Guide to Use Autofocus System on Digital Camera

Autofocus on Intelligent camera lens continue focus on the subject you shoot, and can mean the difference between a pointy and a missed opportunity. Once you do lots of action photography it is best to find out each nuance of your autofocus system. then This tutorial gonna explain guide to supposed to work autofocus on your digital camera.

On 1985 Minolta launch first autofocus SLR camera and have become a revolutionized the world of photography - the Maxxum 7000, except for a short period of time. At that time my eyes were faster and additional accurate than the combination of camera and lens as possible. fast forward to 2012 and there's no method I could return to manual focus. however despite the wonderful advances in today's bodies and lenses, several photographers don't recognize all AF functions to take advantage of current models. I do lots of action and bird photography therefore it was for me to find out all the nuances of my autofocus system. read on to get the most effective of you.

Set the right point of focus:

There is alittle square which is the active focus point within the viewfinder. In most cameras, after you press the shutter button and move the switch on the rear of the body, the point of focus to be moved. E 'is imperative that this approach is that the focal point of the subject, particularly if it's to work in low lightweight conditions with the goal wide open. as an example, if you're writing an image of a pregnant lady and also the centrality of the abdomen, is likely to face to the depth of field when the lens is open. Shift attention from his face and the fire. Ever mindful of the focal plane to be crucial and move the focus point  to that location.

Continuous or single

Several cameras provide a possibility for the user to override the autofocus system if the image isn't focus. it's a continuous release / power / release priority etc - depends on the brand cameras you've got. Continuous mode works well in subjects moving erratically within the viewfinder. i use it all the time, if you shoot at any moving object. the idea is, though you'll get blurry pictures is the autofocus system in step with the movement and sharp pictures. the choice could be a single mode if allowe shutter speed when the camera detect sharp focus. If the subject doesn't move, it works fine. All of my image for portraits and wedding during this mode. within the case of a single mode, the camera determines if the shutter can be released and in Continuous the photographer overrides the decision of the camera.

Start Far and Let it Happen

If the action is delivered to you on this subject, block onto the subject it’s far away. In continuous mode the camera will follow the speed with which the subject moves to "learn" and with their pace. As part widens taking in frame. don't stop till it's cropp important parts of the subject. I do that all the time when i am photographing birds in flight. If you recognize where the action is executed, focusing before  on an object at the same plane therefore the lens doesn’t have far to search when the subject appears.

The central AF point is the best

For action shots, always lock using the central AF point. however they're also in continuous mode and choose an average variety of ranges. the reason why the center is by far the foremost delicate point of the system. In continuous mode, since the subject is approximately, then I compose the image so that the subject isn't dead center within the frame. Beauty is usually "hands off" the tracking to different focus points whereas I recompose the subject. It takes observe to do the recomposing, however it’s well worth the effort and result.

The limitation of the lens

A series of AF lenses have a Limit Focus. If you recognize the subject won't be in your area, make certain to set the target for the marker to infinity. the explanation for this is that when the subject is out of focus whereas tracing, unnecessarily attempt the  entire range of AF lens system. as a results of relocking the new one is far more efficient. The AF switch is sometimes found on giant telephoto lenses.

Turn Off Stabilization

Image stabilization work excellent when it's required, however several photographers who have it all the time. you do not need all the time for two reasons:

a) if the action is triggered, you may use a fast shutter speed. The shutter speed causes every camera movement. All it does is through gyroscopes and eats the battery.

b) The image stabilization system can slow down the AF a little. "If the action is moving fast, i need the AF horsepower I can get so I leave it off.

Integrating the above techniques in your workflow and look forward to many additional keepers within the future.

Article Resource : http://www.takegreatpictures.com/

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Guide to Extreme Shallow Depth of Field

 What Depth of Field is ?

DOF  or depth of field  is an abbreviation for an outline of what proportion of your image is in focus. A depth of field means simply that a specific area of the image is tack sharp, whereas different parts stay unclear.

Depth of Field in your Photographs

One of the most uses of degrees of freedom is to focus on the topic, reducing the impact of disorder of the bottom annoying. These may also be used in the majority types of photography, portraits, sports, photojournalism, close to macro and use of all the shallow DOF. Personally i prefer the effect, such that nearly never take an image that doesn't use some kind ofthis method. the essential rule is that if you wish look great, use shallow depth of field .

