Take The 'Old Vs New' Photography Challenge
The idea of shooting old and new can be applied to various subject matter but one of the easiest ways to find subjects which can be used to interpret the theme is in the city. In most cities, new buildings are going up around older structures all of the time so it won't take you long to find a vantage point that gives you the chance to capture something new and something old in one frame.
Out in your town/city, it's probably easier to look at buildings as a whole first, searching for old structures that stand next to or across from new structures made of metal and glass. How about looking for new shops in old buildings such as the stalls in Camden's stable market? Or looking for building sites where new buildings are getting created in front of structures that have stood for a long time?
After photographing whole buildings look a little closer for reflections of old brick-work in glass or new signs sat next to or even on older structures. You could try having a look through archives or even your relatives' photo albums to see if you can find shots of buildings you can go and re-create now and sit them alongside each other to show how much/little it's changed.
Keep It Simple
Try to eliminate as much of what's surrounding your old and new items as possible. This means cropping in with your lens or using your editing software to remove some of the distracting objects once you're back at your computer.
What Else Is There To Photograph?
- People - Look for young and old people, a grandparent sat with their grandchildren for example.
- Vehicles - Look for an older car sat in a line of more modern models or how about shooting a scrap yard with the piles of old, rusted cars and the employee's newer cars out the front? Don't enter the scrap yard though, just shoot from the road.
- Technology - Try shooting someone sat talking on a smartphone with an old fashioned telephone in the background. If you have an old games console in your loft, get it out and try a few still life shots of it next to a Playstation.
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How To Photograph Coastal Images With A Creative Twist
As an island nation, many of us live fairly close to the coast and as well as tidal patterns in the sand, surf, sand dunes, grasses and breakwaters, the coast is host to a certain amount of flotsam. Although, rightly, we consider flotsam as undesirable rubbish, it doesn't necessarily mean that it won't make a good photographic subject. In fact, a day on the beach finding flotsam can be a great photographic challenge.
Where To Look For Flotsam
Finding flotsam is not too difficult, selecting what to take and making anything of it photographically is the most challenging aspect. Apparently the most common piece of flotsam is the humble cotton bud, but they're not the most exciting photographically. I like to look for shapes and textures – from rubber gloves to tin cans, which work best in close up using parts rather than the whole, giving a more abstract appearance.
I once found a broken plastic "beach" tennis racquet, and a few metres away from a smashed tennis ball – they simply had to go together. A partly submerged skateboard made another great subject – because only the end of it was sticking out of the sand it had a really discarded feel.
Old nets from fishing boats snagged on breakwaters can look good too, and washed up wood that has been eroded into smooth sculpted shapes by the sea can look fabulous.
The Best Light
Ideal lighting is probably hazy sunlight – enough to give some shape to your subject, but not too much to create harsh shadows – as with everything, there are exceptions, and will be many subjects that suit either very overcast or very sunny conditions. I do find a reflector can help with bouncing light back into shadows.
More than anything though, be careful on the beach, windblown sand is not the best thing to get inside your camera so make sure lens changing is kept to a minimum, and shield your camera from the wind when you do change lenses. I turn my back to the wind, and use my body to protect the whole camera – I also make sure that I change lenses as quickly as possible, to leave the camera exposed for the shortest possible time.
Tripods, no matter how stable, can sink into the soft wet sand, so ensure they don't fall over, and lastly, be aware of the tide tables, check them on the internet, and don't get caught out by tides coming in fast whilst you're concentrating on pictures.
So next time you're at the beach, keep a lookout for other people's rubbish, which can become your art!
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12 Top Beach Photography Tips For Your Next Vacation
1. What Gear Do I Need?
- Camera – Compact or DSLR
- Camera bag – Keep your gear safe from sand and sea salt when you're not using it.
- Tripod – Something lightweight and portable will be perfect as it won't take up too much room in the car and your arms won't ache after carrying it around all day.
- Polarising filter – Help reduce reflections and boost contrast.
- UV filter – Protect your lens from scratches.
- Hurricane blower and lens cloth – Make sure your lens is free of sea spray and keep grains of sand out.
You might enjoy a day out at the beach but your photography gear won't. Make sure you wipe all of your gear down when you get home and leave it to dry out completely. Spiked feet will stop your tripod slipping into the sand as you're trying to frame up while a UV filter will help stop sand scratching your lens. When you're not using your camera, remember to put it back in your bag and if you're using a DSLR and want to change lenses, try and do it off the beach and out of the wind so sand doesn't get blown where it shouldn't be.
3. What About Time Of Day?
The warm light of an evening will give you better results than midday sun or if you're a morning person, get up early when the sun's at a lower angle so your shots will be more evenly lit without large, deep shadows running through them. There will be less people around at this time too as most of the day-trippers will have left if it's later in the evening or not arrived if you're up at the crack of dawn. Don't dismiss shooting a few shots of a busy beach though, particularly if it's a hot weekend and the sand can't be seen for towels and seats.
4. Don't Just Look Out To Sea
Sweeping vistas of the ocean and cliffs do look great but do try turning around with your camera and photograph the scene that's unfolding behind you. Just be careful who you point your lens at as there is a chance it will upset some parents who'll want to know why you're photographing their children. Try capturing shots that help tell the story of what happened at the beach – close-ups of sun cream bottles, buckets, spades and dropped ice cream cones make great 'fill-in' shots for photo albums and photo books.
When you do shoot out to sea try giving the shot a focal point in the foreground otherwise it can look a little empty. Driftwood, rocks and footprints are just three things you could use to add an extra element of interest to your shot. Just check you're using a small aperture before you take your shot to ensure front-to-back sharpness.
To turn the waves into a smooth, dry ice-like motion you need to set your camera on a tripod and dial down to a slow shutter speed. How slow you need to go will depend on the movement of the waves and how bright it is so some experimentation will probably be needed. If you're struggling to get the speeds you need use a polarising or ND filter to reduce the amount of light entering the lens.
