Digital Photography & Post Processing Blog

One of the least used perspectives in photography is the low angle. I bet every photographer thinks why get my camera dirty when my tripod can stoop down to inches from the ground? Well, can your tripod set the camera actually on the ground? I don’t think so. Because that is one of the camera positions that I am referring to when I say low-angle. About a foot and a half from the ground is no good when you want to capture something that is crawling on the ground or you want to capture something so unique which nobody else thinks of. You have to set your camera on the ground. Read more...

Advantages of a hand-held light meter over a built-in light meter

In one of the previous articles on this website I discussed in detail the many different metering modes and their advantages. Metering modes are what tells the camera what exposure value to use for a right exposure of a given scene. As you are already aware, there are any different types of metering modes. None of these are suitable for all situations though. Some photographers are particularly biased about certain metering modes. I in particular like the spot metering mode and normally my camera is always set to shoot on spot metering. The main reason is that being I can accurately select a spot that is middle-grey in the scene and set my exposure based on that. Read more...

The Use of Diagonal Lines in Photography Composition

We often read about the creative uses of lines in photography. The horizon line is one such oft used line in compositions that separates the point where the earth and the sky meets. As a beginner photographer you may have been told never to place the horizon line bang in the middle of a composition. The reason is this results in a composition that is anything but interesting. Raising the horizon line and placing it roundabout 2/3rds the way down or 2/3rds the way up results in a much better composition. E.g., the image below. Read more...

Sometimes you may need to blur out the background of your images. Let’s say you are shooting portraiture outdoors and there is a cluttered background which you don’t want to incorporate into the final image. Well you could possibly move the subject away from that spot and place her somewhere with a nicer background. But, sometimes, moving the subject may not be feasible as the lighting may change or the location being a bit cluttered overall may not allow you too much flexibility, like in the image below. So what do you do in a situation like this? There is an easier and more practical method.

Flowers photography: tips to shoot better images

One of the most fascinating subjects for photography are flowers. They are bright, vibrant, comes in all shapes and sizes and thankfully they are abundant. There are flowers for every season, for every reason, for every mood and for every lens! The best thing about flower photography is that you don’t need fancy cameras and or lenses. Yes, a macro lens will take you closer and you would be able to make super sharp images of small details, but if you do it right your kits lens will provide you with excellent images as well. Read more...

Light Painting in Photography: An Introduction

Light painting is a very interesting technique in photography that predominantly uses artificial lights to illuminate a subject in low to zero ambient lighting conditions. By reading the first line you would no doubt have guessed that in order to do light painting, you need to shoot in the dark, ideally after sunset. It is true, but that does not mean that you always have to shoot in pitch black conditions. For example, even if there is some amount of twilight in the sky, you could get beautiful light painted images. It is about using your imagination, using the artificial light creatively in conjugation with whatever ambient light there is to get the best out of a situation. Read more...

How editing your stock photography can lead to more sales

Before you can start selling your images on microstock websites you ought to know a few things about why a majority of the submissions get rejected. Every image submitted on a microstock website will have to go through a rigid scrutiny. This is done by experienced photo editors. They would check for compliance of a number of aspects. These tend to vary from one microstock website to another, but by and larger there are some that are in common. Read more...

Phowd December Update – Retoucher Pricing and Availability

Retoucher availability and pricing. We've added new features to Phowd to improve private order experience for both photographers and retouchers. Read more...

How Properly Holding Your Camera Can Lead to Better Photos

The way you hold your camera is almost as important as choosing the right kind of camera to shoot with in the first place. Think of it this way: a chef can use the fanciest of pots and pans, but if he doesn’t know how to properly stir the contents of those pots and pans, his food is not going to be his best work. While a tripod is the easiest way to ensure your photos come out crystal clear, lugging around and setting up a tripod before every shot is simply unrealistic. Here are 9 tips for holding your camera for the perfect shot. Read more...

Photographing groups can be extremely difficult. Usually, the need for large groups occurs at important events such as weddings, awards ceremonies, and work functions, making the job of the photographer incredibly important and oftentimes stressful. Whether there are three subjects or thirty, group photography requires us to break away from what might be our normal rules of operation and think outside the box -- sometimes at the spur of the moment. Though far from exhaustive, this article offers nine tips to help you keep control of your group subjects so that you can focus on taking some great shots. Read more...