Street Photography

Street Photography is a genre of photography that can’t be easily described to others. The understanding of the definition of it varies from individual to individual due to the fact that each person simply understands it in a different way. I don’t know who originally named this genre of Photography “Street Photography”, but as time has passed, more and more additions to the definition have been made. Street Photography has changed and maybe that is why for some, the actual name “Street Photography” is now a bit confusing.

" like to think street photography is more than just guys jumping over puddles. One of the most famous “street photographs” taken by a photographer who never even called himself a “street photographer.”

Sports Photography

Sports photography is one of the most exciting and challenging types of photography. Capturing the action at its peak is your ultimate goal; this requires planning and skill. Here are a few tips to help you become better at capturing that "peak action" that is the hallmark of great sports photographers.

Know Your Sport

In order to capture those magic moments in sports that excite and thrill the fans, you will need to be able to predict the peak action. Peak action occurs at the point of impact as in baseball and golf or at the height of a jump as in basketball or track and field. Capturing this peak action requires knowledge and timing. You must be prepared to shoot when the action occurs and this requires an understanding of the game.

Get to know the coaches and the players. Learn who the stars are or who may give you a great reaction. Some of the greatest shots in sports history have come after a shot or a play. Coaches will give you some great shots when given the chance.

Get position

Get as close to the action as possible. No sport is going to allow you to be on the court or field-of-play. However, you may be able to sit near the sideline or goal-line at some events. Other times you may be restricted to the stands. It is important to get there early in order to have the best opportunities.

Also, be sure your field of vision is not obstructed. This may be nearly impossible to do in a crowd. However, with a little planning and maneuvering you should be able to set up for some great shots.

Position yourself so that you have a clean background unobstructed by unsightly objects such as trashcans or other photographers. You will want the focus to be on the players and not on background noise.

Sports Photography is about Timing

This is a reflex that is learned through practice. You must know enough about the sports to be able to determine when the peak action will occur. For instance, during a basketball jump-shot, the peak action occurs at the top of the jump; in football it can occur when a player dives for a shot; in golf, when the ball is struck. Knowing this information instinctively is what makes a sports photographer great.

The best advice for any would-be sports photographer is to keep your eye on the ball. That is where the action occurs. For instance, in baseball, the peak action occurs when a ball is hit, thrown, or caught. This is where your attention should be focused.

Another tip for capturing the peak action is to pre-focus your camera for action shots. At a baseball game you might pre-focus on home plate; in basketball, the rim; and in hockey, the goal. By pre-focusing you will give yourself a better chance at capturing a great shot. Professional photographers will carry an extra camera that they can pre-focus for situations like this. This type of specific focus is called zone focusing.

Practice make perfect in sports photography. You can not rely on just luck. You must practice in order to train your reflexes to react in an instant.

Lighting Challenges

Lighting can present a challenge in sports photography especially in dimly-lit gyms. To compound the problem, flash in not permitted to be used in many venues such as gymnastics. You will need to rely on wider aperture openings and faster shutter speeds in order to compensate for the lack of lighting. The same hold true for poorly-lit outdoor fields such as high school stadiums. Outdoor day-lit venues are easier to manage as they give plenty of natural light.

Sports photography can be the most rewarding type of photography but it takes knowledge, preparation, and great timing to accomplish. By following these tips you will be well on your way to capturing those great sports moments we all cherish.

Photojournalism Photography

Photojournalism is the process of story telling using the medium of photography as your main story telling device. While a journalist will use their pen and paper to tell stories, a photojournalist will use their camera to capture the visual representation of a story.

Most of us are familiar with the old adage “a picture is worth a thousand words”. Well this is the theory behind photojournalism. News publications are willing to pay top dollar to those photojournalists who can capture the most dramatic images on film or their CCD chip.

Robert Capa is a great example of a photojournalist. He photographed many wars and had the motto “If your pictures aren’t good enough you’re not close enough”. Unfortunately this motto lead to his death as he was fatally injured in the Indochina War.

