Monday 12 August 2013

How to Photograph the Moon

How to Photograph the Moon

Link to PictureCorrect Photography Tips

How to Photograph the Moon

Posted: 11 Aug 2013 04:58 PM PDT

Related Deal: This popular night sky photography guide is 50% until the end of the month.

Photographing the moon can be tricky. Last year I had a go at it and it was a complete disaster with the moon looking like a big bright blurry mass in the sky. After a bit of trial and error I discovered how to take nice shots of the moon.

"Harvest Moon" captured by Robin

“Harvest Moon” captured by Robin (Click Image to Find Photographer)

The right lens

The first thing you need is a powerful zoom lens. The moon may look big in the night sky but when your camera takes a photo of it, the moon will only fill a tiny portion of the photo. On a 50mm lens the moon with be nothing more than a dot in your picture. The lens I used in the photos opposite were taken on a Canon 100-400mm lens which was a lot better but to be honest an even longer zoom would have been better.

Keep it steady

The next thing you 100% need is a tripod. Keeping the camera still is essential for getting a sharp image, and if your using a long zoom lens camera shake will be an issue as it’s the longer the zoom the more camera shake affects the image. The tripod will hold the lens still and allow you to take a sharp image. Also you will need to use either the cameras timer function or a shutter release cable to trigger the camera shutter… otherwise you can jolt the camera while taking the photo and get blurred results.

"fly me past the moon" captured by David Hobcote

“fly me past the moon” captured by David Hobcote (Click Image to Find Photographer)

Aperture

What f-number/aperture should you use? The first thing that comes to mind is a low f-number i.e. f4.0 or lower to take in more light. This is where I went wrong – the moon is actually very bright in the sky and using a low f-number can completely blow out the moon and make it look more like the sun. The ideal f-number would be somewhere between f11 and f16.

Shutter speed

For Shutter speed again you would assume a slow speed but again this is the opposite. Since the moon is bright you don’t need as much time to capture the light it gives off. Also the moon actually moves quite fast along the night sky – if you have a 400mm lens or longer you can actually see the moon moving slowly across the viewfinder. If we used a slow shutter speed then the actual movement of the moon could cause us to lose detail. This is why I would recommend a speed of around 1/125 – 1/250.

"moon" captured by Paul Simpson

“moon” captured by Paul Simpson (Click Image to Find Photographer)

ISO speed I would have around 200-400 and then just experiment with different combinations of ISO, aperture and shutter speed with the guidelines above until you get a nice exposure of the moon. You may need to also experiment if the moon is showing different amounts depending on the time of the month.

Cropping

Once you have your perfect shot load it onto your computer. Even on a 400mm lens the moon can still take up a relatively small area of your photo. If you got your settings spot on and managed to get a very sharp photo of the moon then you can crop your image and even zoom in a little bit so the moon itself fits better in the finished framing of your photo.

"Tower Bridge. London" captured by Peter Wolledge

“Tower Bridge. London” captured by Peter Wolledge (Click Image to Find Photographer)

Conclusion
  • Use a long zoom lens.
  • Always use a tripod and shutter release or timer cable.
  • Don’t use a low f-number.
  • Don’t use a slow shutter speed.

About the Author:
Chris Thornton writes for http://www.colourjam.com, a Web & Print design company.

For Further Training on Night Sky Photography:

Since August is one of the best month’s for night sky photography, this publisher is offering their in-depth guide at 50% off until the end of the month. Shooting Stars will show you how to shoot your own stunning images of the moon and the stars with just your digital SLR and a tripod. Simply remember to use the voucher code SSAUGUST.

It can be found here: Shooting Stars – How to Photograph the Moon & Stars


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Article from: PictureCorrect Photography Tips

August, Great Month to Photograph the Night Sky: eBook Deal

Posted: 11 Aug 2013 02:44 PM PDT

August is a great time of year for Night Sky Photography – skies are getting dark earlier in the Northern Hemisphere and for everybody the Milky Way is in prime position early in the evening. Plus there’s the Perseid Meteor Shower which peaks on the 11th and 12th of August. So right now is a great time to get outside at night with a DSLR.

night sky photography ebook

Night Sky Photography (Click to Learn More)

To help encourage people, Phil Hart is offering his Shooting Stars eBook at half price till the end of the month, making it just $9.95, simply remember to use the voucher code SSAUGUST.

Found here: Shooting Stars – How to Photograph the Moon & Stars

Designed to help you master these styles in particular:

  • Twilight landscapes
  • Night sky scenes (shorter exposures)
  • Star trails (long exposures)
  • The Moon
  • Night sky timelapse videos

In order to accomplish this, the guide is organized into four parts:

Part 1, The Sky at Night, introduces some basic astronomy concepts, to help you understand what you can expect to see at night from different places on Earth and at different times of the year.

