Here little secret, which most professionals prefer to keep to themselves: many sports photographers rely on cropping to create the right image, in terms of composition.
They initially take photographs at a wider angle than necessary, then, during the processing of the photograph, they crop it to the required position. This way you have a better chance of conveying the dynamics of movement in the right direction, which means taking a high-quality shot.
The other main reason for shooting this way is that it allows you to use the central AF point instead of choosing a peripheral point. The center point is the most flexible and accurate.
Focus lock button
Most people focus by pressing the shutter button halfway, but many cameras offer an alternative approach that's used by professionals: the AF button. This is usually located on the back of the camera and is called the backup focus button.
One of the benefits of the AF lock button is that you won't have to worry about pressing too hard and accidentally taking a shot.
This is also useful when shooting moving subjects. This way you can keep them in focus until you decide to take the photo. This will be convenient when photographing plants moving in the wind.
You can lock focus using the AF lock button and take a photo when conditions environment will be acceptable. This way you can save time and effort and not have to focus every time.
Set your aperture to F/8
The f/8 aperture is an excellent choice for most shooting situations. This is the optimal hole for the lens, which, on the one hand, provides a normal amount of light, and on the other, makes it possible to take blurry and clear photographs.
If you carry a camera with a standard lens installed, then it is better to set in advance the most successful, in your opinion, parameters for shooting. Set up your camera so that you can take a good shot at any moment. To do this, evaluate the level of lighting around and determine the sensitivity values that allow you to work normally in automatic mode.
Follow the histogram
Keeping an eye on the histogram is important in order to control the bright and dark parts of the photo. The idea behind this technique is that the lighter areas (located on the right side of the histogram) are less noisy, while the darker areas become grainy faster. Based on this logic, you should initially photograph brighter and lighter images, and then make them darker. The main thing is not to overdo it, because darkening the highlighted areas will not be easy.
When starting to photograph in new shooting conditions, after taking the first frame, look at the histogram to assess the ratio of light and dark parts of the frame.
Remember - on the left side of the histogram there are dark areas, midtones in the middle, and on the right there are light areas. If there are sharp rises at the edges of the histogram, this indicates the presence of very light or dark areas.
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Use a fast lens
Professional sports and wildlife photographers have a huge advantage when using top-notch, fast lenses. Yes, they are big and heavy, and they cost a fortune, but the quality of these optics fully corresponds to their high price. This technique also allows for better control of depth of field in low-light conditions and allows for more accurate autofocus when shooting subjects in motion.
Few amateurs can afford to buy such luxury lenses, but there are stores that rent optics. This way you can always take the lens you like and try it out. Whether you're heading out to shoot sports or photograph animals, you can take some great optics with you for the day. By using a formatted memory card, you can achieve maximum continuous shooting speeds and get the best quality results.
Use flash
In daylight, flash will add life to your shot and eliminate unwanted bright shadows. Using a flash as an additional light source will help you take a high-quality shot. Proper use of flash is the key to your success. When working with external flashes, it is easy to make mistakes in the settings, which will only aggravate the situation, so many novice photographers try not to use them.
With more expensive automatic flashes, you won't have any problems with settings and it's much easier to use.
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Full-frame focus
A trick with a frame where the entire area of the photo is in focus allows you to create the clearest and sharpest image possible. This technique is especially useful when photographing macro.
To implement this, you need to mount the camera on a tripod. Set the focus to one point and take the first shot, focusing on the central point. Then take a photo by moving the focus point to one of the neighboring ones. Thus, you should photograph the object using all or more available points.
After a series of photographs with different focus points have been taken, they need to be combined into one photo. This is done manually using available software. This is quite a painstaking and long work that requires patience and some skills. Photoshop is perfect for implementation, where you can select areas in focus into separate layers, and then combine them all into one frame. You can also search the Internet for free programs, for example, Combine ZP.
Don't complicate your shot composition
This tip can be useful when photographing stationary subjects, macro photography, and landscape photography. The essence of the recommendation is not to complicate the composition of the frame with unnecessary details that can distract attention from the main component of the photograph.
To be productive, you need to better understand the basics of composition and the rule of thirds. A well-structured frame can always attract and hook the viewer. Resist the temptation to fixate large quantity elements. This can make your image look cluttered and difficult to read.
“The less, the better” - very often in photography this rule helps create an attractive frame. You can be guided by this principle when photographing and covering important events. In order to accurately convey the atmosphere of an event, it may be enough to take a few successful shots with correctly placed accents.
Preliminary mirror lift
When shooting with long shutter speeds, macro photography and in other special cases, it is recommended to use the mirror pre-raising function, which is now available on almost all professional and semi-professional cameras. The idea behind this method is that camera vibration is mostly due to the mirror being raised rather than the shutter being released. Therefore, pre-locking the mirror allows you to avoid unwanted shake and take a clear and sharp shot.
Despite the abundance of information, the question often arises of giving some advice to beginners, or more precisely to those people who just want to get into photography. So, what can we say to those who really want to take up photography, but don’t know how to approach this matter?
Don't chase expensive equipment
One of the most common misconceptions is that in order to take a good photograph, you definitely need a good expensive camera and a bunch of other expensive things. This is wrong. Remember once and for all. A photograph is taken by a photographer; the camera is just a tool in his hands. Masterpieces of wooden architecture were created using only one ax. Same with photography.
Having the most sophisticated camera, you will shoot the same “dull g...” as if you were just holding a cheap cell phone. Yes, the technical quality of the images will probably be higher. But technical quality is not the main thing in photography.
Therefore, do not try to spend your last money on a new DSLR that has just appeared on the market. New digital camera models change so quickly that by the time you figure out how to shoot, your top-of-the-line DSLR will likely be hopelessly outdated.