Get Shallow Depth of Field

To get a Shallow Depth of Field  is to set the f-stop as small as possible. the smaller the aperture f-stop will be greater, the larger the aperture the background will appear blurred, so the best way to shallow dof by starting at the lowest f-stop. began by experimenting on the f-stop is by putting the lowest f-stop, then take a picture, then raise one stop, and take a picture again, then you can compare the results, the experiment will facilitate you to understand the Shallow Depth of Field . other things that influential is the ISO, the higher, the lower the depth of field  on the image, so it set the ISO as small as possible, in this case the aperture is the most important thing to be set.  

Use  Shallow Depth of Field

The most common and easy way to use shallow depth of field  is bring the foreground part into focus and blur the background. a nice example of this can be the image below.

Whereas the vast majority of the image is out of focus you are eyes are immediately drawn to our webbed friend. If our background were in sharp focus he would be immediately lost within the background. after all every photograph is completely different for each scenario however the essential plan is to get all or most of your subject in focus and the maximum amount of your background out of focus as possible. now there are cases where you simply wish to isolate a particular part of your subject to bring importance to it as within the 2nd image to the correct. during this example the area of focus is the sharp looking edge of the flower, at the same time the main body remains blurred.

This brings immediate attention of your viewer to the part we want to indicate, the sharp edge in this case. you can realize as time goes on that you will get better at identifying when to use DOF and how much to use it. keep in mind if overused it will distract from the whole image, you do not need a complete blur. Another less common use for shallow Depth of Field is to own part of the foreground out of focus, then sharp subject, then out of focus background. this can be one of the most effective techniques if used properly. The result it gives is one of clear separation between the elements of the photo and when interpreted by the mind it really adds to the realism of your two dimensional photograph.

Shallow Depth of Field in Photojournalism and Portrait

Portrait photography and photojournalism are some of the major styles of photography you want to use shallow Depth of Field . This is a useful tool for telling stories and, as in all other uses, which draws attention to the desired position. Imagine a natural environment where a person chooses a river, sniffing with a smile on his face as a kid. It may have little depth of field in many ways to use here, and it is likely that both the flower and some or most of the face in focus, for example, 2/3rds of a look. This effectively says, "Hey, put your attention on the interaction, forget the rest.Another way would be to move the only flower in the center and let the person as a blur in the background, probably a nearly opposite straight. the example is that of an abstract and artistic history. a final interpretation might be to put an end to the flower in the foreground and the feeling that the person is experiencing. This lends itself to a ratio of image interpretation.

Shallow Depth of Field in Abstract Photography

An important aspect of the applications may be blurred or surreal. With a goal of good quality and an eye for art in nature, you can really find a way to distort reality and put your mind in the picture. I do not go too deep, because this is the area where you should determine what is happening. Some techniques are only elements combine to present a sort of photographic oil painting as an example the picture on the right side. You also get a good effect for high-contrast patterns in the background, like sunlight through the leaves with a fast track in the foreground as a flower or a super-model in the way you like.

During your experience in photography you will presented with many tools and techniques to tell your stories. Although it is not the only way to tell a story, I think you will find that the depth of field is one of the most useful techniques you really need for almost style in photography.

Related Article :

• How to control Depth of Field  
• How to Create Realistic Depth of Field in Photoshop

Article from http://www.emmettlollis.com/

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Best technique to shoot whole room panoramic photos using 35mm lenses

There are many  options for camera to capture panorama image,Unfortunately some with most expensive and priced out of reach for most people and used just for specialized tools rather then general.
The Hasselblad X-pan and Fuji 617 medium format camera is one of a popular camera for panorama as the ability to combine two images into a single 35mm frame.

The good news today is that you don't need to spend much money to buy cameras and special lenses to shoot  panoramic image, with a little trick using a 35mm lens that you already have, combining some of the frame 35mm in a panoramic format using software to create panoramic image. This article will explain the process of making high-resolution  panoramic image using a 35mm frame.

