year, fungi and berries can make interesting photos. If you're not too noisy, you might spot wildlife with a wide variety of birds making woodland areas their homes along with squirrels and, of course, you might see a friendly dog out for a walk with its owner, too.
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1. Photographing Trees
It's an obvious one we know but as you'll be surrounded by them, it makes sense to pick up some tips on how you can photograph trees a little differently.
Here are three of ePHOTOzine's top tutorials on this subject:
2. Drag Landscapes
Why not give your woodland shots an abstract twist and shoot a drag landscape? This can be done in-camera or if you prefer, shoot your 'normal' image and then apply the drag effect in Photoshop.
3. Capture Sunbeams Through Trees
Capturing sunbeams bursting through a treeline will add an extra level of interest and an almost magical/fairytale feel to your woodland shots. However, for the shot to work, you need a few elements to come together at the right time and you can find out what these are in this tutorial: How To Shoot Sunbeams Through Trees
4. Have A Go At Macro Photography
From fungi to insects or close-up shots of bark, wooded areas are full of macro photography opportunities. Have a look at these macro photography tutorials for inspiration:
- Dew Drops On Spider Webs
- How To Photograph Lichen
- Photographing Fungi
- Photographing Bees And Other Insects
5. Photograph Wildlife
If you're patient and don't mind sitting still for a while a spot of bird or even squirrel photography could be something you want to try. Just don't forget your long lens and wrap up warm if heading out early as mornings can still have a bite to them at this time of year. For more tips, have a read of these tutorials:
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Retouch4me Heal Review
The Retouch4me Heal plug-in works as promised. It is quick and effective, so it has the potential to save time, which is an invaluable benefit. Furthermore, it goes about its business in a restrained manner, producing superior results compared with the original but without giving an over-processed plastic look.
+ Pros- Easy to use
- Fast
- Produces smooth flesh tones
- Works as a standalone app
- Works as a plug-in through Photoshop, Lightroom and Capture One
- Batch processing through Photoshop actions
- Mac and Windows compatible
- Free updates
- Keys for three devices
- Optional cloud editing at extra cost
- The maximum flesh-enhancing effect might not be enough for some
- Each Retouch4me plug-in has a very specific purpose, so if you want greater functionality, cost is a potential issue
Retouch4me is a recent arrival on the image editing market, offering a range of plug-ins powered by AI. The plug-ins are targeted at people photographers who want improved results quickly but without the over-sculpted, plastic look that some portrait dedicated software can produce. For this review, we tried the Heal app.
To check out what’s on offer and to download free demo versions, go to http://retouch4.me.
Retouch4me Features
Seventeen plug-ins are on offer with improving people photographs the main aim. Three are free and the remaining 14 cost from $124: Dust, Heal, Eye Vessels, Eye Brilliance, Portrait Volumes, Skin Tone, White Teeth, Fabric, Skin Mask, Mattifier and Color Match cost $124 each. Clean Backdrop and Dodge & Burn cost $149 each. The three free apps are the Photoshop panel, Frequency Separation and Color Match.
All are available for Windows and macOS as free demo versions. Once purchased, you get three keys for different devices and free updates.
Each app has a specific role in improving people photographs and is summed up on the Retouch4me website, but their names are quite explanatory. White Teeth detects teeth and makes them whiter and brighter, and Mattifier finds glossy, oily areas of skin and restores them to give a more natural colour. Dodge & Burn needs more explanation and does not give contrast control as you might expect, but evens out bumpy skin, veiny hands and feet.
All of these are people picture-adjusting skills, but there are apps for inanimate objects as well. Fabric irons out creases and wrinkles in clothes, and Clean Backdrop removes dirt even more than a studio background.
The key thing with each plug-in is that they perform automatically, and while you can fine-tune results, you may not need to.
Each plug-in can be used on a device, or there is the option of Cloud Retouch.
With Cloud Retouch, you get a full suite of 10 apps with free updates and buy the package that best suits your needs. The Basic package costs $20 a month with 200 credits, and the Pro package is 500 credits for $35 a month. The top of the line is the Business package, which is $90 a month with 1500 credits.
Once you have created an account, this is the page for buying and downloading the Retouch4me apps.
Retouch4me Heal Key Features
For this review, I picked the Retouch4me Heal app, a blemish retouching software. This plug-in automatically detects problem skin areas and resolves them to give results with a natural skin appearance, which is a key selling point of the Heal app. Some portrait editing apps can give an unreal look, but Heal is written to give professional results with a single click.
The app installation is straightforward, and it can be used as a standalone program, a Photoshop plug-in under its filter menu, or an external Raw processor in Adobe Lightroom and Capture One.
For Photoshop, Retouch4me offers a free downloadable panel that shows all apps so they can be quickly brought into play. Batch processing is available using Photoshop’s Action feature. The Retouch4me website offers plenty of support, including how to record a Photoshop Action to enable batch work.
The Retouch4me apps have a similar look and functionality.
Retouch4me Heal Ease Of Use & Performance
I used Heal as a standalone program, through Photoshop via the free panel and the filters drop-down menu, and in Lightroom as an external editor. Of course, the final result is the same in each case, but the respective journeys are slightly different.
With Photoshop open and the image to be worked in view on show, the Retouch4me panel is on view. Use this, and all you have to do is hit the play next to the app’s name or use the Retouch button. A few seconds later, the image is retouched with the changes sitting above the background image on a separate layer. Check out the original and worked-on image by clicking on the layer’s eye icon next to this layer. Taking this route means there’s no option to adjust the mask or the filter’s output level.
With the brush tool active or when you adjust the Heal’s sensitivity slider, the red mask appears. Here, the white areas indicate the areas that will be retouched at level 50.
Push the Heal slider to 100, and you'll see that the active white areas have grown, as you’d expect.
For more control in Photoshop, take the Filter drop-down menu option, but before you call up the filter, duplicate the Background layer. Now, the plug-in’s interface opens with the active image on show and by clicking and dragging the interface’s bottom right corner for a bigger view.
Use the app directly, and images can be opened via the app’s interface, or you can click and drop the image into the interface.
The Sensitivity slider, which ranges from 0 to 100, lets you decide at which point the plug-in starts to work. The higher the value, the greater its effect. When you use the slider, the image turns red with white areas indicating where the app identified problem areas. You can magnify the image by up to 300% to check the app’s effect in close detail.
Hit the Brush at the top left, and a red mask appears with white areas showing where the app has identified areas that need help. If you move the slider either way, you can see the degree of the plug-in’s effect in real time.
In Auto human scale detection mode, the app works out whether the picture is a full-length shot, half-length portrait or a close-up head and shoulders picture. If you’re not happy with the auto setting, try the other settings and the app refreshes the active image almost instantly.
