Theme and Photography

As we reach the home stretch for the 2014 version of Boost Your Photography: 52 Weeks Challenge , our topics have grown from technical to the more abstract. Our final topic for the month of March is the idea of theme. (Interested in joining the 52 Weeks Challenge? We are also starting a re-boot version kicking off from the beginning: click here to join in for 2015!)

Theme and Photography

Many photographers, especially those of us who consider ourselves hobbyists, often focus on the what of photography. "What do you shoot?" "Oh, I shoot portraits" or "Oh, I shoot travel photography."

But how often do we stop and think more about the why of what we shoot or the what we want to convey? The idea behind the theme challenge this week is to focus first on the theme or the meaning or the idea and only then to seek out an appropriate subject to convey that theme.

Freeman Patterson describes this process in his book, Photography and the Art of Seeing, which was the subject of a month-long book club a year ago August. Patterson encourages photographers to go through a three step creative process: "First, you conceive or imagine a theme. Second, you find (that is, perceive) subject matter that expresses that theme or concept. Third, you conceive the best way to organize the subject matter and use your photographic tools" (pg. 56). This process of "abstracting and selecting help to make clear expression possible" (pg. 60).

Expressing 'calm' for a photography scavenger hunt.

Try this three-step process this week. For example, start by selecting an abstract subject (his example is 'tranquility'), and then ask yourself what subject matter best expresses this subject and why. Or, think about what tones or combination of tones would express that idea. Try to seek out and take photographs of that subject matter and/or those tones to express that subject.

Expressing 'chaos' for a photography scavenger hunt.

The two example photographs provided above were part of a photography scavenger hunt organized by our local photography Meetup group. We were given a list of a dozen abstract nouns and tasked with finding and photographing our best representation of those words.

Choose your theme for the week or give yourself a list of terms. See what you can create when you start from the theme, the meaning, or the emotion, rather than from your subject.

Share a link or a photograph in the comments below, or consider joining the BYP 52 Weeks Google+ Community (or the new 52 Weeks 2015) to share your weekly photograph and see what others are capturing.

Want to learn more about Freeman Patterson or Photography and the Art of Seeing? You can read the rest of the August Photography Book Club posts here: overview. week 1, reflection on week 1, week 2 (contains the mundane exercises), week 3, and week 4.

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Boost Your Photography: Learn Your DSLR is now available from Amazon. Get the most out of your camera with practical advice about the technical and creative aspects of DSLR photography that will have you taking beautiful pictures right away.

The Decisive Moment - for more than just street photography

Henri Cartier-Bresson was a famous photographer, best known for his black and white documentary and street photography images. He coined the term The Decisive Moment in his book of the same name, drawing a distinction between an art like painting, where an image is created over a long period of time, and photography, where mere fractions of seconds determine the final outcome.

The idea behind the decisive moment is most closely associated with street photography, due to its unposed and unpredictable nature. Whereas modern photographers with fast burst rates have the option to "spray and pray" (shoot off a rapid series of images and later select the best one), film photographers had to be more selective. The decisive moment was all about choosing exactly when to take the photograph and hoping to strike the exact right balance between all the elements in the final image.

Patience and the Decisive Moment

For the digital photographer, the ideas behind the decisive moment are all about planning and patience. Great photographs are not accidents. They are the result of a collection of right decisions about framing, composition, subject, and settings, among others (as well as a hearty dose of luck at times too).

Consider becoming a more patient photographer, if you want to chase the decisive moment. Street photographers often talk about finding a great background or interesting scene and then waiting for the right person to walk by and 'make' the shot. Snapping a few quick images and moving on to the next thing will not give you that same quality.

The photograph above was taken as part of a week-long street photography challenge that I undertook. I was drawn to the repetition of the lines and shadows of this building, but I knew that I needed a person to really complete the image that I had in mind. So, I waited.

One of my earlier attempts was not quite right. I liked the aesthetic of the lone walker, but his symmetrical placement in the middle did not give the feeling of motion and balance that I wanted. After several more attempts, I came away with the image below - the young woman's sense of purpose is conveyed well by her stride, and her position a third of the way into the frame gives her room to move through the picture as well.