Keys to produce good panoramas is to set up your equipment meticulously before taking the primary frame. an ideal set-up before shooting can create the stitching significantly easier later. Here are some easy steps to follow to get nice panoramas:

• Place the tripod should be leveled perfectly. several tripods have alittle bubble level to enable this. ensure that the bubble is perfectly targeted. a completely level tripod will enable the panning to be perfectly horizontal with no vertical offset between the various photos which will be used to create the panorama.
• Purpose the camera at the tallest space that you simply need to capture and choose a focal length lens that enables you to capture the tallest component. If you're using a zoom lens, zoom to the correct focal length to get the tallest object within the frame. you may need to leave a small degree extra space to permit for perfecting the final crop later.
• Compose the shot on the tallest part of the panorama and then level the camera perfectly within the horizontal axis (left to right). A bubble level that clips into your hot-shoe comes in terribly handy here. As a less correct different, a gridded focusing screen will be used. Again, this leveling step is imperative in order that the different pictures have good registration with one another for later stitching. Lock your tripod heads ball or the vertical control on a tilt and pan head tight so your leveled panorama system isn't compromised. At this time, you'll be able to freely swing the camera left and right using the pan control on your tripod head.
• If your shot needs the use of a split neutral density filter you may need to set it up at this time. find the area in your pan which will require the split ND filter to possess its graduation set at the lowest purpose in the image. Set your filter for this space. always keep in mind to use your depth of field preview button to accurately place the filter.
• Meter the scene in no matter mode you would normally meter it in however ensure you take your meter reading off of the brightest section of your panorama to avoid overexposure. this can be especially necessary if you're using transparency film or digital film as these media are not tolerant of overexposure. Lock that meter reading into the camera in MANUAL exposure mode. it's important not to use auto-exposure when doing panoramas as you wish the shutter speed and aperture to remain constant for eachframe. If you do not try this, stitching along frames of various brightness or depth of field is very difficult.
• Work from left to right as each film and digital pictures are indexed from left to right – it simply makes it easier after you assemble the final image. Compose your first shot at the far left and press the shutter whereas committing a feature along the correct edge to memory.
• Pan the camera to the right and ensure you leave at least {20|twenty} to 25th of overlap area in each frame referencing off of the feature you committed to memory within the first frame. If you utilize a grid type focusing screen, using the rightmost and leftmost vertical grid makes a good reference purpose and permits for lots of overlap. Continue taking shots till you have completed the sequence. Note that in rapidly changing light-weight, it's important to finish your work as quickly as possible. this can be another reason to form positive you have everything set-up perfectly ahead of time. 

Some photographer create  panoramic image in landscape view. Although this is effective, may cause very narrow with a vertical view panoramic restricted. An alternative method is to take pictures in portrait mode. This has two important advantages. In the first place, there are 1.5 times as much information and then, the vertical resolution. Secondly, a focal length used to induce the perspective distortion less. If possible, I recommend you stay away from the focal lengths of less than about 35 mm, if you shoot in portrait or 28 mm when shooting in landscape mode, for any angle on the vertical axis (up and down) with a distorted view of the stitching to make the process difficult.

More suggestion! Do not use a polarizer in the days with blue skies. The polarizer darkens the sky, although most in a 90 degree angle to the sun. Since you're going to take a picture that usually takes a substantial arc of the sky can appear unnaturally dark areas where the camera is left with an angle of 90 degrees in the sun. If you want to darken the sky, instead of using a neutral density filter division.

Once you processing the slides and scan, or use images from the digital storage medium, it is time to unite. There are many ways, but this is by far the simplest and most effective way to do this is with a program called ArcSoft Panorama Maker 3 ($ 40 - www.arcsoft.com) do. This software automates many functions of sewing, including the search for optimal exposure, and sutures between frames. Sometimes in low contrast / detail situations, help you find the best stitches, but still makes the process much easier than any other method. A further advantage of the Maker Panorama 3 is not limited to vertical linear network. The software is a reproduction of the transparent, even if the transition is a curve optimal, in a zig-zag or otherwise. You can also replace the key points that the selected program. The program will issue a TIFF file, which can then be loaded into an editing program like Photoshop popular image can then be processed normally.

Other way, you can use your image editing software to use the images together manually, but this is much more work. This is achieved by dividing each frame into a single document as a separate layer. Here are their intersections until you see the result you get. With the guides can help this process. You'll need a bit 'image processing know-how and familiarity with the program, to do well.

If the images that make up the landscape was remarkable tilt up or down, and a wide angle lens are recorded, the difficulties caused by the perspective distortion of leaflets. For example, if your 24 mm lens is slightly tilted, if you took the picture, the right point of an arc, like a smiley face from the perspective distortion. In this case, it is necessary to include the perspective of each of the individual frames in the image editing software before, fix the seams (in Photoshop: Edit> Transform> Perspective distortion). This makes the process much more difficult to record the images to each well. It 's better to keep the camera right in this situation, the perspective distortion, and later crop for purposes of composition.