His work, along with many other photojournalists have educated millions of people on various social injustices that happen around the world. If you are interested in becoming a photojournalist then you might want to consider enrolling in our photography school.

We will teach you all of the important concepts behind photographic composition and both technical and artistic considerations.

If you're wondering what it's like to be a photojournalist here is an article about a week in the life of a photojournalist.

Night - Long Exposure Photography

A useful technique in night photography is the long exposure. The effects that can be captured with a long exposure are stunning and have an ethereal quality. The most important tool that you will need is a sturdy tripod, and a DSLR camera that allows for long exposures.

1. Photographing the Ferris Wheel:

To photograph a Ferris wheel at night, move close and use a wide-angle lens to get as much detail as possible. Place your camera on a tripod and frame the image. Because we want all the elements to be sharp, choose a small aperture between f/11-f/32. Set your camera to either Manual or TV (Shutter Priority) mode and choose a shutter speed according to the speed of the lighted Ferris wheel, and the style you are after (anywhere between 1-30 seconds). You should take the image using the camera’s self timer or a cable release so that you avoid touching and jiggling the camera. The image captured will be full of light trails against a black sky, yet the center beams that hold the wheel will be sharp.

 2.Making Stars Trails:

A long exposure on a starry night can produce beautiful light trails created by the stars and the rotation of the earth. The best way to frame the image is to include an element of interest such as an old tree in the foreground. Place your camera on a tripod and focus the lens to infinity. You’ll want to use a cable release to eliminate camera shake of any kind, as it will RUIN your photo. Set the camera to B "Bulb" shooting mode and set your aperture between f/2.8 - f/4 for optimal results. Depress the remote to open the shutter. You should keep your ISO at 100 to keep the digital noise at a minimum. To complete the photo after your desired elapsed time, depress the remote again, and release the shutter. These exposures can be 15 minutes to several hours long..

3.Stunning Light Trails:

Traffic head light and tail light trails give a stunning effect and are a great way to get acquainted with long exposure times. Select a busy road that has lots of traffic at night. Use a sturdy tripod and position the camera so that it has an overview of the area. Use a small aperture of f/16 or smaller for a greater depth of field, making most of the image in focus. The longer the exposure, the more lines will appear and the longer they will look.

       
   4.Determining Exposure:

The exposure of your night time image will vary depending on certain factors. If there is a lot of ambient light then the shutter speed will be shorter. If you are shooting somewhere very dark, then the shutter speed will need to be longer. To capture the effects of light trails you need a shutter speed of at least 1/15th of a second, which means you must use a tripod. The image of the Houses of Parliament required a 6 second shutter speed, which is slow enough to capture the traffic trails. The f/8 aperture allowed the building to be sharp. The more you practice the more you will become tuned to the exposure you need for the effect you want.

Landscape Photography

Going back in history, landscapes were originally used primarily to fill in the blank space behind a person or scene by painters, and other artists. However as art and photography has evolved, the “background” was seen to have artistic value in and of itself. Today, landscape photography is a very popular pursuit.

These days, almost everyone carries a camera. From the small pocket digital cameras, to dSLR cameras, to smart phones. It is now essentially free to take as many photos as you want, and you can view them immediately. These changes in photography have meant that we are now flooded with images on social media, television and in advertising.

Is every “happy snap” taken of the landscape, by default, a landscape photo? I would argue that it is not.

In trying to answer the question, “what is landscape photography”, I came across many possible definitions including “the branch of photography dealing with the representation of natural scenery” to “photos of pretty much anything as long as it’s outside”!

So, what is landscape photography? For me, it is photography that focuses on the natural world and has a purpose…

Landscape Photos should have a Purpose

Tell a Story

A good landscape picture should make a connection with the viewer, and tell you a story. A good landscape picture will have you finding interesting details in the photo for several months after you first see it.
The skill is to entertain the viewer within the singular moment of the photo. Capturing the instant in time, and preserving it forever, can make it into something amazing.
It can remind you of a certain location, a certain point in time, or a period of your life.