In order to start learning the basics of photography and significantly improve the level of your photographs, all you need is a simple “advanced” point-and-shoot camera with an expanded set of settings and even a “smartphone” with a good camera. I have seen photographs of very famous photographers that they took on their iPhones and Androids, simply because they did not have a camera at hand. And they were great pictures. Precisely because these people understood how and what to shoot, and with what is a secondary question.
At worst, look on forums and classified ads for a used SLR camera. A 2-3 year old DSLR in excellent condition, quite suitable for learning to take photographs, can be bought 2-3 times cheaper than one that has just entered the market.
Don't chase "megapixels". They won't make your photos any better.
Therefore, the first piece of advice is to start with simple techniques, learning the basics of photography itself as a process. When you begin to understand what you are definitely missing, buy another camera, but understanding exactly what exactly you are buying and why.
Let's talk about sharpness
For beginners, frame sharpness is one of the main indicators of a high-quality photo. So be it.
Basically, unsharp, blurry frames can have 4 main reasons:
- “Shake” is camera shake at long shutter speeds when you shoot in low light conditions. Moreover, the effect of movement can be felt even at a shutter speed of 1/10 of a second.
- Movement of the subject - not every subject is absolutely static, and even a small movement can “smear” the frame, if again
You are shooting at a fairly high shutter speed. - Autofocus miss - Autofocus systems are not perfect and can sometimes miss focusing on a different subject.
- Wrong depth of field selected
There are other reasons, more specific, but that's a separate conversation.
In 90% of cases, the cause of blurry pictures is precisely the movement. Remember the main thing - the longer the shutter speed, the more still your camera and subject should be.
If you are tired of constantly “blurry” pictures, . Even an inexpensive tripod can make a dramatic difference.
Also, how can you fix the camera without a tripod if you don’t have one with you?
Keep your camera with you
The opportunity to take a good shot often comes when you least expect it. So try not to forget your camera at home.
Don’t try to purposefully “go to photography”, like going to work, in the hope of catching a good shot. Just keep the camera with you if you go for a walk, go to some interesting place, or even to meet friends. Perhaps this is when you will have a chance to take a great shot. For such cases just would be better suited a smaller compact camera than a hefty pro-level DSLR.
Think about what you want to photograph
Pay attention to subjects and scenes that are interesting to photograph. Even when you don't have a camera with you. Notice objects, think about how to photograph them so that you get an interesting photo. This can be done constantly, on the way to work or school, and even while in the store.
If you find an interesting subject, take a few minutes to make a note in a notebook or on your phone of what, where and how you would like to photograph it.
Perhaps another time, even after a few months, you will have a free minute to purposefully return to this place and take a photo.
Are you sure that there is no subject right at hand for an interesting photo? Maybe it’s a flower on the windowsill, a view from the window, a bowl of fruit in the kitchen.
Train your photographic thinking. Try to look at familiar things differently, not the way you do it day after day.
Yes, new shooting techniques and techniques are emerging, but the basics have remained unchanged for decades. And without knowing the basics, don’t rush to move on to more advanced shooting techniques.
Shoot regularly
This is probably the most important advice. Shoot, shoot and shoot again. This doesn't mean that you, like a madman, should photograph everything, trying to replace quality with quantity. But the more you shoot and analyze what you have captured, the faster you will understand what needs to be done.
The basics learned will be forgotten without regular practice. And your goal is to drive them into your subconscious so much that your hands automatically set the necessary parameters on the camera while your brain is busy deciding which angle is best.
This article is intended primarily for those who first came to the site with the desire to learn how to take photographs. It will act as a guide to the rest of the site’s materials, which you should pay attention to if you suddenly decide to “upgrade” your photography skills.
Before learning to take photographs, you need to decide for yourself - why do I need this and how deeply am I ready to dive into it? Probably everyone has seen a similar caricature of the diagram of human evolution:
Image from the Internet
Sometimes this picture draws a line between a photographer with a mobile phone and a photographer with a tripod and the caption “some people should stop here.”
The article you are reading has existed since 2008 and every couple of years it is thoroughly edited in accordance with current trends and trends in the field of photography - amateur and professional. Over the 10 years of its existence, this article has changed its content by almost 100%! This is due to the fact that we now live in a turning point, when photography has turned from being the preserve of professionals and enthusiasts into a universal hobby. And not even a hobby, but an integral part Everyday life. You probably already guess that we're talking about about mobile photography. On the one hand, this is very cool, but on the other...Photography, due to its mass appeal, ceases to be art. Every day, millions (if not billions) of the same type of photographs with flowers, cats, plates of food, selfies and other nonsense are uploaded to the Internet and, oddly enough, all this finds its viewer - “Instagram stars” gain millions of likes for blurry photos like “ me and my cat." Simply because their photos are understandable and close to the majority. Photographs of recognized masters have a much lower rating among the general public - they do not understand them. It’s about the same as comparing two types of music - pop and, say, jazz.
Let's return to the question once again - why do you want to learn photography? If you're doing it just because it's "fashionable" or "prestigious" - don't bother. This fashion will soon pass. If you really want to “rise above the hustle and bustle,” this article is for you!
A bit of boring theory
First of all, it is worth noting that photography consists of two inextricably linked parts - creative and technical.
The creative part comes from your imagination and vision of the plot. Its understanding comes with experience. This can also include photographic luck - the more experienced the photographer, the more often he is “lucky” with the subject and shooting conditions. When I started my creative journey, I looked at the works of advanced authors on photosight.ru and perceived them as some kind of magic. I recently reviewed the list of selected works and realized that there is no magic in them, just a lot of experience and a fair amount of luck :)
The technical part is a sequence of pressing buttons, selecting a mode, setting shooting parameters in order to realize a creative idea. The proportion can be different from the creative and technical side and depends only on your decision - what camera will you take pictures in, in what mode (auto or), in what format (), will you do it later or leave it as is?
