Concepts and guides in photography are building blocks to creating and capturing wonderful images.  While the rule of thirds is among the most common building block in composition, the S-curve is also one to be on the look out for. [caption id="attachment_710" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Photo by nickton"][/caption] The S-curve can lead into or out of a scene, start at the bottom or side, but fundamentally it will roughly shape the letter S and either define the photograph or split the composition into two sections. In the photo below, you'll notice that it doesn't follow the rule of thirds for the horizon placement but that's OK.  The S-curve is placed into the right third most of the frame, so vertically speaking it does separate the composition in a pleasing manner.  Utilizing an S-curve is all about balance. [caption id="attachment_711" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Photo by swotai"][/caption] S-curves also don't need to be used as separators or dividers, they can also be utilized as the focal point of the photo, as seen below in this winter photo at the mountain. [caption id="attachment_712" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Photo by jurvetson"][/caption] While these three examples show mostly landscapes, S-curves are visible in most all types of photography, including shooting people and groups.  The key is ...

No matter what niche of photography you are in, there is a good chance you are going to end up outside, caught in the rain or a wet environment sooner or later. [caption id="attachment_683" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Photo by jk+too"][/caption] The people who predict the weather are cruel at best and while they are a good guide, you should always be prepared when shooting outside.  Here's 10 tips for shooting in the rain and wet situations. Be prepared. The old boyscout motto holds true for everyone.  At the very least, a large ziploc bag (or disposable poncho) or two in your camera bag takes up no room and can be used in a pinch to cover your camera.  Depending on which lens you have, you can actually shoot through a ziploc bag as a last ditch effort to get the shot. Invest in rain gear. If you're an outdoor shooter with sports, landscapes, people or always keep a camera on you, your chances of getting caught in the rain are even higher.  Many companies make specific bags for different DSLR models that are designed to use most of the functions on the camera and offer a better shoot-through plastic protector compared with the ziploc bag. ...

Candid photography is one of the best ways to capture people in an environment that they feel comfortable in and these photos are generally the ones that will rehash old memories when looked back upon.  There are a few mistakes though that could kill the image, this tutorial will help point out what not to do. Don't forget your camera at home.  Candid shots in-the-moment, you never know when that moment will happen, so always be prepared! Turn the flash off!  You may be able to get away with the first shot but each and every one after that people will be aware you're around.  The flash isn't so bad if you're looking to capture candid shots during a wedding reception, but if your goal is candid street portraits you don't want anyone to know you're shooting. The subject isn't always the main focus of a candid shot.  Don't be afraid to zoom in and crop some of the forehead off or shoot at an odd angle.  Take into consideration how the person is currently in the environment and try to either include that into the composition or completely isolate it. Get down on one knee.  The perspective from three feet is significantly different ...

The traditional studio shot of families is fine, but boring as call can be!  The reason very few people are excited about having a family portrait done is because they usually lack creativity, involve standing around with fake smiles and wearing a matching outfit with the rest of your family.  BORING! Taking the ultimate family portrait is about capturing moments within the family dynamic, it goes beyond lining family members up from tallest to shortest or putting on white button down shirts, khaki pants and sitting on a beach.  Think outside the box and look beyond normal standards for ways to get a group shot unlike any other your family, or your client has ever seen! This great family portrait has some unique characteristics about it.  First of all, Flickr user RKHawaii was both photographer and model, this is a self / family portrait.  He had a trigger in his hand to take the actual shot and utilized a strobe with a power pack to light it since the sun was at his back and he took an interesting angle, by putting the camera low he is able to capture the foreground, the mountains, sky and some of the solar glare from ...

Portraits are one of the most popular types of photography from amateurs through to pros. Unfortunately, they can also be tough if you're looking for a really good shot. But there is a simple "trick" you can use to dramatically increase the effectiveness of portraits. It usually doesn't require any extra gear and you can pretty much do it from anywhere. Taking a flash-lit portrait of somebody at sunset is an almost sure-fire way to get a dramatic effect with that portrait. Now, how far you take this is up to you. Sure, you can deal with light diffusers at various angles and whatnot, but often a standard built in flash can be effective too. We’re not pretending this is easy or that it always works out, but it can certainly be worth experimenting with. Check out some of these fantastic examples. Photo by Erathic Eric Photo by Zach Ancell Photo by Zach Ancell Photo by WhosWho Photo by Tiago Ribeiro Photo by Bill Read Photo by Mano 82 Photo by Eric Malette Photo by Raw Cat Photo by WoodenMan Photo by Arturo Ponciarelli Other Sunset Portrait Resources Sunset Portrait Discussion (at Photo.net – very useful) Classic Sunset Portrait A Tutorial on Using Fill Flash at Sunset