The top left of the interface has tools that let you adjust the mask, which again turns transparent red with white active areas. If the plug-in has worked on an area you prefer to be left untouched, just use the Eraser to fine-tune the mask. The size of the Eraser can be adjusted with the square bracket keys.
Once you are happy with the look you’ve achieved, hit Apply, and the actual retouching process takes a second or so with the repaired areas showing on the background copy later. If you prefer, clicking on the Make Mask option top right of the interface means the corrections are applied on the background copy layer and overwrite the image. Turn off the background in the layers palette and you can see the retouched areas.
Keeping the document with the background copy layer obviously means a significantly larger file size. The test image here was taken on the Canon EOS R5 and the full-size 8-bit TIF was 134MB, and the retouched file with layer was 214MB.
In Lightroom, you need to set up Heal as an external editor by going to Preferences>External Editing. With that done, with the appropriate image selected, go to Photo>Edit In Retouch4me. Lightroom prepares the image for editing and opens it in the app interface. From there, the procedure is as detailed above.
Taking a closer look at what Retouch4me Heal can do
Full-frame image
Original Image shown at 100%
Treated with Retouch4me Heal at level 50.
Treated with Retouch4me Heal at 100.
The Retouch4me Heal did a decent job on my sample image. Model Caitlyn has a very good complexion, but no-one has perfect skin when enlarged to 100% on a high res monitor. You can see that Retouch4me Heal at 100 produced a very good result with a level of 50 not making too much of a difference in this example. The key thing is that the app has cleaned up the complexion while keeping the skin looking natural.
That said, while the result looked great at 100 having the potential of a stronger look might be handy in some situations.
Value For Money
The Retouch4me Heal app costs $124, so it is a significant investment for an app with a very specific role in retouching workflow. If your need is for a more detailed people photography workflow then you’ll need to think of adding a few more Retouch4me apps to your armoury. This is where costs will escalate quickly, so think carefully about which ones to buy and try the demo versions first.
Retouch4me Heal Verdict
Retouch4me Heal showed itself to be a good performer producing smoother-looking, cleaner flesh tones without an artificial look. It does so quickly and saves the chore of manually resolving skin issues. Working each image is quick and if you’ve a great many pictures to edit, there is the option of creating an action in Photoshop for batch processing.
If people photography is your main interest and you spend a lot of time retouching pictures, the Retouch4me portfolio of editing apps is worth a close look, as the Heal app shows.
Retouch4me Heal Pros- Easy to use
- Fast
- Produces smooth flesh tones
- Works as a standalone app
- Works as a plug-in through Photoshop, Lightroom and Capture One
- Batch processing through Photoshop actions
- Mac and Windows compatible
- Free updates
- Keys for three devices
- Optional cloud editing at extra cost
- The maximum flesh-enhancing effect might not be enough for some
- Each Retouch4me plug-in has a very specific purpose, so if you want greater functionality, cost is a potential issue
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ePhotozine readers save 20% off Retouch4me Heal
You’ve read the review; now try the power of Retouch4me Heal for yourself. Go to https://retouch4.me and download the demo version. If you love it (as we know you will) you can save 20% off the usual $124 price by clicking the button below.
6 Top Tips On How To Photograph Boats
Due to the size of the UK, we're usually not a million miles from the coast where you'll find fishing boats and tourist boats galore to photograph. Further inland, there are rivers with boats, canal and inland waterways or even water-sports centre where you can capture action-packed images as well as shots of pedalos and canoes.
1. What Kit Should I Choose?
For most boat photography a standard zoom of the 35-80mm range is fine. It's usually wide enough to get the whole boat in shot and long enough to crop in on sails, hull, lifebuoy on the side or other finer detail. You may prefer a longer lens 80-200mm if the boat is further away or to shoot small detail like mini flags, portraits of crew etc. and a lens with a close focus ability is good for detail in ropes, paintwork etc. when the boat is moored.
A polarising filter is a must to ensure reflections are reduced on the paintwork and to deepen a blue sky and cut down on reflections in the water. A graduated filter is useful if the boats are set against a bright sky, although watch for darkening of the mast and upper sails on yachts and such like.
If you plan on shooting panoramic photos of harbours and marinas, pack your tripod.
2. Head To A Harbour
Harbours conjure up picturesque scenes with colourful boats offset against beautiful blue skies, reflected in the waters below. To get this sort of picture you need a sunny day with still waters. Use a polarising filter to make the colours more saturated and choose viewpoints without too much clutter. A single boat in the foreground makes a more impressive shot than one where several boats are fighting for your attention.
3. Wait For The Tide
As the tide goes out you can photograph moored boats grounded in mud, or on the beach. Use the mooring ropes as a lead-in up through the photo. A small aperture is needed to ensure everything from the front of the rope to the distant boat is sharp. Shots will be more dramatic if you shoot from a low angle and include a brooding sky. Use a graduated grey or ND filter to darken the sky.
4. Walk Along A River Bank
If you aren't near a coastal location you may have a river running nearby that has boats on it. You may get sailing boats, small cargo boats, river authority working boats or even barges. There will usually be speed limits of around 5mph which means that you don't need to worry about panning skills or the need for ultra-fast shutter speeds to shoot boats on rivers. For more impact shoot from a low angle (at the side of the river on a low bank point is best). Try to include interesting landmarks in the background, trees or the odd building at the edge of the frame to hold the viewer inside that frame and focused on the boat.
If there's a bridge find a position where you can use that as a frame as the boat passes under, but watch the exposure. The light under the bridge will be lower than the outside so it's easy to underexpose if your meter picks up the brighter area as the important part. Switch to spot metering where possible and take a meter reading from the sidewall of the bridge and use that as the starting point.
5. Make A Canal Your Focus
Canals run through many countries too. With these, you not only have boats to photograph but also the activities surrounding them. Barges are usually hand-painted and are very colourful. They often have matching watering cans or flower pots that are crying out to be photographed. Shoot with a telephoto and wide aperture to blur the background. Focus on small areas of paintwork for patterns and interesting window displays. Find a spot where there's a lock and then you can photograph the activity as the barge is taken to the next water level.
6. Interested In Watersports?
For those who prefer a little more action consider a day out at a water-sports centre. These locations are usually on man-made lakes around the country and offer sports enthusiasts opportunities to sail, water-ski or jet-ski. It's at these locations where you can shoot the speed. For the best results, it helps if you pan with the craft.
Experiment with the shutter speed to get the right amount of motion. Follow the boats and shoot as it reaches a central point of your pan. This will blur the background but if you are keeping at the same speed as the boat as you pan it will be sharp. Try to avoid moving the camera up or down as you pan.