Learning to take photographs means learning to combine the creative and technical parts in optimal proportions. It is not at all necessary to photograph everything in manual mode (we will leave this to the adherents of the “old school”), it is enough to know the features of your camera and be able to use them in accordance with the shooting conditions. When we see a beautiful painting, it makes absolutely no difference to us how the artist held the brush, how he mixed the paints, or how high his easel was. It's the same in photography. The main thing is the result, and how it was obtained is completely indifferent to the viewer.
What is the best camera to buy for learning photography?
If you really want to learn photography, you need a camera, not a smartphone. It is highly desirable that this camera have interchangeable lenses. Smartphones are conceptually designed for automatic shooting, even if they have some manual settings. When trying to learn to take photographs using a smartphone, you will very quickly realize that you have hit the ceiling - there are not enough photographic capabilities for further development. The creative possibilities of any camera with interchangeable lenses are practically unlimited.
To learn photography, it is not at all necessary to purchase the most modern and expensive equipment. Nowadays, amateur technology has developed so much that it satisfies the requirements of not only amateurs, but also advanced photographers.
Now about the cameras themselves (more precisely, about the “carcasses”). There is no point in chasing the latest models. They are expensive and usually do not have any great advantages over cameras of the previous model. The only thing that can encourage a reasonable person to overpay for newness is some radical updates, for example, a new generation matrix. In most other cases, innovations in photography have a very indirect relationship. For example, the number of focus sensors has increased by 5%, Wi-Fi control, a GPS sensor, and an ultra-high-resolution touch screen have been added. It makes no sense to pay 20% more for such innovations compared to the previous model. I don’t encourage you to buy “old stuff,” but I recommend taking a more sober approach to the choice between a new product and a previous generation camera. Prices for new products can be unreasonably high, while the number of truly useful innovations may not be so great.
Introducing Basic Camera Features
It is advisable to be patient and study the instructions for the camera. Unfortunately, it is not always written simply and clearly, however, this does not eliminate the need to study the location and purpose of the main controls. As a rule, there are not so many controls - a mode dial, one or two wheels for setting parameters, several function buttons, zoom controls, an autofocus and shutter button. It is also worth studying the main menu items in order to be able to configure such things as, image style. All this comes with experience, but over time there should not be a single incomprehensible item in the camera menu for you.
Getting to know the exhibition
The time has come to pick up the camera and try to depict something with it. First, turn on auto mode and try to take photographs in it. In most cases, the result will be quite normal, but sometimes the photos for some reason turn out to be too light or, conversely, too dark.
It's time to get acquainted with such a thing as. Exposure is the total light flux that the matrix captured during the shutter operation. The higher the exposure level, the brighter the photo appears. Photos that are too light are called overexposed, and photos that are too dark are called underexposed. You can adjust the exposure level manually, but this cannot be done in auto mode. To be able to "brighten up or down" you need to go into P (programmed exposure) mode.
Programmed Exposure Mode
This is the simplest “creative” mode, which combines the simplicity of the auto mode and at the same time allows you to introduce corrections into the operation of the machine - to make photos forcibly lighter or darker. This is done using exposure compensation. Exposure compensation is usually used when the scene is dominated by either light or dark objects. The automation works in such a way that it tries to bring the average exposure level of the image to 18% gray tone (the so-called “gray card”). Please note that when we take more of the bright sky into the frame, the ground appears darker in the photo. And vice versa, we take more land into the frame - the sky brightens, sometimes even turns white. Exposure compensation helps compensate for shadows and highlights moving beyond the boundaries of absolute black and absolute white.
Even in program exposure mode, you can adjust the white balance and control the flash. This mode is convenient because it requires a minimum of technical knowledge, but at the same time it can provide much better results than full automatic mode.
What is endurance?
No matter how good and convenient it is, it, alas, does not always allow us to get the result we expected. A striking example is shooting moving objects. Try going outside to photograph cars passing by. On a bright sunny day this will most likely work, but as soon as the sun goes behind a cloud, the cars will turn out slightly smeared. Moreover, the less light, the stronger this blur will be. Why does this happen?
The photo is exposed when the shutter opens. If fast moving objects get into the frame, then during the time the shutter is opened they have time to move and appear slightly blurry in the photo. The time for which the shutter opens is called endurance.
Shutter speed allows you to get the effect of “frozen motion” (example below), or, conversely, blur moving objects.
Shutter speed is displayed as a unit divided by a number, for example, 1/500 - this means that the shutter will open for 1/500 of a second. This is a fast enough shutter speed at which driving cars and walking pedestrians will be clear in the photo. The shorter the shutter speed, the more rapid movement can be frozen.
If you increase the shutter speed to, say, 1/125 of a second, pedestrians will still remain clear, but cars will be noticeably blurred. If the shutter speed is 1/50 or longer, the risk of getting blurry photos increases due to the photographer's hand shaking and it is recommended to use the camera on a tripod , or use an image stabilizer (if available).
Night photographs are taken with very long exposures of several seconds and even minutes. Here it is no longer possible to do without a tripod.
To be able to lock the shutter speed, the camera has a shutter priority mode. It is designated TV or S. In addition to a fixed shutter speed, it allows you to use exposure compensation. Shutter speed has a direct effect on the exposure level - the longer the shutter speed, the brighter the photo turns out.
What is a diaphragm?
Another mode that can be useful is aperture priority mode.