7. Change Your View
If there's a pier get on top of it to give yourself some height. You'll then be able to get more of the beach scene in shot. If you're using a compact camera that has a tilt-shift mode, getting up on the pier will give you the chance to turn the people sat on the beach into model-like characters. If there isn't a pier try extending the centre column on your tripod to give you more height. You may want to pack a remote release in case you can't reach the camera's shutter button when your tripod's extended. It'll also help reduce the chances of shake spoiling your shot.
8. Check Your Horizons
You need to make sure your horizon's straight and try moving its position to draw the viewer's attention to a particular part of the shot. See our previous piece on Horizons for more tips.
9. Shoot A Sunset / Sunrise
You can't go to the coast without photographing a sunrise/sunset (depending on which coast you're on). Just remember to have yourself at your chosen location an hour or so before sunset/rise and make sure you pack your tripod as working hand-held in these low light situations will only cause shake. For more tips on this, take a look at our previous articles:
10. Capture Some Close-UpsShells and pebbles are just two subjects you can use for a spot of close up photography on the beach. For more ideas and tips, take a look at our previous piece: Close Up Work With Compacts.
11. How To Deal With Exposure Problems
The problem with sand sat against a light sky is that it can confuse your camera into underexposing the shot so try using exposure compensation to deliberately overexpose the scene. It can be tricky getting the whole scene exposed correctly and bracketing can help, however, if you have subjects that can't stay still, your shots won't line up when you're back in front of your computer.
If you're working with a compact camera switch it to Beach scene mode from the camera's scene mode or picture mode menu. The Beach scene mode will increase the exposure slightly to compensate but also adjusts the white balance to make the sand look more natural.
To capture your kids running around switch to fast shutter speeds and continuous shooting mode. If you want to slow things down try getting them to do something that'll keep them in one place such as building a sandcastle you'll be able to get some great frame-filling shots of their faces to show their expressions but do zoom out a little too as this will give the shot context. If you find the sun's casting shadows on their face try adding a little fill-in flash and avoid positioning the sun behind you as this will only make them squint. For more tips on shooting portraits at the coast take a look at this article: Holiday Portraits.
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10 Handy DIY Photography Tricks & Hacks To Learn Today
Not everyone's a fan of DIY but building your own camera and creating your own filters can be fun, plus it's usually cheaper and who doesn't like to save a pound or two? So, here are 10 DIY photography tricks & hacks for you to try on a rainy day.
This one does involve spending slightly more than just a few quid but at the end of it, you do get a camera that's fully functional. The Bigshot DIY Camera and Lomography Konstruktor are a couple of examples of the kind of kits you can purchase.
Filters, particularly DIY ones, can be used with all types of cameras (including phones) and they can help you create interesting effects without having to break the bank or learn a new photo editing technique. Something as simple as a sweet wrapper (think Quality Streets) wrapped around your lens and secured in place with an elastic band can add colour to your shots while a pair of tights cut to size and pulled over your lens will give you a soft focus effect.
Who doesn't like a bit of Bokeh? But you don't just have to settle for circular out of focus highlights as you can use a few tools and your creativity to change the appearance of the shapes that appear. You need to get a black piece of card, decide on a shape, cut it out of the card then fasten the card around your lens like you would a lens hood. Try to not make your shapes too small or complicated as they won't stand out very well in your final shot.
Macro lenses are great for getting close to subjects, but as with all lenses, they're an investment and aren't something all of us can go out and purchase. However, with the help of a reversing ring, you can shoot close-up work in an inexpensive way. You simply attach the reversing ring to the filter thread of your lens which then allows you to attach your lens to your camera in reverse. They can be tricky to use but they do offer one of the cheapest ways of capturing macro shots. For more tips on working with reversing rings, have a read of this article: Reversing Your Lens For Ultra Close-Ups
5. Use A Magnifying Glass & Shoot Macros
Another way to shoot macros without a macro lens is by taping a magnifying glass to the front of your camera. You can use most magnifying glasses as close up lenses as long as the magnifier is big enough to cover the front of your lens. For more tips, have a read of this: Macro Photography With A Magnifying Glass
6. Make Your Own ReflectorNothing beats the tin foil sheet that you'd normally wrap the turkey up into throw masses of light back into your subject. You just need to cut out a piece of card, apply glue or tape to it, carefully roll the tin foil over the glued cardboard, smooth out the tin foil with a sponge or cloth and leave to dry. You may need to trim the edges and you can apply tape around it too if you want it to look a little neater.
A tripod is usually the support photographers turn to but when you want to travel light or venture to places where tripods and similar supports aren't allowed to be used, you have to look for an alternative. One of these alternative options is a beanbag and even though you can purchase ready-made models, they're not hard to make yourself and the materials aren't expensive either. Basically, you just need some fabric, beans/polystyrene balls and a sewing machine or needle and thread. There are plenty of tutorials online with step-by-step instructions on how to construct a beanbag, including these found on Instructables: Camera Bean Bag Instructions
A flash diffuser is a useful tool but why buy one when you can create your own at home? Click the following link to view a tutorial that will take you through the steps for making your own interchangeable flash diffuser, with changing filter options, for whatever light source you come across when taking photos: Build A Flash Diffuser
9. Building A DIY Modular Flash System
Flash accessories can be made for next to nothing, all that is needed is a little creativity and a little spare time, as site member Paul Morgan explained in this tutorial: Building A DIY Modular Flash System
10. Get Creative With Light With An Old Lens
There's a technique you may not have come across called Lens Wacking and the idea is you allow more stray light to reach the sensor and to do this you shoot with the lens detached from and held in front of the camera body. It can be tricky to master but can create some really interesting, dream-like lighting effects and bokeh with just the help of an old, cheap manual lens you have at home. For more tips on how to perfect this technique that gives your images a cinematic feel, have a read of the Lens Wacking tutorial on Pentax User.