Some have rapids for canoeing. here a fast shutter speed can be used to get the water droplets frozen as they splash around the canoe. Take shots as the canoeist comes up from a 360 roll water will be dripping off his face and he's likely to have a great air gasping expression.
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10 Top Photographic Stone Circles For You To Visit With Your Camera
Stone circles are scattered around the country, often in remote locations occasionally surrounded by village developments. There are more than 1000 of these monuments catalogued in the British Isles and Western Europe. It's thought that the circles were constructed for ceremonial use and today they provide subjects for photographers to explore their creative side.
Here are ten Stone Circles you should visit and photograph in the UK: Castlerigg, Cumbria
The circle is one of the oldest in Britain and comprises of 40 stones (as stated by the National Trust) in a 30-meter diameter with the tallest stone being 2.3 meters high. With a backdrop of Skiddaw, Blencathra and Helvellyn peaks this is a very impressive location for a very impressive circle. It's best either photographed on a sunny day for clarity of the distant mountains as a backdrop or when there's mist around for an atmospheric alternative.
Avebury, Wiltshire
This Neolithic monument is situated in several fields with an inner and outer circle. It's hard to get a shot of the entire circle so pick sections and focus on one of the stones as the main subject with several others tailing off. Choose a day with a bright blue sky and use a polariser to darken the sky to provide incredible contrast and definition. The site is owned by the National Trust but it's currently free to visit.
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Nine Stones, DevonThe Nine Maidens, also known as the Seventeen Brothers comprises sixteen stones ranging in height from 0.5 to 0.8m. You have to work hard to get an atmospheric shot of these stones as they are smaller than some, but it's possible, and with a wider angle lens you can frame the whole circle. Shoot from a higher point to get some perspective.
Callanish, Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides
Next to a road and loch, but from the right position both can be excluded to get a very dramatic set of shots. Shoot from a low viewpoint to exclude near rooftops. The circle is approximately 13m in diameter and comprises 13 tall and slim stones that are more jagged than most circles and provide opportunities for haunting imagery.
A circle of approximately 11 meters diameter made from eight quartz stones placed in a grassy field. The highest stone is about 2.6m tall. The surrounding landscape isn't that interesting for this circle, so shoot from the ground up using a wide-angle for most dramatic results.
As this circle is situated on Burley Moor, Ilkley, you need to do some walking to get to it so travel light and also do some research with a map first to pinpoint its location as it could easily be missed. It's a ruin with just 12 stones remaining and is in a 16m diameter. The highest stone is 1.2m so you have to work hard to get dramatic results. A distant shot can work better. In a short fall of snow, the stones stand out well against the white covered heather.
Stonehenge, Wiltshire
Without doubt, this is the most famous of all the stone circles (it's on many people's bucket lists) and looks very impressive, but sadly for photography purposes, it's now not possible to go close to the stones and shoot from a creative low viewpoint. It's managed by the English Heritage so there's an entrance charge and there's also a small fence rope that needs cloning out from distant shots. But you can walk all the way around and get lots of profile shots and some viewpoints are much more balanced than others. You'll need to use a slightly less wide angle for here - a standard zoom is fine.
Hurlers, Cornwall
A group of three stone circles situated on the edge of Bodmin Moor, near the village of Minions. It's a group of quite small stones, but several of them are impressive shapes and can make for interesting creative shots. You can walk up the incline onto the moors and photograph the whole circle. The central circle is the largest with a diameter of 41m. You can include distant tin mines in some viewpoints.
Arbor Low, Peak District, Derbyshire
This would have been a brilliant stone circle but it has either collapsed or was never actually erected. The stones are arranged in a circle and there is a small entrance fee now in place to get up-close to the stones. Fortunately, the terrain, which includes a circular ditch, is such that you can still take some impressive shots and include several stones in one scene. A distant clump of trees on the horizon adds balance to the photo.
Merry Maidens, Cornwall
One of the few stone circles that are well preserved and most likely in its original state. The stones form an almost perfect circle with a 24m diameter and a height of about 1.2m. The shapes of the stones are less interesting than some but the site does offer a fair bit of potential in the right light. Shoot from the ground to make them look more dramatic. It's worth taking a panoramic shot of the whole circle too.
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ePHOTOzine Daily Theme Winners Week 3 April 2024
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The latest winner of our popular daily photography theme which takes place in our forums have been chosen and congratulations go to NorthernWayfarer (Day 16 - Bridges).
Daily Theme Runners-Up
If you didn't win this time, keep uploading your images to the daily competition forum for another chance to win! If you're new to the Daily Theme, you can find out more about it in the Daily Theme Q&A.
Well done to our latest runners-up, too, whose images you can take a look at below.
Day 15Flowers
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Day 17People In The Landscapes
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Day 18
Weather
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Day 19
Lighthouses
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Day 20
Numbers & Letters
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Day 21
'Arty' Theme
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You’ll find the Daily Themes, along with other great photo competitions, over in our Forum. Take a look to see the latest daily photo contests. Open to all levels of photographer, you’re sure to find a photography competition to enter. Why not share details of competitions with our community? Join the camaraderie and upload an image to our Gallery.
How To Photograph Coastal Images With A Creative Twist
As an island nation, many of us live fairly close to the coast and as well as tidal patterns in the sand, surf, sand dunes, grasses and breakwaters, the coast is host to a certain amount of flotsam. Although, rightly, we consider flotsam as undesirable rubbish, it doesn't necessarily mean that it won't make a good photographic subject. In fact, a day on the beach finding flotsam can be a great photographic challenge.
Where To Look For Flotsam
Finding flotsam is not too difficult, selecting what to take and making anything of it photographically is the most challenging aspect. Apparently the most common piece of flotsam is the humble cotton bud, but they're not the most exciting photographically. I like to look for shapes and textures – from rubber gloves to tin cans, which work best in close up using parts rather than the whole, giving a more abstract appearance.
I once found a broken plastic "beach" tennis racquet, and a few metres away from a smashed tennis ball – they simply had to go together. A partly submerged skateboard made another great subject – because only the end of it was sticking out of the sand it had a really discarded feel.
Old nets from fishing boats snagged on breakwaters can look good too, and washed up wood that has been eroded into smooth sculpted shapes by the sea can look fabulous.
The Best Light
Ideal lighting is probably hazy sunlight – enough to give some shape to your subject, but not too much to create harsh shadows – as with everything, there are exceptions, and will be many subjects that suit either very overcast or very sunny conditions. I do find a reflector can help with bouncing light back into shadows.