Diaphragm- this is the “pupil” of the lens, a hole of variable diameter. The narrower this diaphragm hole, the larger DOF- depth of sharply imaged space. Aperture is designated by a dimensionless number from the series 1.4, 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6, 8, 11, 16, 22, etc. In modern cameras you can select intermediate values, for example, 3.5, 7.1, 13, etc.
The larger the aperture number, the greater the depth of field. A large depth of field is relevant when you need everything to be sharp - both the foreground and the background. Landscapes are usually shot with an aperture of 8 or larger.
A typical example of a photograph with a large depth of field is the zone of sharpness from the grass under your feet to infinity.
The point of a small depth of field is to focus the viewer's attention on the subject and blur all background objects. This technique is commonly used in . To blur the background in a portrait, open the aperture to 2.8, 2, sometimes even 1.4. At this stage, we come to the understanding that the 18-55 mm kit lens limits our creative possibilities, since at the “portrait” focal length of 55 mm it will not be possible to open the aperture wider than 5.6 - we begin to think about a fast prime (for example, 50mm 1.4) so that get a result like this:
Shallow DOF is a great way to shift the viewer's attention from the colorful background to the main subject.
To control aperture, you need to switch the control dial to aperture priority mode (AV or A). In this case, you tell the device what aperture you want to take pictures with, and it selects all the other parameters itself. Exposure compensation is also available in aperture priority mode.
The aperture has the opposite effect on the exposure level - the larger the aperture number, the darker the picture turns out (a pinched pupil lets in less light than an open one).
What is ISO sensitivity?
You've probably noticed that photos sometimes have ripples, grain, or, as it's also called, digital noise. The noise is especially pronounced in photographs taken in poor lighting. The presence/absence of ripples in photographs is determined by the following parameter: ISO sensitivity. This is the degree of sensitivity of the matrix to light. It is designated by dimensionless units - 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200, etc.
When shooting at minimum sensitivity (for example, ISO 100), the image quality is the best, but you have to shoot with a longer shutter speed. In good lighting, for example, outside during the day, this is not a problem. But if we go into a room in which there is much less light, then it will no longer be possible to shoot at the minimum sensitivity - the shutter speed will be, for example, 1/5 of a second and the risk is very high " wiggles", so called because of the trembling of the hands.
Here's an example photo taken at low ISO with a long shutter speed on a tripod:
Please note that the disturbance on the river was blurred in motion and it seemed that there was no ice on the river. But there is practically no noise in the photo.
To avoid shake in low light, you need to either increase the ISO sensitivity to reduce the shutter speed to at least 1/50 of a second, or continue shooting at minimum ISO and use . When shooting on a tripod with a long shutter speed, moving objects are very blurry. This is especially noticeable when shooting at night. ISO sensitivity has a direct impact on exposure levels. The higher the ISO number, the brighter the photo will be at a fixed shutter speed and aperture.
Below is an example of a photo taken at ISO6400 late in the evening outdoors without a tripod:
Even in web size it is noticeable that the photo is quite noisy. On the other hand, grain effect is often used as an artistic technique, giving a photo a "film" look.
The relationship between shutter speed, aperture and ISO
So, as you probably already guessed, the exposure level is influenced by three parameters - shutter speed, aperture and ISO sensitivity. There is such a thing as “exposure step” or EV (Exposure Value). Each next step corresponds to an exposure 2 times greater than the previous one. These three parameters are interconnected.
- if we open the aperture by 1 step, the shutter speed is reduced by 1 step
- if we open the aperture by 1 step, the sensitivity decreases by one step
- if we reduce the shutter speed by 1 step, the ISO sensitivity increases by one step
Manual mode
In manual mode, the photographer has the ability to control. This is necessary when we need to firmly fix the exposure level and prevent the camera from acting on its own. For example, darken or brighten the foreground when there is more or less sky in the frame, respectively.
Convenient when shooting in the same conditions, for example, when walking around the city in sunny weather. I adjusted it once and had the same exposure level in all photos. The inconveniences in manual mode begin when you have to move between light and dark locations. If we go, for example, into a cafe from the street and shoot there on “street” settings, the photos will turn out too dark, since there is less light in the cafe.
Manual mode is indispensable when shooting panoramas and all thanks to the same property - maintaining a constant exposure level. When using autoexposure, the exposure level will greatly depend on the amount of light and dark objects. If we caught a large dark object in the frame, we got the sky illuminated. And vice versa, if the frame is dominated by light objects, the shadows fade into blackness. Gluing up such a panorama is a pain in the ass! So, to avoid this mistake, shoot panoramas in M mode, setting the exposure in advance in such a way that all fragments will be correctly exposed.
The result is that when gluing there will be no “steps” in brightness between frames, which are likely to appear when shooting in any other mode.
In general, many experienced photographers and photography teachers recommend using manual mode as the main one. They are right about something - when you shoot in manual mode, you have complete control over the shooting process. You can choose the most correct combination of settings for a given one from hundreds of options. The main thing is to know what you are doing and why. If there is no clear understanding of the principles of operation in manual mode, you can limit yourself to semi-automatic ones - 99.9% of viewers will not notice the difference :)
In reporting conditions, manual mode is also not particularly convenient, since you need to constantly adapt to changing shooting conditions. Many people do it cunningly - in mode M they fix the shutter speed and aperture, while “releasing” the ISO. Although the mode selector is set to M, shooting is far from being done in manual mode - the camera itself selects ISO sensitivity and flash power, and can change these parameters within enormous limits.
Zoom and focal length
This is a characteristic that determines the angle of the lens's field of view. The shorter the focal length, the wider the angle the lens covers; the longer the focal length, the more similar in its effect it is to a spyglass.
