Wild Life

1. Always be ready for an animal encounter.

       -some research to find what kind of species are in your local environment. 

2. Always have a 300-400mm lens ready for use.
3.  Don't use a bag.
         -always keep your batteries, flash, memory card in your pockets, not in your bag. Going through
           a bag can result in a lost opportunity.
4. Find a good background
          -If the story is the animal keep the background simple. The simpler the better.
5. Shutter Speed
          -Use a fast shutter speed. Especially when trying to get wildlife in movement, you need to use a
            fast shutter speed. Ex: if using the sigma 300/800 F/5.6 lens set the shutter to 1/750th.
6. Look for situations that tell a story.
          -Be able to communicate with the image.
7. Light
          - Keep the lighting at your back and point your shadow at the subject.
8. Groups of Animals
           -Look for separation between subjects, and avoid mergers.
9. Sleeping
            -Do not photograph a sleeping animal. While sleeping, they appear to be dead which is not
              interesting.
10. LCD
           -Photographing animals in action while looking at your LCD, it will cause you to miss images.

Fashion Photography with Model

1. Engage the Model

       -Eye Contact. When eye contact is directly into the camera it is very powerful. It connects the model with the viewer of the image.

      - Looking Away. When the model is looking away, it gives the viewer a different way to see the image. It creates mystery, making the viewer wonder what the model is looking at.

       - Models looking at each other. The viewer can become intrigued by the connection between two models and their story.

 2. Forget the Rules

     -Change the composition. Move the model all around, either right in the center or off to the sides, but you must know your model before. 

3. Light

     -Mix lighting such as tungsten or strobe lights. Leave the shutter on your camera open longer than normal, this creates much more Drama! 

4. Moving Model

     -Get the model out of the studio. Take him or her out of the studio and take him or her to the busy streets. Let them walk down the street or look like a outsider just window shopping.

5. Angle

     -If you photograph the model low, or close to the ground and shoot up it elongates the model. Change it around. Shoot from a high area down. See the difference and choose which one is more fun and different. 

6. Prop

     -When the model is playing with a tube of lipstick or looking through the purse, it adds a sense of reality, making the viewer feel as though  they're looking at a private moment. 

7. Random Shots

    -Look for when the model is fixing their outfit or hair. It is something unexpected. Its a real true moment. Not something posed or planned. 

8. Emotions

    -Get the model to laugh or cry or be surprised. It will have them view the picture longer than they would a serious posed picture.

10 Tips on Portrait Photograpy

1. Alter Perspective
     Completely change the angle that you shoot from. You can get up high and look down or get as close to the ground as possible and shoot up. Either way, it will give you a new perspective on your subject.

2. Eye Contact
      A. Looking off Camera: Have your subject look off in the distance and outside the view of your camera. Be aware that when you take these kind of shots that you can also draw the eye of the viewer of the shot to the edge of the image also the subject.
       B. Looking with the Frame: When you give your subject something to look at that is in the frame, you are able to create a new point of interest and relationship between it and your primary interest.

3. Break the Rules of Composition
     The Rule of Thirds is a rule to break, placing your subject either dead center can sometimes create a powerful image or even creative placement with your subject right on the edge of a shot can make interesting images.

4. Lighting
     Side-lighting can create mood. Backlighting and silhouetting your subject to hide their features can be powerful.

5. Moving out of Comfort Zone
     Try something new such as jumping or falling. Anything that is fun and different.

6. Shoot Candidly
     Photograph your subject at work, with family, or doing something they love. Some subjects don't look good posed in a environment, so in this case switch to candid type.

7. Props
    You may have the rid of adding to much to the main focus of the photo, but you may also add a sense of story and place to the image that takes it in a new direction and give the person an extra layer of depth that they wouldn't have had without the prop.

8. Focus on One Body Part
    Get close or use a long focal length to only capture part of your subject. Photographing just bits and pieces of your subject can really impact the viewer.

9. Obscure Part of the Subject
     You can do this with clothes, objects, their hands, or just by framing part of them out of the image. You are able to leave a little bit of imagination to the viewer.

10. Take a Series of Shots
       Switch your camera to burst mode or continuous shooting. You are able to create a series of images that can be presented together instead of just one image. Works very well when photographing children.

Christmas Lights

Shutter Speed:
        If you're outside you wont need your shutter to stay open long at all due to the daylight and flash. If you are inside or outside and its dark, you will need your shutter to stay open longer to capture light.

Flash:
       Flash will usually ruins pictures of Christmas lights or birthday candles, etc. Which is why you need your shutter to stay open longer.

Holding your camera still:
       Using a tripod would be a very good tool since holding your camera still is sort of a struggle. There are also many other choices such as furniture or a counter, table top. Any flat surface will allow your camera to stay still.

So pretty much just have a slow shutter speed, no flash and keep your camera still to get a clear shot. :)