Tips!
POV
I think the Position of view is one of the most important aspect in photography. The POV you choose can be something that makes it a good or a bad photo. You can have the most expensive gear and not make good pictures because you chose a wrong angle or wrong height. I think you can learn a lot by looking back at your own pictures and looking at pictures from others. When i look back at pictures i made years ago, i sometimes see that a diffrent angle or position would have been better. By looking back you can learn from that.
If you know what a good position of view is, you will look diffrent at objects or angles. Sometimes when i walk around without a camera, i still look at things like i would with a camera (like looking trough a lens)
Java Risefileds
I Always try to be a part of the scene, of what i photograph. Here i used a low POV. Its like you are between the rise while looking at the people you take a picture of. Low positions are also great if you take pictures of children or animals.
Made this picture in Java- Indonesia with my Nikon 18-105 lens.
Angle and frame
Unknown Soldier
Sometimes i try to frame something at the side of the picture.
It's s not always fun to capture something in the middle of the shot.
It makes it more exciting when it's taking place at the side.
So don't Always centralize the things you want to focus on in your picture.
Here is an example of a soldier.
It would be boring if you saw him in the middle of the shot and if you saw the whole body of the soldier.
If you capture him at the side of the shot and zoom in a little (or move closer), it almost looks like a Movie poster.
Made this picture with my 70-300 VR Nikon lens
DOF
I like to see a lot of Depth in photo's. It's the best way to focus on just a smal part and make the background or foreground (what is less important) blurry. The wider the aperture the more depth you get, but also by zooming in on things, you will get more depth.
DOF in portraits is also great, because you will only look at the portrait and not on the background that can lead to distraction.
A nice DOF is also great for Macro photography as well. Don't use a wide aperture with landscapes of course.
Drops of Depth
If you see the same things in a row, its fun to focus on just a smal part of it, by using wide aparture. That way you get a nice Depth of Field. More depth means a wide aperture means a lower number. Here i used 2.8.
Shot this image with my Sigma Mini Wide 2 on f2.8
Monkeytown
Here you can see that i focussed on the mother that is nursing her child. You can see the look on her face. It's like she has given milk all day. And in the 'out of focus' part you she her baby drinking. But that part is also important to this picture, that's why i did not shoot it wide open.
I made this picture in Ubud - Bali, with a Sigma 1.4 50mm. It was already a bit dark, but this lens is even great when there isn't much light. Shot this at 2.8. If it was on 1.4 you could not see the baby and that would be to much depth of field.
Pinapple
When you see something with layers you can use a wide aperture and create depth in your picture. Focus on one part and you'll see a nice depth of field. With a wide aperture, the pinapple almost looks like it's 3D. The depth in this shot makes it a nice picture where a small aperture would make it a boring picture.
Shot this with my Sigma 1.4 50MM
Focus
Focussing on the right part is very important, if you mis the focuspoint, the picture just isn't that good. Always focus on what you really want to focus on. You can focus automatic and manual. If you choose automatic, you can choose how many focus points you want. I almost always have one single focus point that i can move from left to right and up and down. If you focus on something that moves very quick, you can choose more focal points. Also with landscapes and sports more focal points are also better. With portraits and macro I like to use one focal point. With Macro photography i like to shoot manual, because that way you are in total control of what you want to be sharp in your shot.
I love my Sheep
If you take pictures of people or animals, it's important that you always try to focus on their eyes. If you choose automatic focus, point your focus points on the eyes.
Shot this with my Sigma 1.4 50mm. This is my favourite lens for portaits. The 1.4 realy gives a sublime Depth of field and the bokeh of this lens is amazing.
Autumn Walk
You can also focus in a playfull way, like the photo you see here. I foccused on the leafs when someone was passing by. That way you see the leafs in the front sharp and the blurry background makes it a perfect image of an autumn walk in the woods. Use manual though, otherwise the camera would keep trying to focus on the moving part.
Shot this with my Sigma 1.4 50mm. Its a great lens for a soft background.
Lighting
Using the right light is very important in photography. With no light you can't make any pictures, but with to much light it wont be any good either. The best natural light is in the morning or in the evening (when the sun is low). When it's in the afternoon (when the sun is high) the light will come from above and that won't do much good in your pictures. But even then you can make beautifull picutes it if you do it wright.
Cactus light
Here you see light from above. It was a very hot day in Sicily - Italy and the light came from above. Normaly the pictures aren't that good if you use that light, but sometimes you can use it to be creative with "bad" light.