More than anything though, be careful on the beach, windblown sand is not the best thing to get inside your camera so make sure lens changing is kept to a minimum, and shield your camera from the wind when you do change lenses. I turn my back to the wind, and use my body to protect the whole camera – I also make sure that I change lenses as quickly as possible, to leave the camera exposed for the shortest possible time.
Tripods, no matter how stable, can sink into the soft wet sand, so ensure they don't fall over, and lastly, be aware of the tide tables, check them on the internet, and don't get caught out by tides coming in fast whilst you're concentrating on pictures.
So next time you're at the beach, keep a lookout for other people's rubbish, which can become your art!
You've read the technique now share your related photos for the chance to win prizes: Daily Forum Competition
ePHOTOzine Daily Theme Winners Week 1 April 2024
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The latest winner of our popular daily photography theme which takes place in our forums have been chosen and congratulations go to ChrisRPhoto (Day 2 - Rainbows).
Daily Theme Runners-Up
If you didn't win this time, keep uploading your images to the daily competition forum for another chance to win! If you're new to the Daily Theme, you can find out more about it in the Daily Theme Q&A.
Well done to our latest runners-up, too, whose images you can take a look at below.
Day 1Bad Weather Landscapes
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Day 3Beach
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Day 4
Shallow Depth Of Field
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Day 5
Shoot From The Hip
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Day 6
Floral Abstract
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Day 7
Drag Landscapes
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You’ll find the Daily Themes, along with other great photo competitions, over in our Forum. Take a look to see the latest daily photo contests. Open to all levels of photographer, you’re sure to find a photography competition to enter. Why not share details of competitions with our community? Join the camaraderie and upload an image to our Gallery.
Retouch4Me Offers Plugins from Skin Retouching to Color Correction and Detail Enhancement
In the rapidly evolving world of photography and image editing, professionals are constantly seeking tools that can streamline their workflow and enhance the quality of their work. One such innovative solution that has been making waves in the industry is Retouch4me plugins.
Retouch4me offers a comprehensive suite of plugins designed to revolutionize photo retouching using cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) and neural network technologies. These plugins are tailored to meet the diverse needs of photographers and designers, providing a wide range of editing capabilities to achieve professional-grade results.
One of the standout features of Retouch4me plugins is their ability to automatically identify and correct problematic areas in photos. By leveraging advanced algorithms, these plugins can detect imperfections and apply precise adjustments, saving users valuable time and effort typically required for manual retouching.
From skin retouching to color correction and detail enhancement, Retouch4me plugins cover a spectrum of editing tasks essential for various genres of photography. Whether working on portraits, commercial projects, or creative endeavors, photographers can rely on these plugins to elevate their images to new heights.
Another key advantage of Retouch4me plugins is their intuitive interface, making them accessible even to beginners. With user-friendly controls and straightforward workflows, photographers of all skill levels can quickly master these tools and start producing high-quality images with ease.
Overall, Retouch4me plugins represent a powerful and convenient solution for anyone involved in photo editing. By harnessing the power of AI and neural networks, these plugins empower users to achieve professional results efficiently and effectively. As the demand for fast and reliable editing solutions continues to grow, Retouch4me remains at the forefront of innovation in the field of image retouching.
Want to avail the Retouch4me plugins? Enjoy a special 20% discount for all ePHOTOZine readers by clicking the button below!
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5 Top Pier Photography Tips For Coast Photography Fans
Piers are strong structures that stand along the coastline of many of our favourite seaside resorts and they're a brilliant subject for a photographer. Not only can you photograph them as a whole, but you can also get in close with a macro lens, focus on patterns, point your lens at passers-by or wait for the sky to change and capture these historical structures at sunrise/sunset.
With so many ways you can photograph piers, you really can keep yourself busy for quite a few hours so with this in mind, here are our 5 top ways you can photograph a pier next time you're at the coast.
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1. What Photography Kit Do I Need For Pier Photography?
Wide-angle lenses will always be useful when photographing piers as you'll be able to capture shots of the beach, sea and pier as well as interesting sunsets or sunrises, depending on what time of the day you're visiting the coast. Close-up lenses or better still, macro lenses will allow you to get detailed shots of textures in the wooden boards, patterns in rust and more. Don't forget your tripod and pack a polarising filter to reduce glare and increase saturation so blue skies appear to be even brighter. This doesn't mean you can't shoot on a dull day, however as rain clouds building in the background of your beach landscape will add mood and create a different feeling in your pier shots.
2. Go Wide On The Beach
Shooting from the beach will give you a cracking shot of the pier in its surroundings that works particularly well at sunrise/sunset. For added atmosphere try slowing your shutter speeds down to blur the movement of the sea as it crawls up the beach.
3. Get On The Pier, Guide The Eye
Take a walk along the boards early morning before the tourists arrive and the empty pier can be used to guide the eye out to sea. If you want to emphasise the bustle of the seaside resort try using slower shutter speeds to blur the movement of the people walking up and down the pier.
4. Walk Under The Pier
If it's safe to do so go and have a walk under the pier as you'll often find a symmetrical structure that creates a strong graphical shot when photographed from the beach. The supports closer to the sea will often have interesting tide line patterns, seaweed and creatures worth a quick snap with your macro lens too. Just keep an eye on the tide if you venture under as you don't want you and your kit getting wet or worse still, swept out to sea.
When you've photographed the popular pier angles, the patterns in the wooden boards, rust on bolts and peeling paintwork on railings make great texture shots you can blend into other images in Photoshop.
Bonus Tip: When you're back at home remember to wipe down all of your gear to remove sand, sea salt etc. and leave it to dry out completely.
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A Beautiful Shot Of Cloud Formations At Bali Has Won Our 'Photo Of The Week' Award
Titled ‘Bali - Cloud Formations’, we are captivated by the balance and harmony in this shot. Yogendra has captured a morning on the beach front in Bali, with a view of the background cloud formations that is nothing short of superb.
The reflection is as striking as the sharpness of the clouds against the serene sky, filling the background of the shot where you see just a glimpse of the distant horizon adding even more interest to the shot. The composition is spot on, too, as is the overall mood.
This image is a splendid display of the tranquil beauty of nature in its most serene moments. The balance between the sky and the sea, the play of light on the water, and the majestic cloud formations all come together to create a scene of breathtaking beauty.
All of our POTW winners will receive a Samsung 128GB PRO Plus microSDXC memory card with SD adapter offering memory storage across multiple devices. Plus, we will also announce our 'Photo of the Year' winner who'll win a Samsung Portable 1TB SSD T7 Shield in January 2025 courtesy of Samsung.