Part 2, Night Sky Photography, is the heart of the book. It begins by discussing your camera and lenses and how to use them to turn the faint light of the night sky into stunning images. Most importantly, it describes three techniques for how to get accurate focus at night when your autofocus fails you. At least one of these techniques is guaranteed to work with whatever camera and lens you are using. This section also describes additional equipment and accessories that will enable you to do more with your camera at night and help make the experience more enjoyable.

Part 3 covers Image Processing, concentrating on the particular techniques and steps you will need to get the most out of your night sky images. Examples and screen captures are provided for Photoshop, Lightroom, ACDSee and Aperture but the instructions can easily be applied using any other image processing application.

taking photos of stars

Example pages and tutorials from the book (Click to See More)

Part 4, Wonders of the Night Sky, will inspire you to get outside with your camera more often. This final part covers interesting events, features and phenomena that you can see at night and how to apply night sky photography techniques to capture them. This part also features many of Phil's stunning images and the stories behind them.

Phil Hart has been practicing night sky photography for nearly 20 years and currently teaches workshops in Melbourne, Australia.

How to Get a Discounted Copy this Month:

It comes in PDF format so it is perfect for tablet devices or any computer. It also carries a 30 day guarantee, if you are not satisfied with any part of the book just let them know and they will give you a full refund so there is no risk in trying it. Since this time of year is best to photograph the night sky, the author is offering this guide at 50% off until the end of the month. Simply remember to use the voucher code SSAUGUST.

It can be found here: Shooting Stars: How to Photograph the Moon and Stars


Go to full article: August, Great Month to Photograph the Night Sky: eBook Deal

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Article from: PictureCorrect Photography Tips

Ideas to Modify Natural Light for Portrait Photography

Posted: 11 Aug 2013 01:54 PM PDT

Every photographer loves that soft white light that pours in through a single window. Its diffuse glow seems to make anything in its path magically photogenic. Whether it’s the slits of light through a pair of barely open shutters or that golden luminescence that fills the airplane cabin at 30,000 ft., naturally diffused light is among the most beautiful types of light you will encounter. In this video, fashion photographer Lindsay Adler shows how you can modify natural light to create even more stunning images:

Seeing as it’s already magical, you don’t really need to do a lot to create great images with naturally diffused light. But if you’re looking to creating something more dramatic, try a few of these tricks:

  • Create a Catch Light - A catch light can put life into an otherwise dull head shot. To create a catch light, you simply need to capture a reflection of a light source in your subject’s eyes. You can do this using a reflector or flash or any other light source. Just take care not to blind your subject.
  • Watch the Facial Features - As you can see in the photo below, shadows are cast around the model’s cheek bones and jaw line. This creates a much more dramatic look and keeps the model from looking flat.
  • Block Off Light - Sometimes you need to cut light off instead of adding it. Special flags are made for photographers for blocking off areas of light. You can also use black foam core, like Adler, to absorb some of the incoming light.
  • Think About Direction - Having your subject face straight at the light source will give you a very flat look as there will be little to no shadows. Moving your subject (or yourself) to the side will put you in a position to capture both the highlights and shadows. It may take some moving around to figure out what looks best, but you’ll definitely want some degree of contrast in your lighting.
creative natural white light soft diffused model portrait

Diffused light gives a very even and soft spread across the subject’s face

creative light natural window model white

Placing your subject below the window allows for the light to define the model’s facial features


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Article from: PictureCorrect Photography Tips

How to do Off-Camera Flash Photography with Canon Speedlites

Posted: 11 Aug 2013 11:09 AM PDT

Being faced with the prospect of using off-camera flash sends many new photographers running for the hills. Learning to use flash effectively can be overwhelming, and it may seem easier to painstakingly seek out perfect, natural light for every photo shoot. However, gaining fluency with artificial lighting increases a photographer’s versatility. Flash allows the photographer to carry out his or her vision in any lighting situation, and, contrary to popular belief, it doesn’t take long to master the basics. Watch Syl Arena’s guide to using Canon Speedlites for a quick introduction to getting started with off-camera flash:

Topics Covered:

  • Importance of Off-Camera Flash
  • Control Speedlites Using Your Camera’s LCD
  • Flash Modes and When to Use Them
  • Sync Speeds and Sync Modes
  • Quality of Light
  • Positioning Speedlites
  • Triggers
  • Light Modifiers
  • Lighting with One Speedlite
  • Lighting with Multiple Speedlites

speedlite-crash-course

Even photographers who think they’ll never need flash will benefit from this crash course. It delves not only into lighting equipment, but also into general concepts of lighting photos artistically and how to use flash in combination with ambient light. Arena’s guide simplifies the complexity of flash photography to get even the most reluctant photographer off to a successful start with Speedlites.


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Article from: PictureCorrect Photography Tips

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