Whether you’ve got a DSLR or you’ve turned your point-and-shoot into a super camera, those fancy features are useless if you don’t understand them. Want to capture a perfectly exposed picture? Learning to use your histogram is a good starting point. More »
Scottish photojournalist Harry Benson, who’s captured some amazing frames of The Beatles, world leaders, and historic events, gives the New York Times his best tip for shooting at night or in low natural light.
He doesn’t lighten or otherwise touch his photos with image editors, and his secret to shooting in low light is simple:
Don’t be afraid. You’ll be surprised just how good your photos will be. Make sure there is some light on your subject’s face. But be brave about it. The thing about [it] is that I’ve been awakened to see just what digital cameras can do in low-light situations. It digs right into spaces that I never thought a camera could penetrate.
The post offers a few nitty-gritty details for manual-settings types, but he's right—the best photographs I've seen from parties, weddings, and news events come from shooters who simply stand steady, shoot what they can frame, and shoot a lot.
Panoramic software has come a long way toward making panoramic images child’s work. Great software or not, there’s no substitution for good source material. Take better panoramic pictures with these tips. Photo by Diego_3336.
Taking an awesome panoramic photograph isn’t as daunting a task as it once was, but there are still basic guidelines to follow for optimum results. One of the crucial elements to a natural-looking panorama is even exposure. If the exposure is different in each frame, your panoramic will end up with with a bizarre-looking skyline and an unnatural mixture of highlights and shadows. If your point-and-shoot has a panoramic mode, use it. On your DSLR, pick an average setting for the scene and set your exposure manually to that setting.
Exposure isn’t everything, though. Equally important is overlapping your images:
Overlapping is one of the important areas in creating a panoramic image. Just one slip with not enough overlap can ruin an attempt at the grandest of wide angle shots. No one wants to see pictures of the Grand Canyon with a bar of white down the middle because of the failure to overlap properly. I overlap by 30% each time. Sometimes more. Most people say 15% works just fine. Experiment with your particular camera to find the sweet spot of overlap.
For more excellent tips on creating beautiful panoramic photos, make sure to check out the link below. If you’re particularly pleased with your creation, previously mentioned viewAT is a service dedicated to sharing panoramic photos. Have a tried and true tip of your own for awesome panoramic photos? Share it in the comments below.
