Street Photography Tips

Here are 10 tips for those wanting to get into Street Photography:

1. Travel Light – Less is more so don’t take too much equipment – just enough that you can carry in a small carrying case.

2. Be Ready – Have your camera ready to go so you don’t miss opportunities.

3. Anticipate Moments – Try and predict moments between people.

4. Venture Off – Get behind the scenes of real life, not just touristy places. Take pictures of public places and people in their most natural state.

5. Capture the Background – Sometimes what’s going on behind the subject can really make a statement, such as signs, graffiti, etc.

6. Try different things – Hold your camera diagonally, experiment with different angles and get in close to the subject.

7. Find entertainment – Events, parades, and street performers can make great subjects.

8. Be artistic – Exaggerate your perspective by using a wide-angle or fisheye lens or decrease shutter speed to cause motion blur.

9. Remember respect – Smile, be polite and be willing to delete images if people protest. Be sensitive to other people’s feelings.

10. Practice – Like anything new that you are learning, practice makes perfect. Shoot a lot and weed out your boring shots.

In Camera High Dynamic Range Shooting

Some scenes have a range of light levels that exceed the capabilities of even the best image sensors. For subjects like this, a camera with built in High Dynamic Range (HDR) capability can merge several exposures taken at different exposure levels to produce an image that captures the full brightness range without the need for post processing on a computer.

To do this effectively you need to capture a wide brightness range like the PENTAX K–r and K–5 that take three exposures, one at normal exposure 0 EV, one under exposed at -3 EV and one over exposed at +3 EV. These three exposures are then merged taking the shadow area information from the +3 EV exposure, the mid-tone information from the 0 EV exposure and the highlight information from the -3 EV exposure. The amount of blending can be left to the camera by choosing AUTO or manually selected from Standard and three levels of Strong letting the photographer define the look of the picture.

For most cameras to take HDR images the camera must be mounted on a tripod to prevent camera movement between exposures that would give ghost images. The in body PENTAX SR (shake reduction) system makes it possible to take hand held HDR images when AUTO ALIGN is turned on in the PENTAX K–r or K–5 by moving the image sensor to keep the images in alignment.

These samples were taken handheld with the K-5 using the DA 18-135mm WR lens at about midnight in the rain.

How to Shoot Great Wedding Photos

Have you been asked to shoot your friend’s wedding? Here are some tips to help the amateur photographer:

Create a “Shot List” – Compile a list of all the shots the bride and groom would like you to capture and check them off as you go along. Decide ahead of time where you will be taking photos – bride’s house, park, church, hall, etc.

Remember your Equipment – Make sure that you have all of the equipment that you need for the day, including charged batteries for your camera/flash and extra memory cards.

Be Forward – Shyness will not get you the shot. Be bold so that you can capture the moment. Think ahead so that you are in the right position for those key moments without disrupting the event. Nominate a family member to round everyone up and keep things moving.

Consider Lighting – Learn how to diffuse light. If you cannot use a flash in church, ensure you bump up the ISO. Use a lens with image stabilization for extra help.

Think of your Backgrounds – Scope ideal places ahead of time and look for good backgrounds. If outdoors, look for shaded spots.

Get Creative - Change your perspective by taking photos from different angles (from above, down low, etc). The more fun you have, the more relaxed those you are photographing will be. Ensure you shoot the small details, such as the rings, flowers, table setting, menus, etc.

Use your Fill Flash – For midday shooting or in backlit situations, fill-in flash is a must in order to avoid a lot of shadow.

Switch to Continuous Shooting Mode – Ensure that you capture images quickly and don’t miss the moment.

High Speed Continuous AF Shooting

With dynamic moving subjects, as in sports, it’s important to capture the exact moment the photographer desires. High Speed Continuous Shooting is meaningless if it’s not accompanied by speed and accuracy, and Nikon’s technology has delivered on both.

Nikon has achieved High Speed Continuous Shooting of 9 frames per second (approx.) with the Nikon FX format and 11 frames per second with the Nikon DX format. With every single frame, Auto Focus, metering and Auto White Balance are controlled with exceptional accuracy.

Photographers are now able to use smaller aperture settings, enabling new and innovative photographic expression with deeper depth of field than was previously possible – all while maintaining high speed consecutive shooting of approx. 9 frames per second.

Shooting in the DX format is also highly effective in situations where there is little change in the subject’s position.

Top 10 Travel Photography Tips

Holidays are an opportunity to discover something new. Ensure you capture the moment! Here are a few tips that will assist you:

1. Get the right camera - Whether it’s a point-and-shoot camera or a DLSR, you want to ensure your camera has the features you’re looking for. Plus, ensure you have plenty of memory on hand.