Often the concept of “focal length” in everyday life is replaced by “zoom”. This is incorrect, since zoom is just a factor that changes the focal length. If the maximum focal length is divided by the minimum, we get the zoom factor.
Focal length is measured in millimeters. Nowadays, the term “equivalent focal length” is widely used; it is used for cameras with a crop factor, of which the majority are. Its purpose is to estimate the coverage angle of a specific lens/matrix combination and bring them to a full-frame equivalent. The formula is simple:
EFR = FR * Kf
FR is the actual focal length, CF (crop factor) is a coefficient showing how many times the matrix of this device is smaller than a full-frame one (36*24 mm).
Thus, the equivalent focal length of an 18-55 mm lens on a 1.5 crop would be 27-82 mm. Below is a sample list of focal length settings. I'll be writing in full frame equivalent. If you have a crop factor camera, simply divide these numbers by the crop factor to get the actual focal length you need to set on your lens.
- 24 mm or less- “wide angle”. The coverage angle allows you to capture a fairly large sector of space in the frame. This allows you to convey the depth of the frame and the distribution of plans well. 24mm is characterized by a pronounced perspective effect, which tends to distort the proportions of objects at the edges of the frame. Often it looks impressive.
It is better not to photograph group portraits at 24 mm, as people on the extreme end may end up with heads that are slightly elongated diagonally. Focal lengths of 24mm and shorter are good for landscapes with sky and water predominates.
- 35 mm- “short focus”. Also good for landscapes, as well as shooting people against the background of a landscape. The coverage angle is quite wide, but the perspective is less pronounced. At 35 mm you can shoot full-length portraits and portraits in a setting.
- 50 mm- “normal lens”. The focal length is mainly for taking pictures of people not very close-up. Single, group portrait, “street photography”. The perspective roughly corresponds to what we are used to seeing with our own eyes. You can photograph a landscape, but not every landscape - the angle of the field of view is no longer so large and does not allow you to convey depth and space.
- 85-100 mm- “portrait painter”. The 85-100mm lens is well suited for shooting waist-length and larger portraits with a predominantly vertical frame layout. The most interesting pictures can be obtained with fast lenses with a fixed focal length, for example, 85mm F:1.8. When shooting at an open aperture, the eighty-five lens blurs the background very well, thereby emphasizing the main subject. For other genres, an 85 mm lens, even if it is suitable, is a stretch. It is almost impossible to shoot landscapes with it; indoors, most of the interior is outside its field of vision.
- 135 mm- “close-up portraiture”. A focal length for close-up portraits in which the face takes up most of the frame. The so-called close-up portrait.
- 200 mm or more- “telephoto lens”. Allows you to take close-up shots of distant objects. A woodpecker on a tree trunk, a roe deer at a watering hole, a football player with a ball in the middle of the field. Not bad for taking close-up shots of small objects - for example, a flower in a flower bed. The perspective effect is practically absent. It is better not to use such lenses for portraits, as faces appear visually wider and flatter. Below is an example of a photograph taken at a focal length of 600 mm - there is virtually no perspective. Near and far objects on the same scale:
The focal (real!) distance, in addition to the scale of the image, affects the depth of field of the imaged space (together with the aperture). The longer the focal length, the smaller the depth of field, and accordingly, the background blur is stronger. This is another reason not to use a wide-angle lens for portraits if you want background blur. Here lies the answer and the question - why “” and smartphones do not blur the background in portraits well. Their actual focal length is several times shorter than that of SLR and system cameras (mirrorless).
Composition in photography
Now that we have generally understood the technical part, it's time to talk about such a thing as composition. In short, composition in photography is the relative arrangement and interaction of objects and light sources in the frame, thanks to which the photographic work looks harmonious and complete. There are quite a lot of rules, I will list the main ones, those that need to be learned first.
Light is your most important visual medium. Depending on the angle at which the light hits an object, it can look completely different. Black and white drawing is practically the only way to convey volume in a photograph. Frontal light (flash, the sun behind) hides the volume, objects look flat. If the light source is shifted slightly to the side, this is better; a play of light and shadow appears. Counter (back) light makes pictures contrasting and dramatic, but you must first learn how to work with such light.
Don't try to fit everything into the frame at the same time, photograph only the essence. When photographing something in the foreground, keep an eye on the background - there are often unwanted objects in it. Pillars, traffic lights, trash cans, and the like - all these unnecessary objects clog up the composition and distract attention, they are called “photo trash”.
Do not place the main subject in the center of the frame, move it slightly to the side. Leave more space in the frame in the direction where the main subject is “looking”. If possible, try different options and choose the best one.
“Zoom in” and “come closer” are not the same thing. Zoom increases the focal length of the lens, as a result of which the background is stretched and blurred - this is good for a portrait (within reasonable limits).
We take the portrait from the model’s eye level from a distance of at least 2 meters. Lack of scale by increasing the focal length (zoom zoom). If we photograph children, we don’t need to do it from our own height; we’ll get a portrait against the background of the floor, asphalt, or grass. Sit down!
Try not to take a portrait from a frontal angle (like a passport). Turning the model's face towards the main light source is always beneficial. You can try other angles. The main thing is light!
Make the most of natural light - it's more artistic and lively than flash lighting. Remember that a window is an excellent source of soft diffused lighting, almost a softbox. Using curtains and tulle, you can change the intensity of light and its softness. The closer the model is to the window, the more contrasting the lighting.
When shooting “in a crowd”, a high shooting point, when the camera is held on arms outstretched, is almost always advantageous. Some photographers even use a stepladder.