If you have any DIY photography tips or hacks others should have a go at, feel free to post them in the comments below.
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Photo Of Ghost Boats Wins 'Photo Of The Week' Prize
An intriguing image of the Ghost Boats captured by flowerpower59 has been selected as our newest ‘Photo of the Week’ (POTW) winner.
The haunting presence of the boats and the serene waters in which they rest are the first elements that draw the eye. You then begin to appreciate the textures created from the contrast of the still, ghostly boats against the calm, undulating waters. The addition of the misty backdrop adds another layer of depth and intrigue to the scene, leading the eye beyond the boats and into the distance. The ghostly boats, in contrast, add a touch of intrigue, making this a truly captivating image.
All of our POTW winners will receive a Samsung 128GB PRO Plus microSDXC memory card with SD adapter offering memory storage across multiple devices. Plus, we will also announce our 'Photo of the Year' winner who'll win a Samsung Portable 1TB SSD T7 Shield in January 2024 courtesy of Samsung.
What To Photograph Around The UK Hedgerows
If you're on the hunt for insects and flowers take your macro lens along but if you want to photograph the many birds and small mammals that live in the hedgerow you'll need a telephoto or zoom lens so you can observe and take your photographs from a distance that won't scare them off.
A tripod or even a beanbag will give your arms a rest and stop you shaking the camera when you're working on those frame-filling shots. Use a remote release or if you don't have one make use of the self-timer as this will give you enough time to press the shutter and move away so your movement won't blur your shot. As it's dark and shadowy inside a hedgerow take a reflector out with you to add and direct light into the shot.
If you're going to be working on the ground it's worth taking a gardener's kneeling pad with you to keep your knees dry and a little comfier.
Capturing Shots Of Flowers
Whatever time of year you do your hedgerow flower photography, if you use your lens' minimum aperture to give your flower shots greater depth of field, remember this will slow your shutter speed down so watch out for camera shake.
Top Tips On Bird Photography
If it's birds you're searching for wrens and thrushes are just two of the species you'll find nesting in the dense cover. This can make them hard to spot, but most birds prefer taller, mature hedges where there are plenty of trees around they can perch on so keep an eye out for areas like this. Also, spend enough time around these older, well-developed areas and you may even spot shy blue tits, owls and even bats if you're out late enough. Keep your ears open for bird song too as this will give away even the smallest of birds locations.
If your focus is a particular branch have your lens focused and exposure locked in place so when the bird lands you can quickly snap your shot. You may find continuous shooting's useful and keep an eye on your exposure as a bright sky and a dark subject can confuse the camera into thinking it needs to underexpose the shot.
Make sure you don't disturb any nests and don't trespass! Stick to public paths or better still, your own garden.
Shoot From A Bird's Eye View
If you live near a hill or can get to higher ground try photographing a group of fields. The patchwork of colour, particularly towards the summer with rapeseed, separated by rows of hedges makes a great looking photograph. Try doing a year-long hedgerow safari too as the flora and wildlife will continuously change so there'll be ample to photograph.
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Top Tips On Capturing Arty Style Flower Photographs
If you're a fan of black & white photography, with a twist of fine art and macro flower photography thrown in, you've come to the right article as we're teaching you how to get all Mapplethorpe at home with one flower and a few photography tools.
Light & EquipmentThe location for this shoot was a living room, making most of the light pouring through the window. Direct sunlight is too harsh for this work so the set up was placed away from the window. A macro lens is ideal for this subject and it's always a good idea to mount your camera on a tripod for stability. Use a remote release, if you have one, to fire the shutter and if your camera has it, the mirror lock-up facility can also help minimise any risk of camera shake.
Backgrounds
The background needs to be plain and a piece of black material will work fine. The examples shown here were shot against a black fleece draped over the back of a chair and some on black slate slabs which goes to show you really can use anything!
Focusing was done manually, which is always best for macro work when the lens can search for focus and aperture-priority was used, along with the exposure compensation facility to fine-tune the result. With a white lily against a black backdrop, the risk of poor exposure is quite high, so you may need to make minor adjustments as you go along.
For the above shot, the lens was set to its smallest aperture (f/36) for maximum depth-of-field which gave a shutter speed of 2secs. All the pictures here were done at ISO200.
Next, the flowers were moved closer to the camera and the lens was opened to its maximum aperture to throw the closer flower out of focus.
Closer still, these shots focus on the flower's stamen, with the shot to the right excluding the black backdrop completely. Depth-of-field, when you’re this close to the subject, is minimal even at a small aperture, as the images to the right shot at f/36 shows.
Quite a few cameras have a multiple exposure feature which will allow two or more exposures to be captured on the same frame. To create the effect shown in the following shot you need to capture one exposure sharp and one totally defocused.
If photographing the flower straight-on doesn't produce the look you're trying to create, try laying it down on a plain surface. The flower in the following shot had to be held in place with a piece of tape to open up the petal.
Black & White
Most digital cameras, even modest compacts, have a monochrome mode, which offers a quick way to enjoy black & white photography. However, convenient though this mode is, the image file straight out of the camera can lack contrast and may need some work in your editing software if you’re going to get the most from it.
The shot on the left is the JPEG monochrome file straight out of the camera and it looks a little flat. The right image is the same shot but the Levels were tweaked in Photoshop which gives more intense blacks and brighter whites.
It’s worth remembering that if you’re shooting in JPEG format, images shot in the monochrome setting will record in black & white only and you can’t produce a colour image should you change your mind later. Shoot Raw and even though the camera monitor might show the mono result you have the full-colour file at your disposal. The best option, if your camera has it, is to shoot in Raw and fine quality JPEG at the same time.
