Snap! Even More Photography Tips
December 28, 2010
Hello hello, hope you all are staying warm amidst the storms! I hinted in last week’s article about better brighter blog photos that I would be bringing in some friends to back me up in my explanation that you can achieve better interior shots by pulling more light into your lens with the manual functions on your camera. Well, well, that day has come!
I gave all four blogger photographers a mini assignment. Shoot for me the same image 1) with a flash, 2) on Auto with no flash, and then 3) in a Manual Mode, adjusting your aperture or f/stop, shutter speed and/or ISO setting. (My brief definitions here.)
Please welcome four of my favorite bloggers, who just so happen to have excellent photography skills, and are here to offer some fabulous tips for you! Settle in with a hot cup of coffee or tea on this blustery day, and hear what they have to say.
Mrs. Limestone of A Brooklyn Limestone in Progress:
“If there is one thing I repeat a lot on my blog it’s this: cameras don’t take good photos, people do. It is essential you get to know your camera and some of what it can do to make great photographs. It might seem daunting at first but it’s worth the effort. Let’s use an example of this trio of vintage cameras. Apropos, no?
The first shot is with the camera set on Auto with the flash turned on. I shudder just thinking about it because if there is ever a way to ruin a photo, it’s with on camera flash. Take my word for it – never ever use it and you’re photos will be so much better without doing a thing.
See, not so good. So let’s try it again, this time with the flash off.
So much better, but not quite right. I will be the first to tell you that the AUTO function (always with flash off) is pretty darn handy. It makes for lovely photos 7 times out of 10. That’s because nearly all cameras are quite smart in that they figure out how to get a good photo without any effort on the photographers part. Particularly wonderful when you are trying to capture an image quickly and don’t have time to fiddle. But sometimes there are outside influences that fool your camera and that’s when using the manual controls come in.
In this case, the cameras were placed in the middle of the room in front of that tree that just happens to have some bright windows behind it. So the tree was being better lit than the subject of the photo itself. If you look closely at the image above, the vintage cameras are a bit darker than they should be. So I changed the settings to correct the image.
I upped the exposure a tad to +0.3, brought the aperture up a bit to 6.3, shutter speed to 1/15 and adjusted the white balance to account for the light in the room.
Ah, much better.
Thanks again to Kate for having me participate. If you would like to know more about me or see some of my projects, stop over and visit me at my blog Brooklyn Limestone.”
JJ of The Blah Blah Blahger:
I shoot with a Canon 5d Mk2. It does not have a built-in flash, so I had to mount an external just for Kate’s assignment! I rarely ever use it unless I’m shooting a wedding because my camera has such amazing low light capabilities. But for Kate, I did it anyway!
Flash On, Aperture on Auto at f/4; Shutter Speed: 1/60 sec; ISO 400.
Auto, no flash. Aperture: f/1.6, Shutter Speed: 1/30, ISO 200
Manual Mode, no flash. Aperture: f/1.4 Shutter Speed: 1/320, ISO 2500.
“Here’s what I love about the manual shot: I can control the depth of field with the f/stop and achieve great bokeh [blurred Christmas lights]. I can also control the sharpness (higher shutter speed means no blur), and now this image is something I created. It’s my work and not the camera making choices for me.”
Awesome JJ, thank you!!!
Sarah of Clover Lane:
“I can count on one hand the amount of times I’ve shot in Automatic because once you learn Manual it’s SO easy. Dial UP the ISO and dial down your aperture. Indoors, in my older home, unless it’s a sunny day, I almost always have to shoot with a higher 600 ISO, because of the lack of natural light. To steady the camera, I have learned to lean on something or set the camera on a table or a pile of books so I can dial my aperture down really low.
Usually the ideal shutter speed would be around 1/125. I recommend you use all the light sources you can drum up. Open those blinds and curtains, turn on all the lights! Every house has the perfect places for beautiful light, you just have to find it! In our home, it’s the corner of our dining room in the afternoon or in our big bay window in the morning.”
