Mobile Phone Photography Tips – How to Take Better Photos With Your Mobile Phone
Take Your Mobile Phone Photography to the Next Level
For a lot of amateur photographers their mobile phone is the only digital camera that they ever use. It is fine too as mobile phones are ubiquitous, and the fact that they are it means taking pictures with them and sharing it instantaneously is that much more convenient. Till today mobile phones are nowhere near as sharp or come with the same features that a modern compact or digital SLR is and that means you will have to master a few tricks to ensure that you get it right every time you shoot anything with these cameras. Here are our top choices on how to improve your mobile phone photography.
Choose the highest resolution
Your mobile phone probably won’t come with an optical zoom but what it will is a resolution rev-up option. Every digital camera has more than two resolution options. If your phone has a high-resolution camera of say 5 megapixels or more, you’re in luck. Otherwise never set it to less than it’s lowest capability. Don’t worry about storage, you can always download the pictures to your PC or store them in the cloud later.
Follow the grid lines
Actually this is the best way to ensure that one of the fundamentals rules of composition, the rule of thirds is easily followed. Your camera comes with a ‘grid line’ or ‘guideline’ option. Turn it on and place the most interesting subjects in the frame on one of the four ‘sweet spots’. read more here
Rule of Thirds
Steady hands
Camera phones don’t come with any image stabilization systems built-in. That makes them prone to shake and vibration which makes the pictures less than perfect. There are some specialized tripods designed for mobiles but they can be expensive. Additionally if you prefer to use a more complicated setup try one of the hand-held mobile phone stabilization systems from Flycam. If you can’t afford either of the two, the only option is to have a steady set of arms. For additional support try bracing your arms against your body, hold your breadth when you click the shutter and wait for a couple of seconds before the picture appears on the screen.
Avoid using flash
If possible try to avoid using flash. Most mobile phones can’t balance flash light properly.
Slow shutter speed
Be creative with motion blur. Sometimes you will achieve extraordinary ‘WOW’ result with this technique
Photo: Marie Sanchez | iPhone 4S
Changing the Perspective
This is applicable for all types of photography and not only mobile photography. The advantage of mobile phones is that they are small and that makes them easy to be moved around, up, down or side to side to change the perspective and shoot in a different way.
Photo Credit: Michael Sutton | iphone
Get Closer
If the subject is too far away, take several steps forward and fill the frame. Your mobile camera does not have an optical zoom and the digital zoom is nearly not impressive. It is only going to degrade the quality of the images.
Photo: Don Rademacher | Nokia 808 PureView
Create Panorama
This is a lovely & useful feature feature of modern mobile phones. Use it sometimes to get out of your usual style.
Photo Credit: Aaron McIntyre | iPhone
Practice, practice and practice
Innovation is the key when it comes to shooting images. Avoid shooting indoors and try and use the natural light of the sun to compose your pictures. Additionally there is no easy way to improve your photography, even with all those tips and tricks. So the only way to improve your photography is by shooting more images. Practice taking more than just one image every time you feel like tapping the camera icon and may be you will have some interesting photos to share at the end of the day.
This article is continuous project & will update time to time with new image samples & tips. If you like, share your own tips below.
Reasons to have a 35mm Prime Lens
The delightful 35mm lens is a favorite for many reasons. It is a lens for many moods and for many seasons capturing the best and worst of human emotions for years. You would be surprised to know that it is one of the oldest lenses to be around, often preferred by professionals for their relative ease of use and simplicity. It gives a near human eye perspective when mounted on a 35mm single lens reflex camera. In this ode to the 35mm lens we shall be looking at the top reasons why you should invest in one and never leave home without it.
Summaron 3.5/35 (1952) on Leica IIIf | Photo: Vercoquin
Choice
You will be lost for choices as every DSLR manufacturer makes several variants of these beauties. 35mm prime lenses come in both auto-focus and manual focus varieties and optimized for both full frame and APS-C DSLRs. Depending on your camera type you can choose the one you need. However due to the crop factor your APS-C DSLR will convert a 35mm lens into something around 50mm. So caveat emptor rules folks!
