Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 6 i Creative Photography The Complete Manual

Colours of sunrise Sunrise goes through some particular phases, each with its own quality of light. Pre-dawn is usually cooler in tone, with lower dynamic range and soft shadows but the clouds will normally start lighting up before the sun actually gets to the horizon. The minutes before sunrise are generally more orange/yellow in tone and shadows become more obvious. Then, once the sun is a couple of degrees above the horizon, you get long shadows that reveal detail in the landscape, crisp highlights and a marked increase in contrast. Light up the horizon Never discount an overcast sky as an opportunity to photograph a possible sunrise or sunset. Sometimes the clouds may start to break and reveal a glowing horizon, making a very dramatic image. These moments may be…

The number of camera models available to the budding photographer is vast. All the main manufacturers have a large number of different models and types of camera to suit every taste and also every pocket. A wide variety of choice is fine but it can be somewhat overwhelming when it comes to choosing a camera for yourself. It isn't helped by the fact that the distinctions between various types of camera system have become quite blurred as the quality and the capabilities of these devices keep expanding. With that in mind, we have put together a little guide to the main types of camera out there. Hopefully it will help point you in the right direction so you get the right camera for the job. Superzoom Superzoom cameras are a…

Once you get beyond the basics of photography and you find yourself wanting to add a little creativity and take more control of how the light affects your shots, then that is when you need to take a look at additional lighting in the form of flashes. Your first experience of flash might be the tiny pop up flash you find on the top of a lot of compact cameras and a number of DSLR models. They are useful to light a subject when all else fails but to be honest, if you want your shots to look more than just selfies, then you need to look further afield. We are referring to the dedicated flashguns that can be mounted in your camera's hot shoe, or for even greater flexibility,…

edelkrone FlexTILT Head 2 (£132/€149/$149) FlexTILT Head 2 is a cool, pan and tilt solution that allows you to mount your camera and frame your shots easily and quickly. Free yourself from the restrictions of your tripod mount with a flexible system that has no buttons, locks or dials to master. The constant friction technology employed by this device allows instant height adjustment without having to resort to extending the legs of your tripod. It also allows forward and reverse movement, so you can extend the camera out beyond the tripod for unobstructed top-down shots. This device can rotate 360° for precise and smooth panning and as a bonus, should you need it, the FlexTILT Head 2 can also work as a camera stand on flat surfaces without the need…

Of the three main controls common to nearly all cameras, shutter speed, focus and aperture, it is aperture adjustment that is the least well understood. This is because it not only helps to control exposure, but also affects something called Depth of Field. Understanding the effects of aperture size is a vital skill for any keen photographer. At least there's nothing mysterious about the name. The aperture is literally a hole through which light passes after it enters the lens. The diameter of this hole can be altered, allowing a greater or smaller amount of light to pass through on its way to the sensor. In the early days of photography, aperture was adjusted by slotting cards with different sized holes cut in them into the body of the camera…

With only one or two exceptions, all current digital cameras have automatic focusing. The first autofocus systems were developed by Leica in the 1970s. The first autofocus compact camera, the Konica C35 AF, was introduced in 1977, and the first autofocus 35mm SLR, the Pentax ME-F, was launched in 1981. Since that time autofocus technology has improved immensely, and these days even the most basic modern AF systems are generally fast, accurate and reliable. Although we now rely on autofocus for the vast majority of photographs, anyone who has tried taking a photo in low light, with fast-moving subjects or using very long telephoto lenses will have noticed that sometimes even the best AF system can run into problems. We've all stood there with the lens whirring in and out…

