Abstract

1. Let your imagination rome free. There are no rules. Think outside the box.
2. Divide what you see into smaller parts. Look through the camera lens to focus your subject as a
    whole.
3. Pay attention to the lines and shapes in your frame. Straight lines, geometric shapes, lights and
     shadows all create the interest in the picture.
4. Look at a different angle. Try to get lower, or look through some things. Look below and look up.
5. Look for interesting shapes and repetitive designs and colors. Change the original direction of the
    image.
6. Look for imagery that can remind you of different objects or something that is not actually there.
   Such as reflections, shapes in the clouds, fire, smoke, etc...
7. Play around with your depth of field. This can blur the background and leave only hints for
    imagination along with lots of space.
8. Turn your image around and see if it reminds you of something else.

Good Luck and Have Fun!! (:

Picture Video

http://youtu.be/aJeE90z_D8Q

Sunset

1. Think Ahead

       Scope out places that may be god for sunsets during the day. Find out when the sun will set or rise to get there at least half an hour before sunrise or sunset. Keep a look out on the weather. Don't just go for clear days. They may be gorgeous but when the clouds are around thats when the real color comes out. 

2. Variety of Focal Lengths

       Wide angle shots can create sweeping landscapes, but if you want just the sun, make sure you zoom right in using 200mm lens or greater. Be aware that when looking through the lens at the sun it can be dangerous. 

3. Silhouettes as Focal Points

         This could be large such as a forest or environmental like a pier or animals. Silhouettes can add mood and a context to a sunset shot. 

4. Shoot at a Variety of Exposure

     Don't rely on your camera's auto mode to capture the sunset. This is a good time to switch to aperture and shutter priority mode and take multiple shots at different exposures. There is no right exposure to capture the sunset. 

5. Bracketing

       Look at what the camera suggest when taking a pictures. If your camera says to shoot at 1/60th of a second at f/8 you should shoot at 1/60 at f/5.6 and then f/11. This way you end up with different shots at different exposures. 

6. Auto Exposure Lock

        Allows you to point your camera at a darker place and lock in exposure for that spot and then reframe the picture looking at the sunset. 

7. Take off of Auto white balance mode

       When this is on, you run the risk of loosing some of the warm golden tones of a sunset. Try shooting in a cloudy or shade which are usually used in cooler lights, tells your camera to warm things up a bit. If you DO want a cooler moody shot you can experiment with other white balance settings. 

Have Fun!!! and Don't damage your Eyes!!!!!! :D

Insect Photography

1. Close
   If you are getting a close up, macro lens is a must! You'll need a specialty lens 50mm to 200mm focal
   length. Must be as quiet as possible to prevent scaring the insects. Use a shallow a depth of field to
   create a completely blurred our background to make the insect stand out.
2. Creative Angles
   Photograph above the insect for a different perspective. You can also use a colorful flower to give the
   insect a background. Such as a flower with a lot of pollen on it, will attract one or two creatures.
3. Keep in Focus
    Keeping an insect in focus is very difficult because when you use a shallow depth of field, it gives
    you a smaller margin for error. To avoid a blur you should use a tripod and the smallest aperture
    possible. Use auto and manual focus to see which one is best for you. If the insect is large, focus on
    the head.
4. Moving Insects
    When an insect is moving you can avoid blur by choosing a fast shutter speed of 1/250 and above or
    use a flash to freeze the action. You must be very still when taking a photo. Just a slight movement
    can make the image blur.
5. Vivid Colors
     Zooming in close means that the striking contrast between colors is very clear. You can also bring
     an insect inside and have a set up of colorful flowers.
6. Action
    You may need to use a fill-in-flash incase the sun isn't very bright, so you can see a little bit more
    detail on the insect. Make sure your focus is perfect and on the insect and not on the background.
    Turn the mode to aperture priority and select a large aperture such as f/2-f/5.6 for a blurred
    background.

HAVE FUN!! (:

   

Forest Photography

Observe the image

    Look through the camera to observe the two-dimensional image. See what's in it and what is not.