Improve
One thing that a 35mm prime definitely does to your photography skills is improve them. The other great thing that you can do apart from joining a good photography class is buy a 35mm. Shoot with it constantly never taking it off your camera for at least six months. At the end of it, and if you have been consistently shooting with it, you will have improved your skills of composition, framing and mastered the basics of exposure immensely.
Another thing that you will have done is that you will also be able to see a picture in its final shape even before clicking it. Thanks to your constant use of the same lens and the same focal length for such a long time, it will have become an extension of you.
For shooting videos
If you have a full frame DSLR and you love to shoot videos, a fast 35mm prime would be the perfect companion for your camera. A slow auto-focus lens which rides the standard contrast detection or phase detection technology of your DSLR will be slow and in low light situations will fail miserably. The solution is to use manual focusing; and if you are only going to use manual focusing in indoor shoots then why not invest in a 35mm manual focusing prime?
Leica M9 & 35mm f/1.4 ASPH Summilux-M
It’s small, compact and is very easy to carry
The 35mm primes that Nikon and Canon makes are exquisite pieces of glass. They are a joy to shoot with and carry in the bag. They are light as there are no complex mechanisms to zoom and thus you are saved from carrying that extra load.
DOF and out of focus area
A 35mm lens offers a shallower depth of field (DOF) on a full-frame DSLR than when mounted on an APS-C DSLR. This has practical uses like when you are shooting videos. Additionally they being primes usually come with very fast maximum apertures. It yields excellent Bokeh for your still compositions. Though they sound similar, these two terms are different and refer to complimentary aspects in photography. Beyond the DOF is the region of Bokeh.
Photo: Frank Tasche
Photo: 阿乃
Photo: mor gnar
Leica M9 Leica Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4 ASPH | Photo: Tobi
Fujifilm X100S | Photo: Andrea Donato
Leica M9, Leica Summilux 35mm f/1.4 | Photo: Tobi
EOS 5D II, EF35mm f/1.4L | Photo: Daniel Stark
Leica M9, Leica Summilux 35mm f/1.4 | Photo: Tobi
EOS 5D II, EF35mm f/1.4L | Photo: Andres Miguez
Photo: 仁仔 何
Photo: Moose Winans
Canon EOS 5D Mark III, EF35mm f/1.4L | Photo: Alexander Rentsch
Some popular 35mm lenses & Cameras
- Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L USM (Amazon | Adorama | B&H)
- Canon EF 35mm f/2 IS USM (Amazon | Adorama | B&H)
- Nikon AF-S 35mm f/1.4G (Amazon | Adorama | B&H)
- Nikon AF-S 35mm F1.8G (Amazon | Adorama | B&H)
- Sigma 35mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM (Amazon | Adorama | B&H)
- Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4 (Amazon)
- Fujifilm X100S (Amazon | Adorama | B&H
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Things to consider before buying a tripod – How to Choose A Tripod?
Zach Dischner / Foter.com / CC BY
How to select a tripod – Tripod buying Guide
Selecting or Choosing a tripod is not as easy as it seems. There are many things you have to consider before buying one. For example, price, sturdiness, weight, hight, capacity, materials etc. Lets discuss some most important ones.
Price vs Sturdiness
Tripods come in various prices. Cheaper varieties which are smaller and offer less vibration dampening can be bought at $30. On the other hand more expensive models can set you back by several hundred dollars. For regular snap shots like family & group photos, just to hold the camera you don’t need an expensive tripod. But when you involve your self into a little bit more serious photography, today or tomorrow, you’ll feel the need of a good tripod. In fact, in that situation an ordinary tripod will do more harm than not using a tripod at all.
Regardless of whichever DSLR you use, you need your tripod to be firm and hold the weight without flexing or bending. One of the main purpose of buying a tripod is to capture absolute shake free & vibration free sharp images. If your tripod doesn’t serve you that, there is no point buying a tripod. A good tripod can serve you for many many years. So, it’d be wise to invest on a good tripod. Thats why photographers who care for their work or depend on earning from it, spend their money on expensive Gitzo. In pricing vs sturdiness, sturdiness always wins.
Loading capacity
Different tripods have different weight bearing capacity. It is better to choose a tripod that can handle a little more extra weight than your actual equipment weight combined. For example, if total weight of your equipment is 5kg, go for a tripod that can handle 7 kg or more. That will guarantee extra stability.
