 |
| Photo by Pop Photo Staff |
We received another "why didn't I think of that!" tip from Reader Tip Stephen Uber of Manchester, CT:
If you've visited YouTube, you know of the hordes of snap shooters using digital compacts to make videos. While these cameras offer good image quality and can be super-compact, their audio pickup leaves something to be desired, especially when shooting in windy conditions. To control wind noise, I made a windscreen for my compact's microphone from the gauze-like padding of an adhesive bandage. Taped over the mic's tiny port, the "screen" does an admirable job of muffling, even eliminating, the sound of wind from my videos.
Read more here
18) How to Get Better Macros
Reader Geng Li of Brooklyn, NY, offered us this simple but brilliant macro tip:
When you're shooting macro pictures, a background of a contrasting color can make your pictures look great. Here's a background you already own that can reproduce thousands of colors: your computer monitor. The larger, the better. Use image-editing software to create a full screen in almost any color, and then put your close-up subject 2 or 3 inches in front of it. Just watch out for reflections.
Read more here
19) How to Fake a Sunrise
Simulate the subtle shades of sunrise and sunset by adjusting the preset white balance on your digital camera. Choose the Tungsten setting (light bulb icon) to add a bluish morning cast, or the Shade setting (cloud icon) to add the warm brownish tones of dusk. You'll see a preview on the LCD monitor. The effect will be mild, but can be exaggerated by underexposure.
Read more here
20) How to Hide Fill Flash
 |
| Photo by Matthew Panzarino |
In this tip from Strobist.com, a reader called "footcandle" shared a method of placing small flashes in a large outdoor scene to fill in the darker areas of the exposure, or to balance foreground and background exposure. You then retouch the flashes out in post production.
Read more here
21) How to Soften Photos with Breath
Another great reader tip from Michelle Harbour of Hayes, VA:
When shooting an impromptu portrait that could use a little softening, try breathing on the lens right before releasing the shutter. The effect is like a soft-focus filter's, but variable: The longer you wait to fire the shutter, the less the softening effect.
Read more here
22) How to Shoot Football
 |
| Photo by Melissa Macatee |
A few tips on getting good football shots from the sidelines.
1. Set your focus to the center point
2. Set your camera mode to Sports or Aperture Priority depending on your comfort level (if you decide to use aperture priority, set your aperture wide open).
3. Make sure your shutter speed is at least 1/300 sec to freeze the action.
4. If you want multiple bursts, be sure to set your camera accordingly.
Read more here
23) How to Photograph Amusement Parks
How to Photograph Absolutely Everything: Successful Pictures from Your Digital Camera By Tom Ang (DK Publishing, 2007; $40) offered these tips on getting shots in the low light of amusement parks:
Wide-angle views, a medium ISO, and a tripod will help capture the excitement. Follow this advice on shutter speeds to get the shot you want:
• A short shutter speed (less than 1/15 second) will give a static view of the scene, without any motion.
• A fairly long shutter speed (about 1/2 second) with flash will give both motion blur and sharpness to the rides.
• Very long shutter speeds (1 sec +), without flash, will turn the rides into abstract light traces.
Read more here
24) How to Make Your Own Batteries
 |
| © milosluz - Fotolia.com |
If you find yourself short on the batteries you need out in the field, you might want to consider this battery hack. With careful use of a pair of pliers or a knife, you can make 6 AAA batteries out of a 9-volt battery. If it's a used 9-volt, you might not get full voltage, but it could be enough to get you through a job.
Also, if you have an older camera or light meter -- or even a pocket flashlight that takes the 394 (or LR45) button batteries -- you might try this hack of a 12-volt battery to save yourself about $40. Keep in mind, though, that it's not a smart move to put homemade batteries in anything that's still under warranty, as anything DIY is sure to void it.
Read more here
25) How to Save Yourself with Flash
White balance can be tricky. If your subject is backlit by daylight and front lit by a light bulb, you run the risk of a yellowish face and a bluish background. Save yourself with flash: Its color temperature will balance the backlight. No flash on hand? Shoot with RAW, process for each kind of light, then combine the different versions with image-editing software.
Read more here
|
