50 Incredible Photography Techniques and Tutorials

Over the recent months we’ve been presenting various showcases of photography – while many readers hated the showcases, most readers found them inspirational and perfect for a lousy workday’s morning. However, what we should have done in the inspirational posts is not just provide you with some inspiration for your work, but also present useful photographic techniques which can help you to achieve optimal pictures for your designs. And as requested by many of you, now it’s time to correct our mistake.

In this post we present useful photographic techniques, tutorials and resources for various kinds of photography. You’ll learn how to set up the perfect environment and what techniques, principles and rules of thumbs you should consider when shooting your next perfect photo. This round-up isn’t supposed to be the ultimate one – please feel free to suggest more useful articles in the comments to this post.

Among other things, we cover high-speed photography, tilt-shift photography, black and white photography, motion blur, infrared, night, smoke photography, macro photography, HDR, panoramic photography, RAW processing and others. Hopefully, you’ll find many of the listed tutorials and how-tos useful for your regular work.


1. High Speed Photography

Celebration Of High-Speed Photography
This post is supposed to provide you with some inspiration of what can be done with high-speed photography. It also showcases some truly stunning slow-motion videos.


Home-Made High Speed Photography
Pictures of high-speed events such as popping balloons, breaking glass, and splashing liquids reveal interesting structures not visible to the naked eye. With this guide you can take your own high-speed photos to captures these ephemeral events. A very detailed tutorial.


2. Tilt-Shift Photography 

Tilt-shift photography refers to the use of camera movements on small- and medium-format cameras; it usually requires the use of special lenses.

“Tilt-shift” actually encompasses two different types of movements: rotation of the lens relative to the image plane, called tilt, and movement of the lens parallel to the image plane, called shift. Tilt is used to control the orientation of the plane of focus (PoF), and hence the part of an image that appears sharp; it makes use of the Scheimpflug principle. Shift is used to change the line of sight while avoiding the convergence of parallel lines, as when photographing tall buildings.

Another, less cost-intensive technique called “tilt-shift miniature faking” is a process in which a photograph of a life-sized location or object is manipulated so that it looks like a photograph of a miniature-scale model.


3. Black and White Photography 

Beautiful Black and White Photography
One of the most beautiful inspirational posts on Smashing Magazine, featuring over 50 brilliant works from photographers across the globe.



5 Black and White Photography Tips
A short, but useful article by by Darren Rowse, featuring shoot in RAW, low ISO and other techniques. You may also consider reading the articles Key Ingredients for Black and White Images



Black and White Photography Guide
Black and white photography starts before the shot is even taken. In this article you’ll find some quick tips on what to look for to ensure the perfect black and white landscape – e.g. camera settings for black and white photography and what filters are good for black and white landscapes.



Digital Black and White
This site features professional photography articles written by Keith Cooper. It covers black/white-photography-techniques, image manipulation techniques, tools, articles and camera reviews.

The Top 5 Black & White Photography Tips
Five handy tips to get you going in the right direction: practice, focus on contrast, focus on texture, use color filters and more. If you want to learn more about the actual black and white conversion process in Photoshop, see the article 12 Ways to Make a Black & White Photo as well.




4. Motion Blur Photography 

45 Beautiful Motion Blur Photos
A showcase of motion blur photos. Motion blur is frequently used to show a sense of speed. You can artificially achieve this effect in a usual scene using cameras with a slow shutter speed. Also Adobe Photoshop can be used for this purpose, though sometimes images may look unnatural and unprofessional.



How to Capture Motion Blur in Photography
Capturing movement in images is something that many photographers only need to do when photographing sports or other fast-moving events.



Professional-Looking Motion-Blur Effect for Your Images
“In this tutorial we’re going to show you how to create a very popular motion blur effect used in many magazine and various other professionally crafted images.”



Photoshop Tutorials: Create Silky Smooth Waterfalls
“In this Adobe Photoshop tutorial, we’re going to look at how to give waterfalls a silky smooth appearance, as if the photo were taken with a longer exposure, which would normally require the use of a neutral density filter.”