Weight
Modern professional DSLR cameras are extremely heavy. A professional body such as the Canon 5D Mark III weighs around 860 Gms with no lenses attached. If you’re shooting landscape and regularly use a tele lens such as the EF 70-200mm f/4-5.6L IS USM then the lens alone can weigh around 1050 gms. Together with battery pack, filters and any teleconverters attached the total weight of the camera can be easily around 2.5 kilos. It is thus imperative that one should consider the total weight that he is going to suspend on a tripod and accordingly buy something that is sturdy. A lot of photographers also prefer using a sling bag which is suspended from the three legs of the tripod and allow the photographer to place additional weights to dampen the camera shake when it is clicked. Internal mechanism of a camera includes the movement of the mirror which shifts up when the shot is being taken. This can cause the image to blur even if the camera is mounted on a tripod. As such it is imperative that the tripod absorbs the vibration of the camera.
Materials
The composite material that the tripod is made with thus assumes critical importance. Manufacturers use various materials for tripods such as aluminium & carbon fibre. Usually aluminium tripods are cheaper but heavy. On the other hand, carbon fibre tripods are light, but expensive and can absorb vibration better than aluminium. A lot of times photographers work in difficult conditions where the elements can test the sturdiness of the tripod. Shooting wildlife in really remote locations one would need as much steadiness as possible from the tripod. Carbon fiber is thus a very popular choice and one that is increasingly being used in applications where lightweight yet sturdy material is necessary. This same material is used in automobiles and other applications. They are very light and yet very sturdy. Another benefit of Carbon fiber is it can tackle vibration better.
Height
Height is a critical factor when selecting a tripod. If you’re 6’4” purchasing a tripod that is less than 5’5” means you will always have to bend down to take pictures. Height can also be advantageous when you want to shoot from a higher angle.
Ideally you would want to have a tripod that has a good height (at least of the same level as your eyes) and be flexible enough so that it can stoop down to ground level to shoot macro as well.
Sections
Sections mean more than just the utility of being able to extend the tripod, but more sections means when you fold it becomes shorter and compact enough to be carried inside a bag or slung over the backpack via a hook. More sections mean more height which can be used in different shooting requirements. However, it has a disadvantage, it takes longer to unfold all section. So, tripods with fewer section like standard 3 sections, are much quicker than the a tripod with 4 sections to unfold. So you have to choose between convenient size vs speed.
Center column
The center column mounts the head which in turn supports the camera and the lenses. They can extend and thus even with a smaller tripod (height) one can extend the central column and then get the shot. A slinging central column can also help a photographer to shoot at very tight angles. Some tripod systems don’t come with a central column. This could be a detrimental aspect as that means less maneuvering options. But less moving parts means more sturdiness. Some new tripod like Vanguard Alta Pro 284 CT has a innovative Multi-Angle Central Column system. Which features more maneuvering options.
Tripod Heads
They are as important as tripods. Usually they come with the tripods as a kit or you can buy one separately. There are different types of tripod heads available and have their own advantages & disadvantages. For example regular heads, ball heads, grip heads etc. Choose the one that suits your shooting style. But in terms of stability and sturdiness I must say that you get what you pay for.
Anyone with a interest in photography will eventually consider buying a tripod. It is possible to create great images without a tripod, but a tripod can take your photography to the next level. Image stabilizer system can not replace a tripod. Without a tripod there is no other easy ways to get those long exposure shots (water falls, fireworks, Light trails) right. Its a tool for perfection. This is the upgrade, people serious about their photography, should consider first. Before buying a tripod think about long term and invest on sturdiest one you can afford.
Read more: An introduction to tripods
Megapixels vs. Print Size – How Big Can You Print?
How big can I print?
The first thing that people like to find out about a digital camera is it’s megapixels. It seems there’s some sort of megapixels fetish that consumes the world of digital photography. Unlike popular believe, however, megapixels is not the be-all-and-end-all of digital photography. Unless of course you’re planning to print giant billboards it does not matter whether you’re shooting with a Canon 5Ds or with a D3200.
