This lengthy article provides a summary of some of the actions that a photographer can take to practice handheld shot discipline. Many of the actions would also apply to folks who use tripods or monopods. Shot discipline is all about making sure that our camera gear is ready. That we know how to use it to best effect. That we use good camera technique. And, that we remain calm and focused.
Category Archives: Photography Fundamentals
Minimum Focusing Distance
One of the attributes of a lens that is sometimes overlooked is its minimum focusing distance. There are many important factors to consider when investing in a new lens such as focal length, aperture, lens construction/weatherproofing, sharpness and colour rendition. So, it is not surprising that minimum focusing distance is sometimes not given much consideration.
Choosing Exposure Mode
Choosing exposure mode with your camera gear is a decision that all photographers face. Like most things photographic, there are different opinions about which exposure mode to use. This article discusses some of the basics about choosing exposure mode.
Do You Care About EXIF Data?
This short article asks a simple question of readers, “Do you care about EXIF data?”
EXIF stands for exchangeable image file format. This is the information that your digital camera automatically embeds into photographs, including shutter speed, aperture, ISO, lens focal length, white balance etc. Continue reading Do You Care About EXIF Data?
Using more creative latitude of zoom lenses.
The lenses that an individual photographer chooses to use is a matter of personal preference. Some folks enjoy shooting with prime lenses while other people prefer zoom lenses. This article discusses using more creative latitude of zoom lenses by considering a few, simple things. Continue reading Using more creative latitude of zoom lenses.
Landscape Photography Considerations
Before launching into this article I’d like to thank one of our readers, Srikanth, for his recent comment on my The Power of Simplicity article which served as the spark for this posting. This article discusses some simple landscape photography considerations that you can keep in mind which may help you create better quality images. This posting also raises some other things to consider when shooting landscape images with cameras of different sensor sizes. Continue reading Landscape Photography Considerations
The importance of knowing your gear
As regular readers will know I’m not much of a ‘tech-head’ when it comes to camera gear. Whatever gear that a person happens to choose is simply that – a choice based on their specific needs. My basic belief is that small technical differences between gear are basically irrelevant. Every piece of camera gear comes with some sort of trade-off and as long as we consider those trade-offs in our decision process, we’ve done the best job we can selecting our equipment. What works for one person may not for the next. What is critical is the importance of knowing your gear, regardless of what it may be. Continue reading The importance of knowing your gear
Wai-O-Tapu through the eyes of a beginner
During our recent trips to the western USA and New Zealand my wife has started capturing quite a few photographs, mainly using a Nikon 1 V2 fitted with a 1 Nikon 10-30 mm f/3.5-5.6 PD zoom. This article will give readers a glimpse of Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland through the eyes of a beginner. Continue reading Wai-O-Tapu through the eyes of a beginner
ISO impact on sensor performance
Each of us has our own criteria we use when selecting which camera to buy. Sensor performance, handling, ergonomics, auto-focus, lens selection and other factors can all play a part. Many photographers are very interested in the sensor performance of their cameras, and this short article discusses ISO impact on sensor performance. Continue reading ISO impact on sensor performance
Diffraction
Often when we start out as photographers we hear more experienced folks talk about the importance of not stopping a lens down too far as to avoid the effects of diffraction.
We may find this confusing because from a composition standpoint we often want to achieve deep depth-of-field, especially with landscape photography. Stopping a lens down to achieve this degree of depth-of-field seems quite logical.
This begs the question whether we really need to care about diffraction. Continue reading Diffraction