Long Exposure Photos
Long exposure can be used to create very interesting photographs. It can be used, for example, to create a bright photo in low-light conditions or to create motion blur for moving elements in a photograph


5. Infrared Photography 

40 Incredible Near-Infrared Photos
A showcase of near-infrared photography. Near-infrared images straight out of the camera do not always look good and are usually not as dramatic and beautiful as normally captured images. Hence, a lot of post-processing is done to enhance these images.



Infrared Photography with a Digital Camera
Thanks to digital photography, we can take infrared pictures whenever we please, mix them with “normal” ones and see the results on the spot, tweaking the settings to our heart’s desire.



Beyond Visible
Website about IR, UV and luminescence photography. Here you can found plenty of theory and useful information about IR adaptors for flashlights. Among the resources is a huge collection of links related to invisible light photography.

Infrared photography
Huge article with a number of useful links. Nearly complete list of IR filters and digital cameras that can be updated for IR shooting.


6. Night Photography

60 Beautiful Examples Of Night Photography
60 amazing examples of night photography, created by some hard-working and dedicated photographers. Take a look at their websites and portfolios.



The Nocturnes
The Nocturnes is an organization dedicated to night photography. Founded by Tim Baskerville in San Francisco in 1991, it has grown to become the premier source of information and education on night photography, as well as an international community for night photographers.



Lost America night photography
Wandering the deserted backroads of the American Southwest, Troy Paiva has explored the abandoned underbelly of America since the 1970s. Since 1989 he’s been taking pictures of it… at night, by the light of the full moon.



Long Exposure Night Photography
This article shows you how to take pictures of night scenes with no moving objects.



Night Photography by David Baldwin
Night photography of landscapes and architecture.

MalekTips (removed due to errors)
Some solutions for avoiding typical problems with night photography.

Learn Night Photography
Quick and dirty guide to defining exposure time for typical night subjects.



Night Landscape Photography
Capture stunning landscape images during the black of night.


7. Smoke Art Photography 

Smoke Photography and Smoke Art
A round-up of some of the best examples of photos and artworks where smoke dominates.



Smoke Art Photography – An Introduction
This articles features smoke art photography tips from Stoffel De Roover; it describes the typical setup, important techniques and necessary adjustments for a perfect smoke art photo.

Smoke photography video tutorial
Video tutorial on smoke photography.



Make: How-To Smoke Photography
Learn how to create and shoot sculptures made with smoke and how to paint with smoke.




8. Macro Photography

25 Beautiful Macro Photography Shots
A round-up of some truly revealing and inspiring macro photographs which are sure to have you marveling at the world around you.



Macro Photography
How to take close-up pictures of small things, by Philip Greenspun

Introduction to Macro Photography
Set-up and camera settings for macro photography (8-minute video).

Reversing Lenses for Macro Photography
A guide to building a lens for extreme macro shooting.



Woven Shadows
Digital photography video tutorial (48 MB).

Macro photography
A round-up of gadgets that will help you move really close to your subject.

Captain’s European Butterfly Guide
Engaging guide for this special kind of hunting (of course, you can use it outside of Europe, too).

Macro Photography Tips for Point and Shoot Digital Cameras
Most of the articles here are geared to DSLR owners. But they are also useful for macro photography with compact cameras, too.

Macrophoto Journal on deviantART
A number of excellent photos, forums and technical articles.



Macro Photography Tutorial
Short review on insect shooting, and amazing photos by M. Plonsky, PhD.




9. HDR 

If you don’t like these kinds of photos, please move along. No complaints will be accepted.

35 Fantastic HDR Pictures
This post covers 35 beautiful and perfectly executed HDR pictures. Some of them may look surreal, too colorful, even magic or fake, but they are not. Keep in mind that they’ve all been developed from normal photos; not a single image is an illustration.



HDR Tutorial
HDR how-to guide, mostly related to Mac users.



HDR: High Dynamic Range Photography
HDR how-to guide with Photoshop CS2

In-Camera HDR detailed tutorial
YouTube video tutorial

HDR tutorial
Tutorial on HDR with free-of-charge software GIMP and Qtpfsgui



HDR Tutorial
Tutorial on HDR with Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop CS2 and Photomatix Pro




10. RAW Processing 

A raw image file contains minimally processed data from the image sensor. Raw image files are sometimes called digital negatives, because they serve the same role as negatives in film photography. But unlike negatives, these files need much more processing.