10 Handy DIY Photography Tricks & Hacks To Learn Today
Not everyone's a fan of DIY but building your own camera and creating your own filters can be fun, plus it's usually cheaper and who doesn't like to save a pound or two? So, here are 10 DIY photography tricks & hacks for you to try on a rainy day.
This one does involve spending slightly more than just a few quid but at the end of it, you do get a camera that's fully functional. The Bigshot DIY Camera and Lomography Konstruktor are a couple of examples of the kind of kits you can purchase.
Filters, particularly DIY ones, can be used with all types of cameras (including phones) and they can help you create interesting effects without having to break the bank or learn a new photo editing technique. Something as simple as a sweet wrapper (think Quality Streets) wrapped around your lens and secured in place with an elastic band can add colour to your shots while a pair of tights cut to size and pulled over your lens will give you a soft focus effect.
Who doesn't like a bit of Bokeh? But you don't just have to settle for circular out of focus highlights as you can use a few tools and your creativity to change the appearance of the shapes that appear. You need to get a black piece of card, decide on a shape, cut it out of the card then fasten the card around your lens like you would a lens hood. Try to not make your shapes too small or complicated as they won't stand out very well in your final shot.
Macro lenses are great for getting close to subjects, but as with all lenses, they're an investment and aren't something all of us can go out and purchase. However, with the help of a reversing ring, you can shoot close-up work in an inexpensive way. You simply attach the reversing ring to the filter thread of your lens which then allows you to attach your lens to your camera in reverse. They can be tricky to use but they do offer one of the cheapest ways of capturing macro shots. For more tips on working with reversing rings, have a read of this article: Reversing Your Lens For Ultra Close-Ups
5. Use A Magnifying Glass & Shoot Macros
Another way to shoot macros without a macro lens is by taping a magnifying glass to the front of your camera. You can use most magnifying glasses as close up lenses as long as the magnifier is big enough to cover the front of your lens. For more tips, have a read of this: Macro Photography With A Magnifying Glass
6. Make Your Own ReflectorNothing beats the tin foil sheet that you'd normally wrap the turkey up into throw masses of light back into your subject. You just need to cut out a piece of card, apply glue or tape to it, carefully roll the tin foil over the glued cardboard, smooth out the tin foil with a sponge or cloth and leave to dry. You may need to trim the edges and you can apply tape around it too if you want it to look a little neater.
A tripod is usually the support photographers turn to but when you want to travel light or venture to places where tripods and similar supports aren't allowed to be used, you have to look for an alternative. One of these alternative options is a beanbag and even though you can purchase ready-made models, they're not hard to make yourself and the materials aren't expensive either. Basically, you just need some fabric, beans/polystyrene balls and a sewing machine or needle and thread. There are plenty of tutorials online with step-by-step instructions on how to construct a beanbag, including these found on Instructables: Camera Bean Bag Instructions
A flash diffuser is a useful tool but why buy one when you can create your own at home? Click the following link to view a tutorial that will take you through the steps for making your own interchangeable flash diffuser, with changing filter options, for whatever light source you come across when taking photos: Build A Flash Diffuser
9. Building A DIY Modular Flash System
Flash accessories can be made for next to nothing, all that is needed is a little creativity and a little spare time, as site member Paul Morgan explained in this tutorial: Building A DIY Modular Flash System
10. Get Creative With Light With An Old Lens
There's a technique you may not have come across called Lens Wacking and the idea is you allow more stray light to reach the sensor and to do this you shoot with the lens detached from and held in front of the camera body. It can be tricky to master but can create some really interesting, dream-like lighting effects and bokeh with just the help of an old, cheap manual lens you have at home. For more tips on how to perfect this technique that gives your images a cinematic feel, have a read of the Lens Wacking tutorial on Pentax User.
If you have any DIY photography tips or hacks others should have a go at, feel free to post them in the comments below.
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How To Shoot A Spring Drag Landscape - 5 Top Tips
1. What Are Drag Landscapes?
When you look outside and see the sky's grey and dull you may think your day of landscape shooting is ruined but you're wrong. OK, capturing pin-sharp vistas may be out of the window but you can have a go at drag landscapes. Now, when we say drag we don't mean they're boring! In fact, they are quite the opposite. A drag landscape is about finding a scene with strong lines, pressing the shutter button and as the exposure processes, drag your camera up, down left or right. By doing so, your final landscape will have an abstract or even painting feel to it and you'll be glad to hear that the grey, boring sky is well disguised! The technique also works in harsh contrasty light normally regarded as being no good for photography.
2. Flowers As Drag Landscape Subjects
Drag landscapes are something that can work all year round on a variety of subjects but as we mentioned this technique back in March when talking about photographing Daffodils, we thought they'd make the perfect subject.
3. Drag In One Go
You need to move the camera in one clean, steady movement. Using your arms is a good way to control the movement with freedom or you can use a tripod if you prefer a more structured movement. Make sure you've packed your telephoto zoom lens and if you're venturing quite away from home, don't forget the essentials such as spare batteries and memory cards.
You can think of drag landscapes a bit like a zoom burst except instead of twisting the lens you're moving the entire camera. You need to find your subject, focus up, then move so your lens is pointing away from it. When you're ready, pan back in and when your subject comes into view hit the shutter button.
Don't stop panning until you're past your subject as your shot won't have the blurry, streaks of lines we want to create if you do. You may have to turn Image Stabilisation off as it will want to create a sharp image and this isn't what we are trying to do. If you look at the screen and see you have diagonal lines it's because you moved to the side slightly as you moved your arms down which you may like the look of but if you don't, the beauty of digital means you can delete it and just try again. Getting the right exposure can be tricky, we found a 10th or 6th of a sec was just about right but if you do need to slow it down, even more, try fitting a polarising filter.
4. Change Direction
Once you have the hang of it try panning in different directions, paying attention to the shapes and lines of the object you're photographing. If your subject's a waterfall, for example, pan up or down following the flow of water. Lines of trees and bright colours such as fields of Poppies and Rapeseed also work well.
If you want the image to be slightly more recognisable start the exposure and pause before you begin dragging. If your subject doesn't have any hard edges you can create an abstract shot that's more about texture. Dragging your lens in a circular motion rather than in a straight line will further enhance the abstract feeling but it's not something that will work with all subjects.
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Leica Oskar Barnack Award Announces Jury Selection For Its 44th Year
With the announcement of the members of the jury, the 44th edition of the renowned photography award enters a decisive phase.