Try not to let the horizon line cut the frame into two equal halves. If there is more interest in the foreground, place the horizon at a level of approximately 2/3 from the bottom edge (ground - 2/3, sky - 1/3), if in the background - accordingly, at a level of 1/3 (ground - 1/3, sky - 2/3). This is also called the “rule of thirds.” If you can’t attach key objects to the “thirds”, place them symmetrically to each other relative to the center:
To process or not to process?
For many, this is a sore point - whether a photograph processed in Photoshop is considered “live” and “real”. In this opinion, people are divided into two camps - some are categorically against processing, others - for the fact that there is nothing wrong with processing photographs. My personal opinion about processing is this:
- Any photographer should have at least basic photo processing skills - correct the horizon, frame, cover up a speck of dust on the matrix, adjust the exposure level, white balance.
- Learn to take photographs in such a way that you don’t need to edit them later. This saves a lot of time!
- If the picture initially turned out well, think a hundred times before “improving” it somehow programmatically.
- Converting a photo to black and white, toning, graining, and using filters does not automatically make it artistic, but there is a chance of it slipping into bad taste.
- When processing a photo, you must know what you want to get. There is no need to do processing for the sake of processing.
- Explore the capabilities of the programs you use. There are probably functions that you don’t know about that will allow you to achieve results faster and better.
- Don't get carried away with color correction without a high-quality calibrated monitor. Just because an image looks good on your laptop screen doesn't mean it will look good on other screens or when printed.
- The edited photograph must be left to rest. Before publishing it and sending it to print, leave it for a couple of days, and then look at it with fresh eyes - it is quite possible that you will want to change a lot.
Conclusion
I hope you understand that you won’t be able to learn photography by reading one article. Yes, I, in fact, did not set such a goal - to “lay out” everything that I know in it. The purpose of the article is to briefly talk about the simple truths of photography, without going into subtleties and details, but simply to lift the veil. I tried to write in a concise and accessible language, but even so, the article turned out to be quite lengthy - and this is just the tip of the iceberg!
If you are interested in a deeper study of the topic, I can offer paid materials on photography. They are presented as e-books in PDF format. You can view their list and trial versions here -.
A fun fact that is a little difficult to verify, but it seems very true that over the past year, humanity has taken more than 880,000,000,000 (880 BILLION) photographs. And that's not even counting the portraits of cats. Moreover, during these 12 months we saved about 10% of all photographs ever taken, starting with the first fixed image taken in 1822 by the Frenchman Joseph Nicéphore Niepce (it was not preserved, and only the photograph “View” has survived to this day). from the window”, created by him, but four years later).
But at the same time, hardly anyone can argue that out of all these “billions”, no more than the same 10% can be called truly highly artistic and high-quality footage.
Many novice photographers, especially, oddly enough, girls, strive to acquire an expensive SLR (or mirrorless) camera, hoping that with its help it will be easy and simple for them to create real photo masterpieces. As easy as taking photos with a regular smartphone. However, as numerous public posts about the sale of office equipment on social networks ultimately show, approximately two months after the purchase, an expensive camera turns out to be “unnecessary.”
And all because the most important commandment of any photographer is: it doesn’t matter how cool your camera is, what matters is who presses the shutter button.
And even if you were able to achieve decent quality photographs from an expensive camera, it does not mean that you can look at them without boredom.
At the same time, even with a relatively simple smartphone camera, experienced photographers manage to take stunningly spectacular pictures worthy of decorating the glossy pages of famous magazines like GEO or National Geographic. One example of this is Cotton Coulson, a leading photo reporter and photo artist for National Geographic magazine, who, by his own admission, very often took his best photographs not with an expensive SLR camera, but with the standard camera of his iPhone.
Let's try to learn a few useful tips that will significantly improve both the visual and artistic quality of your upcoming “mobile” photos...
1. Use apps
The “camera” in your smartphone is, first of all, a program that maintains the operation of the lens and photosensitive digital matrix, and therefore you can use exclusively the application that the developers of the iOS or Android mobile operating systems offer you only in cases where you do not plan to receive from photographing something special.
It is better to take a closer look at different programs from third-party developers, most often highly specialized and designed for different shooting situations.
Such programs can produce much more impressive color rendition or set close-ups more correctly for portrait photography, eliminating lens distortion. Here are a few names “offhand”: Pudding Camera, CameraMX, Photosynth, VSCO Cam, Slow shutter cam, Pro HDR, Camera+ and so on... Believe me, experimenting is very interesting. You can find completely unexpected effects and then use them at the right time.
In each application, immediately go to its settings. Set the highest resolution available, play around with white balance, ISO and risk turning off autofocus.
Take several photos with different effects and different exposure values (shutter speed and aperture) and under different lighting conditions. Remember on which frames certain parameters were set. This way you will understand what shooting conditions they are suitable for. the best way and you will no longer rely on automation, which can often fail.
2. Zoom (increase)
While inventive manufacturers are diligently, but so far unsuccessfully, trying to fit a real lens with optical zoom into a miniature smartphone camera module, digital zoom still remains a real “killer” of good shots in 90% of cases. Absolutely always this method of enlargement is associated with serious losses in image quality. The best “zoom” in such cases is yourself. Just take the time to get closer if possible. At worst, you can enlarge the frame on your computer, and quite often the result turns out to be significantly better than what your smartphone is capable of.
At the same time, it is important that only in this way you will not waste time on setting up an enlarged frame, because you can then simply cut it out as needed from a large image, without the risk of “cutting off” something important with a careless zoom movement.
3. Continuous shooting
Continuous shooting is one of the most simple ways insure yourself against a bad shot. Subsequently, simply select the best photo from the series, and delete the rest without regret. However, do not do this until you have transferred all the footage to your computer. On its screen it is much easier to see all the details of the frame and it may turn out that a frame that looks good on a small screen will not be the one that would be worth choosing for a photo album.