Choosing RAW Image Processing Software
The most expensive multi-function RAW processing software is not always the best for converting the wide range of current RAW image file formats.

RAW Processing Workflow Using Phase One’s Capture One 4
Capture One 4 is more than just a rewritten version of Phase One’s Capture One LE. It offers improved speed and quality of RAW conversion, and it builds on its strengths as a RAW-processing workflow tool.

Aperture, Lightroom and Capture One review:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

A full-range review of three of the most popular and powerful tools for RAW processing

Lightroom Presets: The Ultimate Free List
“The biggest, most updated list of free Adobe Lightroom presets. It’s true you can have too many, but this is the best jumping-off point for finding new presets. Taste as many as you like, then tell us your favorites.” Note that the presets don’t work with RAW and JPEG files the same.


11. Panoramic Photography 

A panorama — or panoramic photo — is usually made by stitching several pictures taken with the same camera into one.

How To: Panoramic Photography
Making a panoramic photo really is only taking the pictures, stitching them together on your computer. The more effort and attention you put into the first step, the easier the second step will be and the more realistic your final photo will look.



Taking Panoramic Landscapes – The Easy Solution
Panoramas have a reputation for being hard to take. Dedicated panorama cameras are available, but unless you’ve got at least $1000 to spare, you probably can’t afford one! But you can take panoramas with any kind of camera.



Digital Photography Tutorial – Panorama Stitching
“Many digital cameras, even some budget-priced pocket compacts, have a feature known as “Panorama Stitching” mode. If you haven’t experimented with it yet, it is designed to help with a particular type of photograph, or rather series of photographs, in which successive shots are taken as the camera is panned across a scene.”

Building Panoramic Images in The GIMP
Panoramic landscapes make for some amazing photos. There’s nothing like the relaxation and tranquility felt when gazing over the sweeping wilderness, save for the hassle of actually getting there. Using a digital camera, it’s possible to stitch photos together to simulate the expensive effects of a landscape filter.

The easy way is to use Pandora. Pandora is a plug-in for The GIMP that tries to match the edges of the photos, using a best guess at where one photo ends and the next begins.

12. Special Issues

Architecture photography, a beginners’ guide
Insightful tips for photography of stationary subjects by Michael Jenkins. You may also want to learn how to shoot bridges, statues, buildings and piers.



Guide To Architectural Photography
Despite architecture’s diversity there are a number of simple rules that apply in most situations, or will at least get you thinking more deeply about how you can best portray a particular piece of architecture.



DIY Lighting Hacks for Digital Photographers
“Lighting can be the difference between a good shot and a great one. Walk into most professional photographers’ studios, and you’ll be confronted with truckloads of lighting equipment. To the average hobby photographer, it’s enough to make your mind boggle — and make your stomach turn as you think about the cost of it all.

In this post, I’ve found 10 DIY flash and lighting hacks that put some of these lighting techniques within the grasp of the rest of us.”



10 Top Photography Composition Rules

This post reviews important rules of good photography, such as Rules of Thirds, balancing elements, leading lines, symmetry and patterns, viewpoint, background, depth, framing, cropping and experimentation.

Camera Lenses

 

There are many things that determine the quality of your photography, and one of the most important is the lenses you use. A good camera lens will capture sharp photos with plenty of detail and contrast, while a poor one can leave your images looking dull and blurry.

When shopping for lenses, it's important to consider the types of subject you intend to shoot, the likely lighting conditions, and of course your budget. There is no single lens that is perfect for every situation, so you'll need to balance the pros and cons of the various options and pick the best compromise.

This guide will help you make these important decisions so that you can find a camera lens which suits all of your needs, both artistic and practical

Types of Camera Lens

There are dozens of different types of lens available, designed for use in a wide range of circumstances. However, they can largely be grouped as follows:

Standard Lenses

 

A standard lens is one with a mid-range focal length, typically around 50mm. They have an angle of view which is roughly the same as the angle that the human eye can comfortably view, meaning that they produce images which appear "natural" to the viewer.

Standard camera lenses usually have a fixed focal length and wide aperture, giving them excellent performance in low light. They are popular for a wide range of photography subjects, including landscapes, portraits, and candid shots.

