how Do I Take Good Portraits?
Here are some general guidelines for taking good portraits:
- Avoid distracting backgrounds.
- Avoid using a single flash pointing directly at the subject.
- Try to achieve even illumination by exploiting natural light.
- If you can't use natural light, then use studio lights and/or multiple flashes and/or a bounce flash.
- Avoid taking pictures where part of your subject's face is in shadow unless you really know what you're doing.
- Use longer focal lengths instead of shorter. This will make your subject's face more natural and less bulbous.
- Use a wide aperture for shallow depth of field. This will focus attention on your subject and not your background.
how can i minimize shutter lag?
Some cameras have the ability to focus continuously and snap a picture as soon as you press the shutter. This reduces the time spent focusing. Check your manual to see if your camera has this feature. Most cameras will also let you pre-focus by pressing the shutter half way to get a focus lock and then waiting to press it all of the way until you are ready.
If your camera does not have these features, but has manual focus, you can use manual focus to focus on the scene and then snap the picture when you are ready, reducing lag from focus time. You should probably use the smallest aperture that will yield acceptable shutter speeds to help compensate for any inaccuracies in manual focus.
If your camera has some kind of burst mode or continuous shooting mode, you might also consider using this as a way to capture rapidly moving objects. You'll wind up discarding a lot of shots this way, but you'll probably catch a few good ones too.
how do i make panorama shots?
Your camera may have come with software for doing this and your camera (many Canons) may even have some features to facilitate this process. If not, you can do this crudely in Photoshop (or similar) by pasting together several shots. Be sure to use the same exposure for every one the shots you are pasting together. (Use manual mode.) There are also many programs, tutorials and tools available to help you do this:
whats the advantage of having an external flash?
There are several advantages to an external flash:
- External flashes are more powerful, so you can illuminate objects further away.
- An external flash will position the flash further from the lens, which will reduce red-eye.
- Most external flashes have pivoting heads, which permit you to bounce the flash off the ceiling, further reducing the chance of red-eye and giving the scene a gentler, more natural illumination.
how do i reduce the glare off chrome, water, etc. ?
Try a polarizing filter, also called a polarizer. If you have an SLR which uses phase detection for autofocus (most do), then you'll need to get a circular polarizer to avoid conflicts with your autofocus mechanism.
what can i do to improve lCD visibility in bright sunlight?
Check the manual to see if your camera has the ability to adjust the brightness and contrast of the LCD display. If this doesn't work for you, there are several manufacturers of hoods which cover the LCD partly, blocking out sunlight
how much of an effect does paper type have on print quality?
The difference can be quite large, both in terms of quality and longevity. On low quality paper, colors can bleed and images can fade in a matter of weeks or months.
why do so many of my shots using a timer come out blurry?
For timer shots, many cameras, focus when you press shutter button, not when the timer goes off. Thus, the camera focuses on whatever is in the center of the frame when you press the shutter and will fail to focus on you after you've moved into position in the center of the frame. The workaround is to point the camera at something else which is roughly the same distance from where you plan to be after you move into position. Press the shutter, then quickly adjust the composition and move into place.
what are proofs?
Sixty years ago, photographers presented clients with proof pictures printed on special paper; images would last for a few weeks and then fade. Then for a few decades proofs were made with the same paper and chemistry as the finished prints, but without retouching, cropping or precise color and density correction. Now proofs are usually in digital form - on a website, CD, DVD, or a projection in the photographer's studio. Because some customers can scan photographs, printed proofs are a problem for the professional.
Typically, now, you initially view the images on a computer or television screen. You then order from the screen and have photographic prints in your hand a few weeks later. Digital printing can be done on an inkjet or color laser, but the latest photographic papers from Kodak and Fuji have a life-span of over 100 years. Many inkjet prints will fade decades sooner that photographic prints.
how much does wedding photography cost?
Prices range from $950 to $10,000, and even more! Photographs (and maybe video) will be your only permanent record of the day. You want good photographs, so be prepared to spend a minimum of $1,500. Reprints will be $15 to $45 each. Expect better photographers to charge the higher rates. In other words, it is reasonable for an unexperienced photographer to charge you as little as $10 for a print. And, it is reasonable for an excellent photographer to charge you $40 for a print of the same size. That is because you are getting better service and a better product from the experienced professional. If you are looking for a bargain and shop via phone for pricing, you are following a recipe for poor to mediocre photography. When couples value photography highly and are on a limited budget, they will spend up to 30% of their wedding budget on photography.
Most brides initially underestimate the cost of photography by 50% - in other words, you will probably spend at least twice as much as you budgeted, unless you have advice from a wedding coordinator who is familiar with prices in your area.
what are the advantages of hiring a professional?
A professional photographer will be timely - arriving at your wedding promptly, and getting the results to you on time. A professional has just the right equipment and film for photographing your wedding. Having attended many weddings, an experienced wedding photographer will be at ease at your wedding. A professional uses a color laboratory that is in the business of meeting high professional standards of print quality. And, a professional is used to working with individuals, couples, and groups to make the formal photography go smoothly.
When you think about the cost of photography, remember that the photographer's fee is only part of your investment: You, your parents, your extended family and your friends will be investing time with the photographer during your wedding. Don't waste time on your wedding day with a photographer who won't produce results you love!
what should i do if i want duplicates in a few years?
Get the high-resolution digital files - which will either included or available for an extra fee. Since currently no electronic medium will last your lifetime, you will need to update the media on which you store your images. I have found it takes a professional color lab to produce great color prints from digital files, so owning the files does not guarantee that you are going to get the best wedding images at the best price. However, if you own the images you can use them on a website, email them, and make acceptable prints.
who chooses the photos that go in a wedding album?
After looking at all the proof images, the bride and groom usually decide what goes in the album. The photographer may let you specify the sequence and size of the pictures, so that the album really shows the wedding the way you want to see it, with important images enlarged, and related candids grouped together. Some photographers will suggest a layout for your album or design the album with you, using proofs or computer images to show you what the final album will look like. You will benefit from the photographer's eye and feel for the wedding. You will probably let your parents decide what pictures go in their album.
Since 2000, the Magazine Album (also called Template Album, Table-top Album, Storybook Album) uses digital techniques to put more than one image on a page. I recommend that you have your professional oversee design and production of the album, since complete wedding photography is the combination of images captured on the wedding day and the final design, cropping, color correction and special effects that complement the initial images
what can i do to keep a photographer from running my wedding day?
It is essential that you talk with your photographer in that last week before your wedding. Go over your time line for the day. Find out how long the photographs you have requested are going to take; If it is too long, cut out some of the required pictures. Or tell your photographer the way you have scheduled the day, and that he/she is to follow your schedule. A posed photo of cutting the cake takes ten seconds, and the rest of the cake shots should be candid.
No Questions available at this time. Submit a question
|
