Friday Photo Tips

Welcome to more Friday Photo Tips. Holiday time is here but, before you go, do a quick bit of research of the best photo spots and other peoples shots of the area your visiting. Don't go mad trying to find the exact spot the tripod was on, just a general sense of the area. Happy holidays!

11.RAW

One question you’ll invariably hear from experienced photographers is “are you shooting in RAW?”. For someone new to photography this can be something they don’t really understand but, why should you shoot in RAW rather than JPEG. The difference between RAW and JPEG is the latter is a compressed file format meaning some of the information has been discarded during the compression process, RAW on the other hand keeps all the information the camera takes. Although the JPEG file may look better out of camera problems arise when trying to process them such as artefacts and increased amounts of noise appearing, Shooting RAW allows processing to be pushed much further without any of the JPEG’s associated problems. If you’re not sure about using RAW files but maybe want to future proof your work, set your camera to take a RAW+JPEG that way you’ll get the best of both.

12. Buy a book

Instead of looking at new lens or latest camera body upgrade and making arguments about how much your photography would improve with them, try a book instead. Not all photography books are about the basics or equipment you can’t afford, there are books about why should you take a photo and telling the story with your image. Thinking about your image at a deeper level can improve your photography more than any lens or camera. An alternative to purely photography based literature is to look at other artists, especially painters. There are more similarities between photo's and paintings than most people realise; photography is an art, not just a form of record keeping so, looking at what makes a great painting or how an artist thinks can help in your own photography.

13. Histogram

One of the best ways of reviewing images on your camera is to use the histogram rather than looking at the image itself. The problem with the image shown just after taking a photo is the camera processes it into a JPEG even if your shooting in RAW. This looks great on the small camera screen but, back on a larger monitor it can look very different. By using the histogram, you can get a more accurate idea of whether the photo’s correctly exposed, you can also gauge if the highlights and shadows are under or over exposed. Once you’ve learned how to read the histogram in various situations, the chances of photos that are too dark or completely blown out start to minimise. Some cameras, especially mirrorless also have the histogram function working as you set the shot up, so you can adjust setting before you even press the shutter release, check the camera manual to find out.

14. Up early, out late

The best times of the day to shoot are around sunrise and sunset. These are the times when the Sun is lower in the sky, creating longer shadows and giving more colour to a scene due to the longer wavelengths, and nothing seems so harsh like it does at noon. Contrast and textures are also much better and as a bonus, there’s usually less people around.

15. Don’t forget the details

When you’re out shooting take time to look out for the smaller details that help to tell the story of the place your in. For instance, in a church you may take an image that shows the scale and grandeur of the place but, what about that row of books signifying the religion or the candle burning in memorial. Another use for detail shots is when you can’t get the whole scene in the frame, instead take a portion or abstract of the view that best represents what you’re looking at.