2. Understand your camera - Learn your camera’s features and menus. You’ll find really useful settings. Play around with them before your holiday.

3. Focus on the unique - Look for the unique so that your image tells a story. Is there something you can include in the photo to better capture the moment or location? Add cultural and geographic details. Keep an eye for candid moments.

4. Frame the picture - When capturing people, ensure that you get close to your subject so that it fills the frame. Look for gestures and expressions. If your subject is the Tower of Pisa, you’ll need to get further away from it.

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5. Use the Rule of Thirds - Divide the frame into thirds with two equally-spaced vertical lines and horizontal lines. The 4 points formed by these intersections can be used to align features and points of interest in a photograph. Position your subject where the lines cross instead of centering it.

6. Pay attention to lighting - Use late afternoon light for the best natural light. The colour, direction, quantity, and quality of light determines how your subjects appear. If the sun is behind your subject, use your flash.

7. Think outside the box - Limit yourself to a certain number “safe” shots then unleash your creativity and focus on originality. Take photos from different angles and perspectives. Keep an eye out for something unusual.

8. Capture some video – Many digital cameras today shoot video as well. Ensure that you capture some video in addition to your still images. You can turn slideshows into dynamic, multimedia presentations.

9. Keep track - Each night, put aside some time to make a few notes in a journal about the day’s events. This will help you remember places, people and activities featured in your photos. This is also handy if you want to create a Foto Book.

10. Print your pictures - Get prints made of your favourite shots or better yet, create a Foto Book. The perfect way to share your travel photos with family and friends.

Organizing your Photographs

Are you feeling overwhelmed by the hundreds of photographs on your hard drive? Or perhaps they are still stored on your memory card. Taking the photos is fun, but organizing them is another thing! Here are some tips to get you started:

For photographs you already have stored on your computer, create subfolders within your "My Pictures" folder for each year: 2007, 2008, 2009, and so on. Then create unique subfolders of the current year. For example, “Cancun vacation” or “Cancun vacation 2007-06-26”. Ensure you have the date and/or event name and sort your photos accordingly.

Next, transfer all the current photos you have on your camera to your computer’s hard drive and file them as described above.

Regularly back up your photos by uploading them to Foto Depot. This is your most secure option. Foto Depot saves your high resolution original and not a condensed copy of your image. There is nothing worse than your computer crashing and losing all those precious memories. Once your photos are stored on Foto Depot, you can easily order prints and create Foto Gifts. Keep it simple by using the same folder names.

Place your prints into albums or memory boxes right after having them printed. Photos are easier to find and this takes up less space. Do this with both your existing photographs and any new ones you print. Take your time as you don’t want to feel overwhelmed. If you prefer, you can also create Foto Books instead of ordering individual prints.

It can be tough to get started but once you’re organized, it’s easy to maintain and you’ll never have to worry about losing or misplacing your photographs again. Now you can easily share your photos or find that special shot!

Face Detection on Digital Cameras

An increasing number of digital cameras now include Face Detection technology (AF/AE), also referred to as Face Recognition or Face Priority. What Face Detection does is detect a face in a scene, lock focus on it, and adjust flash output and exposure so it comes out great. The person’s face will be clearly visible in all its lifelike colour and detail.

Face Detection technology is a form of pattern detection which uses an algorithm to locate the faces in a frame. It best identifies faces when the subject is looking straight at the camera. This feature is typically activated when Portrait mode or a Face Detecting Shooting mode are selected, although some cameras may have the Face Detection system on all the time. If your camera has Intelligence Auto modes, it will automatically detect the scene that you’re photographing and choose accordingly.

This technology is effective when taking photographs of large groups, a person in the distance or when the subject’s face is off-center near the edge of the frame. Regular auto focus systems, even those with multiple auto focus zones, will sometimes miss the faces and focus on something else that's between them which may result in blurry and overexposed or underexposed pictures.

Monopods and Tripods

Today’s advances in digital cameras make it easier to get good results hand-holding your camera, but a monopod or tripod is still necessary to ensure the sharpest and clearest images. These common support devices are designed for different uses and applications although their main purpose is to reduce camera shake.

Monopods are lighter, more portable and easier to carry around with you on a holiday or a shoot. Both sports photographers and wild life photographers love using these devices as they can be assembled in seconds making setting up a shot (before the scene changes) a lot quicker.

