Photoscout

• Lens Choices For The Photographer

   

  So you’d like to take better pictures? Well, aside from having a really good SLR in hand, you should also remember that the lenses will make or break a photograph. Choosing specific types of lenses should be a seasoned photographer’s primary concern because it is in these lenses that a good picture is ultimately achieved. There are lenses that work best in specific types of situation and there are even those which produce a specific effect. Whatever situation the photographer is in, whether it be in a sporting event or maybe an indoor event which doesn’t require any flash, the type of lens is the one thing that ensures a good photograph. Knowing that, here are some lenses that you should look into if you’re looking to diversify your pictures as well as improve them.
  
  Wide-Angle Lens
  Even though some people are in the habit of taking landscape pictures using telephoto lenses, most photographers who take shots of landscapes opt for wide-angle lenses. These lenses are especially suited

  

  for large, dynamic landscapes where background and foreground are suited to catch the viewer’s attention. This is a type of lens that also can focus on the foreground and background and because of the wider field of vision, it is a better choice in getting all of the things that you would like to highlight in any scenery.
  
  Zoom Lens
  A zoom lens is used to either shorten or widen the lens’ focal length. This is especially helpful if you would like to increase the magnification of a subject. This feature is used in different types of photography such as portrait photography or landscape photography. The only drawback in zoom lenses is that they have small aperture openings which doesn’t enable them to take pictures in low-light conditions.
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  Posted in Equipment

  May 30th, 2007 / 1 Comment

• Panoramas Part III: What To Remember

  Now that you are well-equipped for taking panoramic pictures because you already have all of your gear in place, you are now ready to venture out into that sweet nature spot or that high-rise building that you’ve always eyed ever since. You have decided that the moment is now and you are sure that you’re going to get a good panorama the moment you’re there. However, you might want to learn a thing or two before you sound off your camera’s shutter. It’s important that you keep in mind the following points:

  Take a few practice photos

  It’s important that you first figure out what are the best settings to use when you’re capturing a panoramic image. This is even more important when you’re using an SLR because the photograph might be too underexposed because you haven’t checked that the last photograph that you took was stopped down to achieve a darker, more subdued look. It’s also important to also check the different settings such as ISO, shutter speed and whether you’ll be need an extra circular polarizing filter to screw onto your camera’s lens or if you will be taking shots near a body of water. Don’t overdo it though. It might not be good to take too many practice shots because the lighting conditions might vary or you might lose a subject that is already place to make the photograph interesting.

  Envision the sequence

  It’s quite important that you are able to mark the beginning and the ending of your panorama. If you would like to start at the left then frame your first picture by essentially “marking” it with an object that is part of the background. You might want to start with a tree at the left of your supposed picture and as you pan from left to right, you might also want to look for markers where your frame stops for each shot because it is approximately where you will be starting your next photograph.

  Steady the tripod

  It’s very important that you setup the tripod that you’re using on a very level surface. You should remember that the camera should be level with the horizon so that you won’t be taking a weird panorama after the end of the shot. Most tripods will allow you to shift the different legs to either extend or retract them so it would be a good idea to situate your tripod like that. Because a tripod allows you to smoothly pan across the horizon that you will be taking a picture of, you will be able to use it to create photographs, which when arranged in a graphics software program, will fit just right. One last thing to remember about a tripod is that you should be able to secure the camera into place each and every time. Take the time to sturdy both the camera and the tripod so that you will be able to both take a good shot and take your camera home in one piece.

  Posted in Photography Tips

  May 25th, 2007 / No Comments

• Panoramas Part II: What You Need

  So you’ve already decided that you do want to create a panorama. You’ve already decided on capturing that mountain range that your state has or going up to a very tall building to capture that city skyline that you’ve always wanted to shoot. You’ve decided to read up on how to take panoramas and you’re all excited to shoot your first one. What’s next? This article will show you what you need to bring in order to capture a picture perfect panorama. So, without further adieu, let’s start looking at the hardware.