Macro Lenses

 

A macro lens is one designed especially for close-up photography. They have a different internal construction from normal lenses which gives them very good sharpness and contrast, meaning that they produce some really eye-catching photos.

Macro lenses are useful for photographing any subject at very close range. Typical subjects include insects, animals, and plants, but they are also popular for taking extremely detailed photos of everyday objects.

Telephoto Lenses

 

 

A telephoto lens has a long focal length and provides a high level of magnification, allowing you to photograph subjects at a moderate to far distance. They tend to be bigger and heavier than other types of lens, although modern technological advances have made them more compact and easier to handle.

Telephoto lenses are popular for any type of photography where you can't get near to the subject, including wildlife and sports events. They are also commonly used in portrait photography, where a moderate telephoto lens will provide a natural, undistorted perspective.

Wide Angle Lenses

 

A wide angle lens is one with a short focal length. They provide an angle of view beyond that of a standard lens, allowing them to capture more of the scene in a single shot. Extreme wide angle lenses are known as fisheye lens; these can capture around 180 degrees, making for some intriguing, almost abstract photos.

Wide angle lenses are useful for photographing landscapes, cramped interiors, and other subjects which won't fit into a normal lens's field of view. Fisheye lenses take this even further, and are popular for photographing action sports like skateboarding and surfing, where their inherent distortion gives photos a dynamic feel.

Specialist Lenses

Finally, there are a number of specialist camera lenses which cater for less common photography needs. These include tilt and shift lenses for perspective control, soft-focus lenses for portrait photography, and infrared lenses for capturing light outside the normal spectrum.

A specialist lens is used to produce some sort of special or creative effect, and so they have limited use in general photography. However, they can be very useful if you need to photograph a particular subject in a particular way.

Kit Lenses

Many entry-level SLRs come bundled with one or two lenses, often called "starter" or "kit" lenses. These are good for getting you up and running quickly but they are generally very cheap, slow lenses with poor image quality.

A kit lens is great for getting to grips with your camera and figuring out what focal lengths you like using, but you should consider replacing it when your budget allows.

Focal Length

The most important factor in any camera lens is its focal length. This determines which type of lens it is, and what subjects it will be able to photograph. Focal lengths range from just a few millimetres up to over a metre, and can be loosely grouped as follows:

Lens focal lengths, types, and uses 

Lens focal lengths, types, and uses 


Focal Length Lens Type Common Subjects
8mm - 24mm Ultra wide angle (fisheye) Wide panoramas and skyscapes, artistic
24mm - 35mm Wide angle Interiors, architecture, landscapes
35mm - 85mm (50mm common) Standard General purpose
85mm - 135mm Short telephoto Portraits, candid
135mm - 300mm Medium telephoto Close sports, action
300mm+ Super telephoto Far sports, wildlife, nature, astronomy

Crop Factor

Lens focal lengths are specified for a camera with a "full-frame" 35mm sensor. Most consumer DSLRs and all compacts use a smaller sensor, and this has the effect of cropping off the edges of the photograph, resulting in an image which is more "zoomed in" than it would be on a full-frame sensor.

This cropping makes it seem as though the lens has a longer focal length than it really does. We can calculate a lens's "effective focal length" by multiplying the real focal length by the camera's "crop factor". A typical crop factor is around 1.5x, meaning that a 50mm lens actually has an effective focal length of 75mm when fitted to this camera.

Before buying any lens, you should find out your camera's crop factor and use it to calculate the lens's effective focal length. This will ensure you end up with a lens which gives the desired effect.

Prime vs Zoom Lenses

A "prime" lens is one with a fixed focal length, while a "zoom" lens is one that can zoomed in and out to provide a wider range of focal lengths. Each type has its own benefits and drawbacks.

Prime lenses tend to have better optical quality than zooms, and can usually achieve a wider aperture, giving them better low-light performance. Their lack of moving parts also makes them lighter and cheaper. On the other hand, the range of focal lengths offered by a zoom lens can provide more flexibility, making them suitable for a wider range of subjects.

The choice between prime and zoom depends on your level of experience and the subjects you intend to photograph. If you are a beginner, a zoom lens can be a better choice as it will allow you to experiment with a range of focal lengths to find what you like. For more experienced photographers, the improved quality of a prime lens will usually more than make up for the reduced flexibility.