Tripods are designed to be stationary. They can take a few minutes to set up and take down, and generally do not fold down small enough to tuck inside your camera bag. Best suited to static situations such as landscape photography, macro photography, studio shoots or posed portraits. A tripod also allows you to experiment with different techniques and settings by offering you additional stability and flexibility

Not all Memory Cards are Created Equal

A memory card can be referred to as a flash memory card or a storage card. It is basically a small storage medium used to store data such as text, pictures, audio, and video, for use on small, portable devices, such as digital cameras, music players, camcorders, smartphones, eBooks, and personal computers. Most of today’s current products use flash memory technology.

There are a number of memory cards on the market, such as:

SD (Secure Digital) cards – These have become the most used option in compact digital cameras and other smaller devices.

CF (Compact Flash) cards – These are the largest cards in terms of physical size and are more popular in devices that can spare more space inside.

Smart Media cards – These are similar to CF cards and were more commonly used in earlier digital cameras.

MMC (Multi Media) cards – These have exactly the same physical format as SD cards. Some devices will support both formats, but not all do.

xD Picture Cards – These were developed by Fuji and Olympus for their cameras with three types available: Standard, Type M and Type H.

Memory cards not only vary in size, but differ in speed and storage capacity. The price typically corresponds to the amount of storage available. Storage capacity also varies per card type. It’s important to note that technology progresses so quickly that larger capacities become available almost every few months.

Speed refers to the cards’ per-second ability to have data transferred from it or to it and is often stated in “Times” speed (eg. 8X) or megabytes per second. Newer digital cameras typically have the ability to support higher speeds; therefore, you can safely buy the fastest card you can afford. Many digital video cameras require the higher speed cards in order to operate correctly.

When buying a memory card, please ensure you check which type of card your device supports. For more advice, drop by your local Foto Source Store.

Choosing a Digital Frame

The computer has been the typical storage and display device for most digital pictures. However, digital picture frames are now becoming a very popular way to share your photographs.

Here are 6 things to look at when choosing a digital frame:

Stylish Frame – Choose a size and style that’s suitable for you. The most popular sizes are 7” (4x6) and 10” (5x7). They come in various painted finishes or in traditional wood grain.

Excellent image quality – Look for sharp, bright images from all angles. Digital frames are like LCD monitors where resolution and image quality can vary significantly.

Built-in Memory – Check out how many images you can store on the frame. Pictures will be uploaded from your memory card so ensure that it accepts the same type of card that your camera does. If you plan on storing lots of images, it’s important to have a large internal memory.

Connectivity – You’ll want to keep your frame updated with recent photos. Most frames let you connect to your PC using a USB cable, while others let you sync wirelessly. Choose what’s right for you making it simple to keep updated.

Power – Most digital frames offer AC adapters while some offer built-in rechargeable battery packs. Others have a built-in auto on/off feature allowing you to program your frame to turn itself on and off at certain times.

Additional Features – Ensure that your frame is capable of playing MP3 files, displaying JPEGs, and even a few video formats; has built-in speakers to enjoy music; comes with a remote to easily make adjustments such as moving images or media files; and has an adjustable rear stand so that you can adjust the height and angle for better viewing.

Backing Up Your Pictures

Your photos are very significant and we simply cannot talk about the importance of photo back up enough. It’s vital to preserve your memories by having a strong backup strategy in place. No worries of scratched CDs, lost memory cards or your computer crashing and losing those precious moments.

Foto Source offers a free online photo services solution -- Foto Depot. This fantastic online solution will give you unlimited access to our secure server so that you can upload and store your full-size file images for free. Plus you’ll have peace of mind knowing that your images are safe. height and angle for better viewing.

Photographing Reflections on Water

A couple of the most common types of reflection photography are spectacular skyscapes reflected on water and silhouettes. Water reflections provide double beauty and instantly create interest in your photographs.

When it comes to taking good water reflections, there are several important points to keep in mind.

The best reflection shots happen with well illuminated subjects against a clear blue sky. Early morning or late afternoon is the best time when the sun is close to the horizon and directly focused on the object you wish to see reflected.

Dawn and dusk are also good, as these times produce more striking results as the water is likely to be calm, but the colours and clouds of the sky tend to be more dramatic.

The reflection does not have to be the focus of your picture but can provide a subtle background. Think of different perspectives.

If you are using your camera’s automatic settings, simply use your camera's close-up mode for close ups shots or landscape mode for scenery shots.

For DSLR and some Point and Shoot camera users, you can also consider investing in a polarizer to help control the amount of reflected light you get. If you want to shoot through a water reflection to capture a picture of the fish, a polarizing lens will help reduce the glare. A polarizer’s effect is stronger when you have the sun at 90° to your left or right. The polarizer can also enhance a blue sky or white clouds.