The Decisive Moment - beyond street photography

The ideas behind capturing the decisive moment extends well behind just street photography and portraiture. Landscape, nature, and travel photography also lend themselves well to a consideration of the decisive moment.

The rapid movement of birds or other animals requires a quick shot and a sense of timing. The constantly-changing light of a sunrise or sunset demands an eye for detail and patience to wait out the best moment. Rather than shooting a rapid burst of shots and hoping for the best, plan, anticipate, and photograph only the moment you truly want.

10 minutes later ...

5 minutes later ...

How will you find your decisive moment?

Share a link or a photograph in the comments below, or consider joining the BYP 52 Weeks Google+ Community (or the new 52 Weeks 2015) to share your weekly photograph and see what others are capturing.

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Boost Your Photography: Learn Your DSLR is now available from Amazon. Get the most out of your camera with practical advice about the technical and creative aspects of DSLR photography that will have you taking beautiful pictures right away.

Photography Inspiration: explore the mundane

Photographic inspiration is all around us, but many of us instead leave our cameras packed away as we pine for big travel plans and exotic locales. You can learn a lot about yourself and your photography if you spend some time photographing the mundane.

Exploring the Mundane in Your Photography

Photography is about seeing, both literally and figuratively. Spending some time trying to photograph a mundane subject or object is a great way to stretch yourself as a photographer and to force yourself to "see" that object differently.

Freeman Patterson in his Photography and the Art of Seeing described the problem of labels and how we often (unintentionally) limit our own photography: "We look at a cup and what we see is 'cup-ness,' not the flaring rim, the curving handle, the mottled design, or the reflections of the windows on the side of the cup. In short, labels can limit the amount of material accessible to our imagination" (pg. 55).

The challenge this week for BYP52Weeks is to celebrate the mundane. Patterson suggests several photography exercises to help you see, appreciate, and photograph a mundane object.

One of these exercises is to lock yourself in a single room and commit to spending 20 minutes taking 10 different photographs in that room. The goal is both to spend significant time observing and thinking about the room and the scene, as well as to push yourself to try different ways of representing that space or that object. The photograph above is one I took after spending 20 minutes in my cramped bathroom. I got very interested in reflections and bokeh in this toothbrush holder.

Another exercise is to take an individual mundane object and take at least 20 different photographs of that object over the course of 24 hours. See how your thoughts about that object and its photographic potential change over the day. See how it looks and responds differently to different lighting situations.

Don't forget to have fun! My photograph above of a screwdriver was inspired by a weekly mundane object challenge, as well as my love of puns and double meanings.

Push yourself to try something different in your photography this week. Grab a random object from your junk drawer or ask a friend to make a random suggestion. See what you can create that is creative and unexpected from your mundane beginnings.

Want to learn more about Freeman Patterson or Photography and the Art of Seeing? You can read the rest of the August Photography Book Club posts here: overview. week 1, reflection on week 1, week 2 (contains the mundane exercises), week 3, and week 4.

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Boost Your Photography: Learn Your DSLR is now available from Amazon. Get the most out of your camera with practical advice about the technical and creative aspects of DSLR photography that will have you taking beautiful pictures right away.

Photographing Interiors

Interior photography is a special branch of architecture photography but has some of its own unique issues and strategies. This post explores some top tips for making the most of your interior photographs.

Interior Photography Tips

Declutter - Style Your Space. Clutter is one of the top problems with photographing interiors. There is a reason why real estate agents hire professionals when listing houses and why those professionals often bring along a stylist. Look critically at your room or composition, and do not be afraid to move, remove, or simply hide things that do not add to the overall story of the space.

Secret tip: when shooting a series of photographs for a before and after series for a friend, all I had to know was where I was going to stand to take the photographs. Then it was an easy task to simply move all the clutter (trash cans, Kleenex boxes, remote controls, etc.) out of view of the camera - off to the side, behind the couch, etc.

Utilize Natural Light. Natural light will add warmth and create an inviting feel to your interior photographs. Depending on the time of day and the quality of the natural light, you may also want to turn on any interior lights or lamps. A lit lamp looks much more inviting than a dark lamp. Read more on Ideas for Natural Light Photography.

