Christmas trees provide some of the best opportunities to have a little fun with lighting. That’s why it’s one of my favorite times of the year to take pictures.There are a few things that you can do to help improve the odds of getting a better picture when photographing the magic of Christmas lights. Read … Continue reading “Three tips, better shot: The magic of Christmas lights”
Tag: Better Shot
Three tips, better shot: Jewelry and “El Bokeh Wall”
While I can’t take credit for the genesis of this technique (shoutout to Laya Gerlock and his “El Bokeh Wall” writeup in PetaPixel) I did take it and apply it to an engagement ring and took the whole thing out of the studio. The basic thrust of the technique here is that by using a … Continue reading “Three tips, better shot: Jewelry and “El Bokeh Wall””
Three tips, better shot: That time Mazda USA picked up my picture
So if you’re a regular viewer of Mazda USA’s Instagram page, you may have noticed the featured image on this post pop up in your feed (and I’m sure the chance of you being a regular viewer of that and this page are slim). That’s my shot from a trip to the Valley of Fire … Continue reading “Three tips, better shot: That time Mazda USA picked up my picture”
Three tips, better shot: Stitching photos for the full picture
When I’m out and about, I don’t like to carry around more than a lens or two – this means that sometimes I run into a scene I can’t fit into one shot. For instance, the 24mm lens I had the day I went to check out the in-progress Freedom Tower in the featured photo … Continue reading “Three tips, better shot: Stitching photos for the full picture”
Three tips, better shot: Star trails made easy
You’ve probably seen the photos pop up on your Instagram or Pinterest pages – the ones where the stars look like white lines streaking across an expanse of night sky, like the photo featured in this post. It’s a bit of a different animal than to get a straight-up shot of the night sky, like … Continue reading “Three tips, better shot: Star trails made easy”
Three tips, better shot: Starbursts at Hoover Dam
You know those photos you see all over the Internet – the ones that turn seemingly ordinary things like streetlights into a starry wonderland? You know, sort of like the streetlights around Hoover Dam in the featured photo of this post? Sure, you can buy a filter to add star points to your photos, but … Continue reading “Three tips, better shot: Starbursts at Hoover Dam”
Three tips, better shot: What ISO should I use?
One of the things I hear most in discussions with people who have been shooting for a while is something along the lines of “I never shoot above ISO 1600” or some other arbitrary number. When I bought a Canon Rebel XTI in 2007, that was the upper limit of the camera, so if that’s … Continue reading “Three tips, better shot: What ISO should I use?”
Three tips, better shot: The night sky
I rarely get the chance to shoot a sky without light pollution, a hazard of living in lower New York. When I’m out and about though, I try to get away from the city lights and capture the stars above. While there are many ways to capture the night sky (star trails come to mind) this … Continue reading “Three tips, better shot: The night sky”
Three tips, better shot: Macro photography and the world of the small
I’m not the greatest macro photographer. Sometimes, you just get lucky and get a cooperative subject, like this bee here on the featured photo for this post. But that said, macro photography is an important tool to have in your toolbox – if you’re shooting a wedding, for instance, you are going to want a … Continue reading “Three tips, better shot: Macro photography and the world of the small”
Three tips, better shot: Silhouette photos
Take a look at the photo above – can you tell what it is? Did you guess that it’s a happy couple on their wedding day? I’d bet that was a yes. But how did you know? You can’t actually see the people, they’re all in shadow! Well, yes, but there are the details that … Continue reading “Three tips, better shot: Silhouette photos”