Many cameras have the option of letting you modify your shots using contrast filters (yellow, orange and red are the most popular), toning effects and Art Filters. Some of which can work well with this type of photography so it's worth experimenting with.
Used sparingly, toning monochrome images is a very effective technique and if your camera doesn't allow you to apply effects while shooting, you can always adjust your shots in image editing software.
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5 Top Transport Photography Tips & Techniques To Try
When you first think of transport photography you probably think of cars but trains, boats and planes are just as interesting and with the right planning, can be photographed. In this article, we list popular transport photography tutorials and offer a few tips on the gear you may want to consider using.
Photographing Cars - Gear Choices & Our Top Tutorials
A standard lens is fine as you can move around the car to alter the angle and position. You'll also want to use a polarising filter to reduce reflections just remember shutter speeds will be slower so you may want to use a tripod.
- Five Ways To Take More Creative Shots Of Cars
- How To Photograph Your Car Successfully
- Tim Wallace's To Car Photography Tips
A standard zoom of the 35-80mm range is fine, although you may prefer a longer lens 80-200mm if the boat is further away. Make sure you use a polarising filter to reduce reflections/deepen blue skies and pack a tripod but if you plan on taking your shots at the coast or will be walking along a canal for a lengthy period of time, a light-weight tripod that still offers good rigidity will be easier to carry, particularly after you've been walking for a while.
- Everything You Need To Know About Boat Photography
- How To Take Good photos From A Boat
- More Boat Photography Tips
A lens with a focal length between 50mm and 100mm is ideal. Better still, use a zoom lens with a range that covers 28-105mm so you don't have to waste time changing lenses. For shots away from stations, use a tripod with a pan head to follow the train and on the platform use a monopod as they can get busy and you don't want to get in anyone's way.
Even More Top Transport Photography Tips
If you want even more transport themed photography advice, we have 10 more top tips to help you take better photos of trains, planes, cars and other modes of transport.
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Nikon Triumphs With Four Wins At This Year's TIPA World Awards
Nikon recently announced that it has been successful across four categories at this year's TIPA World Awards. Nikon's latest mirrorless camera, the sleek and stylish Z f, was crowned the 'Best Full-Frame Expert Camera', while the Z 8 was awarded the prestigious title of "Best Full-Frame Professional Camera". When it came to the lens categories, Nikon scored two awards with the NIKKOR Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena being voted the 'Best Professional Portrait Lens', while the NIKKOR Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR took home gold for the 'Best Super Telephoto Zoom Lens' award.
The TIPA jury praised the Z f for being an 'excellent example of convergence between classic design and modern technology', highlighting its great appeal to photo enthusiasts both young and old. Meanwhile, the Z 8 was celebrated for its ability to pack a range of impressive Z 9 features into a 'smaller, lightweight' body - making it the perfect camera for both photographers and videographers on the go. The NIKKOR Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena was recognised for its 'edge-to-edge buttery bokeh', while the NIKKOR Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR particularly impressed the jury, who noted that 'it's often the small touches that make a big difference in the field'.
The four awards showcase Nikon's dedication to producing innovative equipment, combining advanced technology and superior performance to empower photographers to push creative boundaries, but above all, to 'keep inspiring'.
TIPA comments on the Nikon Z f, winner of the 'Best Full-Frame Expert Camera' award
TIPA members praised the 24.5MP Nikon Z f as an excellent example of convergence between classic design and modern technology. Combining a Nikon SLR retro style look with still and video features that invite creative engagement, the Z f camera has proven to have great appeal to photo enthusiasts young and old. On-camera controls include precision dials for settings and an easy flip switch for choosing still or video capture. Framing and POV flexibility are enhanced by a vari-angle LCD for live-view shooting that can also be used for quick menu selections. Plus, there's a pentaprism-style OLED with 100% coverage. Advanced video recording and vlogging capabilities include UHD 4K 30p and Full HD 120p recording, and SnapBridge, Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity.
TIPA comments on the Nikon Z 8, winner of the 'Best Full-Frame Professional Camera' award
Sharing many attributes with the flagship Nikon Z 9, the Z 8 hits a sweet spot in terms of size and weight for enthusiast and working pro on-the-go photographers and videographers. The choice between the two has more to do with the photographer's mode, professional demands, and need to fit into a production regime than any major feature trade-offs. Lightweight at just 2 lbs. (0.90kg), the Z 8 is ideal for use with a gimbal for video and, being 30% smaller, is ideal for all day jobs, when kit bag weight is an important consideration. But being smaller and lighter does not mean a loss of features found in the Z 9, with sensor size, framing rates, and all the AI and tracking functions, among other specs, shared.
TIPA comments on the NIKKOR Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena, winner of the 'Best Professional Portrait Lens'
It's rare for Nikon to name a lens, so we looked it up and Plena is defined as "the condition of quality of being full." If the compliments paid to this lens by photographers from around the world are any indication, the appellation is apt. Aimed at commercial, wedding, portraitists, and even landscape and nature photographers, pro reactions have been overwhelmingly positive worldwide. In particular, there has been special praise for its edge-to-edge buttery bokeh for stills and cinematic video, thanks to its 11-blade diaphragm; its edge to edge brightness and minimization of ghosting, flare, and fringing, due to special elements and coatings; and its customizable control and function buttons, notable for cinemaphotographers who admire its smooth aperture transitions and Nikon's Multi System Focus AF performance.
TIPA comments on the NIKKOR Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR, winner of the 'Best Super Telephoto Zoom Lens
Specifically designed for nature, wildlife, and sports enthusiast photographers, this long-range zoom lens brings it all together in terms of focal length range, fast, responsive autofocus, an STM motor for quiet and smooth video capture, and weather-sealed construction with a fluorine lens coating that, to quote, "anticipates a high frequency of lens wiping." TIPA editors know that in pro offerings it's often the small touches that make a big difference in the field, and with this super tele it's the ability to adapt 1.4X and 2X teleconverters, maintain lens size when zooming, only a 70-degree turn to zoom out to maximum focal length, 5.5 EV image stabilization, and a host of on-lens controls to switch or lock modes and settings.