Pay Attention to Vertical Lines. If you are trying to capture a full view of an interior space, you will need to use a wide angle lens, but you will also need to think about your height and angle for shooting. Pointing the camera up at your subject will cause your vertical lines to start converging (or coming together) towards the top of your image, while pointing the camera down will cause your lines to converge towards the bottom. With interior photography, your goal should be to keep your vertical lines vertical. Position your camera so that you can shoot straight on, use a wide angle lens, or consider correcting for the distortion in post-processing. Read more on How to Photograph Architecture.

Remember the Details. Vary your shots when shooting interiors. Yes, you want to capture sweeping vistas of an entire room or space, but do not forget to focus on the detail that make that space unique. Aim for a mix of wide angle and detail shots to truly capture the spirit of a place.

Use a Tripod. Interiors are often darker spaces, so a tripod is an invaluable resource. Using a tripod allows you to shoot at a narrower aperture to keep more of your photograph in focus (if that is your goal). This is particularly important if you are shooting in dim locations, such as the theater shot that opened this article. Read more on How to Maximize Your Tripod.

Do you have a favorite tip or trick for shooting incredible interior shots? Please share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Boost Your Photography: Learn Your DSLR is now available from Amazon. Get the most out of your camera with practical advice about the technical and creative aspects of DSLR photography that will have you taking beautiful pictures right away.

Black and White Book Club, week 4: subject

Join us all February for the Black and White Book Club. We are sharing and discussing Andrew Gibson's The Magic of Black and White, Vol 1. Consider joining 365Project and sharing a daily picture or jump in with the Boost Your Photography 52 Weeks Challenge for a once-a-week go at black and white. So far we have focused on seeing in black and white and on details in black and white.

Interested in learning more about last year's Black and White Book Club? Last year we discussed Michael Freeman's The Complete Guide to Black and White Digital Photography (or the Black and White Photography Field Guide). Check out each week's posts: the overview and week 1, week 2, week 3, week 4, and week 5.

Black and White Book Club Week 4: subject

The final pages of the book, 45-58, discuss different common subjects for black and white photography and how to approach each one. For those participating via either 365Project or Boost Your Photography 52 Weeks Challenge we specifically narrowed the choice down to macro, but you could really attempt to capture any of these subjects with an eye towards macro or close-up photography. (For more on macro photography, read Getting Started with Macro Photography, Tips to Improve Your Macro Photography, or Top 5 Macro Photography Posts.)

Whether you want to try macro or just experiment with subjects this week, here are my quick take-aways from each of the individual subject chapters.

Portraits. In black and white portraiture, the attention is on eyes and texture. You will often see the elderly as the subject of a black and white portrait.

Landscapes. Black and white landscapes force you to focus on tone, light, and shape. Black and white gives you the freedom to interpret a landscape in a unique or unconventional way to truly make it your image.

Travel Photography. Black and white lends a timeless feel to travel photography and almost immediately makes you feel nostalgic.

Flowers. Without the worry of color, flowers are all about shape, tone, and contrast.

Architecture. Black and white emphasizes form and texture and allows you to create more dramatic compositions against unique skies.

Try to seek out different subjects this week than you have before. Or, use black and white to explore a familiar subject in a different way. See how you can create something special that represents your statement about the subject.

We look forward to having you join us this month via either 365Project (daily) or Boost Your Photography 52 Weeks Challenge (weekly). Please also consider sharing your thoughts about this week's topic in the comments below.

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Boost Your Photography: Learn Your DSLR is now available from Amazon. Get the most out of your camera with practical advice about the technical and creative aspects of DSLR photography that will have you taking beautiful pictures right away.

Black and White Book Club, week 2: Details in B&W

Join us all February for the Black and White Book Club. We are sharing and discussing Andrew Gibson's The Magic of Black and White, Vol 1. Consider joining 365Project and sharing a daily picture or jump in with the Boost Your Photography 52 Weeks Challenge for a once-a-week go at black and white. The first week focused on seeing in black and white, and this week we will look at pages 22-31 and focus on details in black and white.