Aperture

A lens's aperture determines how much light it lets through. More often than not, a wider aperture (lower f-number) is preferable, as it will allow you to take photos indoors and in other situations with little or no natural light.

A wide aperture also allows you to use a faster shutter speed, which is important when photographing fast-moving subjects or when hand-holding the camera.

The down-side of having a wide aperture is the cost - lenses with wider apertures can cost significantly more than a normal lens. This is particularly true of long telephoto lenses, where an extra stop of aperture can easily double the price of the lens.

Focusing

Most modern camera lenses have a built-in autofocus mechanism which takes the guesswork out of getting sharp photos. Some specialist lenses may use a manual focusing system, so be sure to check this out before buying.

Some lenses employ more advanced focusing systems to meet particular needs. Silent autofocus is useful for macro and candid photography, where the lens sound can alert the subject and potentially ruin your shot. Internal focusing means that the outside of the lens stays perfectly still, which can be beneficial in macro photography where any movement could scare your subject away.

Image Stabilisation

When photographing at slow shutter speeds, camera movement can cause blurring in your photo. Image stabilisation (IS) is designed to reduce this, making your shots sharper and allowing you to shoot at slower speeds without using a tripod. Optical image stabilisation is considered superior to digital image stabilisation, although it does cost more.

A lens with image stabilisation will typically give you an extra 2 to 4 stops of exposure, allowing for exposures 4 to 16 times longer without a noticeable increase in blurring. This can be very useful when shooting in low light, or when hand-holding a telephoto lens.

Lens Fit

All lenses attach to the camera using some sort of locking lens mount. These come in bayonet, screw-thread, and friction-lock varieties, and they act to attach the lens to the camera body and join any electrical connections.

Each camera manufacturer has its own design, and while they often look very similar, they are not interchangeable. When shopping for a camera lens be sure it has the proper fit so that it will mount on your camera. Most third-party lens manufacturers sell the same lens with different mounts to cater for this.

Size and Weight

You should choose your lenses based on the subjects and situations you intend to photograph rather than the lens's size and weight, but these can be important as a final consideration.

The most important factor is the lens's focal length - longer lenses tend to be bigger and heavier. Aperture also plays a small role in the lens's weight, with a wider aperture requiring a more complex, heavier internal construction. Any extra features such as silent focusing or internal focusing will also generally increase the weight, especially for longer lenses.

If you intend to shoot hand-held, a lighter lens is better as it will be easier to move around and won't ache your arms when used for extended periods. Heavier lenses are sometimes necessary, and you should support them properly using a tripod or monopod. However, be aware that this will reduce your mobility.

The size of a camera lens can be important if you need to carry it in a travel bag or pack it to take on a plane, where space is limited. For these purposes, some manufacturers make lenses which are lighter and more compact than their counterparts, but this will increase the cost.

Buying a Camera Lens

Begin by listing the types of subject you intend to photograph. This may be a single type, such as "portraits", or it may be several, such as "portraits and close sports". Use the table above to select a suitable range of focal lengths to shop for. If your subjects are too far apart (e.g. "interiors and wildlife"), you probably won't find a single lens to cover them all.

Next, consider the likely lighting conditions you will experience. Be sure to consider the worst case scenario so that you can choose a lens that will cover all situations. If you will be using your lens in low light then a wide maximum aperture is essential - you should aim for at least f2.8 for well-lit indoor shots, and at least f1.8 for darker interiors. If you will mostly be using your lens outdoors in daylight then a wide aperture isn't quite so important, but is still preferable.

If there are any special features you require, such as silent autofocus, then list these too. Try not to add these extras just for the sake of it, as they can push the price up quite significantly, and aren't worth it if you won't use them.

Once you have your lens spec mapped out, you can begin looking for specific models. Online stores like Amazon and Adorama are a good place to start, and you can get opinions on particular lenses by visiting review sites and forums.

With some research you should be able to narrow your selection to a handful of suitable products. In general, if you own a Canon or Nikon camera, the best lenses are the ones made by those manufacturers, but there are also some excellent third-party brands such as Tamron, Sigma, and Tokina, which tend to be cheaper.