Sarah’s shots in Flash and Auto (no flash) mode:
In Manual Mode with these settings: f/stop 4.0; shutter speed 1/25; ISO 1600.
“I shoot with a Canon Rebel XSi, and use the 5.6 18-55mm lens that came with the camera. Another great little lens I use for close-ups, and that really pulls the light in during low-light conditions is the Canon 50mm 1.8. The best thing is that it’s only $100! It also takes beautiful portrait shots.”
You can see more of Sarah’s family and photography on her blog Clover Lane !
Layla and Kevin of The Lettered Cottage:
“Our #1 tip for those who are shooting photos of their homes is to invest in and use a GOOD TRIPOD! Especially those who have low light situations. Then, by adjusting your settings in Manual mode, you can take a super-bright photo of a space on even the darkest and dreariest of days!
When we went tripod shopping, we bought the best pair of legs we could afford, along with the best head we could afford to top it with. We knew we’d want to take both horizontal and vertical shots, so we made sure the one we chose could both ‘pan’ and ‘tilt’ with ease. After that, we used a quick release plate to attach our camera to our new tripod.
We shoot with both a Canon 30D and a Canon 7D, but it’s not really the make and model that’s important. It’s really all about your settings once you mount that thing to a good tripod!”
Layla & Kevin’s Manual setting: F/Stop f/4, shutter speed 0.60s, ISO 200
Perfect!
“With a steady tripod, you can adjust your ISO (lower ISO = a sharper photo, higher ISO without a tripod = a more grainy photo), your aperture and shutter speed to allow a ton of light into the camera, which will create a nice, bright shot. The photo above would be blurry if you didn’t use a tripod because it would be impossible to hold the camera perfectly still as long as the lens is open at those settings.”
Bravo and and BIG thank you to Mrs. Limestone, JJ, Sarah and Layla for taking the time to share their tips on better interior photography ! I’m so inspired by all four of them, I hope you are too!! Here are three more of my favorite sites for great photography tips and inspiration:
Isn’t it amazing the difference you can make just by altering your camera’s settings? For those of you just moving beyond the Auto setting, are you having that ‘Aha!’ moment? Those of you with experience with manipulating aperture, shutter speed, etc. do you have a tip to share? Please do !
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Tags: Guest Post, photography
To Becky: That is a gorgeous camera you have and you should be able to take really nice images with it. Here is a review of it: http://www.epinions.com/review/Canon_PowerShot_SX10_IS_Digital_Camera/content_450986348164
Have you sat down and read your book that came with the camera and gone over all the bells and whistles and how they work? A DSLR will only be more complicated than the camera you have. The one you have will give you great pictures when you understand it’s functions and a bit more about photography itself. Once you get the hang of all that I think you will be very happy with your purchase. As I think Kevin mentioned, it is not the camera that creates the shot…it is the photographer behind the camera.
I enjoyed reading your posts.You shared information that is valuable to me and some other readers. In my city, the old cameras is more expensive than the new one. The old camera is used more as a collection for the famous photographer in Bali. Keep posting as I will be visiting this page from now on. Cheers.
This was an awesome learning lesson! I had NO clue that this was how bloggers got such great photos on their websites. I have a Sony Cybershot and changed whatever I could on it because my shots were turning out so grainy. I’m going to play around with the new settings and my tripod tomorrow…I’m excited! Thanks a bunch!
i am a beginner at photography so even the flash bit was a HUGE ah-ha moment for me. This was a really great educational read and I loved the photos side by side to really demonstrate flash vs no flash vs. manual effects.
:)gina
I don’t get why people hate flash. In my opinion pictures are never very clear with out it. I have read countless posts where people say LEAVE THE FLASH OFF. No thanks. I like my flash just fine.
Kate!
Love this! Thank you so much to everyone who participated!
I am desperately trying to learn how to take better shots. I will do it!!! :)
Happy New Year!
xoxo
wow!!! such great information here.
odd question: i noticed layla & kevin mentioned “A good tripod” what would a good one be?
i have one. i got it out to take pics on christmas day…noticed 2 screws have fallen out. no where to be found.
if i ordered one like off of amazon, what would you all recommend?
