Discover Digital Photography

There are certain photos that evoke an immediate reaction from us, and force us to pay attention. To take a photo like this is what every photographer is after (at least, it is for the majority of us who photograph for the love of photography).

Taking a stunning photo isn't something that just happens (though sometimes you can get lucky). Most often there is a lot of time and effort behind the photo. In this article I'll share some tips to help you get closer to the goal of capturing that beautiful shot.

simple by Robb North on flickr (licensed CC-BY)

Lines and shapes play an important role in photography. They can be used to guide the viewer's eye around an image. If used unwisely they can also guide the viewer's eye straight out of the image.

You can find lines in almost any scene, but it's how you compose your photo to make use of the lines that is important. Try to compose the shot so that the line(s) lead into the image.

The Grand Corridors @ Tanjore Brihadeeswara Temple by VinothChandar on flickr (licensed CC-BY)

Sometimes when we take our camera out with us, we have in mind quite specifically what we want to capture, and so can plan the kit we take accordingly. But other times we might just go out on a walk with the intent to take photos of anything we find interesting.

Similarly, when packing for a holiday, we need to take the equipment that will be most useful in the majority of situations. There is no point in carrying heavy gear around with you if it's not going to get much use.

So, here is my suggestion for the 5 piece "ready for anything" camera kit. With this kit you should be able to get pretty good photos of almost anything you come across, and be ready for the large majority of photographic situations. Other than the tripod, it won't take up too much room or weigh you down too much as well.

Light trail photography involves capturing long exposure photos of moving lights, usually cars moving along a road at night. As the cars move across the frame, the bright headlights (and rear lights) create a long streak. Because the cars themselves are not well lit, and move across the frame, they do not appear in the final image, just the trails left by their lights.

autobahn by kainet on flickr (licensed CC-BY)

Chromatic Aberration can be seen as color fringes, most noticeable near the edge of an image. This is caused by different wavelengths (colors) of light being focused at different points.

In the image above you can see chromatic aberration - a green fringe on the left of the leaves, and a magenta fringe on the right.

This happens because lenses have a different refractive index for different wavelengths of light. So as the light passes through the lens, it can become split, like it does through a prism. The problem is only relatively small, but it can show up in images, particularly if you view them at large sizes.

A good way to get viewers to connect with your photography, is to use your photos to tell a story. This can be done over a sequence of images, or just through a single image.

Newspaper photographers often have to tell a story using just a single image. Normally there will be a caption or written story alongside the image, that gives more of the context and background behind the photo. But most often, the image can speak for itself even without these.

Begging by pedrosimoes7 on flickr (licensed CC-BY)

A photo can convey emotion, ideas and messages, without any words at all. But to tell a story through a photo, you need to be intentional in how you tell it, just as a writer is when writing a story.

When you've spent a lot of money on a camera and accessories, you probably don't want to just chuck them in a normal bag. They are likely to get scratched, damaged, and it is also more difficult to find the accessory or lens you want when they are all jumbled up together.

A specially designed camera bag has padding to keep your camera safe, and also dividers to keep all your gear organized and easy to access. However, they tend to be quite expensive.

Many photographers also do not like using a bag that looks like a camera bag. It can draw attention to yourself that it not wanted when doing street photography. It can also draw unwanted attention from thieves.

To avoid these problems, you can take a standard bag, and add a padded divided insert. This allows you to use a normal bag as a camera bag. If you want to use the bag for something else, you can easily remove the padded insert.

Archival Clothing Field Bag by mrjonathanpotter on flickr (licensed CC-BY-SA)

Ironically enough, one of the most difficult pictures a photographer can take is a self-portrait. With self portraits you don't have the advantage of looking through the lens and carefully composing your image, so it can be real tricky to get it right.

Self-Portraits by Maiquel Borges on flickr (licensed CC-BY-ND)

That being said, there are a few little tips you can work into your next self-portrait shoot that will make the process much, much easier.

In recent years there have been some advancements in technology that allow for brighter, cheaper LEDs. This has allowed for LED Light panels - a large number of bright LEDs grouped together like a single light.

The continuous light output by these panels makes them most suitable for video work. However, some also advocate their use for still photography. In this article I'll compare the benefits and disadvantages of LED Light panels against hot shoe speedlights (flash).