Monday 6 January 2014

Lighting Up Your Photography With Light Trails

Lighting Up Your Photography With Light Trails

Link to PictureCorrect Photography Tips

Lighting Up Your Photography With Light Trails

Posted: 05 Jan 2014 09:22 PM PST

At the most general level, photographing light trails means locating a place where you can capture some type of light that will be seen over time. Some examples of light trails are the beams of light created by moving cars or those created by stars in the night sky. In general, capturing light trails entails securing your digital camera, setting a long exposure time, and shooting when the light source will be moving in order to create the trail of light.

city light trails

“Saigon Dragon” captured by Michael Huy (Click image to see more from Huy.)

Of course, it’s a little more complicated than that, but the basic concept behind light trails is longer exposures that enable the light source to create trails that move through your image. Getting a shot that demands attention means more careful planning in choosing your location, determining the right timing, and deciding how to frame your image. The clearer your visualization of the final shot, the better your results will be.

Choosing the Location

Once you’ve planned exactly what your photo will look like, it’s easy to select the location. The problem comes when you’re not exactly sure where to begin. The possibilities are unlimited, but only you can decide what you really want. By taking some time to reflect on what you really want and imagining it, you will make it happen. When no inspiration comes to you, either choose to wait until the idea presents itself, or view the work of others for ideas.

Shutter Settings

Many digital cameras have a mode on them called ‘bulb’ mode that allows you to keep the shutter open as long as you wish. Since this is very handy for light trail photography, you’ll be able to time your shots with precision. If you use this feature, however, you’ll want to consider using a remote shutter release in order to prevent any camera movement while the shutter is open.

Timing for Exposure

Simply put, there is no right or wrong way to time your shot. Hitting the shutter just before a car enters the frame and releasing it just after it leaves the frame can create a lovely unbroken line. But, shooting with shorter exposure times can be effective, also. Truly, it’s about experimenting with different timings to see the end result. You’ll know when you have the result you’re looking for.

Key to Light Trails

While there are many tips that could be shared about photographing light trails, the key to this type of photography is working with the light until you get the desired image. I learned early on that it’s crucial to experiment extensively. The beauty of digital photography is that this can be conveniently done on a continual basis until you have exactly what you want. So, know what you want, and play with the details until it becomes a reality!

star trails photography

“Abo Mission Star Trails” captured by Rich Banker (Click image to see more from Banker.)

About the Author:
Mathew Rivers writes for a blog about the Nikon D4 digital camera.

For Further Training on Light Painting:

Look into this best-selling eBook on how to do many photography techniques that produce unusual, eye-catching results (including extensive chapters on various light painting methods). The new version can be found here: Trick Photography and Special Effects


Go to full article: Lighting Up Your Photography With Light Trails

What are your thoughts on this article? Join the discussion on Facebook or Google+

Article from: PictureCorrect Photography Tips

Timelapse Landscape Photography of Wyoming (Video)

Posted: 05 Jan 2014 02:11 PM PST

Landscape photography is truly an art form that takes vision and creativity, let alone access to awe-inspiring scenery. I mean, think about it, we’ve all been there, how many times have you taken a photo of an overwhelmingly beautiful natural scene only to look at it later and be disappointed by the flat, dull image that lacks any feeling or emotion in front of you?

Landscape photographer Nicolaus Wegner doesn’t seem to have that problem. Here, he takes the art form one incredibly impressive step further and not only captures truly breathtaking photos, but turns them into time-lapsed videos full of emotion and natural beauty:

Wegner, who really  seems motivated by an appreciation of nature, spent months traveling around Wyoming to complete his time-lapse project. This was his second installment of Wyoming Wildscapes.

An incredible piece, he really captures all the elements of Wyoming’s mountains, rangelands and weather and conveys them to the viewer to leave a lasting impression.

A couple of my favorite highlights include the natural progression of the expansive star-filled skies, and the slow moving camera as it makes its way along the bed of a snow covered forest, over the rocky terrain and under twisted branches of frozen trees.

About a year ago, Wegner released his first ever time-lapse montage, the first part of Wyoming Wildscapes:

He captured the dynamic images to create the video using a Canon 5d II and 1ds3, a Canon 16-35 II and 70-200L (f4), and a dolly. But, while he had some great equipment to help, the feelings conveyed in the final product come from his passion and appreciation of nature.


Go to full article: Timelapse Landscape Photography of Wyoming (Video)

What are your thoughts on this article? Join the discussion on Facebook or Google+

Article from: PictureCorrect Photography Tips

Behind the Scenes of a Creative “Love Sick” Couples Photoshoot (Video)

Posted: 05 Jan 2014 10:48 AM PST

One of the greatest things about photography is the freedom to express yourself through your art. To show your take on an emotion, feeling or concept, to be different.

But this is also a great challenge. How do you portray a feeling? And will your audience get it?

Photographer Simeon Quarrie was faced with this challenge when he had to come up with a unique way to shoot a couple’s pre-wedding photos. What he visualized was a completely creative and different way of embracing the feeling of being love sick:

Quarrie took into consideration the couple’s medical backgrounds and came up with the Love Sick theme to really capture the beautiful, heartwrenching, crippling feeling of being so madly in love.

So in love that your heart skips a beat, you lose your appetite and you feel dizzy!

love sick couple

But he couldn’t help having reservations about releasing the Behind the Scenes video. While the couple loved the final images and he received a positive response on Facebook, Quarrie still worried what the online community, his peers, would think.

He finally put his reservations aside when the Love Sick photos resulted in more work, an undeniable sign that people were really digging his creative limit pushing drive. Just goes to show that risk taking can pay off!

Lesson learned, and as Quarrie says himself now,

DON’T BE AFRAID TO BE DIFFERENT.


Go to full article: Behind the Scenes of a Creative “Love Sick” Couples Photoshoot (Video)

What are your thoughts on this article? Join the discussion on Facebook or Google+

Article from: PictureCorrect Photography Tips

No comments:

Post a Comment