Interested in learning more about last year's Black and White Book Club? Last year we discussed Michael Freeman's The Complete Guide to Black and White Digital Photography (or the Black and White Photography Field Guide). Check out each week's posts: the overview and week 1, week 2, week 3, week 4, and week 5.

Black and White Book Club Week 2: details in black and white

After reading pages 22-31, the idea this week is to focus on the details in black and white photography, and the chapters focus on texture, lines, foreground interest, use of negative space, shapes or patterns, and utilizing contrast.

By simplifying your photographs down and trying to focus on only one of these challenges at a time, you can learn a lot about what makes an interesting and engaging photograph. Many of these chapter subjects have also been the subject of previous blog posts and BYP52Weeks challenges. If you are curious, you can read more in the following articles:

• Texture: the elements of visual design series
• Lines: the elements of visual design series
• Composition: leadling lines
• Shape: the elements of visual design series

"Lines guide the viewer's eye through the photograph from one point to another" (pgs. 23-24) I really liked the point that Andrew Gibson raised in this section - if you are using lines in your photograph, where are they leading? It is not enough to simply use a leading line, you need to have a purpose and a plan for it to lead your eye somewhere interesting and meaningful. Try it!

Pick one of the specific sections to focus on each day or even try one for the whole week. Think about texture, lines, foreground, negative space, or capturing contrasts. See what the details can do for you.

We look forward to having you join us this month via either 365Project (daily) or Boost Your Photography 52 Weeks Challenge (weekly). Please also consider sharing your thoughts about this week's topic in the comments below.

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Boost Your Photography: Learn Your DSLR is now available from Amazon. Get the most out of your camera with practical advice about the technical and creative aspects of DSLR photography that will have you taking beautiful pictures right away.

Round Up of Off-Camera Flash Advice

For the month of January, the 2014 version of Boost Your Photography: 52 Weeks Challenge will be focusing on light and lighting. (Interested in joining the 52 Weeks Challenge? We are also starting a re-boot version kicking off from the beginning: click here to join in for 2015!)

So far, we have looked at natural light and the influence of directional lighting, and tips for mastering on-camera flash. This final lighting post of the month is a round up of resources about off-camera flash.

Off-Camera Flash Basics

Last week's post, tips for mastering on-camera flash, laid out some of the basic limitations of flash photography, including the impact of the inverse square law and the influence of the location of your flash. The inverse square law still applies when shooting with off-camera flash, but you are now more in control of the location and direction of where your flash and other lighting is located.

The post pinned above, How to Soften the Light When Using Flash, has great tips for both on-camera and off-camera flash photography. The reason I am recommending it this week is that it provides a few basic diagrams for how to set-up your off-camera flash, with particular attention paid to the angle and direction of the light.

Tips for Better Shooting with Off-Camera Flash

This post pinned above, A Beginner's Guide to Working with Flash Off-Camera, provides a great overview of the different pieces of equipment that you need for working with off-camera flash, including recommendations for flash units, remote triggers, light stands, and light shapers or modifiers. The second half of the post shows how to set-up a basic off-camera flash shoot, including a comparison of the different power values of the flash itself. This is a great place to start for getting comfortable with setting up and using your off-camera flash unit.

This next post, titled Off-Camera Flash for Your Travel Photography, is a great resource for any type of flash photography. This post also provides an overview of the equipment needed for flash photography, with a focus on portability and usability for the traveling photographer.

The author then goes into detail about two different strategies for using your off-camera flash: to balance the ambient light and to underexpose for dramatic effect. Both are explained in detail with diagrams of the lighting set-up, a discussion of settings, and inclusion of the final portrait. A great resource to study!

Try Using Your Off-Camera Flash

This is the week to break out your off-camera flash unit and give it a try! If you do not own an off-camera flash unit, try using lamps or other continuous lighting sources to see how changing lighting position and strength can impact your photography.

Share a link or a photograph in the comments below, or consider joining the BYP 52 Weeks Google+ Community (or the new 52 Weeks 2015) to share your weekly photograph and see what others are capturing.

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Boost Your Photography: Learn Your DSLR is available from Amazon. Get the most out of your camera with practical advice about the technical and creative aspects of DSLR photography that will have you taking beautiful pictures right away.