 Show someone more than they see

Landscape photography is not purely about taking yourself to beautiful locations- in fact the real skill comes from finding the beauty in everyday life.
I came across a quote that I liked by Eliot Porter, an American nature photographer- “All the cycles of life are beautiful.” This quote rings true to the landscape photographer, as you search for the “special parts” in life around you.
Many great landscape photos have been taken in places that would not usually be considered beautiful- by choosing what to include or exclude, and bringing your own unique perspective, you can choose the scene that best represents your creative vision.
It all comes together when you push the camera shutter and the photo reveals something special and spectacular.

 Sharing the feelings of a moment

Another aspect of landscape photography is to share the feelings that come with these incredible moments in time. It is one thing to be able to see these amazing things yourself, it is quite another to be able to share them with others.

 Remind people of the beauty of our world

The final purpose that I will talk about is the ability to remind people of nature, and the natural world. In our current lives it is easy to run out of time to stop and smell the roses. It is common to get caught in your own busy world and lose track of the outside world.
Landscape photography should remind you of that connection we all have to the land, and remind you to stop every so often, to take a big breath, and be aware.
Landscape pictures can also show both the strength and the fragility of nature- the volatile beauty of the wilderness and the earth that needs to be protected.
The act of photography intensifies ones visual experience.

Food Photography

Food photography may not be as popular as landscape photography or portraiture, but it’s a genre which holds many advantages over others. We all buy, prepare and consume food, so we don't need go to too much extra trouble in sourcing our subjects. It’s something that can be done in the convenience of our own homes (regardless of the weather), and by working with the seasons you have a continuously changing variety of subjects to work with. 

The photographs you see in magazines and books will almost certainly have had some input from a stylist, one who is experienced with working with different foods and props in order to make everything look presentable. Perhaps most of us don’t have a natural aptitude for food styling, but simple garnishes for most dishes shouldn’t be beyond anyone’s creative capabilities. So what else does the budding novice need to know? 

But how do you photograph food and get such great results?

1. Lighting

Treat the food you’re photographing as you would any other still life subject and ensure that it is well lit. Many of the poor examples of food photography that I’ve come across in the research for this article could have been drastically improved with adequate lighting. One of the best places to photograph food is by a window where there is plenty of natural light – perhaps supported with flash bounced off a ceiling or wall to give more balanced lighting that cuts out the shadows. This daylight helps to keep the food looking much more natural.

2. Props

Pay attention not only to the arrangement of the food itself but to the context that you put it in including the plate or bowl and any table settings around it. Don’t clutter the photo with a full table setting but consider one or two extra elements such as a glass, fork, flower or napkin. These elements can often be placed in secondary positions in the foreground or background of your shot.

3. Be Quick

Food doesn’t keep it’s appetizing looks for long so as a photographer you’ll need to be well prepared and able to shoot quickly after it’s been cooked before it melts, collapses, wilts and/or changes color. This means being prepared and knowing what you want to achieve before the food arrives. One strategy that some use is to have the shot completely set up with props before the food is ready and then to substitute a stand-in plate to get your exposure right. Then when the food is ready you just switch the stand-in plate with the real thing and you’re ready to start shooting.

4. Style it

The way food is set out on the plate is as important as the way you photograph it. Pay attention to the balance of food in a shot (color, shapes etc) and leave a way into the shot (using leading lines and the rule of thirds to help guide your viewer’s eye into the dish). One of the best ways to learn is to get some cook books to see how the pros do it.

5. Enhance it

One tip that a photographer gave me last week when I said I was writing this was to have some vegetable oil on hand and to brush it over food to make it glisten in your shots.

6. Get Down Low

A mistake that many beginner food photographers make is taking shots that look down on a plate from directly above. While this can work in some circumstances – in most cases you’ll get a more better shot by shooting from down close to plate level (or slightly above it).