BUY A TRIPOD The quickest way to improve your photography is to invest in a decent tripod. For the best combination of strength, rigidity and portability, the ideal choice is carbon fibre. Carbon fibre, tripods start at around £120 ($175, €165) and can cost ten times more, so if that's too expensive get a good quality aluminium one. Features to look for include a ratcheted centre column, portrait-format tilt and all-metal construction. Avoid ones with plastic heads, as they are seldom rigid enough to prevent camera shake on long exposures. CHOOSE THE RIGHT CAMERA When you're looking to buy a new camera for your photography, make a list of your requirements and set yourself a budget. Don't forget to allow for accessories such as lenses, a tripod and cleaning kit…

Although there is no real right and wrong to shooting landscapes, there are a few tips that can elevate your shots and have them stand out against the general background noise of countless dull shots. First of all, take time to research your possible shooting destination if you have not been there before. Just Googling the location you want to shoot will call up all sorts of information. Most of it may be useless to you, but you can guarantee that there will be examples of other photographs taken there. The experiences of other photographers in this location will give you the heads-up as to whether it is an easy or difficult place to reach. There may be tips concerning local by-laws and the best nearby parking spots etc. There…

Pet photography can be more challenging than you might imagine. Animals are unpredictable to say the least and they are faster than you! These factors require you to brush up on your camera skills in order to be able to keep up with your furry subjects and create memorable photos in the process. Trying to capture animals in their natural, unpredictable state can be so tricky that a number of photographers might decide that more formal portraits are a better option. Anyone who has ever shot humans in a formal posed session would argue that even they can be tricky enough, so a hyperactive dog, for example, sitting for a portrait is going to be an order of magnitude trickier still. Basically, pets are tricky to photograph, but we have…

Thinking of getting your first digital camera, or maybe you are looking to upgrade that old point and shoot you usually take on holiday with you? Are you a little unsure about the various kinds of cameras available and which one's may be more suitable than others? For any newcomer to photography, many questions need to be answered in order to have a clear picture of what kind of camera, lenses and accessories will be needed to set you up ready to start enjoying your hobby. Then you may turn your thoughts to flash lighting, light modification, filters and gadgets. This section is here to give you detailed information and help you make the right choices. There is a whole world of exciting photography to explore and we can show…

Photography is built around some basic principles that a lot of casual photographers might not encounter if they shoot fully automatic with their cameras. In full auto, all the decision making is done by the camera and you are there only to push the shutter button to take the picture. As good as modern cameras are, they are not perfect and you may find that the shots you are trying to get don't come out the way you expect. In this next section we will look at the core principles of photography in greater detail to help you understand the factors in play as you shoot. These main skills will help you get the shot you're after. “In this next section we will look at the core principles of photography…

If you are keen to express your creativity and learn more about the nature of photography, then you will need to be daring and take your camera out of fully automatic mode and explore the skills required for shooting in manual mode. When you shoot fully manual, you have to be aware of the interplay between each of your camera's main settings of ISO, Aperture and Shutter Speed. Connect them up The exposure triangle is a popular visual method to connect the three main variables of aperture, shutter speed and ISO amplification that govern the final look of your image. Photography is a balancing act of these three elements when you capture an image. Once you have your camera ready and have a set of variables in place to give…

All but the most basic budget compact cameras have a selection of shooting modes, usually chosen by a dial on the top or back of the camera. Easy-to-use, mainly automatic cameras in the range will only have a few shooting modes, while the more sophisticated cameras such as the DSLR may have as many as a dozen, including manual exposure options and user-programmable special settings. As newer models appear in the range or older models are updated, the shooting modes available will be revised and possibly expanded. Shown on this spread are some of the most often used modes selected from the mode dial on the top of the camera and in some cases, from the menu screen on the back of the camera. Auto The camera will analyse the…

So, you've learned the fundamentals, brushed up on your theory, and armed yourself with your favourite camera gear and accessories. Now what? Well, we would say get out there and have some creative fun. Shoot, adapt, make mistakes, and learn. That is easy to say, and sometimes you need a project to get your teeth into. Something you genuinely enjoy and can use to really help you stand out as a talented photographer in contrast to one who's merely a skilled technician. It comes down to an eye for the creative and a desire to learn and do more. By learning and trying out new ideas and techniques, you can turn your photographs from snapshots into works of art that you can be proud of. Let us show you some…