Once again, the world-renowned photography award will be making an important statement with regard to the role and significance of contemporary photography, by presenting and honouring a selection of current image series. The international jury appointed each year has now been established, and the selection process for the next instalment of the Leica Oskar Barnack Award (LOBA) – first granted in 1980 – has begun. As previously, the award winners will be selected on the basis of proposals from a panel of nominators made up of more than 80 photography experts from roughly 50 countries. The shortlisted series and the winners in the Main and Newcomer categories, are chosen by a fivemember jury. The jury this year is made up of:
Dimitri Beck, Head of the Photo Department of Polka (magazine, gallery, factory) France
Per Gylfe, Head of the Education Department at the International Centre of Photography (ICP), New York, USA
Ciril Jazbek, Photographer and 2013 LOBA Newcomer winner, Slovenia
Amélie Schneider, Head of the Picture Editorial Department, Die Zeit, Germany
Karin Rehn-Kaufmann, Art Director and Chief Representative Leica Galleries International, Austria
The jury will get together at the end of May, at Leica Camera AG headquarters in Wetzlar, to consider and put together a short list of up to twelve series, and decide upon the winners of the Main and Newcomer categories. The selection is made from among proposals submitted by over 80 photography experts from roughly 50 countries. Based on their personal expertise, each of the nominators presented up to three photo series, each comprised of 15 to 20 photographs. The prerequisite for a nomination for the Leica Oskar Barnack Award is that the pictures are documentary or conceptual-artistic works that deal with the relationship between people and the environment. This humanistic constant has accompanied the LOBA since the initial competition was launched in 1979, the year in which Oskar Barnack, the namesake of the competition and developer of the Ur Leica, would have turned 100 years old.
The Leica Oskar Barnack Newcomer Award, which has complemented the main category since 2009, and honours photographers under the age of 30, will once again be determined in collaboration with and through proposals submitted by international institutions and universities from 20 countries. In addition to information about the LOBA, and interviews with former jury members and nominators, the current list of all nominators for the LOBA 2024 can be found on the LOBA website: https://www.leica-oskar-barnack-award.com/en/loba2024/the-nominators.html
The LOBA’s reputation continues to grow steadily, and its financial endowment also makes it one of the most important international photography awards. The main prize is endowed with 40,000 euros and Leica camera equipment valued at 10,000 euros; while the newcomer receives 10,000 euros and a Leica Q3. Furthermore, the LOBA winning series, together with those shortlisted, will be presented in a touring exhibition, which will first be hosted at the Ernst Leitz Museum in Wetzlar in October. Afterwards, the series will be on display in Leica galleries and at selected photo festivals worldwide. The series by the two winners and all the shortlisted nominees will also be presented in depth in the accompanying catalogue.
In the coming summer months, all the shortlisted series will be presented on the LOBA website. The announcement and award ceremony for the winners of both categories will then take place in Wetzlar in October 2024.
For more information, please visit the Leica Oskar Barnack Award's website.
Top Tips On Capturing Arty Style Flower Photographs
If you're a fan of black & white photography, with a twist of fine art and macro flower photography thrown in, you've come to the right article as we're teaching you how to get all Mapplethorpe at home with one flower and a few photography tools.
Light & EquipmentThe location for this shoot was a living room, making most of the light pouring through the window. Direct sunlight is too harsh for this work so the set up was placed away from the window. A macro lens is ideal for this subject and it's always a good idea to mount your camera on a tripod for stability. Use a remote release, if you have one, to fire the shutter and if your camera has it, the mirror lock-up facility can also help minimise any risk of camera shake.
Backgrounds
The background needs to be plain and a piece of black material will work fine. The examples shown here were shot against a black fleece draped over the back of a chair and some on black slate slabs which goes to show you really can use anything!
Focusing was done manually, which is always best for macro work when the lens can search for focus and aperture-priority was used, along with the exposure compensation facility to fine-tune the result. With a white lily against a black backdrop, the risk of poor exposure is quite high, so you may need to make minor adjustments as you go along.
For the above shot, the lens was set to its smallest aperture (f/36) for maximum depth-of-field which gave a shutter speed of 2secs. All the pictures here were done at ISO200.
Next, the flowers were moved closer to the camera and the lens was opened to its maximum aperture to throw the closer flower out of focus.
Closer still, these shots focus on the flower's stamen, with the shot to the right excluding the black backdrop completely. Depth-of-field, when you’re this close to the subject, is minimal even at a small aperture, as the images to the right shot at f/36 shows.
Quite a few cameras have a multiple exposure feature which will allow two or more exposures to be captured on the same frame. To create the effect shown in the following shot you need to capture one exposure sharp and one totally defocused.
If photographing the flower straight-on doesn't produce the look you're trying to create, try laying it down on a plain surface. The flower in the following shot had to be held in place with a piece of tape to open up the petal.
Black & White
Most digital cameras, even modest compacts, have a monochrome mode, which offers a quick way to enjoy black & white photography. However, convenient though this mode is, the image file straight out of the camera can lack contrast and may need some work in your editing software if you’re going to get the most from it.
The shot on the left is the JPEG monochrome file straight out of the camera and it looks a little flat. The right image is the same shot but the Levels were tweaked in Photoshop which gives more intense blacks and brighter whites.
It’s worth remembering that if you’re shooting in JPEG format, images shot in the monochrome setting will record in black & white only and you can’t produce a colour image should you change your mind later. Shoot Raw and even though the camera monitor might show the mono result you have the full-colour file at your disposal. The best option, if your camera has it, is to shoot in Raw and fine quality JPEG at the same time.
Many cameras have the option of letting you modify your shots using contrast filters (yellow, orange and red are the most popular), toning effects and Art Filters. Some of which can work well with this type of photography so it's worth experimenting with.
Used sparingly, toning monochrome images is a very effective technique and if your camera doesn't allow you to apply effects while shooting, you can always adjust your shots in image editing software.
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Nikon Triumphs With Four Wins At This Year's TIPA World Awards
Nikon recently announced that it has been successful across four categories at this year's TIPA World Awards. Nikon's latest mirrorless camera, the sleek and stylish Z f, was crowned the 'Best Full-Frame Expert Camera', while the Z 8 was awarded the prestigious title of "Best Full-Frame Professional Camera". When it came to the lens categories, Nikon scored two awards with the NIKKOR Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena being voted the 'Best Professional Portrait Lens', while the NIKKOR Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR took home gold for the 'Best Super Telephoto Zoom Lens' award.
The TIPA jury praised the Z f for being an 'excellent example of convergence between classic design and modern technology', highlighting its great appeal to photo enthusiasts both young and old. Meanwhile, the Z 8 was celebrated for its ability to pack a range of impressive Z 9 features into a 'smaller, lightweight' body - making it the perfect camera for both photographers and videographers on the go. The NIKKOR Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena was recognised for its 'edge-to-edge buttery bokeh', while the NIKKOR Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR particularly impressed the jury, who noted that 'it's often the small touches that make a big difference in the field'.