If you can't find a suitable lens that's within your budget then resist the temptation to buy something cheaper but which doesn't quite do what you want it to do. Camera lenses tend to last for years, so it's usually better to wait and save money until you can afford the one you really want.

 

 

How to Photograph Lightning

  Magna Mortem by Josh Wallace on 500px  

Being one of the most unpredictable forces of nature, lightning storms present a unique challenge for most photographers. We’ve all seen powerful photos of lightning in action and you may be wondering how you can capture the majesty of a storm the next time you’re fortunate (or unfortunate) enough to witness one. While a lot matters on what Mother Nature decides to do with all that electricity, the tips below should help in capturing a great shot of lightning.



Apocalypse by Miguel Angel Martín Campos on 500px

1. Use a steady surface

While a tripod typically works best, in reality any steady surface will work. Some people use a beanbag or other malleable item, like a pillow. This will be import as #2 is….

2. Long Shutter Times

While lightning is unpredictable, it’s extremely hard to make a decent capture by tripping the shutter when you see a flash. There are some fancy remote controls that have the ability to trip when the flash is sensed, but I’m guessing you don’t want to invest in these types of gadgets. Depending on your cameras ability to manage noise on slow shutter speeds, using a timing of 30 seconds can work well. The bulb setting can also be handy if you have a way to keep the shutter open.

3. Horizon Up

It’s safe to say most of the lightning action you will see will in the sky. I know it’s obvious, but it needs to be stated that your field of view will be skewed toward the sky then. Depending on how close the lightning is, you’ll be including more blank looking sky than normal. But fear not; that sky becomes far more exciting when the lightning starts

4. But Include Something Interesting

While the action will be in the sky, don’t forget to keep something in the frame to give relevance and perspective to the shot. Buildings are a favorite, but really, anything that can give an idea of the size of the storm works well.

5. Manual Focus

It’s best to use manual focus when shooting in lightning situations. Mainly because the view will probably be at night (but not always) with a fair amount of darkness. Rather than allow your camera to hunt around for something to focus on with each new shot, get a good manual focus on the sky and leave it there.


Golden Hour on Fire by Justin Battles on 500px

 

6. Manual Shutter/Aperture Too

As mentioned in #2, if your camera has the ability to set the shutter speed, pick a long shutter time and a fairly wide aperture. The action will be far from you so a wide aperture and shallow depth of field won’t be a problem (unless you have some very near objects you’d like to include).

7.Stack ’em

If you can keep your camera in a steady spot, shot after shot, you can use stacking software to combine multiple strikes into one image. You’ll often have many unexciting shots with maybe just a single strike or faint action between clouds. These can all be combined to make a spectacular image.

8.Be Patient

This is a big one and a key to success. Get familiar with your gear and settings so when there is a lightning storm you can set up the camera and then let it do its thing while you enjoy the show. You’re going to have a number of times when you miss “the shot” for one reason or another. Don’t sweat it.



Shooting lightning storms can be a very enjoyable experience but it takes a little practice to get it just right. Follow the steps above and you’ll be well on your way to creating electrifying photos

How to Improve Your Photography

 

Among the many articles I have read here, at Photography Life, the most controversial are the ones that especially call my attention. Despite being against the polemics, I am in favor of sincere dialogue, because through dialogue we can grow internally too. In my opinion, there are several steps that one can take in order to make better pictures. Therefore, I invite you all to carry out a reflection on the subject.

The Theme

The most important initial step is having some sort of a theme to your work (you might even call it a “project”). And the more specific, the better! For example, we can dedicate ourselves to take pictures of birds, but if we create a theme within the subject, our photos will be inherently better, as they will be related through something common. For example, one could study and photograph bird migration patterns, or perhaps photograph ecological problems that impact bird populations. With such themes, a variety of situations that normally would not come to mind when thinking about pictures of birds may emerge, making your work even more interesting.

Themes and photography projects are endless. For example, for portraiture, we can use a theme related to coffee workers and that’s exactly what I have done in this article. It is interesting how the more specific the subject becomes, the more captivating photography can get.