If you've ever taken a photo where most of the background was white snow, or bright white sand on a sunny beach, you've probably been disappointed by the results. That crisp, white snow comes out looking grey and murky, while your subjects come out looking very dark and under-exposed. There is a very good reason for this, and fortunately, it is very easy to correct. The problem lies with your camera's light meter. It is designed to measure the light and set the exposure for an average scene and, under average conditions, it will normally do a very good job. This is because an average scene has an unusual property; it reflects approximately 18 per cent of the light falling on it, equivalent to a mid-tone grey. It doesn't matter…

“It is a term used to describe the image of a person or object that is represented as a solid shape. The interior of the shape is totally black and featureless.” Let's get that word out of the way first. Silhouette, what does it mean? It came into being as a result of severe economic demands imposed upon the French people by their finance minister Étienne de Silhouette in 1759. His name became linked with anything that was thought to be done cheaply. In the days before photography, making a portrait cheaply and quickly from paper became known as a silhouette. It is a term used to describe the image of a person or object that is represented as a solid shape. The interior of the shape is totally black…

Whether it's the lure of bright city lights, barren moorland bathed in moonlight or a tumbledown barn in the country under a starry sky, night-time photography is a big draw for many photographers. It can be challenging, it can be very frustrating and time-consuming, but once you get the bug for it and get those first few 'wow!' images under your belt, it's a hard habit to break. There are a lot of photographers who find the whole process very relaxing. As you are normally dealing with much longer exposures than usual and having to carefully compose and focus your shots, it forces you to slow it all down and take a much more considered approach. After all, if you set up a ten-minute exposure and the end result is…

Cameras come in many shapes, sizes and prices. At their heart though, they all do the same thing: capture light on a sensor and turn it into a digital image. That's a gross oversimplification but you get the general idea. Modern cameras also come with many features and functions. Although it would be difficult to list them all, here are the main dials and buttons that you can expect to find on many cameras. Different brands and models vary in their button and dial layouts as well as certain naming conventions but we've put together a little guide to the main controls and displays on the popular Canon D5500. “Cameras come in many shapes, sizes and prices. At their heart though, they all do the same thing: capture light on…

The main difference between a well taken snapshot and a truly artistic photograph is simply a matter of composition. By changing the focal length, the angle and the position of the camera, the photographer can change the relative positions and sizes of objects in the frame to produce a more visually pleasing effect. Learning to do this is mostly a matter of practice and experimentation, but there are a number of simple tips and rules-of-thumb that can help you to take better pictures. The first and most important thing to remember is to take your time. Look at the scene in the viewfinder or on your monitor and try to see it not as simply a view but instead to imagine it as a finished print. Ask yourself if there's any…

Understanding exposure and how it affects your photographs is probably the single most important technical skill you can learn in photography. It's certainly the one that most people get wrong, and apart from camera shake, bad exposure probably ruins more photos than any other single cause. The main problem is over reliance on automatic metering. Most modern cameras, even relatively cheap compacts, have sophisticated built-in TTL multi-zone evaluative exposure meters that measure light levels at dozens, in some cases hundreds, of points within the frame, instantly comparing the results with a built-in library of exposure situations and automatically adjusting the shutter speed and aperture to deal with problems such as back-lighting, close-ups or moving subjects. In most cases these automatic exposure systems are very good, and can reliably cope with…

Anyone who has owned a digital camera for a while will be familiar with the concept of image noise. It's that grainy distortion that spoils pictures shot in low light conditions with high ISO settings. But what is image noise? Where does it come from, and what can be done to prevent it? All electronic devices generate noise. The background hiss of a radio, the sound of an over-amplified electric guitar, or the interference on a badly-tuned television, all of these things are electronic noise, and so is the noise in seen in a digital photograph. This noise comes from a variety of sources. Some of it is generated by imperfections in the electronic components, or as a by-product of their normal operation. For instance, capacitors generate a small amount…