The TIPA World Awards is universally recognised as celebrating top-class companies and the highest quality products in the industry. It also serves to provide an important benchmark and guide for consumers when making their purchasing decisions.
Please visit the TIPA website for more information: www.tipa.com
You can also visit Nikon's website for their latest product offerings.
Fun Photography Challenge: How To Photograph Numbers And Letters With Everyday Objects
If you want an interesting challenge, head out with your camera and search for numbers and letters or better still, objects that look like numbers and letters. You'll be impressed with how many you'll actually find and when they're put together they can make an interesting panel to hang on your wall. All you need is your camera, a good imagination and some decent weather!
What Can I Photograph?
If you're looking for ideas, a lighthouse can be used as a number one, chimneys can look like a number 11 and a traffic light can be a 3 or and E depending on the direction they're facing.
When we say photograph numbers/letters, you can take this literally or you could put your imagination to the test and look for them in places other people wouldn't think to look.
If you have a door number start with that then take a walk up your street and into your town snapping shop signs, adverts and road signs. Make sure you fill the frame with what you find and watch out for reflections and glare bouncing off shiny door numbers.
More Ideas
When you're ready to give your grey cells a bit of a work out start looking for objects that look like numbers and letters. You may need to stand and imagine what the object looks like flipped the other way or crop into a part of it to get the number you're looking for but with a little work with your imagination, you'll soon be on your way. Make sure you take a quick look at what's surrounding your subject as a busy background won't make the number jump out of the frame. Try using a large aperture to throw the background out of focus leaving all attention on your object.
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Top Tips On How To Photograph Lighthouses And The Detail On Them
1. Gear Suggestions
Your normal kit is fine for many shots, but if you can't get close you will find that the telezoom might be worked harder than your wide-angle or standard zoom. Because the sky will almost certainly feature in your compositions, you should find room in the camera bag for a polariser. A warm-up would be handy too.
If you're taking shots inside a lighthouse there may not be room for a tripod, however, there should be plenty of room for a support outside it. Something light-weight will be easier to manage than a heavier model, especially when walking upstairs with it in or fastened to your bag. Talking of bags, as space could be tight, you want a bag that's easy to access and doesn't take up too much room.
2. What Time Of Day Is Best?
At this time of year, the light can be quite harsh and as most lighthouses are white (and red or black) the high contrast can be a real nightmare. On really bright sunny days, you might be best advised not to waste your time until the sun is shielded by some cloud or just waiting until later in the day. Obviously, much depends on how much time you have to hang around.
Lower, warmer light will undoubtedly give a more attractive end result and you and enhance that warmth with a warm-up filter while a polariser will enrich a blue sky. Late in the day and exposing for a brightly lit structure you might find that a saturated sky will result anyway so keep an eye on the preview image.
3. What Detail Will I Find?
Zooming in with a telephoto and picking on detail is fun to do, although if you shooting externally you might find that there is precious little detail to enjoy apart from a few windows. If you are on a tour visit you have more opportunities – except that you might not have that much time and space because of being in a group. Shoot quickly in this instance and do your best to crop out fellow visitors.
Other techniques to try might be to shoot sections of the lighthouse for a 'joiner' image when you get home to the computer. You could also shoot a vertical panorama and merge the images during post-production. For a vertical stitch, you probably need to be further back with the telephoto to get a straight-on perspective rather than angling the camera upwards.
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How To Photograph Lighthouses In The Landscape
The UK's coastline has many lighthouses which are worth a visit with your camera. Some are open to the public and are definitely worth exploring, but here we discuss using lighthouses within the wider landscape.
1. What Kit?
Take your camera and all your usual lenses and you will not go far wrong. You may find a camera with a smaller body more useful as they can be often fit in jacket pockets or if you prefer to carry your gear in a bag, it'll take up less room leaving space for a flask of tea and your packed lunch!
A tripod is needed if you intend getting there early or staying in late. Other than that, it is perfectly fine to shoot handheld. Filters are also definitely worth packing, especially the polariser that can be used to cut-down glare to enrich colours and saturate blue skies.
In terms of lenses, wide-angle and telephotos are equally valid. Wides let you use more of the foreground while telephotos let you pull in detail and are also excellent at putting the lighthouse within its environmental context.
2. Do Your Research
If you're looking for lighthouses have a look at the Trinity House website for more information and locations close to you. Have a look at where other photographers have visited too, plus a quick online search will find you visitor information as well as GPS coordinates and directions quickly.
Use your feet! Walking around your subject is always advised and is especially effective with using lighthouses. That way you can put your subject into context of the beach or town that the lighthouse is situated.
3. Time Of Day & Weather
Many lighthouses are still in use so a good time to shoot them is at dawn or at dusk when there is colour in the sky and the lighthouse's lamp is on. Do remember the lamp will be considerably brighter than the whole scene and you can end up with a light that's overexposed if you don't meter correctly.
At this time of day, there's not much light around so you will need the tripod and a remote release. If you set a sufficiently slow enough shutter speed you will get a complete rotation of the lamp.
Low light and stormy skies shouldn't be overlooked either, particularly if you can capture the waves crashing against the lighthouse or rocks nearby.
Lighthouses look photogenic in most lighting situations, but bright sun can be tricky because of high contrast problems – white is a popular lighthouse colour. Bland white skies are also an issue for the same reason. Other than that, get shooting.
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How To Photograph Dandelions Creatively
Before you dig up the humble dandelion, have you ever thought about photographing it? If you haven't, here's a straightforward guide on how you can capture a rather fun and creative image of one without too much effort on your part. You can also create your own backdrops and swap them in and out for an extra level of creativity, too.