With careful and precise set-up, wonderful  panoramic image will be created with the camera equipment you already own. Before attempting this in those fleeting moments of excellent light, provides it a attempt at home. you'll set up your camera in your front yard and shoot  panoramic image of your neighborhood to apply. go out and provides it a attempt so you may be ready to capture that magnificent scene after you are out in the field!

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Tips for Wildlife Safari Photography

Take pictures in a safari trip with often not as easy as you think. a wildlife photo safari is a perfect view and so we need the right information and techniques to produce the best images. The following are some tips which can help you to produce stunning safari images.
(read article Captures Animals On Camera : Experient from National Geographic Photographer Joel Sartore )

Plan your trip

When booking your safari personally or through a travel agent, it's necessary to combine your travels inside the safari. this can make sure that you're ready to read totally different wildlife to photograph, bird species and landscapes. after you arrange plan to travel around, remember of your photographic equipment. try and avoid bringing all of your lenses along, however rather pack in exactly the essentials. this may make it easier to travel and you'll avoid possible theft in the airports.

Gear recommendation for safari photography

An essential lens to bring along could be a 300mm lense; it's long enough for close up shots and not too heavy to carry during a moving vehicle. it's important to avoid changing lenses whereas in a safari vehicle, you do not need dust dirt in your sensor. To avoid this you can rather bring along another body with a regular lens. don't use a flash in the dark, it will scare the animals. Instead, use the lights of the car to target the wildlife. keep in mind to bring enough charged batteries or bring a car charger along. If you're attending to equipment specifically for your safari trip, then invest during a stabilizing lens that covers all focal lengths.

Techniques to use in safari photography

If possible bring a tripod along; photos will always be plenty clearer and a lot of stabilised with a tripod. keep in mind that safaris are an uncontrolled environment, the background might not be what you expect; so, use a bigger aperture to blur the background. ask your tour operator what the times of the tours are, you wish to either go as early or late as possible. make sure to buy a screw on filter for your lens, this may block out UV light while not adjusting the color of your photos. something to also invest in is a polarizing filter that may make images look wonderful. It can darken a light blue sky perfectly, simply be careful to not overdo it. try to not use autofocus as this will focus on objects round the animal, you only have a few moments to get the shot you wish, therefore don't waste your time.

Patience is the key

to get a unique picture in safari, it takes patience to wait for the natural behavior of animals. this can be what's most fascinating and worth the wait. a particular amount of luck is also involved; you may be there at the correct time to capture something completely unique.

Related Article :

• How to photographing Wildlife in Easliy Way 

• 10 Parks Photography tips from Ralph Lee Hopkins

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Best Way to Understand Exposure and Histogram

For some experienced photographer, exsposure still to be a problem. exposure shown in the LCD screen is not an accurate indicator. Histogram is the only way to ensure this, the following article will try to understand the importance of the histogram by starting with the basics of exposure

Brightness can be adjusted on most cameras and its appear on LCD screen. when you adjusting the brightness with manual settings, this is because you can see firsthand the changes on the LCD screen, but this way is sometimes misleading when you think that your picture looks good, but the result is not.

The brightness of the LCD screen will more accurately reflect brightness of the photo if you select Auto. However, you still need to check the histogram.

Your Camera’s Meter

The first step to understanding exposure, and why your camera can get it wrong, is to learn how your camera’s exposure meter works. Once you understand the following three points, you will know why your camera’s meter can easily give the wrong reading:

1. No matter which camera you have, or which metering mode you use it in, the exposure sensor inside your camera is measuring light reflected from the subject.
2. Your camera expects the light reflected from the subject to average out to a mid-grey tone (also known as 18% grey).
3. If the light reflected from the subject doesn’t average out to mid-grey, your camera will get the exposure wrong. At this point you need to step in and override the camera’s settings.

What sort of subject matter will give a wrong exposure reading? Your camera essentially expects to see a mid-grey subject (once all the tones are averaged out), so anything that is predominantly light or dark in tone will make the camera give an incorrect reading.

Any subject that is white or black will give an incorrect exposure reading. But so will anything that is predominantly light or dark. Flowers are a common subject that cause difficulty, and so are portraits if your model is light skinned.

White, or light colored, subjects will make the camera underexpose. This is because the camera is returning a reading that makes the tones in the image average out to mid-grey.
Dark, or dark toned, subjects will make the camera overexpose. Again, the camera is returning a reading that makes the tones in the image average out to mid-grey.