However having said that some photographers who shoot professional photos and want their pictures to be able to retain a lot of detail even when cropping would love the idea of being able to shoot with 24 megapixels or even 36 megapixels.
Viewing distance & print size
There is some relationship between print sizes and the megapixels. Look at a billboard from a distance. It looks bright and sharp. Can you take a guess what is the dpi (dots per inch) at which it may have been printed? About 72! I hear you say but that’s going to be pixilated? Not really, if you’re looking from a distance. The minimum distance at which a billboard is seen is more than 20 feet. At that distance it is impossible to notice the pixels. If there is a picture on a wall and you are looking at it from a distance of say one meter, the ideal dpi is 200. A magazine is normally printed at a resolution of 300 dpi.
Enough said about dpi but what is the relation between dpi and megapixels? Let’s say you need a print out of 8 x 12 at 300 dpi. What is the perfect megapixels count that can give you that 300 dpi resolution without burning a lot of useless megapixels? Multiply 300 x 8 that gives us 2400 pixels and multiply 12 x 300 that gives us 3600. So 2400 x 3600 pixels is the exact pixel size of the image that you need in order to print an image with 300 dpi.
Do we really need 300 dpi?
If you have a 16 megapixel digital camera & the maximum image size it offers at 4608 x 3456 pixels settings. Means, it is perfect for a print size of 15.36” x 11.52” at 300 dpi resolution. Certainly more than what an average user would ever need for printing everyday photos. If you want to print a billboard at 72 dpi, the same image size will be good enough for a 64” x 48” print. Photo labs recommend at least 250 dpi input for normal prints.
Megapixels vs. Print Size Chart
As you can see there are some grey areas here.
- 280 dpi & up = Excellent. Average person won’t see “dots” at a few inches away
- 180 – 287 dpi = Good quality.Will not show visible pixels at normal viewing distances
- 179 dpi or less = Poor quality.Will show visible pixels at normal viewing distances
Image quality vs print size
But megapixel is not the end of the story here. there are few other factors may influence your printing capability. In real life situations, properly exposed, clean noise free sharp images can be upsized about 2x more than the theoretical print size, before any image quality degradation become truly noticeable at usual viewing distances. Using good optics, low ISO setting, correct exposure, proper depth of field, keeping camera shake free and proper post processing is critical to get quality print out. If you follow good shooting practices, virtually any of the currently available DSLRs on the market should be able to produce quality prints to match the maximum size a consumer inkjet can produce. Offcourse starting with high megapixels will always give you a good start.
Image sensor vs print quality
There is another factor that can affect your print quality as well as print size is the Image sensor and it’s processing power. For example, a 8 megapixel mobile camera sensor won’t be able to produce same image quality as a 8 megapixel DSLR does. Here sensor size & pixel density are important factor. In general, bigger sensors produce better image quality. Because, their pixels or light sensor are bigger and can gather more information than the smaller one. Which results cleaner and better images. You can read more on various sensor sizes here.
Professional cameras like the Nikon D810, Sony α7R ll & Canon EOS 5Ds can shoot at 36, 42 and 50 megapixels respectively. With this massive 50.6 or 51 megapixels EOS 5Ds offers very high quality 30″X20″ prints at 300 dpi, perfect for coffee table books, professional journals, magazines or even for huge billboards. But for everyday shooing needs, and especially if you’re looking to print, a small 12 megapixels camera is all that you need. Read more on megapixels here
Beginner’s guide to macro photography
An Introduction to macro photography
Macro photography is shooting images of objects in real life which are very small. They are so small that they would not even fit the size of the sensor normally. Some people prefer using specialized lenses for that sort of photography. Others prefer shooting with the same set of lenses that they have and simply adding an extension tube or using a reversing ring to use the same lens but mounted in reverse. The approach is always to take the lens a bit farther away from the sensor and focus more closely. At the end of the day macro photography is all about shooting small creepy things and making them look larger than life.
You will have heard about the terms 1:1, 1:2 up to 1:10 magnification in relation to macro photography many times. It points to a scale of magnification for an object which is otherwise very small to fill an entire image sensor from corner to corner (1:1). Imagine an ant (which is quite small), if you are trying to capture it using a magnification of less than 1:1, then the image will look really small. But for true macro photography results a minimum of 1:1 is required.