All the photos show above are of the same dandelion taken from the same standing position with the stalk held at arm's length. The starting point was facing down with a green grass background and I then raised my arm towards the sky and took pictures at several positions on its journey.
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The Set-Up- Pick a dandelion that has a full seed head.
- Hold it at arm's length in your non-camera hand with it positioned in front of grass (you can use a tripod as this will free both hands, making adjustments easier).
- With your camera manually set to close focus and held to your eye, move the dandelion closer to the camera until it fills the frame and is in focus, then take a photo.
- Adjust the exposure if the dandelion is too bright or too dark. If your camera is automatic take the photo when it's focused.
Experiment With Backgrounds
You can repeat the process but positioning the dandelion against different backgrounds. Each shot will look different and no doubt one will be preferred.
Here are just a few of the backgrounds you could use:
- Trees
- Blue sky
- Cloudy sky
- Coloured paper
- Textured walls
- Carpets
- Silhouetted against the sun
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Fujifilm House Of Photography To Reopen As London's Latest Creative Hub
© Fujifilm UK
Grand reopening of FUJIFILM House of Photography on 31 May 2024, with an extended gallery, print workshop, updated studio, bookshop and INSTAX Creator Cube
- Immersive events include live music sessions, panel talks, fitness classes and photo walks
- New Fujifilm photo competition launches on 1 May with FUJIFILM X100VI Limited Edition digital camera as first prize
- Winning photos to be featured in Fujifilm brand film and exhibited in FUJIFILM House of Photography gallery
Fujifilm announces the grand reopening of its FUJIFILM House of Photography in London on Friday 31 May 2024. The renovated space will launch with an exciting programme of immersive events, as well as refreshed facilities and services – demonstrating the company’s ongoing commitment to its growing creative community.
Planned events include secret live music gigs, fitness classes, panel discussions, workshops with photography experts such as Capture One, and talks from high profile industry figures including Alan Law and York Place Studios. There will also be guided photo walks to capture London’s most picturesque landmarks, as well as lesser-known spots.
The FUJIFILM House of Photography, located at 8-9 Long Acre, Covent Garden, was the first store of its kind to be opened in the world, originally launching in 2019.
The renovated space will include:
- A redesigned print workshop
- A FUJIFLM School learning space
- An extended gallery space
- Dedicated areas for the company’s professional GFX medium format system and X Series digital camera range
- An updated photographic studio with professional headshot services for talent such as actors, models and dancers
- An all-new book shop offering key titles for photographers and creators
- An INSTAX Creator Cube booth, for visitors to capture fun, infinity room-style content
- Kit and product loans for photographers to try before they buy
© Fujifilm UK
Ahead of the FUJIFILM House of Photography’s grand reopening, Fujifilm is also calling on people across the UK to enter its ‘Life As You See It’ photo competition. The first prize will be a FUJIFILM X100VI Limited Edition digital camera worth £1,934. There are also prizes up to a value of £500 for the second and third placed winners. Budding creatives, amateur snappers, photography professionals and everyone in between will be invited to submit up to five images that they feel capture ‘life as they see it’, from the beautiful and powerful to the mundane and trivial. The photos can represent almost anything: daily life, democracy, torn sweaters, boring Sundays, friends’ antics, raised eyebrows or just whatever has caught their eye – the beauty lies in that it is completely open to interpretation.
The competition is open for entries between 1 May and 14 June 2024. All three winners will have their photos exhibited in the FUJIFILM House of Photography gallery, as well as being featured in a new Fujifilm brand film. The brand film will premiere on 28 June at the FUJIFILM House of Photography, with the winners announced on the same day. To enter, and for more information on the competition, please visit https://www.fujifilm-houseofphotography.com/blog/item/life-as-you-see-it-competition/.
In addition to the online competition, Fujifilm is inviting the public to come into the FUJIFILM House of Photography and curate their own community exhibition. The gallery will open as an empty space, and throughout June and July, any visitor to the store will be able to print one of their photos for free on Fujifilm’s Easy Print kiosks, and then personally hang the photo on the gallery wall to be part of the exhibition.
Theo Georghiades, General Manager – Imaging Solutions, FUJIFILM UK, commented, “The return of our FUJIFILM House of Photography will provide an extensive and holistic experience, not just for photographers, but for creatives from all walks of life. As the go-to brand when it comes to picture taking and picture making, we have designed the store to be a destination where our team can discuss our customers’ full photographic needs from end to end.
“From live music gigs to panel talks and headshot services, our refreshed space will inspire and nurture the UK’s limitless passion for creativity, showcasing Fujifilm’s unwavering commitment to experiential retail and the creative community.” Visitors can find the new FUJIFILM House of Photography at 8-9 Long Acre, London, WC2E 9LH, with the space open during the following hours:
- Monday – Wednesday: 11am – 7pm
- Thursday – Saturday: 11am – 8pm
- Sunday: 12pm – 6pm
For more information and to book tickets to events at the House of Photography, please visit their website here.
There Is No Such Thing As Bad Weather: Top Landscape Photography Tips For Rain Or Shine
The right light is an interesting concept. I am a firm believer that there is no such thing as bad weather – only different types of lighting. I get annoyed at the number of articles that say you can only take creative landscape photographs in the hour after sunrise and the hour before sunset. To me, that leaves a whole chunk of the day with a camera sitting unused in a bag!
It's Wet Out!
Certainly, though, certain subjects work better in particular lighting conditions and when the rain is hammering on my office window I'm fairly happy to be sitting in front of the computer rather than trying to capture landscape photographs! That said, I have been at the side of Buttermere in torrential rain and high winds and still managed to work with the conditions.
Mist and fog also create ideal light for pastel, almost painterly pictures, easily isolating foreground elements from the background; and while these conditions are certainly more prevalent early morning, they can happen at other times. Heavy snowfalls can also create monotoned, isolated elements, even resulting in pen-and-ink style pictures that are perfect for black and white.
