Tips to Avoid General Fault in Photography

Tips to Avoid General Fault in Photography - In practice we usually see the results of our photos we did not expect, such as blurred images, photo speckled dark, or perhaps the subjects of our photos with red eyes. This post will provide information on how to avoid the common mistakes encountered in photography that produces images that we did not expect.

Reducing Shocks in Camera
 

Camera shake is caused by a combination of hand movements photographer or inability to keep the camera in a stationary or fixed condition, shutter speed and focus lens (focal length) long so that it will produce images that are blurry or out of focus. The focal length of the lens when combined with a slow shutter speed will create a situation in which the shutter speed is too slow to freeze the image.

Camera shake can be prevented by using a tripod, hold the camera with the right position or raise the shutter speed to a value greater than the focal length (focal length). For example, if the same focal length to 100mm so its shutter speed should be set to 1/100 sec or faster.

Note: Some lenses have image stabilizing features (eg IS Image Stabilizer on Canon lenses), which allows the photographer to take pictures with the shutter speed value is smaller than the focal length of the lens.

Eliminate the Red-eye Effect
 

Red-eye effect caused by the reflection of the flash directly behind the retina subjects we photograph. Basically, since most of the built-in flash which made ??only one or two inches from the lens, flash sends light that bounces off the back of the human retina, and reflects directly back into the camera lens. Reflections are seen in the image as red, thus creating a red eye effect. Blue-eyed people are very prone to red-eye phenomenon because it has less pigment to absorb light.

There are several ways you can do to minimize or eliminate red eye in pictures:

1. Red eye reduction feature
 

Some cameras have a red eye reduction feature that forces objects iris shrink before the picture is taken. Almost all digital cameras have this feature. This feature causes the flash to light up twice in two micro bursts. The first little flash to cause your subject's the pupil to contract and shrink, which reduces the amount of retina affected by the flash. When the second flash is triggered, contracted retina produces almost no visible red-eye effect.
The main problem with this method is that it often forcing objects to deliberately turn a blind eye before the picture is taken and not always completely eliminate red eye effect.

2. External flash
 

External flash hot-shoe mounted on the camera, the direction can be changed in the direction of the ceiling, or even use it without mounting the camera body and steer a little to the right or left of your subject.

3. Post production
If the images have been exposed to the red-eye effect, the photographer also still be able to eliminate it, using computer software such as Photoshop or the other, which will be discussed in upcoming posts.

Reducing Digital Noise
Digital noise is the effect polka dots (spots) on the image for long exposures or high ISO images with the lack of lighting situations.
Digital noise can be reduced by using the ISO setting between 100 and 400. Setting ISO 400 will give you more exposure but ISO 400 reduces digital noise. In anticipation of a long exposure, you need a tripod to freeze the image.
 

Currently DSLR cameras usually have a noise reduction feature, if its noise reduction is turned on it will automatically be activated when taking pictures with long exposures. The negative side of this feature is the camera takes a significant time-lag between taking pictures. One way to avoid this time-lag is to turn off noise reduction feature on the camera, and use the aperture setting noise reduction after transferring images to the computer.

Some Causes of Blur Photos

Some Causes Blur Photos - This post is a continuation of the post Tips for Sharp Picture. In this post I will emphasize the causes blurry photo.

Here are some of the causes:

Sensor size - Camera sensor size varies, the larger, more easily create a blurry background. Camera phones or compact cameras have a sensor size is relatively small compared with the digital SLR camera. In the digital SLR camera, subdivided some kind of sensor size.
The smallest to the largest are: Four thirds (ratio of 4 by 3), there is a crop sensor 1.6 (Canon), 1.5 (Nikon, Pentax, Sony), there is also a full frame (Nikon, Sony) and medium format (phase One, Leica S2, Pentax 645D).

Aperture - By using a large aperture lens (f/2.8 or larger such as f/1.4), then the background becomes more blurred.

No focus - This may be a result of the focus on the wrong part of the object, too close to the object so that the focus can not be obtained, the error selecting aperture that produces a very narrow depth of photo (smaller f number, e.g. f/2) or take photos too quickly without check first in the viewfinder.

The ratio of the distance between the subject of the picture with the camera and the distance between the subject with the background - The closer the camera is to the subject of the picture and the farther your subject with the background, the picture becomes more blurred.
Example: When the camera is on your subject distance of 10cm, and the distance of the subject of the image to the background of 20m, it can certainly be very blurred background. This is because the distance ratio of camera to subject and subject to background is very large.
Conversely if the distance of the camera to the subject of the picture 20m, and the distance to the subject of the photo background 10cm, it can certainly be a very clear background / sharp.

Lens focal length - The larger the lens focal length is used, then the background becomes more blurred. Example: Background photo taken with a 55mm lens focal length more blurred than when taken with a 18mm lens focal length.

Moving objects - is another form of photo blur due to take a moving object by using a slow shutter speed.

Camera shake - shake the camera is usually derived from the movement of the photographers themselves while taking pictures to produce photo blur.

Noise - The photos were found spots of the image pixels, usually derived from errors in setting the ISO, the more ISO noise level is also growing.