Incoporating trees into a landscape photo or even as the main subject of a photo can be an easy way to add a nice compositional element to the image. Here are a few things you might like to consider when thinking about putting a tree in your shot. Don’t forget the rule of thirds - in a landscape shot, trees are a very easy element to add and lend themselves to being an effective element in composing the shot along the line of the rule of thirds.  Trees often present both horizontal and vertical lines that you can use (and sometimes both) so take advantage of that. Photo by JJJohn Consider Bracketing with the Tree - Trees can also often be used effectively to bracket or frame a shot. That is to say you can use the tree to fill the edges of the image on one or two sides - similar to the shot below. Photo by Floato Use the Lines of the Tree to Guide the Eye - The trunks and branches of trees can also be used as a compositional element to draw the eye to an area (or the main subject) of an image. Notice in the image below how the ...

Getting correctly exposed images doesn’t have to be difficult. But to get it right, there are a few things you need to remember. To avoid under and over exposure, it's important to understand how to use the two controls that adjust the amount of light reaching the film or sensor, the aperture and shutter speed. Let’s have a look at how you can do this. If your film or sensor receives the proper amount of light, the final image will reproduce your subject in it's proper tones and colours. But if the film gets too much light (over exposure), the image will be pale and lacking in detail. If it gets too little light (under exposure), the image will be dark and muddy. Photo by Ben McLeod Exposing film (for SLRs) or sensors (for DSLRs) to light can be compared to filling a bucket with water from a tap. You can open the tap wide and fill the bucket quickly, or open it only a little and let the water trickle slowly. The two variables are how much you open the tap and how long you leave it on. The two exposure controls on the camera work much the same way. Like the valve on the tap, ...

The is a guest post by Fiona Hall, an Antarctic specialist and Wildlife Photographer of the Year semi-finalist. Check out some of her awesome photos of Antarctica on her website. The direction from which light strikes a scene, relative to the camera position, has a significant effect on colour, form, texture, and depth in the resulting photo. Here are some quick ideas on how to get the most out of your shot in any of the likely lighting conditions. Frontlighting spills over your shoulder and falls squarely on the front of your subject. Because frontlighting is very even, auto-exposure systems handle it well. It produces bold, saturated colours, but when too strong can actually wash out some colours. The downside is that, because all the shadows are falling behind the subject and away from the camera, frontlit scenes lack a sense of depth or three-dimensionality. Photo by SarHounds Sidelighting comes from the left or right of a subject. Because the light is scraping across from side to side, it catches every surface blip and imperfection, leaving a trail of large and small shadows and exaggerating surface textures. It is ideal for landscapes, like desert badlands or beaches, where you want to convey the tactile ...

Going to the Zoo is something a lot of families do for fun, but it’s also an opportunity to get some great photos for those of us into photography. While it might not quite be on the same level as going on an African safari, a quick look around at some shots that people have taken at their local zoo is enough to reveal that a trip there can yield some awesome results. Photography enthusiast, Neville Lobo, kindly agreed to share some of his tips for getting that perfect shot at the zoo. 1.) Get there early – Getting to the Zoo earlier than everyone else means that you get to take photos of the animals without anyone around to disturb you. No worries about annoying kids screaming or throwing peanuts at the animals either! (You might also be lucky enough to be shooting in the Golden Hour! – Ed) Photo by Mape_S. 2.) Isolate the animals – Doing this allows you to get nice clear images with a single animal as the focal point. Photo by Kevin Law. 3.) Group them up – Do the opposite of the above. Animals that tend to be social also tend to look better in group shots. Photo by ...

Getting great results in black and white from a camera phone takes some skill. The rewards though, seem to be fantastic if you have the patience and time to devote to it. The real challenges in this photography niche lie in both composition and post production due mainly to the limitation of the medium. by Tomás Rotger by Johnnyphoto In general terms there are a few things you are going to want to think about when you are embarking on a quest to take great black and white photos with a camera phone. These are some of the more obvious ones: Abide By the General Rules of Photography - Just because you're planning on turning shots into black and white doesn't mean you can afford to take mediocre shots. Abide by general photography rules such as the rule of thirds and make sure your composition is good. Improving a good shot post-production is much better than saving a bad one. The limitations of a camera phone are large enough without magnifying them with poor initial images. Get Closer - I know we repeat this one a lot, but so few people take heed. You usually need to totally fill the frame of your shot with ...