  Digital camera

  This is specific for creating a panorama simply because you would like to be able to cut and combine several of your pictures into one long, horizontal scene. And if you happen to use a normal film camera, you would end up doing a whole lot more work than you’re supposed to normally have. The purpose of having a digital camera is to be able to have a copy of your pictures in digital format so that it will be easy to “stitch together” the different photos that you will be taking. If you had used a film camera to take the photos, you would need to have the negatives developed, and then have them printed. After that, you need to take the printed pictures and scan them in order for them to be manipulated digitally. You could probably end up just cutting and pasting areas of your developed pictures but this type of process could be quite crude. Just think about what you would do if you accidentally miscalculated a part of your picture that you were cutting? You would have to have that particular picture developed all over again. Now, compare that hassle to being able to just double-click your mouse to bring up a copy of the picture that you have on file. Even simpler, why not just hit Ctrl-Z to undo that command?

  Tripod

  This essentially helps keep your camera aligned along one straight horizon while you are successively panning per shot. If you had to capture photos just by using your hand, you would have to stay extremely stiff when you would rotate your body to capture the wide angle view of the horizon. You’re essentially risking a slight shift in the picture which will make your job much harder when you’re already stitching the pictures together.

  Graphics editing software

  After you’ve uploaded the pictures that you’ve taken, you can now proceed to do the hard part of making a panorama. You now have to “stitch together” the photographs. There are actually programs specifically designed to do just this task. You may not need to shell out for something as expensive as Adobe Photoshop and it wouldn’t be as practical as well if all you’re looking for is to stitch a few photographs together. Some of the digital SLR cameras out there even have bundled software with their camera. It certainly is much better if you are able to assess what you need before you go out and get software for the task.

  Posted in Photography Tips

  May 25th, 2007 / No Comments

• Panoramas Part I: What To Capture

  There are times, as a photographer, that you come across a view that is simply too majestic for you to take in. It might be a placid lake or an expansive view of a naturally made chasm such as the Grand Canyon. Whatever it may be, you just know one thing: you have to capture that scene right then and there. The problem with most scenery is that it is too wide for you to frame. You’d like to capture a part of the horizon that is at your left but the right offers a good view of a particular tree masking the sun. You know that you could take two separate pictures of those subjects but as a photographer, you’d like to give the people who will be seeing your photograph tangible evidence of what you saw. What you need is a panorama.

  A panorama is basically defined as a picture that is composed of different pictures which shows an entire horizontal view of a place. By doing this, one is able to provide a complete view of a single location which in other cases would not be able to fit in a single shot. Panoramas are essentially constructed by taking three or more photographs across a horizontal line.

  The first step in creating a panorama is to decide first on what you would like to show. You could capture places or things in the following criteria:

  Mountain range

  This is one of the most popular things to show. Whether you would like to feature snow-capped mountains or a simple yet evocative barren mountain range, making panoramas of a mountain range is one of the many things that a photographer would like to capture. You will be able to highlight the different peaks in the range which will essentially speak for the photograph itself.

  City skyline

  Definitely one thing that every photographer should get: a shot of the city skyline–or any city for that matter. What’s important is that you are able to get one whether during the day or at night.

  Bodies of water

  Whether it’s small or big bodies, everybody loves to see a panorama of a sea or a quiet lake with the sun just rising behind the horizon. There is something greatly picturesque when looking at the ocean during sunset or at a lake at the crack of dawn.

  Countryside

  Finally, you can choose to take a panorama of a great field. The rolling hills or the great flatlands of the countryside are definitely a great subject for a panorama.

  All in all, panoramas work best if you are out in the open—in the midst of nature and all its glory. Whether it’s including a skyline or the water below it or maybe even a combination of both, panoramas will definitely challenge the photographer in you. More than challenging yourself, capturing panoramas of the aforementioned places will amaze all of the people who will get to see the majestic and beautiful photographs you have.

  Posted in Photography Tips

  May 25th, 2007 / No Comments