The four awards showcase Nikon's dedication to producing innovative equipment, combining advanced technology and superior performance to empower photographers to push creative boundaries, but above all, to 'keep inspiring'.
TIPA comments on the Nikon Z f, winner of the 'Best Full-Frame Expert Camera' award
TIPA members praised the 24.5MP Nikon Z f as an excellent example of convergence between classic design and modern technology. Combining a Nikon SLR retro style look with still and video features that invite creative engagement, the Z f camera has proven to have great appeal to photo enthusiasts young and old. On-camera controls include precision dials for settings and an easy flip switch for choosing still or video capture. Framing and POV flexibility are enhanced by a vari-angle LCD for live-view shooting that can also be used for quick menu selections. Plus, there's a pentaprism-style OLED with 100% coverage. Advanced video recording and vlogging capabilities include UHD 4K 30p and Full HD 120p recording, and SnapBridge, Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity.
TIPA comments on the Nikon Z 8, winner of the 'Best Full-Frame Professional Camera' award
Sharing many attributes with the flagship Nikon Z 9, the Z 8 hits a sweet spot in terms of size and weight for enthusiast and working pro on-the-go photographers and videographers. The choice between the two has more to do with the photographer's mode, professional demands, and need to fit into a production regime than any major feature trade-offs. Lightweight at just 2 lbs. (0.90kg), the Z 8 is ideal for use with a gimbal for video and, being 30% smaller, is ideal for all day jobs, when kit bag weight is an important consideration. But being smaller and lighter does not mean a loss of features found in the Z 9, with sensor size, framing rates, and all the AI and tracking functions, among other specs, shared.
TIPA comments on the NIKKOR Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena, winner of the 'Best Professional Portrait Lens'
It's rare for Nikon to name a lens, so we looked it up and Plena is defined as "the condition of quality of being full." If the compliments paid to this lens by photographers from around the world are any indication, the appellation is apt. Aimed at commercial, wedding, portraitists, and even landscape and nature photographers, pro reactions have been overwhelmingly positive worldwide. In particular, there has been special praise for its edge-to-edge buttery bokeh for stills and cinematic video, thanks to its 11-blade diaphragm; its edge to edge brightness and minimization of ghosting, flare, and fringing, due to special elements and coatings; and its customizable control and function buttons, notable for cinemaphotographers who admire its smooth aperture transitions and Nikon's Multi System Focus AF performance.
TIPA comments on the NIKKOR Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR, winner of the 'Best Super Telephoto Zoom Lens
Specifically designed for nature, wildlife, and sports enthusiast photographers, this long-range zoom lens brings it all together in terms of focal length range, fast, responsive autofocus, an STM motor for quiet and smooth video capture, and weather-sealed construction with a fluorine lens coating that, to quote, "anticipates a high frequency of lens wiping." TIPA editors know that in pro offerings it's often the small touches that make a big difference in the field, and with this super tele it's the ability to adapt 1.4X and 2X teleconverters, maintain lens size when zooming, only a 70-degree turn to zoom out to maximum focal length, 5.5 EV image stabilization, and a host of on-lens controls to switch or lock modes and settings.
The TIPA World Awards is universally recognised as celebrating top-class companies and the highest quality products in the industry. It also serves to provide an important benchmark and guide for consumers when making their purchasing decisions.
Please visit the TIPA website for more information: www.tipa.com
You can also visit Nikon's website for their latest product offerings.
5 Ways To Get 'Arty' With Your Flower Photos
As we are well into spring now and flowers are rapidly starting to take over gardens, we thought we'd carry on with the flower photography theme but this time we're taking things indoors and are adding an arty twist to the scenario. Have a read of the tutorials, have a go at the techniques then why not upload your results to the ePHOTOzine gallery?
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1. Photographing An Arty Flower Shot
The location for this shoot was a living room, making most of the light pouring through the window. Direct sunlight is too harsh for this work so the set up was placed away from the window. A macro lens is ideal for this subject and it's always a good idea to mount your camera on a tripod for stability. Use a remote release, if you have one, to fire the shutter and if your camera has it, the mirror lock-up facility can also help minimise any risk of camera shake.
2. Photographing Flower Blooms With A Lightbox
In this article, I want to share my techniques for using a lightpad and one of the best uses for the lightpad is to help create a high-key look for your photographs. I started with a dead Hydrangea bloom; I removed the delicate petals from the stem and placed them in a random pattern on the lightpad. Then, I turned on the lightpad and by doing so I could see the veins in the petals.
3. Abstract Flower Photography Tips
The most popular approach to flower photography is to include the whole flower but by getting in very close or by choosing a less conventional crop you can create a rather exciting image. Plus, it's a technique you can try all year round as you can just buy your flowers from the supermarket when there's none showing their heads in your garden.
4. Five Top Tips On Low Key Flower Photography
Photographing a flower head on a black background is a simple but effective way to make yourself a piece of wall art. The bright petals against a stark, dark background make a vibrant image that wouldn't look out of place on the shelves of stores that are designed to fill your home with accessories and decorations.
5. Flower Photography With A Difference
When you think of flower photography your first thoughts will usually be of shots of a single head taken from an overhead angle or a cropped in shot that focuses on the shapes and colours of the flower. There's nothing wrong with these shots as they do work well but for something different, take a look underneath the flower head.
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Fun Photography Challenge: How To Photograph Numbers And Letters With Everyday Objects
If you want an interesting challenge, head out with your camera and search for numbers and letters or better still, objects that look like numbers and letters. You'll be impressed with how many you'll actually find and when they're put together they can make an interesting panel to hang on your wall. All you need is your camera, a good imagination and some decent weather!
What Can I Photograph?
If you're looking for ideas, a lighthouse can be used as a number one, chimneys can look like a number 11 and a traffic light can be a 3 or and E depending on the direction they're facing.
When we say photograph numbers/letters, you can take this literally or you could put your imagination to the test and look for them in places other people wouldn't think to look.
If you have a door number start with that then take a walk up your street and into your town snapping shop signs, adverts and road signs. Make sure you fill the frame with what you find and watch out for reflections and glare bouncing off shiny door numbers.
More Ideas
When you're ready to give your grey cells a bit of a work out start looking for objects that look like numbers and letters. You may need to stand and imagine what the object looks like flipped the other way or crop into a part of it to get the number you're looking for but with a little work with your imagination, you'll soon be on your way. Make sure you take a quick look at what's surrounding your subject as a busy background won't make the number jump out of the frame. Try using a large aperture to throw the background out of focus leaving all attention on your object.