Based on what you’ve just read, can you tell which of these two images of a white flower was taken with the camera’s suggested exposure settings? If you said the left hand photo, you were right.
Even with the camera set to evaluative metering (it’s most advanced metering mode) it still got it wrong.

That’s because the flower is white, but the camera is programmed to believe that everything it sees is mid-grey. It gives a reading that makes the flower grey, not white.

The right hand photo is correctly exposed. I had to override the camera’s settings to take this image.

Using the Histogram

One of the biggest benefits of digital cameras is that they give you instant feedback.When I was learning photography with a film camera, the best way to learn about exposure was with slide film. Exposure has to be very precise with slide film – just 1/3 stop more or less exposure can make a dramatic difference to the image.

With slide film, I had the choice between using Kodachrome, which took over a week to come back after being sent off to be processed, or E6 film, which took three or four days. Either way, it was a long wait to see if I had got the exposure correct.
Now, with digital cameras, all you need to do is look at the histogram. It’s quick, easy and makes learning much faster.

Check your camera’s instruction manual to see how to display the histogram when you playback your images. If your camera has the choice between a luminance histogram and color histograms, then the luminance histogram is the one you need.
The luminance histogram tells you two important things:

1. Whether the photo is underexposed or overexposed.
2. How many light, dark and mid-tones the photo has.

The luminance histogram is a bar graph with up to 256 bars pressed tightly together so that there are no gaps between. The bottom axis shows a range of 256 tones from pure black (on the far left) to pure white (on the far right). The left axis shows the number of pixels in the image that correspond to those tones. The higher the spikes, the more tones there are.

The image above shows how different parts of the histogram relate to the image. I’ve shown the image in black and white as that’s how the camera sees it when it generates the luminance histogram. It takes into account brightness values only and ignores the color.

Every photo has a histogram. Ideally, the histogram should fit within the span of the graph. It should slope down to meet the bottom axis and not be cut off on the right hand or left hand side.

I deliberately overexposed this photo to show you what happens. The histogram is cut off on the right hand side, indicating that the image is overexposed. Exposure needs to be reduced.

Here, my camera’s highlight alert shows the area that is overexposed. There is no detail here, these highlights are ‘clipped’. I might be able to pull some of that detail back in post-processing if I’m shooting Raw, but it’s better to get the exposure correct in the first place.

This screen grab shows an underexposed image. The histogram is cut off on the left-hand side, indicating that the photo is underexposed and that exposure needs to be increased. There will be no detail in the shadow areas.
Let’s take a look at the histograms for the photos of the white flower I showed you earlier:

I set my camera to evaluative metering, its most advanced metering mode, to take this photo. Even so, it still underexposed the white flower. The big gap on the right hand side of the histogram confirms this.

Here I used exposure compensation to override the camera’s meter and increase the exposure by two stops. The histogram has moved over to the right, and is nearly touching the right hand side, indicating that the exposure is correct.

What does the histogram for the above image tell us? You may think that the spike on the left shows the image is underexposed. But in reality the exposure is correct. A glance at the image itself tells us that there are lots of dark tones in the sky and the mountains. The spike in the histogram merely confirms that.

Exposure Compensation

Now that you can use the histogram to see if a photo is correctly exposed, you need to know what to do when it isn’t.

If you are using an automatic exposure mode, the easiest way is to use your camera’s exposure compensation function.

If you’re photographing a light subject and the photo is underexposed, increase exposure by a stop or two, then take another photo and check the histogram again to see if it’s correct.
The same applies, but in reverse, for dark subjects. The camera will tend to overexpose – use exposure compensation to underexpose by one or two stops to compensate.
Don’t forget to set the exposure compensation back to zero when you’re finished – otherwise your next set of photos may come out over or underexposed.

Creative Exercises

These exercises will help you put the lessons learnt today into practice:

Creative Exercise One:

Go back through the images saved on your camera’s memory card/s and look at the luminance histogram for each image. How do the tones in the image correspond to the spikes in the histogram? Do the histograms indicate underexposure or overexposure on any of the images?

Creative Exercise Two:

You can try this out for yourself. Take a photo of any white colored object. It could be a sheet of paper, a white wall, a white cup, or someone dressed in white. It doesn’t matter which exposure mode you use.