4. Choosing the right angle
Many people can’t even imagine how effectively they can frame a shot simply by changing the shooting angle. This is especially true when shooting portraits, still lifes, macro and product photography.
For example, one face in a portrait becomes more expressive when taken in a close, direct frame, while another becomes more expressive when viewed from slightly above, below, or from the side. And if with a bulky SLR digital camera such experiments are more appropriate to carry out in a photo studio, then a lightweight and compact smartphone can be moved anywhere, anytime and however you want, taking several shots at once from the most unexpected angles.
5. Light selection
The built-in flash is a very capricious “option”, and this is true not only for smartphones, but even for amateur SLR cameras.
The fact is that such a flash usually works at a distance very close to the lens, which ultimately “deads” the photograph, distorting colors and shadows.
It is advisable to use the built-in flash when the time of day is already really dark and you cannot do without additional illumination of the frame, as well as during the daytime, if the subject is in the shadows, in order to disperse the contrast from overexposed areas of the frame.
In general, there is a saying that the main tool of a photographer is not even a camera, but light. If it doesn’t fit well on the subject, you won’t be able to take a picture even with the most expensive professional SLR camera. Not like a smartphone.
The most Better conditions for landscape photography, as a rule, in the morning and evening, when the shadows are soft, the transitions are not too contrasting and bright objects in the frame are not overexposed by the direct rays of the sun, causing artifacts in the photograph.
With the correct white balance and exposure settings, you can get good shots right before a thunderstorm.
6. Product photography
Product photography is usually needed if you want to sell something at an online auction and you need to supplement your ad with an appropriate illustration.
However, the problem is that in an ordinary room, where, as a rule, you have to shoot, the lighting conditions are rarely not only good, but even acceptable. Professional photographers usually use special “light-boxes” in such cases, which are a cube or screen with translucent light-scattering walls behind which light sources are located.
In domestic conditions, in poor lighting, using a flash is highly not recommended. It illuminates the object very strongly, turning it into White spot, and the space around is in the “twilight zone”.
The situation can be corrected in three simple ways...
The first is to somehow isolate the flash from the lens and the subject being photographed with a thick “curtain” made of paper or a piece of plastic so that the light from the flash does not hit the object, but to the side and returns already reflected and weakened. In this case, the object will be illuminated, but not so brightly and, moreover, successfully reflected light can even significantly improve the frame.
The second way is to reduce the brightness of the flash by covering it with a translucent, matte material: a couple of sheets of paper, masking tape, etc. In this case, the flash light will fall directly on the subject, but will no longer be so bright and will not overexpose the frame. You can experiment by covering the flash with a more or less thick layer of such a homemade “filter”.
Finally, the third method is an LED flashlight with “cold” light and a sheet of white paper. By placing a flashlight and paper on the sides of the object being photographed, you can simultaneously illuminate it with a flashlight on one side and compensate for the shadow contrast with a paper sheet on the other. You've probably seen this technique on TV, when an assistant cameraman with a large silver “screen” stands not far from the actor in the frame and “illuminates” him with a “bunny” reflected from the spotlights.
7. Keep your lens clean
As with any professional camera, a clean and transparent smartphone camera lens is very important. Moreover, this is much more relevant for a smartphone than for a camera lens, which is covered with a lid or curtain when not in use (as in digital compacts). The smartphone constantly “rubs” in your pocket, and at the same time, even a case usually does not protect the camera’s peephole. On the contrary, there is a special hole cut in the case for the camera, into which very often not only debris from your pocket, but even just your finger gets caught when you answer another call.
Is there any doubt that a bold fingerprint will give a photo that you take in a hurry a very unusual and, unfortunately, unpleasant “blurry” effect.
8. Consider your shutter timing
Unlike professional and some amateur digital cameras, smartphone cameras are rarely fast enough to capture a photo immediately after pressing the shutter button. Moreover, the delay between one and the other may be more than a second, while the object in the frame has already moved.
And this doesn’t even apply to sports competitions, but to the simplest macro photography.
Let's say you are photographing a flower in a field. The wind blew and the flower moved, and if this happens at the moment when you have already pressed the shutter button and the shutter has not yet fired, the frame may be hopelessly ruined.
Therefore, always take into account the response time and shooting conditions, which may be “in confrontation” with it.
9. Post-Processing Applications
Post-processing of photographic material, as a rule, is carried out only by professional photographers and photo artists who earn their living from this. However, oddly enough, this procedure can be no less important for “smartphone” shots, because, unlike a camera, you can’t always “tweak” the shutter speed and aperture on a smartphone. But you can then process the frame using a post-processing application. The most famous of them are tools on Instagram and Flickr.
However, there are other equally and even more useful applications...
VSCO Cam: A set of various filters and settings. An important advantage is that it is free.
Afterlight: color correction application. Costs one dollar.
Touch retouch: removes minor imperfections in a photo and allows you to clone certain parts of the image. Available in paid and free versions.
SnapSeed: an amazing number of filters and effects, such as adjusting focus, sharpness and color rendering, as well as tilt-shift. Moreover, it is completely free.
Pixlr Express: frames, effects and filters. Free.
Photoshop Express: a rich set of different filters and the ability to work with RAW files. Conditionally free.
Rookie: the paid package has a large set of filters adapted for different genres of photography: portraits, landscapes, city sketches, macro... There are even original vintage ones. The free package, unfortunately, is very meager.
Phonto: Free and easy to add text to your photo in different fonts. Moldiv: A collage app that can combine up to 9 pictures. Distributed free of charge.