And here are additional tips to get sharp photos:

1. Hold the camera correctly when shooting
The best way to overcome camera shake when shooting is to use a tripod but it is not practical to carry because of its size that takes place. The practical way is to hold the camera properly.

2. Use the camera and lens that have Image Stabilization feature
Many cameras and lenses currently equipped with Image Stabilization (IS), which helps reduce the effects of camera shake when shooting so that the resulting images could be sharper. But keep in mind that IS only helps stabilize the camera movement is not stabilizing the movement of objects.

3. Use a good lens
If you have a higher budget then buy a better lens to get a sharper image quality than always using a standard lens. For Canon lenses, better quality for L-series lenses (professional series lenses).

4. Clean the camera equipment regularly
Each finished using the camera moreover used outdoors, do not forget to clean appliances such as camera lenses and camera sensor from stains, dust and dirt as it will affect the images (cause spotting on the photo).

The conclusion of this post is how to make the background out of focus photo becomes very blurry or bokeh?

The answer is:

• Use wide aperture lens
• Use longer focal length
• Note the distance ration between camera, subject and background
• Use camera with big sensor size.

Types of Camera Lenses

As of today, there are many types of camera lenses on the market to meet the needs of photographers, both functional and just a hobby. On the job, a photographer sometimes use more than one lens, for example, a wide-angle lens to take landscape photographs, and a standard lens to photograph detailed houses.

My observation has been circulating in the market 6 types of lenses, namely:

1. Standard zoom lens is a lens with a vario lenses which focal distance can be changed and maximum aperture changes with focus distance. This lens is suitable for a variety of personal documentation purposes. Kit lens 18-55 mm, 18-70 mm, 28-80 mm are including these lens types. Because of crude quality, many people are looking for better quality. For example: for a wider zoom range to choose from 18-105 mm, 28-135 mm, 28-200 mm, and so on. For more sharpness normally used Tamron 17-50 mm or Carl Zeiss 16-80 mm.

2. Prime lens have a fixed focal distance so that have the best quality and sharpness, but the photographers should take a lot of foot-steps to adjust the composition and proportions of the photos. Lenses of this type include 50 mm f/1.8. Alternatively, for example, 50 mm f/1.4, 50 mm f/1.2, 85 mm f/3.5, 135 mm f / 4, and so on.

3. Wide lens is a lens with a shorter focal length to obtain the space of view (FOV - Field Of View) wider. Lenses that are of this type, including the 10-22 mm, 11-18, etc. Another development is the fish-eye lens, such as Samyang 8 mm.

4. Fast lens is a lens with a wide aperture. The lens has a number of aperture f/2.8, f / 2, f/1.8 or smaller. The advantage, with a wide aperture, the shutter speed can be obtained higher. That's why it earned the nickname fast lens. The side effects of a wide aperture is lens blur or bokeh due to narrow DoF (Depth of Field).

5. Macro lens is a lens that has a special construction that allows for photographs of objects from a short distance (50 cm or less). True macro lens has a 1:1 magnification capability, while the specifications that widely used are 100 mm f/2.8 Macro, 50 mm f/2.8 macro, and so on. However, 3rd party lens manufacturers such as Sigma, Tamron, and Tokina develop vario lens with 1:4 macro capability, 1:5 or 1:7, such as the Tamron 18-200 Di II LD Aspherical Macro which has a minimum object distance of 45 cm with a magnification of 1:4.

6. Super telephoto lens is a lens with a focal length above 180 mm, for example 100-400 mm, 170-500 mm, and so on. The lens type is suitable for shooting sports, wildlife, bird watching, and other objects that do not allow photographers approach the object directly.

Apart from the focus distance and aperture, note also the additional features on the lens that will provide convenience (with prices to match), including:

• Motor high quality lens that is more responsive, thus ensuring sharpness of moving objects. Lenses of this type usually has a special code that is different from any manufacturer, such as SSM (Super Sonic Motor), HSM (High Speed Motor), DX, SAM, etc.

• Image stabilizer is a feature that allows you to absorb shocks in a photo shoot with a low speed. This feature also has a different code, such as IS (Image Stabilizer) in the canon, VR (Vibration Reduction) in Nikon, SSS (Super Steady Shoot) on Sony, etc.

• Coating (optical lens coating chemicals) is an important factor because the response of a digital sensor to light different from the reaction to the film. Problems with the coating can cause flare, chromatic aberration (CA), ghosting, etc.. Digital lenses typically have several layers that are marked MC (multi-coated) which in general has a better performance than the old lenses are still single coating.

• Aspheric lens is a construction containing aspheric lens elements and serves to reduce the refraction spherical aberration caused by the shape of a convex lens.

• Low Dispersion is a minimal dispersion (spread) of light of optical element, so that the intensity of light reaching the sensor becomes higher and obtain more details.