The Sun's Out
When the sun does shine through, make the most of the textures, shadows and lighting angles; and even that doesn't always mean early or late in the day, I have a number of Lake District locations where the sun offers excellent graze lighting, really bringing out the textures of barn walls or dry-stone walls even in the middle of the day.
The best way to know where the sun works best in any location is to know the location well, and photograph it regularly; ideally even knowing which month offers the best elevation as well as the angle of the sun. If you're new to a location check on a map – remembering that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. Even Google maps can provide some help if there is a road anywhere near your chosen location. Computer-based maps can give a good idea of the terrain and are sometimes easier to realise the contours than a traditional map.
Certainly early and late in the day offers low lighting angles which can naturally create longer shadows, but to truly reap the benefits, you need to either have side-lighting or even be shooting into the sun.
By all means, plan some of your shots before you go out, but always be ready to adapt to the conditions - don't come back without any photos because the light wasn't exactly what you had planned, but adapt to the lighting that's there. Only by doing that will you train your eyes to see opportunities that otherwise would be so easy to miss.
You've read the technique now share your related photos for the chance to win prizes: Daily Forum Competition
How To Choose The Ideal Camera Bag: 4 Simple But Essential Questions Answered
When it comes to picking a bag to carry your camera and other bits of kit around in, it can take a while to come to a final decision as there's plenty of top brands and styles to choose from. Some photographers will have a go-to bag for all occasions while others will choose to have a few different designs that have different uses.
To help you decide what camera bag is perfect for you, we've put together a few tips on what to look out for and we'll also be asking questions you'll probably be thinking about next time you're shopping for a camera bag.
By thinking about the above question, you should be able to narrow down your choices. For example, a landscape photographer will find a backpack style more appropriate than a shoulder bag but someone who travels on planes a lot may want a roller case they can use as hand luggage but will pack a smaller bag inside it which they can use when they arrive at their destination.
2. What Will You Be Carrying?For the majority of shooters, it's important to keep the weight of your bag to a minimum, even more so if you're heading off on a long walk in a National Park. A Body and two or three good all-around lenses should be fine for most but if you do need to carry more, make sure there's plenty of dividers in your bag to keep your gear snug and safe. Look for pockets that are easy to access so you can quickly grab memory cards, spare batteries etc. and a tablet/laptop pocket is a feature more and more of us are needing in our camera bags, too.
A good camera bag will allow you to access your camera gear quickly and easily. If you're shooting in busy locations where you don't want to have your camera out around your neck constantly, such as in popular tourist locations or in towns and cities, a sling design may be better than a rucksack as they're easier to swing around to your front so you can access equipment without removing your bag. Shoulder bags can also be accessed easily while on the move but do take care not to overload this style of bag if carrying it on one shoulder.
4. What Features Should You Look Out For?
1. Comfort
No matter what your planned shoot for the day is, be it a long photo walk or a short trip to the local park, your camera bag needs to be comfortable as you don't want to injure yourself and if something's annoying you, it can distract you from your photography as well as irritate you. If possible, try your bag out before you buy it to test where straps sit etc.
2. Material
You want your bag to last so look for models made from hard-wearing fabrics and pay attention to how the bag is sealed. Waterproof covers can be very useful and many bags now come with them built-in. It's also important to pay attention to small details such as zippers as plastic ones can be less durable than those made from metal.
3. Internal Dividers
Having a bag that allows you to customise the interior will give you more flexibility when it comes to the gear you carry and how you carry it. Some bags feature inserts that can be removed when not needed, giving the user a bag that reverts to everyday use which is useful when travelling on planes when weight is limited so taking two bags may not be an option.
4. Protection
Your bag doesn't want too much padding so it's bulky but you do want to make sure there's enough to provide protection for your gear in the right places. Make sure you pay attention to the bottom of the bag to see if feet or a protective layer are provided.
For more information on camera bags, take a look at ePHOTOzine's guide to camera bag types.
Neurapix SmartPresets Now Available In Black & White
Image Credit: Neurapix/Formaphotography
The German photography company Neurapix has released a new feature: SmartPresets can now be created and used in black and white (B/W) for AI-assisted image editing. This provides photographers the opportunity to offer their clients complete shoots in their own distinct black and white style.
Using a B/W SmartPreset operates just like with a colored SmartPreset: After clicking "Edit photos" in the Lightroom menu, the B/W style is simply selected and used as a normal SmartPreset. If a photographer has initially processed a shoot in color, they can then easily reprocess it with a B/W SmartPreset (possibly based on virtual copies).
Creating a B/W SmartPreset is straightforward, too. In the classic creation of a color SmartPreset (at least 500 images), the B/W style is automatically additionally created, provided there are at least 20 edited B/W images included.
Those who wish to specifically create just a B/W SmartPreset can use the "Kickstart" option to create their own look in a few minutes. Only 20 images need to be exemplarily edited. As usual, photographers can create as many of their own B/W SmartPresets as they want, free of charge.
Image Credit: Neurapix/Formaphotography
No additional costs for Flat-rate customers
For Flat-rate customers, the new function is available without additional costs. For photographers who are using the Pay-per-Picture model, everything remains the same: Editing an image costs - as with any other SmartPreset - 3 cents. Optional features such as straightening or cropping incur a maximum of one cent extra.
"Photographers often provide a portion of their photos in black and white to their clients. Previously, it was often around 10-15 percent of the total. From now on, it can also be 100 percent - without additional effort for manual editing!", says Neurapix co-founder and CCO Simon Diegmann. "This provides photographers with a whole new way to enhance and sell their product."
For more information, please visit the Neurapix's website.
ePHOTOzine Daily Theme Winners Week 4 April 2024
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The latest winner of our popular daily photography theme which takes place in our forums have been chosen and congratulations go to franken (Day 25 - 'Mood' Theme).