7. Macro

Really focusing in upon just one part of the dish can be an effective way of highlighting the different elements of it.

8. Steam

Having steam rising off your food can give it a ‘just cooked’ feel which some food photographers like. Of course this can be difficult to achieve naturally. I spoke with one food stylist a few years back who told me that they added steam with a number of artificial strategies including microwaving water soaked cotton balls and placing them behind food. This is probably a little advance for most of us – however it was an interesting trick so I thought I’d include it.

Fashion Photography

Fashion photography is a genre of photography which is devoted to displaying clothing and other fashion items. Fashion photography is most often conducted for advertisements or fashion magazines. Over time, fashion photography has developed its own aesthetic in which the clothes and fashions are enhanced by the presence of exotic locations or accessories.

10 Fashion Photography Tips:

1. Fashion photography should convey an essence of authority, so your direction of the model(s) needs to be confident and self-assured.  Showing signs of anxiety, stress or lack of direction will invariably be reflected in the performance of your model so make the subject feel comfortable and involved.  Organise a shot list before the shoot and rehearse technique and composition for each shot in your mind. Prepare the location, props and clothes ahead of time and for a truly effective shoot be sure to communicate your agenda, objective and posing directions coherently and calmly.
2.  Fashion photography is all about clothes and beauty, so pull all the elements of the scene and the model together to reflect this. For example if the shoot focuses on the clothes– use make-up and hair styling to compliment the garment – and vice versa.  If you desire a provocative or seductive look opt for dark, heavy make-up and over styled hair; alternatively for an innocent or natural feel choose subdued pastel tones, gentle make up and soft flowing hair styles.  Unusual looking folk bring interest and personality to the piece, whereas female models with large almond eyes, big lips, small chins and symmetrical faces are deemed “more commercial”.   
3. Posing can be a tricky point to master but browse through the latest men’s and women’s magazines to target a few inspired suggestions as well as getting a grip on what is currently fashionable. Using ‘broken down’ poses or poses that require angular body shapes can add interest and edginess to the piece – as well as help to elongate body length.
4. A studio is an ideal place to perform a fashion shoot because photographers can easily control lighting and stabilise conditions. If you are shooting in a studio environment remember to meter all areas of the scene to avoid unwanted shadows and the use of a separate light meter rather than the one in your camera, will offer a more accurate reading.
5. If you can’t afford to hire a professional studio and all the pricey equipment there is a way you can cheat at home. Clear a space in a room that benefits from large windows and peg a white sheet, net or fabric across the window. On a bright sunny day you’ll have yourself a homemade soft box – ideal for flattering even light.
6. When shooting in low light or into the sun, you may require an extra light source. If all you have is flash then rather than shoot straight on, set it to bounce of a nearby reflector, wall or ceiling. Experiment with angles to create an array of effects and discover what works best for you and the scene you are shooting. Be careful to pay attention to unwanted shadows that may fall across the face and body.
7.  Props are fantastic for telling a narrative within a fashion shot, but one of the best props to use is a mirror. A mirror can be a used to tell a story and act as an effective tool that allows the photographer to display the front and back of your model. Take a spate reading for the mirror and you may need to bracket your exposures here. Be careful to position yourself, lighting equipment and anything not to do with the shoot out of the reflection.  
8. Location, location, location! Getting the right location is important if you want to convey a narrative within your shot.  For example if the clothing and beauty styling are edgy, hard or provocative you may want to consider an urban setting , alternatively for spring/summer and natural fashions find a rural environment like; a field, meadow, beach, woodland or river bank.
9. Influence the image by moving around the scene and exploring which angles work best to full expose the garment. This could mean climbing a ladder, crouching low, working a slanted angle or moving closer to the subject. Think about what the message is here and create a composition to reinforce it.
10.  Fashion photography is achievable alone, but to step it up a gear rope in a friend, family member or photography student as an assistant. Often photographers need an extra pair of hands to position reflectors, angle and reset lighting equipment, tweak the positioning of garments and clear the scene.