We've always maintained that at a certain level, most people who like to take photos can shoot images similar to the pros if they were in the same situation with similar gear. An often quoted example is that of the wedding photographer who turns up and is shooting the bride and groom in natural light with a particular brand of camera and lens. Uncle Phil, a guest from the bride's side of the family, has the same gear and is standing next to the photographer and snapping away too. The likelihood is strong that they are going to capture similar photos. One of the best ways that any photographer can create images that set them apart from the Uncle Phil's of this world is by using light in ways he can't.…

If you've had a computer or a digital camera for more than a couple of days, you'll have come across JPEG images, usually denoted by the file extension '.jpg', and you may be wondering exactly what it means. The letters themselves stand for the Joint Photographic Expert Group, a body of scientists, programmers and engineers from the imaging industry who got together several years ago to come up with a new standard for file storage that would allow images from different computer programs to be interchangeable, so that a picture from one computer could be viewed on another without having to use file conversion programs. “For maximum image quality there are other types of image file which are uncompressed and lose no quality, the most common being TIFF.” The JPEG…

Have you arrived at a point where you wonder why your photos look more like simple snaps and not professional level masterpieces? There are a number of hints and tips we can pass on that can help you evolve as a photographer. Many of those tips cover shooting techniques, others may simply be advice about equipment and understanding a little more about your camera. You don't have to use them all but pick out a few that work for you, develop them and make them a part of your creative photographic process and they will stand you in good stead as you progress your skills. “There are a number of hints and tips we can pass on that can help you evolve as a photographer.”…

There is often a misconception among budding photographers that landscape photography is something of an easy option when deciding on a subject to capture. Sometimes it only takes a twenty minute drive to transport you from your local town and put you among the marvels and beauty of the natural world. While it is certainly true that the natural world is very accessible, it can be another thing altogether to create memorable landscape images. It isn't just a case of arriving at a destination, firing up your DSLR and snapping away like a mad thing. The skills you may have that enable you to operate your camera are quite distinct from those that allow you to envision a beautifully composed image within the landscape you currently find yourself. Both are…

At the dawn of photography as we know it, when everything was fresh and new, your only choice back then was to shoot in black and white. Exposing images onto glass or metal plates gave way to the film and chemical process. It wasn't until 1936 that Kodak gave the world colour photography. However, black and white didn't die off like the black and white TV; in fact it positively flourished. Whichever way you look at it, colour distracts you from the heart of what should make a great photo. Things like texture, composition, form, lighting and good old storytelling can be swamped and made inconsequential by colour. It's not to say that colour is an invalid medium. Black and white photography can be seen as your interpretation of what…

When you think of nude photography, chances are you're going to fall into one of two categories. There are those that consider nudes controversial and vulgar, then there are others who just see it as a creative representation of the human form. There is no doubt that if handled with respect and care to the subject matter, nude photography can yield amazing images. Of course, it is sensitive in its nature, and attention must be paid in order that it not stray into the pornographic. Since the dawn of the art form, many famous photographers have shot nude studies, and if it's something you're interested in exploring, there is no reason that you can't attempt it too. We have, in no particular order, a series of guides that can help…

“A lot of macro work can be seen on picture sharing sites like Flickr. The insect world is a popular subject for macro photography, as is plant life.” It comes down to personal preference of course, but we would always recommend beginning your macro photography experience indoors. This type of photography does not require a lot of space. As long as you have your camera, lens, tripod, a tabletop and a light source, you are ready to begin. You're in comfortable surroundings and you aren't subject to the vagaries of the weather. You can concentrate on learning the craft and a cup of coffee isn't far away either! To be honest, anything and everything is fair game for macro photography. A lot of macro work can be seen on picture…