Sharpen Your Photography Skills, Knowledge and Passion

Panning a moving subject properly....well it usually creates stunning results. A blurred background with a mostly crisp, slightly blurred around the edges, subject.....by definition a pan, is a matter of practice. Certain basic rules apply though..   SLOWER SHUTTER SPEEDS The most important rule. Shutter speeds by definition need to be slowed down to allow tracking a subject over a period of time. This creates the beautifully blurred backgrounds.     Shutter speeds depend on the speed on the moving subject. Fast moving objects may need around 1/60th of a second. Most often 1/15th to 1/30th provide good results. But [...]

If you are new to photography, you may have heard about something called depth of field, but you are not entirely sure what it means and how to take advantage of it. Depth of field is basically the zone of sharpness in a photograph. In every picture you take, a certain part of it is in focus and some of it is not. When the zone of sharpness is small, we call that a shallow depth of field. Otherwise, when a large part of the image is sharp, that is a large depth of field. Let’s take a look at [...]

Street and documentary photography is a genre of photography where the sense of timing, more than anything else, usually differentiates a good photo from a not so good one.   Banks of Hooghly   Photographers have continually stressed on getting the timing right and discussions continue to focus on anticipation, preparation and techniques.   Similarities   The all important sense of anticipation A term is often used....."working the scene". That's when you make sense of a scene by moving around, observing a scene from different angles, looking for interesting subjects popping into the scene and building [...]

Before you fall in the trap of simply snapping away and wondering why your photos are nothing like the professionals, it might be time to evaluate your photography and look at some photo critique. By taking a step back, it might be a lot easier to determine what elements are missing from your work. Eventually it becomes much easier to read a photograph and distinguish between what works and what does not.   Make sure you have one main focus point Before you press the shutter button to take your next photo, you need to ask yourself one question. What [...]

Whether you are a wildlife photography lover, beautiful scenery takes your breath away or snapping people, it might not always possible to get out into the field and practise and improve your skills. That next holiday might still be a couple of months away, but this does not mean that you can’t shoot and become better. By looking at photography exercises for beginners, you too can improve in the comfort of your own home. ‘Practise makes perfect’ is an overused and clichéd phrase, could not be further from the truth. The more you use your camera, the better value you [...]

Have you ever been in the situation where you found the perfect picture on the internet, and it looked fine on your screen, but the moment you printed it, it appeared blocky and pixelated? Or taken photos with your phone camera only to realise that another device with less megapixels look much better in print? To understand why this happens, you need to understand image resolution and size.   Understanding image resolution Image resolution is measured by the number of pixels per inch that shows up on a digital screen. You have probably also heard of the term dots per [...]

Gajan is a religious festival predominantly celebrated in the rural areas of the state of West Bengal, India and the neighboring country of Bangladesh by Hindus. The festivities are generally observed in mid April on the final week of the Bengali calendar year. The rites involving Gajan has evolved over centuries and presently involves worship of Shiva along with ritualistic body piercings, self-flagellation and fire stunts.   Tongue piercing starts   The word "Gajan" is etymologically derived from the bengali word "garjan" meaning roar or cry which the worshippers emit in a bid to appease the gods and [...]

Nowadays, a person’s calendar is so filled up with events and parties worthy of celebration. There are countless reasons to get together and celebrate with good food, great friends, and tons of memories that can last a lifetime. That’s why it’s very important to have a camera with you so all those great moments can be immortalised no matter what. Although your iPhone is up to the task, there’s always a better choice when capturing your sister’s wedding or your company’s year-end party. Folks, it’s called a full frame camera and it’s the only answer for the discerning photographer who [...]

Have you ever noticed this funny thing that seems to happen when you pick up your camera and point it at someone?  The gorgeous natural smile they normally have disappears and they give you their 'camera smile'.  These are the kind of smiles that don't quite reach the eyes, and just look a little bit flat and fake.  If you want to banish these camera smiles forever, try these tips and tricks to get everyone giving you gorgeous natural smiles instead.   Surprise them to make them laugh. Whatever you do, don't ask them to say cheese.  What you can [...]

When it comes to portraits, photographers would always tend to gravitate towards a method that brings out the best in their subjects. In this way, a photographer creates an image that captures the true essence of someone with a unique sense of creativity that highlights their features. And yet, that feat doesn’t seem so easy as it may sound. In fact, a lot of photographers still struggle to get that look no one else has achieved for their respective portraits. That’s where the magic of overexposure comes in folks. Essentially, this act entails you to expose for the shadows and [...]