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There are many individual elements of what makes an image appear a certain way. Framing, exposure, film speed, camera quality, printing method all of these have a say in your final product. Contrast is one of the most important and easily manipulated elements of a photograph and, when used properly, can take your images to a whole new level.

Put simply, contrast is the difference between the lights and darks in your images. In terms or black and white photography, high contrast prints have very dark black and super bright whites with no shades in between, while low contrast images will have more grey. In color photos, contrast is used to describe the color intensity and how the colors stand out in relation to each other. While theres no perfect level of contrast, a good rule of thumb is to try and create images that have pure black, pure white, and every shade in between. This is not as easy as it sounds!

Contrast in Action

As a photographer, youll probably find a set amount of contrast that works for you. Some photographers like high contrast while others like low, so it really depends upon what works for you. As long as your images convey the message you want to pass on, no one is going to call you on the phone and tell you to change your photographs around.  Read more...

The wide angle lens are the necessity for all the photographers but when it comes to the landscape or seascape photographer, then it is even more required as it is an important tool which allow to take more than a thing in one photograph n if it is used correctly, it can actually help the viewer to feel that they are stepping into a photo itself. So let us see few tips which would help us to click good photos. Advantages of using wide lens
The main benefit of the wide angle lens is that it can take the vast amount of the information in just single shot. Also the furthermost advantage of a wide angle lens is that it has a great depth of the field. If you require taking an image which is in the focus from a foreground to a background and you wish to take the scenery in the shot then you can use the wide angle lens. Disadvantages of using wide lens As a seascape or a landscape photographer, you should be aware of all the faults of your lenses. Wide angle lens are mainly prone towards vignetting, especially if you are heaping the lots of filters on the top of your wide angle lens, as it causes the corner of the photograph darker as compared to the rest of your photograph. So somewhere it may look attractive but somewhere it can also spoil your amazing photograph. Also it would provide very less zoom ability. Research
Spend some time on researching the place; also look at the work of the people who have clicked some great seascape and landscape photography. Just be different from the people. Try some new places, do not stay with the same shot that everyone is clicking, try something different. Neutral density filter
Usually the neutral density lens is utilized to blur the water or to keep on the shutter of your camera unlock for the longer time than the normal time. So why do we need to this? Well it would help us to click the photos where we can easily hold the shutter open for the longer time and we can easily get the ‘misty’ water effect. The neutral density filter comes in many numbers, so if the number is higher than you need to open your lens for long time, which actually means the water would be more blurred.

What is a gobo? It’s anything that controls or changes the beam of light as it is on the way out of your light source. The word comes from “goes between” or “goes before optics”. Gobos are typically used in theatre or stage lighting to create an effect. They control light by blocking it in some areas, by allowing the addition of color, or by diffusing it. They are used often with ellipsoidal spotlights that have a moveable lens for sharp or soft focusing.

Gobos are made from either thin metal or glass, commercially. Glass gobos can be colored or textured to create effects. Low budget theatre lighting has seen the use of everything from pie tins to soda cans with a pattern cut out. Essentially anything that won’t burn or melt in close proximity to a very hot light source has been used at one time or another to create a gobo.

For the architectural or interior photographer, as well as some studio portrait photographers, these creative lighting tools can come in very handy. Metal gobos come in a huge variety of patterns, including windows, blinds, doors, trees and leaves, and abstract shapes. Imagine the possibilities for interior photography! You can throw a light pattern across a room, giving the visual impression that there is a window somewhere just out of view in the image, when in fact there was none. Or you can use the technique with an abstract pattern to break up a blank and monotonous area (a stairwell, perhaps) and add interest to an otherwise dull area. It is also useful for adding light without having it look like a spotlight was placed on an object.  Read more...

At a certain moment in your photography career, you find that you have shot everything you can possibly think of shooting with your camera. You might even run out of ideas or lose interest because you think there is nothing more to take. One of the best cures for a situation like this is swinging by your local photo shop and picking up a nice piece of gear to experiment with. There are hundreds of accessories out there that can improve your shooting and challenge your skills, but the best place to start is with a new camera lens. One of the most useful and fun lenses to focus is the macro lens.

All 35mm camera lenses have some sort of ratio that can be used to describe the size of an object in the image compared to its size in real life. A typical lens presents objects much smaller than their actual size, while macro lenses will get a ratio much closer to reality. Have you ever looked at a close up of a flower or a head of an ant? Chances are those photographs were shot with a macro lens.  Read more...

There are many individual elements of what makes an image appear a certain way. Framing, exposure, film speed, camera quality, printing method – all of these have a say in your final product. Contrast is one of the most important and easily manipulated elements of a photograph and, when used properly, can take your images to a whole new level.

Contrast is simply the difference between the darks and light in your photographs. In terms of black and white photography, high contrast images have very bright whites and incredibly dark blacks with little room in between, while low contrast images will have more grey and appear less distinct. In color photographs, contrast can be used to describe the intensity of the colors and how they stand out in relation to each other. While there is no ideal amount of contrast in any one photo, a good rule of thumb is to create images with pure white, pure black and every shade in between. This is not as easy as it sounds!

Different Degrees of Contrast
As a photographer, you’ll probably find a set amount of contrast that works for you. Some prefer high contrast, some prefer low, but remember that it’s all about what works for you. As long as your pictures tell the story you want to share, there is no right or wrong answer.  Read more...