    Remember that what you see in the view finder is what the image will be, not what you see with

    your eyes. 

Get Close

    Turn the camera on its side if what you are capturing is better fit in a vertical angle. Fill the frame

    with what is interesting to you. 

New Perspective

     Think how you would see things if you were an animal, or a bird. Get low to the ground and look

     up or high in the air and look down. See the view in new eyes. This can result in more creative

     images. 

Focus

      Make sure your photograph is in sharp focus. Look for every little detail before taking the shot.

See the Light

    The sunlight always changes from early morning to late evening. These two times are very beautiful

    when taking a picture because the light becomes warmer and casts long shadows. When light is set

    on an object from the side, it can look three-dimensional. 

Colors

    Let color be a guide in the development of the images composition. It is best to pick out the most

    colorful part of your subject. 

Tell A Story

    Make your photo about something that is happening. EX: wind blowing across a field. Photographic

    art can be a series of pictures that show change. 

Exposure

  If you can adjust the exposure manually, briefly point your camera at the most important part of your

  photograph. Although some modern cameras can set the exposure by itself, it can sometimes be

  wrong. It can make your image to dark or to light.

Camera Steady

   Use a tripod to keep your camera from moving or shaking. You can also hold the camera steady

   against a tree or sit it on wood. 

Play with the Controls

   Since many cameras today are automatic, switch to manual mode and adjust the aperture and shurtter

   speed. Experiment with it and see what beautiful pictures you can capture.

Thunderstorm

Equipment

    -SLR camera with B shutter speed, or a digital camera if it has a B shutter speed.

    -Lenses range from 28mm to 135mm.

    -A good tripod

    -Cable Release

    -Slow speed film: 100 or 200 ISO

Location

    -Choose a place that stays dry during rain (ex. under a roof) and not to close to city lights. Avoid the roads and seek a small trail to stay safe from drunk drivers. 

     -Choose a view where the sky is optimal. 

      -Situations to AVOID when 10km or closer during a storm:

           *Being on a dike, hill or other tall objects.

           *Being in a open field

           *Being at or in a body of water

           *Near trees

           *Near fences or power line poles

           *Being indoors and very close to a window

    *REMEMBER: shooting overhead lighting is very dangerous especially when outside and no

                               coverage.

Suitable Thunderstorms

       -Not all thunderstorms are good for camera shots. Just observe first to see what kind of lightning it 

         is.

       -Here are some conditions that are of little or no use to photographing lightning:

         *Sheet-lightning (although some may be beautiful)

         *Far away thunderstorms (>25km) and are embedded in low-level clouds 

         *Lightning striking every 15minutes or longer.

         *Lightning that is surrounded by rainfall. Rain can wash out the color of the lightning and

           produce scattering or low contrast photos.

       -Examples of Interesting Shots:

          *Isolated active thunderstorms

          *A squall which is the line of thunderstorms that sometimes form ahead of a cold front. Which 

            are very active thunderstorms. There may be rainfall, but you will still be able to get a few shots.

Technique

       -Make sure the camera is on a tripod with a cable release. Do not move it at all during the exposure 

        or your picture will turn out blurry.

       -Leave the shutter open until lightning occurs.

Exposure

       -There is no accurate exposure for lightning but here is a guideline to use:

  Lightning Brightness                                             Film ISO   Aperture

  Very close-blinding CG lightning(<100m/yds)       100 ISO      f/16-f/22

  Relatively close-blinding CG lightning(-1km)        100 ISO     f/11

  Distant CG lightning(5-10km)                                100 ISO     f/5.6

  Distant CC lightning(5-10km)                                100 ISO     f/4

  Distant CG/CC lightning(10-20km)                       200 ISO     f/4-f/5.6

  Remote CG/CC lightning(20-50km)                      200 ISO     f/2.8

(CG= cloud-to-ground, CC= cloud-to-cloud, IC=intra-cloud)

   -If lightning is very far away, such as >50km than you need to use a fast speed film like 400 ISO. 

Have fun and BE SAFE!! :)