Look at the photo on your camera’s LCD screen. Are the white tones in the image white or grey? Look at the histogram. Is there a gap on the right hand side? Change the metering mode. Does this make a difference to the exposure reading your camera gives? Now use exposure compensation to increase the exposure. How many stops do you need to increase it by to get the correct exposure?

Now repeat the exercise with a black subject. Look for a black wall, a black car, a black cat – anything that’s black and repeat the experiment. What color is your subject when you playback the image – black or grey? Is there a gap on the left hand side of the histogram? How many stops of minus exposure compensation are required to obtain the correct exposure?
Try these tests in both direct sunlight and shade. The difference in results may surprise you.

Conclusion

By the time you’ve finished these two exercises you should have a good idea of the relationship between exposure and the histogram. You should also be able tell, if the exposure is incorrect, how much exposure compensation is required to rectify it.

Related Articles :

• Perfect Exposure using Histogram  

• Long Exposure Quick Reference  

• Exposure and Composition in BW

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Tips for Photographing Reflection

Reflection are a mainstay of photography, and with good reason - reflections are everyplace in the world around us, and can supply a variety of effects results , from dramatic symmetrical sunsets to window portraits. Here's some idea, trick and tips for photographing reflection .

Utilizing reflections is one of the most popularand powerful techniques in photography, from beautiful sunsets to lonely silhouettes. Here are some tips and tricks for the many ways in which you can apply reflections to photograph a fantastic picture.The focus of the image could be something totally different , while the reflection itself simply provides a subtle, simple background.

Photographing Reflection of Water Planes

Likely the most common form of reflection photography out there, but that doesn't imply that it's all just clich. Dramatic skyscapes reflected on water are a mainstaythe symmetry provides for double the beauty, after. Beyond that, many photographers select to combine it up with silhouettes (Read How to Photograph Silhouettes in 8 Easy Steps), usual water characteristics such as docks, but also human silhouettes or the natural curved shape of the shore. Nor does the reflection have to be the focusing of the image. The focus of the image could be something many different, while the reflection itself merely provides a subtle, simple background.

and with good reason : not only is the water is more likely to be calm, but the colors and clouds of the sky also are usually more spectacular . Take a walk in a park near you maybe with a friend for some silhouettes or brainstorming, or maybe with just a close look for interesting features and lines.

 

Photographing Reflection of Glass Panes.

We aren't just for water as a reflective medium, nevertheless . In our present times of glass and steel, manmade reflective surfaces abound. While sunsets and storm clouds look wonderful on the face of a skyscraper, all of these surfaces are only half-reflectivewhich in itself can be used as a powerful tool. A pane of glass can be a window to both the inside and outside worlds, a medium for very surrealistic effects .

Experiment with the manmade surfaces around you. They don't have to be perfectly reflectivedirty glass, while perhaps not the prettiest for a passerby, can offer a gritty noir mood to a photograph. Partial reflections can be used to juxtapose numerous views on top of each other, so keep an eye out on your environments. A walk through any urban environment and a creative eye is bound to be fruitful.

 

 

Photographing Reflection of Droplets.

Naturally, there's no necessary in reflection photography that the reflective surface has to be flat. Droplets are a outstanding illustration of this. All around us, soon after a rain or after the sprinkler goes off or after the morning dew, they give a curving window into reality, reflecting and refracting the light source in often dramatic styles fashions (Read Photography and light source ). Alone or in groups, in focus or out, they sparkle or they reflect, they complicate or clarify an image.

However, with such small things being the subject of your picture , you'll have to choose some particular technical attention . A primer in f-stop, aperture and general macro photography is an absolute must (Read Macro Photography, lets get started ). In addition, a good dose of patience is required, to get that reflections exactly right. The patience definitely pays off, however, and the creative potentialis unbounded.

 

When Reflections Aren't Wanted

Of course ... sometimes a reflection isn't completely suitable to photograph as you should take, be it off a bald head or if the picture you 're trying to take truly is on the other side of a piece of the glass. There are a few things you can do if you don't desire a reflection in your photography.

When the reflection is beginning in a medium that you are attempting to photograph, say, the sky on the water when you want an image of the fish, then a polarizing lens might be in order. Basically, they work to lessen reflectivity in surfaces. Also, play by using an angle from which you are taking the shoot to try out and cut down glare, or take the image in a situation with less shining light.