How To Maximize Your Pocket Camera

How To Maximize Pocket Camera - is useful article to pocket camera users. If you want to change shutter speed and aperture setting to your pocket camera, how to do that? There are only two answers to do that:

1. Upgrade your camera
This is the most ideal answer, i.e buying a digital SLR camera, or at least an advance pocket camera called as prosumer camera. The two kind of cameras give you free manually setting of aperture, shutter speed, ISO and white balance, moreover DSLR camera could be changed its lens according to your requirement. If you have much money this answer is suitable for you. If you have no much money or you don't want to buy DSLR camera at the present time, you should try the next answer.

2. Maximize your pocket camera
Pocket camera is designed for daily photograph. It can give you information about photographic situation and kind of picture you need. Each mode of photography apply special setting to the camera.

Several pocket camera settings to maximize your pocket camera: 

• Adjust White Balance with available light. Improper white balance will produce tonal colors that do not match and sometimes bizarre. 

• Use the appropriate Scene mode. In each pocket cameras usually reserved several scenes to meet your shooting according to lighting situations and motion of an object being photographed.

• Use the Macro mode on an object that is close, without this mode, the object a short distance (less than 50 cm) will blur.

• Make sure the object gets enough light. The role of light is very important because you use low ISO. So get a light as bright as possible, if necessary use a flash or studio mini box.

• If you want to get shallow depth of field (blur background), apply 'spot focus metering' and 'Portrait mode'. The camera will set wide aperture.

• If you want to get deep depth of field (all focused), apply 'Landscape mode', and set 'multi focus metering' the camera will automatically set narrow aperture.

• If you want fast shutter speed, apply 'Sports mode'. The camera assumed that you want to freeze object movement. Its also applied to photograph children activity.

• If you want slow shutter speed, apply 'night mode'. Camera will automatically turn on flash and set high ISO that can make noise to the picture. Turn off flash and set ISO to 100 or 200. You should use tripod or other camera fixation to get sharp and clear pictures, and apply timer to reduce shake effect.

Resume of above settings shows in table below:

And additional tips is to avoid using digital zoom as it will add noise to your photos.

Tips for Sharp Picture

Tips for Sharp Picture - Photography lovers trend to get sharp pictures by applying some photography techniques and adding camera accessories or optimize camera features. Starting from tripod, lens, and may be the camera, up to editor software to get the sharpest pictures.

Photo credit by peasap.

This article is giving some tips to get sharp picture as follow:

• Holding camera

Holding camera will affect the stability of camera, i.e sharp picture.

• Shutter speed

Setting the higher shutter speed will make sharper picture. You should remember that if you take picture by hand shutter speed should faster than focal length:

1. If you use 50mm lens, the shutter speed should be 1/60 second or faster.
2. If you use 100mm lens, the shutter speed should be 1/125 second or faster.
3. If you use 200mm lens, the shutter speed should be 1/250 second or faster.

• Aperture

Depth of field (focused area of the picture) depends to the aperture value. Reducing aperture (in this case increase value to f/22 for instance) will increase depth of field. It means the focused area of the picture become wider from the nearest object to the farthermost objects, so that the picture is not sharp anymore.
Thus you should increasing aperture (reducing the value to f/4 or f/2.8) to get sharp picture. If you do this, automatically you will get faster shutter speed.

• ISO

Increasing ISO will increase shutter speed and you can choose the wider aperture. Indoor photography should increase ISO, but do not do it too much. You can set ISO at 600 or 800 for indoor photography. If you set ISO higher than 800 usually noise (small points) start seen.

• Focus

You do not always use autofocus feature. When taking face photograph at short distance, you should set focus to the eyes of object. When you take photograph set the focus to the area you want to look sharpest. Autofocus feature can be wrong focusing or out of your area destination.

• Lens

Try to buy the best lens for your DSLR. Qualified lens will significantly upgrade the sharpness of your photograph. The kit lens usually under quality or at least standard quality. Qualified lenses have wide aperture (f/2.8 or lower) although have long focal. So, try to buy camera and lenses separately.

• Lens Sweet Spot

Every lens has each sweet spot. Sweet spot is aperture of the lens that can produce the sharpest photograph. Sweet spot usually two stops under maximum lens aperture. Lens f/2.8, for instance, has sweet spot at f/5.6. So, set aperture f/5.6 if you use the f/2.8 lens to get the sharpest photograph.

• Tripod

If you want to get sharper photographs, use tripod. If you want to take HDR or panoramic photographs using tripod is a must.

8 Panning Photography Tips

Panning Photography is picture taking by moving camera unidirectional with direction of object movement that we shoot, so that the object would seem to focusing whereas background and foreground seem blur or out of focus.

Panning photograph taken by pocket camera
Credit photo: andrisuprihadi.wordpress.com

Following 8 practical steps panning photography:
 

• Do not use tripod. Use your hands for native movement of camera.
• Set camera to Shutter Priority mode (S or Tv).
• Set shutter speed between 1/30 to 1/8 second.
• Direct the camera to object (choose colorful background to get amazing blur background before directing your camera).
• Shoot the camera to the object, press shutter button half way for focusing.
• Move your hand as smooth as possible parallel to the object movement.
• If hand movement has the same movement with the object, press release button for exposure.

Credit photo: pelauts.com

• Try.. Try.. And try again to get smoother hand movement.