Tips for Mastering On-Camera Flash

For the month of January, the 2014 version of Boost Your Photography: 52 Weeks Challenge will be focusing on light and lighting. (Interested in joining the 52 Weeks Challenge? We are also starting a re-boot version kicking off from the beginning: click here to join in for 2015!)

So far, we have looked at natural light and the influence of directional lighting. This week I have rounded up a collection of posts to help you master your on-camera flash.

Limitations of On-Camera Flash

Before we talk about what on-camera flash can do, it is useful to know the limitation. The biggest limitation of on-camera flash is its location. The built-in flash with your camera is positioned in one location and will point only in that one location. You have more options with a separate camera flash unit attached to your camera, as they are generally adjustable and can be pointed in different directions, but they are still attached to your camera at a set position.

Distance is another big limitation with any kind of flash. The power of light is inversely proportional to distance. (For those of you who are not the daughter of a math teacher, that means that the power of light fades tremendously and quickly over fairly short distances. A light strong enough to illuminate a subject well that is one foot away will only work one-quarter as well at two feet away and one-ninth as well at three feet away.) This is why it is foolish to use your on-camera flash in a darkened auditorium, for example. Your light is just never gonna get there.

On-camera flash is also often criticized for being 'harsh' lighting or for causing your subject to cast extreme shadows. Later in this post we will discuss methods for diffusing your flash - allowing the light to better spread out and more evenly illuminate your subject.

Tips for Better Shooting with Your Built-In Flash

The flash that is built into your camera is most useful for being the flash that you always have with you. These quick tips below will help you make the most of your built-in or pop-up flash.

Get in close. We discussed the inverse square law above. If you are shooting a subject with your built-in flash, you need your camera to be fairly close to that subject. (Think, less than 10 feet away.)

Balance your light. With many DSLR cameras and even some point-and-shoots, you can modify the strength of your flash unit, which allows you to better balance the light coming from your flash vs. the rest of the light in your scene.

Diffuse or redirect your flash. Diffusing your flash is covered in more detail below, but you can hack some pretty DIY solutions to diffusing your built-in flash unit. My favorite is to use a piece of tissue paper and drape it over your pop-up flash. When the flash triggers through the tissue paper, it spreads out, becoming more diffuse and more pleasing to the eye. Now it will not create that shadowed, deer-in-the-headlights look common to built-in flash portraits. Other photographers recommend using a white business card to redirect the light - aiming it up and bouncing it off the ceiling, for example. Give it a try!

Tips for Mastering Your On-Camera Flash Unit

Upgrading from the built-in flash to an additional on-camera flash unit can make a big impact in your flash photography options. While many brand-name flash photography units exist, there are also many highly-rated flash units that can be had for much cheaper.

The Yongnuo brand of flashes from China are highly regarded by photographers on a budget. They do not offer TTL (through the lens). TTL allows you to operate and control your flash directly through the camera. With the Yongnuo flashes, you have to choose the settings on the flash directly and adjust your camera's settings accordingly, which means a lot of manual shooting. Popular flash units that include the TTL feature include Canon Speedlites and Nikon Speedlites, which are much more user friendly.

The biggest improvement with on-camera flash units is your ability to adjust the direction of the flash and to bounce your flash, rather than aiming it directly at your subject. You may have noticed that many wedding photographs aim their flash nearly directly up when shooting indoors. This allows them to bounce the flash off the ceiling, creating a less-directional and more even light. (Remember the inverse square law however - the higher the ceiling, the less light coming back to your subject.)

The video above from Adorama TV shares a hands-on look at using your on-camera flash and bouncing it off of different locations and pieces of equipment. This is a great introductory video if you are looking to get the most out of your on-camera flash unit.

This post pinned above, 8 On-Camera Flash Tips, is chock-full of super simple ways to hack your on-camera flash to improve your photographs, from adding a flag, smoothing out the light, and using different settings. These quick tricks can make a biggest difference in the quality, direction, and style of light coming from your flash.

Try Using Your On-Camera Flash

Flash photography is a whole different ball game from using natural light, and learning how to use and manipulate your flash will help you make the most of any photography situation. Whether you have the built-in flash on your camera or an additional on-camera flash unit, spend some time this weekend experimenting with what they can do for you! (If you want to really get fancy with your flash, try something like Slow Sync photography - read the how-to here.)