Depth of field is an important aspect of macro photography. Depth of field is basically how much of the image is in sharp focus. If you can adjust f-stop on your camera then basically you can adjust the depth of field. Using a larger f-stop you will be able create a big depth of field. This will be necessary when you want the entire object to be in sharp focus from left to right and top to bottom. Say you are trying to shoot a ladybug sitting on a leave. The red and black polka dots contrast with the bright green of the leaf. You want the entire lady bug to be in focus while the green leaf to be out of focus. You can start at f/11 and then adjust the settings accordingly till you achieve the desired results. However, working at small aperture causes loss of light and requires slow shutter speed to combat that situation. So, to handle camera shake due to slow shutter speed, a tripod is essential.
In the days of the older SLRs, one needed an array of tools to shoot macro photography. Often these included extension tubes or stacking up two lenses one on top of the other or using close-up filters. Extension tubes were (and still are) one of the favorite tools to bring the lens closer to the object. Extension tubes unlike teleconverters works as a magnification inducer. They simply allow the lens to travel farther away from the sensor unlike teleconverters which increases the focal length. Today with DSLRs and compact point and shoot cameras, it is possible to shoot macro images without even all these equipments. Almost all compact point and shoot cameras have a macro mode. Look for a flower image and turn it on. It immediately sets a larger f/stop and reduces the aperture allowing you to step closer and take a sharp photo. The trick is to ensure that you can take the lens as close to the object as possible allowing it to fill the sensor.
Read more:
Equipments for Macro Photography
Macro Photography Beginners Guide
How To Install Magic Lantern Firmware Hack – Step-By-Step [Video Tutorial]
If you are considering to install Magic Lantern Firmware Hack, but dont know where to start? Dave Dugdale from Learning DSLR Video made a step by step video of the installation process. He suggested to install a stable version of Magic Lantern first. After that you can play around with the alpha-releases or testing builds.
Wondering what Magic Lanter can do to your cameras? Check here how Magic Lantern Hack can Turn your old EOS 50D into A video DSLR & record RAW HD Video with it.
The Myth about Megapixels
There is a very common myth when it comes to camera and there megapixel count. Most consumers believe that more the megapixel, better is the image. While some of it (megapixels) is of course necessary, it is entirely a different thing when users start demanding 16, 20 or even 22 megapixels! Probably for users such as these the Nikon D800 is the answer. But honestly, does a gigantic amount of megapixel is even at all necessary? Unfortunately however, more than 60% of the times an user approaches the camera store clerk with a question, it is usually about megapixels. How much of it is in a particular model invariably makes or breaks the deal. It is about time that some of the myths about megapixels are explained and may be broken!
What are pixels? – If you compare the sensor of a camera with a big plate with numerous cavities, then each cavity is a pixel. These pixels are light sensitive and capture a particular wave length of light among the three primary colors of red, blue and green. When all these light information is collated (also known as interpolation) we have an image. Of course the more pixels there are, the more detail the image has. A million of these pixels are what makes one megapixel.
If you compare an average computer monitor it is about 1000 pixels x 1000 pixels. That means if you have a 1 megapixel camera, it will be enough for capturing and sharing images on the Internet and enjoyed on the computer monitor. So the first answer whether 22 megapixels is necessary is NO. You don’t need a lot of megapixels for shooting reasonable sharable quality images. Even if you want standard 4” x 6” print, a 2 or 3 megapixel camera is more than enough.
However, megapixels do seem to matter when you want to print large sized pictures and or want to make a tight crop. Many times fashion photographers do not always get the right shot when they are taking a picture. As such during post processing the RAW frames they crop the image to ensure that the picture is perfect for publishing. More details is better in such cases as even with a tight crop the image never appears blurry and pixilated. Cameras like the Nikon D800/800E or the Canon EOS 5D Mark III with their extreme megapixel count are perfect as such for their requirements.
It appears as such that more megapixels do have an impact on the detail of the final image. But even before all you megapixel worshippers can jump in joy, I must add that more megapixels have to be taken together with the size of the sensor. The more megapixels you pack in a sensor, the smaller the size of each individual pixel will become. That evidently means less and less light capturing ability and more noise. So unless you have a large sensor size, such as a full frame one, increasing the megapixels will actually have a detrimental affect on the final picture quality.