If you have a DSLR camera, use the manual mode, set your camera on a high aperture number such as f/11 if photographing landscapes then focus your camera on the actual reflection and press the shutter button. For reflections of wildlife or people, the aperture can be kept as low as f/5.6 as it’s a much smaller object and area size.

How does Image Stabilization work?

Image stabilization (IS) is a group of techniques designed to reduce blur that results from camera shake due to hand-held shooting. It does not prevent motion blur caused by the movement of the subject or by extreme movements of the camera. IS is used not only in cameras and camcorders, but binoculars and telescopes.

The key element of all optical stabilization systems is that they stabilize the image projected on the sensor before the sensor converts the image into digital information. It can be built into the camera or into the lens and helps record a sharper image.

Image stabilization mechanisms go by many names -- vibration reduction (VR), shake reduction, steady shot and sensor-shift stabilization just to name a few.

IS helps you take clear photos:

• of non-moving subjects in low lighting
  without the use of the flash
  

• at slower shutter speeds
  
• when the camera isn’t completely steady
  
• when using a telephoto lens
  
• if you don’t use a tripod

How to Use a Spotting Scope to take Pictures

If you are looking to maximize the power of your optics, consider adding a zoom eyepiece, commonly referred to as a spotting scope, to your digital camera. This activity is known as digiscoping. It allows photographers to get extremely close to their subject – whether it be wildlife or what lies beyond the horizon.

A spotting scope provides more magnification than binoculars but less than a telescope. It is much smaller in size than a telescope and produces an upright image. In most cases, it is waterproof and fogproof. It is widely used for birding, surveillance, viewing landscape, wildlife, and other distant objects. It is also used to take long distance pictures. In some cases, a spotting scope provides higher magnification at a lower price than a dedicated camera lenses. These scopes begin at a relatively low price and increase as the quality goes up.

To use a spotting scope on your digital camera, you will require an adaptor, as well as a sturdy tripod because the scope will magnify the effect of any shake or vibration in the camera. Start by mounting the spotting scope to your tripod and scan your scene for a shot. You can then zoom in tighter and refocus – before or after you mount the camera in the adapter. It’s pretty straight forward but like anything new, you’ll need practice.

To find out about the best brands, check out your local foto source store.

How to Hold your Digital Camera Steady

Camera shake is one of the most common problems with many new digital photographers. Images appear blurry as a result of the camera not being held still enough when the shutter was pressed. This is especially true in low light conditions. Fuzzy pictures also occur when trying to frame your picture by holding the camera at arms length or with one hand.

Here are some tips to help you keep your camera steady:

• Use a tripod. This will guarantee to keep things steady.
  
• Hold your camera with two hands.
  
• Use your right hand to grip the right side of the camera. Place your forefinger above the shutter release and curl your other three fingers around the front of the camera with your thumb firmly on the back.
  
• Your left hand should sit underneath the camera or lens barrel (if your have a DSLR) to support its weight.
  
• Tuck your elbows in and keep the camera nice and close to your body for stability.
  
• Place your feet shoulder width apart and stand firm. You could also lean against a solid object or sit down for extra stability.
  
• Watch your breathing. Take your shot in between inhaling and exhaling.

Taking Better Sports Photographs

Its fun watching sports games, especially when someone you know is playing. Many times we want to capture the moment. Good sports photos take more than just a point and shoot action. Most sports are very fast and have lots of movement so it's important to learn how to flawlessly capture movement with your digital camera.

Let's take a look at what you can do to get better sports shots:

• To prevent blurred subjects, it's important to adjust the shutter speed to a faster speed, if your camera has this option. The shutter speed should be faster than a subject's motion. If available, use your camera's Shutter Priority mode. This allows you to set the shutter speed while the camera automatically sets the aperture (f-stop) for normal exposure.
  
• With a faster shutter speed, not as much light enters the camera so the ISO will need to be changed to 400 or above to allow more light exposure. If you adjust ISO over 400, it can make your image noisy.
  
• For those of you who cannot make manual adjustments on your camera or who prefer not, you can also use the Sports mode. This is an easy way to instantly change your camera into an action capturing machine. If you're after complete manual control you'll definitely need a DSLR camera.
  
• When shooting outdoor sports, you should never use an on-camera flash as this can distract players.
  
• Set your camera on continuous auto focus.
  
• Get close to your subject by using your zoom lens. For superior photos, use a high quality telephoto lens.
  
• Position yourself so that the sunlight is behind you.
  
• Sports and Action photography is all about reacting at the right time so look through the viewfinder or LCD monitor and have the shutter half pressed. This will ensure that your camera will fire immediately because it has already set the focus and exposure.