MultiExpo: As the name suggests, the application simulates the effect of multiple exposure. Very simple, but free
Photo Grid: Another collage making app. It's free and can also work with high-resolution photos.
LensLight: an amazing, but unfortunately paid (three dollars) program that adds various lighting effects to your photos - highlights, reflections, highlights, bokeh, etc.
10. Use additional lenses
Today, in addition to selfie sticks, sets of additional mounted lenses have become quite popular among “smart photography” enthusiasts.
They are inexpensive and are fixed on the smartphone with a simple clip-on mount.
As a result, the smartphone camera gets a good set for your experiments. In the kit you can usually find: a telephoto lens that performs the function of a fixed optical zoom, a “wide-angle” that expands the angle of “view” and a “fisheye” that turns the frame into a convex lens.
11. Composition
Perhaps the most important parameter, after setting the light, is the choice of frame composition. You can learn how to choose it from books for photographers and artists, textbooks on art history, or you can simply have a natural talent for it.
However, the most important rule that must be followed when choosing a composition is the rule of the “golden ratio”. Every digital camera and smartphone photography program usually has an option to help novice photographers get the composition right in their frame. Two pairs of perpendicular lines form a grid on the screen, and the main objects in the frame should be placed along the grid lines or as close as possible to the places where they intersect.
When photographing natural landscapes, the most interesting photographs are those in which the horizon is positioned according to the rule of thirds. On which line to place the “horizon”, upper or lower, depends on where you want to concentrate the viewer’s attention - in the sky or on the ground.
Follow these simple tips and in a short time you will notice how much more interesting and expressive your photos have become.
Photography has become an art, a fashionable hobby and an everyday practice. Most take photos for social networks on smartphones, many take photographs with professional and semi-professional cameras. Modern high-quality photography requires special knowledge and skills.
We have selected the best free online video tutorials on photography for beginners. self-study from scratch at home. Master classes and advice from practicing masters.
How easy it is to learn photography
The success of the shot depends on the photographer, and not on the high cost of the camera and related equipment. The path to the perfect photo lies in finding an interesting subject, beautiful light, creativity, ability to properly set up the camera and equipment.
Which camera to choose. detailed instructions
The first step towards quality work is choosing a camera. The world of megapixels, matrices, apertures, shutter speeds and lenses seems confusing and complex at first. A beginner is bombarded with a barrage of technical characteristics, which is difficult to navigate on his own. What should you pay attention to first? A short video about the types of cameras, operating principles and advantages of the models will help you approach the choice of equipment consciously.
Manual shooting mode. Photography for Beginners
Having decided to become a professional, it's time to go beyond the automatic shooting mode and master the manual one. Understanding the camera structure and operating processes helps you quickly understand the intricacies of manual settings. We offer detailed video a lesson where, for clarity and memorization, the internal structure of the camera and its operation are compared with the human eye. No complicated terms at the intersection of anatomy and photography. The video shows examples of settings and results.
Composition in photography
The success of a photo depends 80% on composition. Knowledge and application of special rules create depth, space and volume in photography. Using compositional techniques, professionals are able to manipulate the viewer’s gaze, draw attention to the desired object and create a certain mood. Remember the law of linear perspective from the drawing course at school? The master class will complement school knowledge with two more types of perspectives: aerial and tonal, and will also demonstrate other ways to get a balanced shot.
Focusing. Master class for beginners
Knowledge of the basics of composition is not enough for a good frame composition. Due to camera and hand shake, improper focusing, the image may be blurry. Masters prefer manual adjustment; the frame is as clear as possible. The author of the video notes more than fifty focus points. Each photographer decides which method to choose individually and experimentally.
The main mistakes in working with light
Proper lighting guarantees bright shots. Before each shutter click, it is recommended to monitor the light sources and its quality. The results of errors with light are sharp shadows on the face, “dirty light”, greenish or faded skin color, “black holes” instead of body parts, blurred silhouettes. A lesson on the correct placement of light sources and objects in the frame will help improve the level and quality of your work.
How to use an external flash
The design of modern flashes and their functionality are quite complex and are unlikely to be intuitively mastered. In the master class, blog host Mark Rybak talks about flash control, modes and buttons, reflectors and light diffusers, methods of shooting “through the ceiling,” “through walls,” and “head-on.” After watching the video, you will be able to adjust the flash depending on the width of the lens and focal length, the height and width of the room, and weather conditions. Learn to avoid overexposure of the frame, create glare in the eyes and achieve other professional effects.
Studio photography
When shooting in a studio, you can immediately see what kind of photographer he really is: an amateur or a professional. A true specialist is well acquainted with studio equipment and knows how to use it competently. There are several lighting schemes with one and several light sources that help to achieve harmonious images. The main thing is to place light sources and reflectors at the correct distance and point them in the right direction. The result is diffused light and soft shadows. The training video demonstrates a set of lighting patterns for different types filming.
Taking a portrait on the street
Natural light shots can look vibrant and professional even without post-production. A few minutes spent learning the secrets of street photography will save you hours of work in Photoshop. The pro talks about the need to switch attention from location to light when choosing a location for shooting. How to learn to see the light? What hours are prohibited for outdoor photography? How to position the model relative to the incident light? You will learn the answers from a short video with an example of a successful portrait photograph taken on the street.
Lesson on macro photography
The genre of macro photography allows you to examine the invisible world of nature. Plants and insects, enlarged many times, seem fabulous, and the frame attracts the eye for a long time. A master class on photographing the macro-universe is given by master Ilya Gomyranov: he teaches how to create interesting color patterns and dynamics, shows the equipment and necessary items for such a photo walk.