Share a link or a photograph in the comments below, or consider joining the BYP 52 Weeks Google+ Community (or the new 52 Weeks 2015) to share your weekly photograph and see what others are capturing.

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Boost Your Photography: Learn Your DSLR is available from Amazon. Get the most out of your camera with practical advice about the technical and creative aspects of DSLR photography that will have you taking beautiful pictures right away.

Using Directional Lighting

For the month of January, the 2014 version of Boost Your Photography: 52 Weeks Challenge will be focusing on light and lighting. (Interested in joining the 52 Weeks Challenge? We are also starting a re-boot version kicking off from the beginning: click here to join in for 2015!)

Last week we looked at natural light and how to consider both the time of day as well as the quality of the light. This week we will expand that understanding with an introduction to directional lighting and how it can influence your photographs.

Basic Types of Directional Lighting

The "direction" of your lighting refers to the interaction between your light source (the sun or any artificial lighting), your subject, and your camera. The terminology used describes the location of the light in relationship to your subject, not to you as the photographer.

The most common types of directional lighting are front lighting, side lighting, and back lighting. Diffused lighting occurs when light is scattered and does not seem to come from a discernible location (think, a cloudy day with dim light and no shadows). You can read more about diffused lighting in last week's post about Ideas for Natural Light Photography.

Front Lighting

Front lighting is probably the most common form of directional lighting in photography. With front lighting, the light is shining from behind you, as the photographer, and it is illuminating the front of your subject. Front lighting eliminates most shadows as it evenly illuminates your subject.

Front lighting is in evidence in this photograph above of Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone National Park. The different terraces are all receiving sunlight directly, and the only shadows are small and result from the height of the sun in the sky.

Front lighting is often criticized for making subjects appear "flat" or less interesting, because the lack of shadows give less of a feel of volume or three-dimensions. (Read more about Form and Volume here.)

On the other hand, front lighting is often used quite often in landscape or portrait photography, when the purpose is to equally illuminate a subject. Depending on what look you want in a portrait, many of us would be quite content to eliminate the look of shadows and added-dimension (think: wrinkles or bags under the eyes, for example).

Side Lighting

With side lighting, the light moves from facing directly at your subject to coming off from either side. As a photographer, you want to think about keeping the light off to the side of either of your shoulders. Light coming directly side-on at your subject (a 90 degree angle) will tend to over-exaggerate shadows and dimension, whereas portrait photographers often use an approximately 45 degree angle between the light and the subject for a dramatic look.

Side lighting is also common in still life photography and mimics the look of famous still life paintings as well. In this photograph of the orange and clementines, the light was coming through a nearby window at around 45 degrees to the subject. You can tell this most easily by looking at the brightest spot reflected by the peels - a front-lit orange would have the spot directly centered, while a 90-degree light would have the spot exactly on the right-hand side.

Side lighting is used to add texture and dimension to your photograph. (You can read more about Texture as an Element of Visual Design here.) You can see how the main shadows of the fruit give a sense of its shape and its three-dimensional nature. The side lighting also illuminates all the different little freckles and dimples in the peel, which provide that texture and interest. Side lighting is often used to add drama or strong emotion to a scene or portrait, and it is commonly combined with black and white processing.

Back Lighting

The final main category of directional lighting is back lighting. In back lighting, you light source is located directly behind your subject (which often means that it is shining directly into your camera lens). You will want to experiment with moving your camera around slightly, relative to your subject and the lighting, to avoid overpowering your image by including the light source directly.

These two photographs provide a comparison of the difficulties of using back lighting. With the composition above, the sun itself is in the photograph, and its brightness overpowers the entire corner of the image where it is located. There is also evidence of sun flare (that bright purplish spot near the middle in the bottom) that impacts the image.

By contrast, in this photograph, the sun is shining just off the left-hand corner of the image. By not including the sun within the frame, it is easier to properly expose for the entire photograph.

Back lighting is used most commonly right around sunrise or sunset, as the low angle of the sun makes it easier to place it behind your subject. The back lighting here adds drama to the frozen plants as well as the golden glow of morning light. With portraits, back lighting is often used to provide what is known as "rim lighting" or that glowing light behind loose hair.