I used my Nikon 18-105 lens in both pictures. If you want the sunbeams in your shot, use a small aperture. A small aperture means a higher number.
Sunning Buddha
Here is an other example of a photo i took in Thailand.
Also a hot day with light from above that you can use
making sun beams.
Froozen needles
I made this shot using backlight. If you shoot into the sun or light you can get great effects. Also when you shoot into the light, you can get awsome bokeh. When you see ice or water and the sunlight is shining on it, the bokeh can be amazing.
Shot this with my sigma mini wide II on 2.8.
Gold Evening
I also think portraits are very beautiful when you are shooting against the light. The sun (or light) can't be to high though. If you take a portrait with the sun behind you, you will see a lot of details and sometimes to much. With the sun in front of you, you get a nice soft look and sometimes a nice flair or sunbeam. Also hair looks great this way.
When shooting against the sun, always try to keep the sunlight higher then where you want to focus on.
Shot this with my Sigma 1.4 50MM
Jumping till the sun goes down
When shooting into the sun, you can also make great silhouettes. Especially in the evening its great to shoot into the sun. Shooting directly into the sun makes it tougher to focus, so practice a lot.
Shot this with my Sigma 1.4 50MM
Composition
A good picture tells a story. So a good composition is very important. Try to capture a story instead of just somthing beautifull you see. If you can make a nice composition of that what you want to frame, you can give the viewer a feeling as if they are really there.
Streets of Modica
I made this picture in Sicily Italy.
I tried to capture the feeling i had while walking around in these Streets of Modica.
Try to frame the feeling you want to share in your picture.
I used my Nikon 18-105 lens to make this picture.
From Paris with Love
I Made this Picture in Paris. I wanted to capture the moment that was taking place in one shot. Here you see the focus on the 'love locks'. And at the side you can see a couple that's happy in love, watching over the Seine in Paris. So in one shot you see the city of love.
I used my Nikon 18-105 lens to make this picture.
Shutterspeed
Here are some examples of when to use slow shutterspeed. With slow shutterspeed you can catch speed in your pictures.
Here i used a slower shutterspeed to show the movement of the monk. It works great if you want to catch speed in your picture
With a slow shutterspeed it looks like someone is playing this Angklung.
Here you see slow shutterspeed makes the waterfall more beautifull and softer then when you would use a fast shutter speed. You don't want to freeze streaming water. Hold your camera steady to make these pictures or use a tripod. I shot these pictures without a tripod.
If the shutterspeed is really slow, you need a tripod or hold your camera really steady, because you don't want movement in everything you see in your picture.
Here i used fast shutterspeed. It's when you want to freeze your object and catch them in action. With animals sometimes you can see a funny expression.
With fast shutterspeed you still need to react very quick to what you see or what you think will happen.
There is also long exposure. This means your shutterspeed is realy slow and you capture everything you will see for a few seconds or minutes in one picture. You need a tripod for this. It's great with night photography.
I wil soon tell you more about long exposure.
Colour or Black & White
When do you shoot in Black & White?
I like black and white when the highlight diffrence in the front and back are very high. As you can see in the previous pictures in fast shutter speed the polar bear and dog are white with a darker background. The other way around is also very nice in black and white photography.
Kiss me
Sometimes portraits can be beautifull in Black and white. Especially when you get really close.
Use a wide aperture for a blurry background. The background has to have little to none detail.
I used my Nikon 18-105 lens to make this picture.
Under the Erasmusbridge
You can use Black and White also if there is a lot of contrast. Here you can see a darker bridge and buildings with a light sky.
I don't use black and white when there is to much detail in one shot (like a lot of trees) With a lot of contrast or a huge diffrence in dark and light it's a great way to shoot in black and white.
I used my Nikon 18-105 lens to make this picture.
When do you shoot in colour?
Sometimes i take pictures because i like the colour of something i see. The sun or light can give the colours something extra. But with to much sun and the wrong angle, it can become to bright and the colour will disapear.
Fly agaric
Make colour pictures when there are beautiful colours to show, like this Fly agaric. Colours in sping and autumn are very nice. Blossoms, flowers and the leafs and other things you see in nature.
Shot this with my Sigma 1.4 50MM
Yatta
Use colour when you see lots of nice colours close together like here.
I used my Nikon 18-105 lens to make this picture.
Selective colour
Buddhas
Selective colour can be very nice in shots where you only want to show one colour that is very highly present or when you want to show only that colour that needs to be shown.
I used my Nikon 18-105 lens to make this picture.