Location

The location is obviously very important – that’s where you shoot. Studying it, learning the best moments and times of light, the great possibilities of varying the angles and the best lenses to use for the particular location will be very important in yielding potentially stunning images. You must also know the location in order to be efficient with your time – the more you know, the faster and easier you will be able to execute a project. In the choice of lenses, you must take into account your theme / project, because depending on your approach, things like angle of view, focal length and maximum aperture might vary and change. In the case of coffee workers, for example, I used portrait lenses suitable to my style and I did not just concentrate on the portraits themselves – in many cases, I wanted to highlight the surrounding environment and the working conditions of the workers, which is very important.

The second plan is where we place the subject in the environment and, in this case, a wide-angle might be preferable in order to show what’s going on around the subject. This also does not mean that you cannot use telephoto lenses – sometimes telephoto lenses are even more preferable, as they allow focusing in one particular area of the scene, rather than introduce all the potentially undesirable clutter.

Now that our theme and location are set, it is time to reflect on our possibilities.

Possibilities

Many argue that photography is an elitist profession, full of people with financial possibilities. And it can certainly be true in some cases, especially when it comes to digital photography. If we take two skilled photographers and put them in a jungle in Borneo, Indonesia with different-level equipment and budgets to work with, it is expected that the one with the better gear and resources will yield better photographs. For example, if photographer A has limited gear, such as the Nikon D7100 with a kit 18-55mm lens and say a single telephoto lens such as the 70-300mm VR, with a 7 day deadline, whereas photographer B has a Nikon D5 with a collection of exquisite lenses such as the holy trinity (14-24mm, 24-70mm, 70-200mm), along with high-end super telephoto lenses such as the 200mm f/2, 400mm f/2.8 and 800mm f/5.6, and on top of that has all other tools and resources such as a helicopter, a plane, etc, with unlimited time on his/her hands, it is expected that the latter will produce much better work, simply due to the above factors. So in a way, gear and resources unfortunately do matter when it comes to possibilities, but it does not mean that we should ignore other factors such as knowledge, skill, patience, luck, etc. However, one must evaluate and understand their possibilities and limits – what we can and cannot do with the tools and resources we have today.

Understanding and knowing the tools you have today is very important. For example, if you shoot an event with other photographers who are shooting with 70-200mm lenses and you do not own such a lens, lenses such as the 105mm f/2.8 or other classic portrait lenses can produce similar, if not better quality images. Knowing your lens limitations, you might need to move around more and try different angles, but that’s the beauty – your gear will force you to get more creative than the others, which might actually make your images look better in comparison. If you photograph wildlife, you might not have the $10K 600mm f/4 that your neighboring photographer might be shooting with, but slap on a 200-500mm budget lens on your camera body and it is all about the subject and the light at that point. While he will be busy attaching his lens to a gimbal head, you are already out taking pictures hand-held and capturing those unique moments he is missing out on. Sometimes, it is as simple as waking up earlier than others that will give you the advantage. Many photographers are often lazy to get up early, but you know that it is all about that early morning and late afternoon light that makes a picture go from average to superb.

References

Studying good photographers and having references in your head is fundamental in growing your photography. It would be very naive on our part to think that we are the first to conceive this or that project. We should use tools such as Google before making our projects, and references will certainly arise. Nowadays, the level of photography is highly elevated – there are many amazing photographers out there. Right here, at Photography Life, you can find very young photographers who already get it right, whereas for many of us, it took years of practice to get to where they are today…

Studying known photographers and their work is important. If you shoot in Black and White, you should know who Henri Cartier-Bresson, Fan Ho and Sebastiao Salgado are. You should study their work, study their compositions and how they interpreted light. The same goes for all other types of photography – understanding and knowing masters of particular photography genres will help you in shaping who you are today and where you will be tomorrow. It will be a good reference point in your head and it will make you want to get better.

 

Humility

You might be a great photographer already. You might have the money to buy a high-end camera with an 800mm f/5.6 to parade everywhere you go. However, you might be walking on a thin line with your pride and arrogance, so watch out! At the end of the day, it is not about you – it is about what you can do for the world around you.

Be open and listen to what others have to say, because sometimes a little phrase might be the biggest tip of your life.

Mood

Be an joyful photographer. Look into your heart to see what you should do next, even if you are on your own and nobody wants to support you. Do not let others make your day gray!

And always remember the following:

“Why worry, there should be laughter after pain

There should be sunshine after rain

These things have always been the same

So why worry now”

Mark Knopfler

Happy shooting my friends!