Read more on Megapixel vs Print size
Difference Between Step Up & Step Down Rings
Filter threads are magic numbers. These are ones that matches a lens with its perfect filter partner. Miss it and a filter won’t match with the lens and you will have no way to use it. Right? Wrong. Introducing step-up/down rings. These are even more interesting than the little lens wrenches that for a few dollars can save you thousands of dollars worth of blushes.
So what do they do? Let’s say you have the popular NIKKOR 50mm f/1.4 lens. The filter thread specifications reads 52m. That’s okay but you have a problem. You’re out in the field and you don’t have a 52mm neutral density filter with you. What you do have is a filter for the larger Nikkor 17-35mm f/2.8D IF-ED which has a thread specification of 77mm. Luckily you also have a Tiffen 52-77mm Step-up ring. You simply screw in the step up ring to the front of the lens and Voila! Now you can screw in the 72mm ND filter on top of it. The step-up ring simply increased the lens diameter and allowed you to attach a filter of a larger specification. So that you dont have to buy or carry multiple filters for all the lenses you have. Saves money & bulk.
Step Up Ring
Step-up Rings
Step-up rings can be stacked up one on top of the other to accommodate for larger filters on a comparatively smaller thread diameter. Say one needs a 25-52mm step-up ring. That is very difficult to obtain. However two step-up rings, one 25-37mm and the other from 37-52mm can be easily obtained. They can be stacked on top of each other and then a filter of 52mm can be screwed on top. However it is never advisable to stack too many step-up rings because filters are ideally needed to be as close to lens elements as possible for best results. Another reason going against the use of multiple step-up or step-down rings is image degradation. Most users who use multiple rings stacked on top of each other suggest that they have image degradation of some sort.
Step-down rings
Step-down rings do the exact opposite of a step-up ring. They adjust a larger lens thread to accommodate a smaller filter. There are usually used to mount accessories. When using step-down rings and filters, one can notice a lot of vignetting. Basically the corners are getting less light because of the tunnel that is created. Mounting and un-mounting multiple rings can be a hassle too. When you’re unscrewing one, the ones in the middle may start to move as well making it difficult to get them off the lens.
Step Down Rings
A few things about a step-up ring
Step-up rings are mentioned as a combination of numbers. In the above example we mentioned 52-77mm. The first number denotes the filter thread specification of the lens on which the step-up ring is to be used. The second number denotes the filter diameter specification that will be screwed on to the wider end of the ring.
When buying step-up or down filters always insist on buying the thinnest ones. These are better in terms of retaining the optical quality of the images. The further the lens is away from the filter the more image quality degradation you’re going to notice.
Reasons to have a 135mm Prime lens (Examples & Ideas)
The medium telephoto 135mm prime lens is a handy tool for both portraiture and for shooting fast action, albeit by taking a few steps back. The 135mm prime does offer just the right focal length to be equally useful for both needs, though some would feel that being in the middle ground it suffers from the lack of optical reach as the 200mm or the maximum angle of view as the 50mm prime. But believe me when I say, two of the best portrait lenses you could ever lay your hands on are both 135mm primes – the Canon EF 135mm f/2L USM and the AF-DC Nikkor 135mm f/2D.
A stunning lens for portrait photography
There is some debate as to which one is the best portrait lens, the 135mm prime or the 85mm prime and my personal feeling is the 85mm is the clear winner. The photography world is, however, divided and there are just as many photographers perfectly happy to shoot with a 135mm prime as there are those shooting with an 85mm prime. The 135mm has its own advantages and we shall look into some of them here.
Photo: Jay DeFehr
Ideal lens for studio environment
The 135mm prime is trusted by a host of studio photographers. In a studio environment you can get the right lighting settings, get your props and backgrounds the way you want and shoot from a distance. An 85mm prime will compel you to take a few steps forward to fill the frame with a headshot while with the 135mm you will need you to do the exact opposite. There are inherent advantages to it such as getting the facial features perfect. On the other hand if you are shooting outdoors and standing several feet away to compose a head shot you run the risk of someone walking across the frame. So much for taking a beautiful headshot of your friend with the out of focus Colosseum in the background.