Daily Theme Runners-Up
If you didn't win this time, keep uploading your images to the daily competition forum for another chance to win! If you're new to the Daily Theme, you can find out more about it in the Daily Theme Q&A.
Well done to our latest runners-up, too, whose images you can take a look at below.
Day 22'Fun' Theme
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Day 23Flotsam
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Day 24
Watersports
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Day 26
Interesting Horizons Theme
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Day 27
Public Gardens
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Day 28
'Home' Theme
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Day 29
Bluebells
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Day 30
'Frames'
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You’ll find the Daily Themes, along with other great photo competitions, over in our Forum. Take a look to see the latest daily photo contests. Open to all levels of photographer, you’re sure to find a photography competition to enter. Why not share details of competitions with our community? Join the camaraderie and upload an image to our Gallery.
3 Quick Top Tips On Why You Should Use People In Your Landscapes
2. Create A Connection
An empty shot of a forest or a mountainous landscape may be inspiring and pleasant to look at but if you add people to the shot the viewer can become more connected with the image as the person/people can help create more of a story. A sunset shot with a couple sat to one side of it will feel romantic while a rock climber scaling a cliff wall that's sat in your wide, landscape shot will create a totally different feeling.
People can also help create a sense of scale within an image, for example, a backdrop of mountains suddenly turn into dominating structures that tower above two walkers or a lake stretches out for miles past a single man out fishing for the day.
You've read the technique now share your related photos for the chance to win prizes: Daily Forum Competition
16 Top Town & City Photography Ideas To Get The Mind Thinking
To give you some inspiration next time you're out in a city with your camera, we've put together a list of 16 top photographic subjects you can find in a city / town, plus links to top tutorials that'll help you perfect your shots of them. But first, let's take a look at some of the kit you may want to consider taking next time you're off for a photography walk around a city's streets. What Gear Will I Need?
Of course, you're going to need a camera and this can be anything from a DSLR to a smaller compact. If you're planning on taking some shots after the sun has set you may want to consider carrying a support, particularly if you're going to be capturing light streaks. Do remember that some locations, such as cathedrals and stations, won't allow you to use a support so do take this into consideration when planning your day.
ND and polarising filters don't take up too much room and could come in useful as too would a variety of lenses if you're not planning on using a compact camera. Consider taking a wide, tele-zoom and macro lens along if you have room in your camera bag for them. When it comes to bag choices, everyone is different so the best advice we can give you is take a bag that's comfortable, will hold all the kit you'll need easily and that's easy to access. Sling style bags are popular in city locations due to how easy it is to access kit without having to remove the bag but an everyday backpack will be just as fine.
What Should I Photograph?
1. You Can't Ignore Architecture
Buildings, old and new, surround our streets so you can't really visit a city and not shoot some building-themed images. Click the link above for more tips on photographing architecture or visit the technique section to see the full list of architecture photography techniques we have on site.
2. Have A Go At Street PhotographyA busy city can be the perfect location to experiment with street portraits, particularly as you can blend into the crowds and shoot from the hip to capture some interesting candids.
3. Photograph A Landmark
Famous landmarks have just one problem – they're famous which means finding a shot of them which isn't already on a thousand other cameras can be difficult but that doesn't mean it's impossible.
4. Get Up High
One of the simplest ways to change the way your city image looks is to get up high. So climb a mountain, stand on some steps or use a lift to get to the top of a tower to give your images a different perspective.
5. Capture Shots Of Traffic & Transport
City streets are busy places with buses, cars, cyclists and more getting from A-to-B giving you ample opportunity to get creative with your transport shots.
6. Get Creative And Add Some Light Trails To Your City Shots
Did you wonder how people get car lights to streak through their images? Well click the above link to find the answers.
7. Photograph A Church, Cathedral Or Other Place of Worship
These structures make great subjects for architectural shots but if the weather turns or you want a break from walking along the streets with your camera gear, the inside of these buildings is well worth capturing, too.
8. Visit A Museum
Museums are not only educational and interesting, but they offer plenty of photographic opportunities. Plus, many are free to enter which is always a bonus! Have a look around the outside of the museums too for interesting architectural shots worth capturing.
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9. Search For Interesting Architectural PatternsStop looking at buildings as whole structures and focus on the small pockets of interesting patterns and shapes they're made up of.
10. Capture Reflections In Buildings
Thanks to modern architecture that favours glass and steel over bricks and mortar cities are full of reflections which give us an alternative way to photograph the places we live in.
11. Photograph A Station
There are few towns and cities that do not have a station and they are fantastic places to take pictures. Interesting architecture, people to capture candids of and close-ups of interesting detail are just some of the shots you can capture around these locations.
12. Look For Stairs And Steps
Stairs may sound a little boring but if you start thinking about the materials they're made from and the shapes and styles that exist, you'll soon realise there's plenty of steps to keep you and your camera occupied.
13. Photograph A Bridge
Bridges come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, plus you can capture them from all angles making them a subject you can spend quite a while on.
14. Spend Some Time By A Canal
Canals were once used to transport goods to towns and cities right across the UK and as a result, there are still plenty of waterways running through our city streets. The long canals, bridges and lock gates that once supplied goods now supply ample photography opportunities and as they all have public walkways, you're not going to upset anyone if you spend an hour two with your camera at the side of one.
15. Go For A Walk In A Town / City Park
The green spaces found in towns and cities are a haven for many and are a great place to take your camera when you want a break from the busy streets.
16. Capture Shots Of Shop Windows & Signs
Spend some time in your town and capture some interesting images of displays and signs. They'll be plenty of interesting signs, plus head back out at night and the shop fronts will have a completely different look to them.
You've read the technique now share your related photos for the chance to win prizes: Daily Forum Competition