Back lighting is also used to create interesting and dramatic silhouettes. To create a silhouette, you want to position yourself so that your subject is blocking the light source. Here, you can see the location of the early-morning sun from its reflection in the lake. By positioning the tree directly blocking it, the tree and shore become black silhouettes, as do the two soaring birds.

Watch Your Lighting

Pay attention to the direction and angle of your lighting this week, whether you are shooting indoors or out. Try moving yourself, your subject, or your lighting to consider different arrangements and relationships between the three. See how it impacts your photography and find the look that works best for you!

Share a link or a photograph in the comments below, or consider joining the BYP 52 Weeks Google+ Community (or the brand-new 52 Weeks 2015) to share your weekly photograph and see what others are capturing.

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Boost Your Photography: Learn Your DSLR is available from Amazon. Get the most out of your camera with practical advice about the technical and creative aspects of DSLR photography that will have you taking beautiful pictures right away.

Ideas for Natural Light Photography

For the month of January, the Boost Your Photography: 52 Weeks Challenge will be focusing on light and lighting. What better place to start then with natural light? This post will explain some of the basics of photographing in natural light situations. (Interested in joining the 52 Weeks Challenge? We are starting a re-boot version kicking off from the beginning. Click here to join in for 2015!)

Why Natural Light

Shooting in natural light means learning and understanding the daily and seasonal changes in the sun and the quality of sun light in different times and places. Natural light is also a great way to learn about the power of light and lighting before worrying about manipulating light with indoor lighting or flashes.

Shooting with natural light does not mean that you can only shoot outdoors. Many, many fabulous natural lighting images are shot inside using windows for ambient lighting. Don't let cold weather or a desire to stay inside keep you from making amazing natural light photographs.

To truly understand natural light and how to use it best in your photographs, it is important to recognize the different types of natural lighting. The next section will discuss the different times of day and the quality of natural light at those times.

The Blue Hour

The Blue Hour is that time for a while just before sunrise and just after sunset when the sky glows with magnificent blue tones. Blue Hour light is extremely flattering for shooting glimmering cities, glowing carnival rides, and shimmering fireworks displays. The contrast between the blue tones of the fading sun light and the bright colors of artificial light bring another level of interest to your photograph. Read more about Blue Hour Photography here.

Subjects to seek out during the Blue Hour include

• Architecture or cityscapes
• Holiday or carnival lights (Read How to Photograph Outdoor Holiday Lights or Long Exposure Photography at the Fair)
• Fireworks displays (Read Quick Tips for Better Fireworks Photographs)

The Golden Hour

Far better known than its blue counterpart is the Golden Hour. The Golden Hour is a period of around an hour centered on the timing of sunrise and sunset each day. (Read more about a useful app for predicting and using Golden Hour light in the article Must Have Apps to Assist Your Photography.)

Golden Hour light is universally adored by photographers for the warm, golden tones that it adds to a given scene or subject. Golden Hour light also creates long shadows and angular light, which can add subtle definition and depth to your photograph as well.

These two photographs were taken at the same location two days apart. The first was taken during a cloudy, overcast morning, while the second was taken during the full bright light of a Golden Hour sunrise. You can see the immediate impact of the golden light and how it brings out the richness and color of the leaves.

Subjects to seek out during the Golden Hour include

• Landscapes and Nature (Read Analyze to Improve Your Landscape Photographs)
• Portraits (Read Portrait Photography Basics)
• Sunrise and Sunset (Read 5 Easy Tips for Better Sunrise and Sunset Photographs)

Harsh Midday Lighting

Some photographers claim that they only shoot during the Golden Hour and find the harsher from-above lighting of the middle of the day inappropriate for photography, but I disagree. Midday photography is an interesting time to explore the power of harsh overhead light. 

Subjects to seek out during harsh midday lighting include

• Architecture, especially emphasizing lines and hard angles
• Subjects using black and white photography (Read Black and White Photography: do you shoot or post-process?)
• Macro or detail shots (Read Getting Started with Macro Photography)

Diffused Lighting

This one is more of a type-of-day rather than a time-of-day. Diffused lighting situations occur when light is being bounced around from many places rather than coming from a single direction. Cloudy and overcast days feature diffused lighting. (An inability to find a distinct shadow is a hallmark of diffused lighting.)