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Understanding Outdoor Lighting

As a photographer, you are work with kind of outdoor Lighting to create quality pictures. The color, direction, quantity, and quality of the light you utilize determines how your subjects appear. within the studio, with artificial light sources, you you'll be able to exactly control these four effects; however, most of the images you create are taken outdoors. Daylight and sunlight don't seem to be a continuing supply, as a result of they change hourly and with the weather, season, location, and latitude. This changing daylight will alter the apparent shapes, colors, tones, and kinds of a scene. the colour of daylight changes most rapidly at the extreme ends of the day. sturdy color changes also occur throughout storms, haze, or mist and on blue wintery days. The direction of light changes because the sun moves across the sky. the form and direction of shadows are altered, and the totally different directions of sunlight greatly have an effect on the appearance of a scene.


Here's four types of outdoor Lighting you'll commonly find :

Front Outdoor Lighting

Front Outdoor Lighting, the light coming over your shoulder and falling on the subject, is flat. It hurts the dimensionality of the subject and makes them seem lifeless. You need fill light here just like you will side lighting.

Side Outdoor Lighting

Side Outdoor Lighting, coming from 45 to 90 degrees of the subject is good for landscapes, where medium to heavy shadows sculpt the view and give depth and sense of scale. But it's cruel to people. The light needs to softened when you use it. You'll need fill light. A reflector should do the trick. A number things work well as reflectors in this type of light. A sheet of printer paper, a sheet of construction paper, a sheet of cardboard will bounce back a warmer light. Aluminum foil, the shinny side or the dull side, crinkled or flat.

Top Outdoor Lighting

Top Outdoor Lighting out of doors is around noon. The worst time to shoot is between 10 am and 2 pm because of this type of lighting. This light casts the eyes in dark shadows and the mouth hides in the shade of the nose. Plus everything else in the scene is two dimensional and uninteresting. Don't bother. This is perfect time for planning, and a three martini lunch.

When it was common to shoot on film each roll came with a spec sheet giving the characteristics of the film. It also included a simple guide to light. My favorite outdoor light was called Cloudy-Bright. When the sky was lightly overcast. The sun was still visible but diffuse, It's visible in the sky but you could look at it without hurting your eyes. It lit subjects evenly with shadows of light to medium density. You could see into the shadows and even make out some of the detail. The next time there's a day like this go outside and look around. This is normal photographic lighting, the lighting you're trying to achieve, both indoors and outdoors.

Twilight Outdoor Lighting

Twilight outdoor lightning is good time to shoot too, the light has a mysterious and romantic quality and scenes are easily imbued with emotion. But here, as in most cases, you'll need fill light for your subject.

 
The big difference is that twilight is cold light. The light shifts toward the blue end of the spectrum. The blue end is considered cold, the red end, the opposite end, is considered warm. So you may want your fill light to be reddish. There's a Vimeo lesson where they used a glass of whiskey in front of the flash to make the light look warmer. That's a great idea. What other things can you think of to soften light? Gauze or other fabrics? Cellophane, plastic food wrap? These things can go over the light or the lens. It's up to you, but know the rules. 
When you're taking light readings many timesyou will find the range of light is too great. A simple rule is to expose for the highlights and let the shadows take care of themselves.

Related Article:

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Spherical Aberration in Camera lenses

 

What is Spherical Aberration?

Spherical Aberration is an optical problem that happens when all incoming light rays end up focusing at different points after passing through a spherical surface. Light rays passing through a lens near its horizontal axis are refracted less than rays closer to the edge or “periphery” of the lens and as a result, end up in different spots across the lens axis.

In other words, the parallel light rays of incoming light do not converge at the same point after passing through the lens. Because of this, Spherical Aberration can affect resolution and clarity, making it hard to obtain sharp images.


Here is an illustration that shows Spherical Aberration:

As shown above, light rays refract or change their angle when passing through the lens. The ones closer to the top and bottom of the illustration end up converging at a shorter distance along the lens axis (black/red dotted line), while the ones closer to the lens axis converge at a longer distance, creating different focal points along the same axis.

Spherical Aberration is not just caused by lens design, but also by the quality of the lens material.L enses made of poor quality material and large bubbles can drastically impact light refraction.
A perfect lens would have all light rays converge in a single focal point, as illustrated below:

A normal spherical lens design would not allow the above to happen though, so specialized precise methods by manufacturers have been developed over the years to reduce the effect of spherical aberration.

