Crucial Lighting and Other Tips for Digital Photography

It’s amazing how good at digital photography and how organized a photographer can be yet still lack the knowledge of taking advantage of digital photography lighting tips and techniques so they can take their photography to an even higher level. I was one of those people I should add! Call it what you will, basic digital photography tips, photography lighting techniques and tips, fashion photography lighting, photography lighting tips, etc. They revolve around the same knowledge. If you can find just two slr digital photography tips here, it would further your wisdom and ability to learn photography and get results. The article below does a good job in displaying some photography techniques and delivers food for thought to help improve the photo lighting techniques you currently have…enjoy!

Light Direction (angles)

When you want a specific outcome in your photos, you should be careful to consider the direction of light hitting your camera lens. You may have noticed in other photos how unfriendly some shadows can be to portraiture and contours of particular shapes. These can be avoided most of the time. By considering light direction you are controlling the outcome of the picture and where the shadows will be in the final shot. These digital camera photography tips can help with more depth in your photograph by controlling texture when the light is striking the subject from the side. By controlling the light over someone’s face you produce mystery and intrigue. Controlling depth of field can also build on this. Avoid the common use of backlighting which will usually result in an overly dark subject and an overexposed background. This is a common mistake and it can be remedied with flash but often unnecessary.

The Effect of Light (digital photography lighting tips)

Using rays of light as a feature in photography is outstanding if handled correctly. This applies to both indoor and outdoor photography. Visualize the many different affects – light through a window pane, through the cracks in an old shed door and walls, sunrise and sunset make for amazing light ray shows. Using a narrow aperture or often known more affectionately as a high F-stop with a low shutter speed, allows you to achieve this quite easily. Running brooks or streams reflecting rays are one of my favourites along with architectural photographs with an antiques bias or lean.

Lighting Techniques in Digital Photography

A spectacular or horrible photograph is often governed by your lighting technique. To clarify, when you use the auto setting for the aperture and shutter speed on your camera, you are allowing the camera to measure (with its inbuilt light meter) and decide how much light is being sent to the front of the camera lens.

It’s important to understand that your photos can be much more professional and your image can be much more pleasing than simply relying on the automatic camera settings all the time. You should consider shadows, the direction from which the light is coming from and entering the meter, the need for flash if the background of your subject is significantly bright. Night photography also opens up avenues of photography techniques that are almost endless. Reflected light from water, ocean and even the moving lights in traffic at night can be wonderful affects. Let’s consider some of these;

Tips on Digital Photography and Shooting Photos in the Dark

This is a new realm of digital photography tips. Night photography is indeed different to day time shooting. Forget about holding the camera by hand if you intend on using available light and even flash depending on the photo to be taken. This is when an investment in a camera tripod becomes essential. An early favourite of mine was shooting the tops of trees on a still and clear night with the stars above them. A prolonged shutter speed can even produce the affect of shooting stars. I have also seen some wonderful affects with car lights being included in the same shot as I described above. If you practise this, you will become intrigued and your shots will become better and better in a short space of time.

Using Silhouettes in Digital Photography

You can have a lot of fun and at the same time get some great affective results from silhouettes. It’s also quite easy. To achieve this, simply ensure that the majority of light is behind the subject. Get your light meter reading from behind the subject, not from the subject. You can even imagine the outcome simply by visualizing this technique. The variation to subject choice for this photographic technique is endless.

Something to Try to Improve Your Digital Photography Techniques

Find a subject who will be willing to work with you. You can use both a flash and a torch. Have the subject move to different positions in the room and remain in each position for a few seconds all being the same amount of time. You can even do this outside but leave the shutter speed delayed. The camera must be on a tripod and you will need to use the self timer for this type of procedure. If you experiment with this a few times, you will begin to stimulate ideas and create outstanding lighting shots. Help with more involved and superior techniques can be accessed at digital photography secrets

Digital Tips Conclusion
It’s all about lighting and focus, subject and timing. You can learn lighting techniques quickly and they will become second nature in a short space of time. However, nothing comes without practice. I should point out here that understanding lighting techniques, exposure and meters will be essential if you want to become a professional photographer. Fortunately it’s fun and interesting – so it’s not hard work.