Subjects to seek out with diffused lighting include

• Fog and mist - think nature, roads, bridges, or other subjects that can appear and disappear to lend depth and mystery to your photograph
• Portraits (Read Portrait Photography Basics)
• Macro or close-up shots - think jewelry or food photography, where a lack of dramatic shadows brings even lighting

Shoot in Natural Light

Bring your photography out into the light this week by working towards using natural light in your images. Spend some time outdoors or indoors and see how the light varies and impacts your photography.

Share a link or a photograph in the comments below, or consider joining the BYP 52 Weeks Google+ Community (or the brand-new 52 Weeks 2015) to share your weekly photograph and see what others are capturing.

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Boost Your Photography: Learn Your DSLR is available from Amazon. Get the most out of your camera with practical advice about the technical and creative aspects of DSLR photography that will have you taking beautiful pictures right away.

Shooting Mode: Part 3 - aperture priority

This month's Boost Your Photography: 52 Weeks Challenge is focusing the different creative shooting modes available on your camera: program mode, shutter priority mode, aperture priority mode, and full manual mode

Aperture Priority Mode

Aperture Priority mode allows you to set the aperture and ISO for your camera, and it will choose a corresponding shutter speed, based on its calculation of the correct exposure. (Read more about correct and creative exposure in the article All about Exposure or about ISO in ISO Basics.) Aperture priority mode is usually abbreviated as A on your shooting mode dial.

The aperture (or opening) of your camera lens controls the amount of light that enters your camera and impacts the depth of field (how much of your photograph is in focus). A wide open aperture (like f/1.8) captures a lot of light but relatively little of the photograph will be in focus, while a narrow, closed down aperture (like f/22) captures far less light but much more of the photograph will be in focus.

Looking to learn more about aperture?

• Aperture Scale
• Aperture and the F/Stop Conundrum
• What an Aperture of F/1.8 Can Do for You
• What the Middle Range Apertures Can Do for You
• What an Aperture of F/22 Can Do for You

Common Situations to Use Aperture Priority Mode

Creative Bokeh Photography

Bokeh photography requires a wide open aperture. You want to keep your subject relatively close to the camera and your background (or background lights) farther away for the best bokeh effect. Read more in All about Bokeh.

Portraits 

Portrait photographers often use aperture priority mode and shoot at the wider end of the aperture spectrum. This creates a blurred background look that focuses attention on your subject. When working with a thin depth of field, it is important to make sure that your focus is spot on. Read more in Portrait Photography Basics and Top Tips for Photography Portraits and Posing.

Indoor or Low-Light Photography

Aperture priority mode can also be useful when shooting indoors or in other low-light situations. Setting a wide aperture allows your camera to constantly choose the fastest available shutter speed, especially if lighting situations are changing while you are shooting.

Starbursts and Sun Flares

Starburst effects and sun flares are created by using a narrow aperture like f/22. The number of points on the star are impacted by the number of aperture blades inside your camera. Try it out with different lenses to see what kinds of effects you can capture. Read more about Using Sun Flares and Starbursts to Create Stunning Images.

Waterfalls

Waterfall photography can also benefit from using a narrow aperture like f/22. This forces your camera to choose the longer shutter speed possible, giving the composition and conditions. Longer shutter speeds create the smooth, flowing water effect that can make for memorable waterfall shots. Read more in Yes, Go Chasing Waterfalls.

Shoot in Aperture Priority Mode

This week your challenge is to try shooting in aperture priority mode. Try one of the situations above or another photography subject. Shoot a range of photographs across the aperture spectrum to really see how controlling aperture can help you get the shot you want.

Share a link or a photograph in the comments below, or consider joining the BYP 52 Weeks Google+ Community to share your weekly photograph and see what others are capturing.

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Boost Your Photography: Learn Your DSLR is available from Amazon. Get the most out of your camera with practical advice about the technical and creative aspects of DSLR photography that will have you taking beautiful pictures right away.