Ways to Reduce Spherical Aberration

Modern lenses employ different techniques to dramatically reduce spherical aberration. One of the methods employs using a specialized apsherical (meaning non-spherical) lens surface, which is curved outwards on one side for the sole purpose of converging light rays into a single focal point, as illustrated below:

Spherical aberration is most pronounced when the diaphragm of the lens is wide open (maximum aperture). Stopping down the lens even by a single stop dramatically reduces spherical aberration, because aperture blades block the outer edges of spherical lenses.

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Obtain Camera for Maximum Bokeh

In photography, the term bokeh represents the quality of the magical out-of-focus blur that makes it look like the subject is isolated from the background.

It is visually appealing for us to see a photograph with a soft, creamy and beautiful background. It helps concentrate our eyes on a single area and creates a sense of depth and dimension on an otherwise flat-looking image.

Let me share a few tips on how you could obtain maximum bokeh from your camera setup.

Use a large aperture

Bokeh is not created by the camera – it is your lens and its optics that are responsible for rendering the out-of-focus areas. Therefore, the first thing you should do is set your lens aperture to its lowest value, also known as “maximum aperture”. You can do this by changing your camera mode to “Aperture Priority” and setting the “f” number to the lowest value your camera will permit. On Nikon DSLR cameras, this is typically done by rotating the front dial towards the left (counter-clockwise).

What is the effect of lowering the lens aperture? It basically decreases the depth of field (which is the area that appears sharp relative to the background) to a very small or “shallow” area.

Minimize the distance between yourself and the subject

The closer you stand to your subject, the blurrier the background will get. This happens because when an object is very close, the lens will focus closer and the depth of field will be the smallest. It works the same way with our eyes – try to extend your index finger close to an object two feet away from you, then focus your eyes on your finger and start moving it towards your eyes.

You will notice that as you get closer to your eyes, the object behind your finger will get blurrier and blurrier every time. Lenses work exactly the same way, which is why subject distance plays a big role in rendering of the bokeh.

Increase the distance between your subject and the background

If the subject you are photographing is very close to a busy background, the bokeh will definitely suffer. Remember, depth of field is not just a hard line after which everything is supposed to be completely out of focus – it gradually transforms from sharp to out of focus, as can be clearly seen in the below image.

Therefore, in order to get a pleasant-looking bokeh, you should try to put your subject away from close background objects. For example, if you are taking a portrait of a girl that is standing very close to a tree branch with leaves, those leaves might not look completely out of focus. If the girl moved closer to you and thus increased the distance between herself and the tree branch, the leaves would look more “out-of-focus”.

As you can see in the above image, the nearest leaves on the tree look sharp and in focus, while the ones a little behind on the left-hand side look somewhat blurry. In comparison, the leaves from the other trees further away look completely out of focus.

Use longer focal lengths

Given that the distance between the camera and the subject remains the same, increasing the focal length of the lens decreases the depth of field. So, if you have a zoom lens, you should zoom in to the maximum focal length your lens allows to separate the subject from the background even more. This also means that if you zoom out and use the lens at its shortest focal length, the depth of field will increase, which is desirable for landscape and architectural photography.

For example, if you have a 70-300mm zoom lens, shooting at 300mm focal length will isolate the subject the most (which is what you want for the best-looking bokeh), while shooting at 70mm will bring more objects in the background to focus.

Use a long lens

Since increasing the focal length means decreasing the depth of field, the longer your lens is, the better the bokeh you will get. This is not necessarily always true, because the rendering of out-of-focus areas also heavily depends on the optics of the lens. For example, both Nikon 18-200mm and Nikon 70-200mm have the same long focal lengths (200mm). However, the Nikon 70-200mm has much better optics than the 18-200, which is why it has exceptionally beautiful bokeh when compared to the 18-200 bokeh. So, when I say “use a long lens”, I mean “use a high quality quality long lens"

Use a fast lens

And last, but not least, use the fastest lens you have, since aperture impacts the depth of field. The best lenses for beautiful bokeh are portrait lenses such as Nikon 50mm f/1.4, Nikon 85mm f/1.4 and Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 that have large maximum apertures and highly optimized optics for portraiture. The cheaper alternatives such as Nikon 50mm f/1.8 and Nikon 85mm f/1.8 also produce great bokeh.

Related Article:

Bokeh Effect In Child Portraits
Obtain Camera for Maximum Bokeh
Perfecting Blur Photos With Bokeh
Create Bokeh Effect using Photoshop

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