I’ve been doing most of things in your post, but am still looking for a good, light weight tri-pod. Does that exist?
I love this! Followed Layla’s link from The Lettered Cottage. I have a Canon Rebel Xsi, as well, and the only flash I have is the one that came attached – I HATE it! Once I learned how to shoot manual – I never looked back. Love seeing the comparison shots – but I have to say, with Mrs. Limestone’s shots, I almost prefer the top shot – WITH the flash! It’s seems darker and more in focus/sharper, maybe?
Great post! You’ve shown that photography is a fine art that requires a unique and creative eye. Thanks for the post!!
Thank you for the camera tips! I just got a Nikon D90 and need to learn about the settings. All of these camera series are so helpful!
To Rosemary, Thanks so much for answering my question. I have had this camera for a few months and have not yet figured it out, and this statement is true for me.
It is not the camera that creates the shot…it is the photographer behind the camera. I’m not a photographer lol.
I have been told that I have the wrong lens to do most shots, people, close-ups, rooms and so on. I’m very confused. If you would like to contact me I’m at beckykois@q.com
Thanks again, Becky
Loved this post! So nice to see how the big bloggers get such great pictures. I’ve got to pull my tripod out and put it to use! Thanks for the great post!
Thank you so much for these amazing photography tips!! Taking great photos is one of the hardest parts of blogging, for me anyway. I can’t wait to try all these suggestions. :)
Thank you for this! I am using a Nikon DX and barely know how to use it! This post is just so helpful, thank you again.
Thanks so much! What a lesson. I didn’t even know those were on my camera. Now my interest is peaked!
I just wanted to send you a big hug and thank you for these photography posts. I never used the manual on my camera ever! Because of your early post, I just took some great photos for my blog! I didn’t understand all of it but enough to take pictures without having to photoshop the heck out of them. Wow! It saves me so much time. Thanks again.
@AP a good tripod to use is bogen. I LOVE mine and use it for night photography as well as some still life.
You may want to try putting things in front of the flash like white tissue paper (poormans softbox)
Velum sometimes works too. Even scotch tape will diffuse the flash a bit. I like shooting with flash and do only manual settings on camera. I have several different flashes and the one that does the best job is a metzflash…it’s old..
In post production you could add a bit of yellow to correct some of the bluish color that some cheaper flashes put off. With a higher power (off-camera) flash you get better results..plus you can hold it where you want..
I LOVE this site!
Thank you so much for this post! I am seriously going to study it. This is exactly what I’ve been needing. Love it. Thank you!
great photo tips. thank you!!
Kate, thank you for posting. Very helpful! Happy Holidays! Ana
I’ve had your original photography tips post bookmarked for a couple of weeks and I finally sat down today to review settings that I use as compared to this post and your previous one – thanks so much Kate for the excellent advice!! This was just the post I’ve been looking for…
This is so helpful! Thank you. I have a question: do you usually use a tripod when shooting inside at such a slow shutter speed?
Thanks,
Bethany
Thanks for posting this! So much information and great links!
Great tips! I really need to get one of those tripods! Great photos from all.
“If you look closely at the image above, the vintage cameras are a bit darker than they should be. So I changed the settings to correct the image.”
With most digital cameras, you can fool the Automatic mode into compensating for a bright background for you, so you don’t wreck the next batch of pictures by forgetting to set the camera back to normal.
1 – Focus the camera on your object or scene and manually set the zoom you want.
2 – Aim the camera at the floor, the ground or whatever has similar lighting to the target of the picture – in your example at the tray – and partially depress the shutter button.
3 – Without releasing the button, aim at the original target and press the shutter button the rest of the way.
You should have an overexposed light background and a properly exposed subject.
And if you are on a budget … tripods from thrift stores and garage sales are CHEAP!
I have one in the car permanently, and one in the house. Total cost was under $5.
I just linked to this post! Thanks for the great round-up of tips, I am certainly even more inspired now!
http://wetinkblog.blogspot.com/2011/01/camera-dilemma-solved.html