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8 Photography Rules You Can Ignore
Compositional rules are there as guides, but that doesn't mean you always have to use them. Sometimes breaking the rules can help you create an image that's far more striking, so here are 8 more ways how breaking the guidelines can help you create an image that has far more impact.
With the rule of thirds, you have to ensure that your main point of focus is positioned on one or more of the four intersecting lines on the nine-square grid you have to imagine is sitting over your image.
However, there are some shots where placing your subject in the middle of it will give you a more striking image. For example, a road or path stretching off towards the horizon, starting so it fills the frame and winding away until it vanishes can look better when positioned in the centre.
The same goes for shots with lots of symmetry. A long table that's set for dinner with rows of chairs and lines of plates, glasses and cutlery on it will make a more interesting photograph if positioned in the centre of the frame, while photographing escalators, steps, piers and tunnels so they sit in the centre of the frame can help exaggerate their length, giving the impression that they go on forever. Portraits are more pleasing to the eye when you use the rule of thirds grid but if you're shooting a portrait that has a more creepy, unusual feel to it, positioning your subject in the centre of the shot will enhance this uneasy feeling.
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2. Split Your Image In Two
When you're working with the horizon or lines you should avoid splitting the image in two, so horizons should be slightly higher or lower, depending on where the interest is and lines should be positioned to the left or right of the centre line. However, cutting your image in two will give you a shot that has a lot of impact, particularly if you're going for something more abstract where strong blocks of colour are your focus.
3. Work Wonky
Keeping your horizons level and your shots straight is a rule that's important for landscapes but there are other subjects where tilting your camera will give them more energy and a sense of excitement/fun. If you're going to do this, make sure you do it properly, really turning your camera. If you don't, it'll look like you were going for a straight shot and angled your camera by mistake.
4. Play With White Balance
Capturing shots with the right colour temperature is something that's important the majority of the time, however, there are occasions when using the wrong preset or making adjustments after in post-production will help boost colours, make shots more interesting and fun. For example, you can emphasis the coolness of a winter scene with blue tones and give more warmth to Autumn landscapes to enhance the orange and yellows that are prominent during the season.
5. Use Higher ISOs
For shots that are clean and sharp, you'll generally need to use the lowest ISO possible. Of course, there are many cameras now that cope quite well at higher ISO levels, and they won't leave noise in your shots. However, if you have a camera that still struggles at higher levels, use it to your advantage, shooting some grainy images.
If you don't want to create the look in-camera, shoot at a lower ISO and run your image through photo editing software and apply your grain digitally. The grain works even better with black and white shots so while you have your editing software open, try converting your coloured shot into something much moodier. Portraits are good subjects for this but if you have a few landscape shots you've taken on dull days, try converting them to black and white, add a little grain and a grungy frame and you'll breathe life back into a boring shot.
Make The Most Of Out Of Focus Shots
For a more dream-like composition, try throwing your whole frame out of focus. A wide aperture will be needed and you'll probably have to focus manually to stop your lens focusing on something in the frame. You want the shot to be out of focus just enough to make it look like you did it intentionally but still leave enough detail to make the scene recognisable. Your other option is to blur what would be considered as your main point of focus and have something in front or behind them sharp. A more subtle way to use the effect is by creating a soft-focus portrait. Take a look at our Photoshop Tutorial for more information on how to do this.
Move Your Camera While Taking A Shot
The 'try to keep your camera as still as possible' rule only applies when you're not going for a strong, abstract shot that's full of energy. If you're photographing action, a car speeding along a track or dancers spinning in a circle, moving your camera while you take your shot will add a little blur that can increase the feeling of speed and excitement.
Using a slightly slower speed than you'd usually use to capture action will further enhance their movement and you probably don't need to move your camera to do this. Again, having part of the shot a little sharper than the rest will give your viewer a focus point. Try zooming your lens barrel out or in through the exposure too to create a zoom burst. You'll probably want a tripod to hand for this as it makes it easier to turn the barrel of the lens. Zoom bursts work well on stained glass but they can give equally good results on groups of fast-moving dancers who are making their way towards you.
Try removing all sharpness from the shot with a drag landscape. We've covered this on-site in a previous technique which you can find here: Drag Landscapes
Shoot From The Hip
OK, so shooting with your camera held to your eye or using your camera's screen to frame your shot isn't a rule, just more of a thing that everyone does because that's the way camera's work! But by leaving your camera by your side and 'shooting from the hip' you can get some interesting results. Sure, it can be a little hit and miss but as it doesn't look like you're taking a photograph you stand the chance of capturing much more candid results, particularly on the street.
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How To Photograph Lighthouses In The Landscape
The UK's coastline has many lighthouses which are worth a visit with your camera. Some are open to the public and are definitely worth exploring, but here we discuss using lighthouses within the wider landscape.
1. What Kit?
Take your camera and all your usual lenses and you will not go far wrong. You may find a camera with a smaller body more useful as they can be often fit in jacket pockets or if you prefer to carry your gear in a bag, it'll take up less room leaving space for a flask of tea and your packed lunch!
A tripod is needed if you intend getting there early or staying in late. Other than that, it is perfectly fine to shoot handheld. Filters are also definitely worth packing, especially the polariser that can be used to cut-down glare to enrich colours and saturate blue skies.
In terms of lenses, wide-angle and telephotos are equally valid. Wides let you use more of the foreground while telephotos let you pull in detail and are also excellent at putting the lighthouse within its environmental context.
2. Do Your Research
If you're looking for lighthouses have a look at the Trinity House website for more information and locations close to you. Have a look at where other photographers have visited too, plus a quick online search will find you visitor information as well as GPS coordinates and directions quickly.
Use your feet! Walking around your subject is always advised and is especially effective with using lighthouses. That way you can put your subject into context of the beach or town that the lighthouse is situated.
3. Time Of Day & Weather
Many lighthouses are still in use so a good time to shoot them is at dawn or at dusk when there is colour in the sky and the lighthouse's lamp is on. Do remember the lamp will be considerably brighter than the whole scene and you can end up with a light that's overexposed if you don't meter correctly.
At this time of day, there's not much light around so you will need the tripod and a remote release. If you set a sufficiently slow enough shutter speed you will get a complete rotation of the lamp.
Low light and stormy skies shouldn't be overlooked either, particularly if you can capture the waves crashing against the lighthouse or rocks nearby.
Lighthouses look photogenic in most lighting situations, but bright sun can be tricky because of high contrast problems – white is a popular lighthouse colour. Bland white skies are also an issue for the same reason. Other than that, get shooting.
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