Lens sharpness
The thing about the 135mm prime is they are usually super sharp. For example the Canon EF 135mm f/2L USM (Amazon | Adorama | B&H) is famous for it’s legendary sharpness.
Though I would not get into stormy waters by fiddling with lens sharpness here as that depends on a number of issues, but the results using the 135mm is more than satisfactory. There is no such thing as a perfectly sharp lens that is tag sharp under all situations and all conditions. Even the so advertised sharpest lenses do tend to show off some degree of softness when used outside their comfort zone. Use your kit lens properly and you could get stunning results, while on the other hand using something like the EF 85mm f/1.2L poorly and you would end up with soft results.
Fast aperture
The 135mm (the best one at least) have very fast apertures, ideal for smooth Bokeh as well as for capturing action. Additionally, these lenses are perfectly suitable for the purpose of capturing truly beautiful moments in low light in all their breathtaking splendor.
Photo: Aftab Uzzaman
Photographers usually buy this lenses primarily shoot in fast apertures.
Build quality
Most of the 135mm primes are great pieces of optic and their reputation comes from their build quality as much as their performance.
Examples
Below I have added few examples to demonstrate their capabilities and show what kind of images they can produce. These are only a little portion of their unique capabilities. If you choose go for one, I hope you will be able to do better.
Photo: Franck Nieto
Photo: HENG FU MING
Photo: 攝到掛
Photo: Junichi Ishito
Photo: Sacha Fernandez
Photo: Aftab Uzzaman
Photo: HENG FU MING
Some popular 135mm prime lenses
- Canon EF 135mm f/2.0 L USM Lens (Amazon | Adorama | B&H)
- Nikon AF DC-Nikkor 135mm f/2D Lens (Amazon | Adorama | B&H
)
- Zeiss 135mm f/2 Apo Sonnar T* ZF.2 Lens (Amazon)
- Sony SAL-135F18Z 135mm f/1.8 (Amazon)
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Understanding Chromatic & Spherical Aberration of Lenses
Chromatic aberration
Chromatic aberration is often described as the inability of the camera lens to project all the wavelengths of the reflected light from an object to hit the same focal plane (longitudinal chromatic aberration). This is also known as dispersion. Usually this happens more often with cheaper quality lens (more prominently and frequently) but is also a phenomenon which is likely to affect most wide angle lenses when shooting pictures at its widest apertures. Even Canon’s state of the art L series lenses are also affected by it. Another type of chromatic aberration is known as transverse chromatic aberration which happens because the magnification of the different wave lengths of light differently through the lens elements. Both longitudinal and transverse chromatic aberration can happen at the same time and affect the colors of the picture. Chromatic aberration is often also referred to as color fringing. At the edges of the frame or where the light and dark shades transition, color overlapping (or fringing) is visibly prominent. In order to correct this problem of different wavelengths of light hitting the focal plane at different points a set of achromatic glasses are used. They have different refractive indexes and can bend the light waves representing different colors at different angles and thus project them all on the same focal plane.
Chromatic aberration can also be corrected using lens elements made of materials which has low dispersion. Canon’s UD (Ultra-low dispersion) elements based lenses are known for their sharp image qualities. Fluorite is a material that is widely used in the higher end lenses from major manufacturers. Fluorite is known to have lesser amount of dispersion when compared with standard glass elements in lenses. Fluorite can thus, to a large extent, correct the problem of dispersion or chromatic aberration in cameras. Back in the 1960 when Canon first discovered how to successfully create fluorite crystals it was a break through of sorts which resulted in shaper lenses even at wide apertures. Today Canon uses a combination of Fluorite elements, UD glass and Super UD glass to reduce chromatic aberrations in its superior quality L series lenses.
Spherical aberration
Comparatively spherical aberration is the ability of the lens elements to bend the light hitting its edges more than those that are hitting it towards the horizontal axis. Spherical aberrations are thus caused when the parallel rays of light hitting the lens element do not converge at the same focal plane. The effect can be identified with less than sharp image quality. This specially affects faster lenses when shooting at its widest.
Generally cheaper built lenses are known to suffer from the effects of spherical aberrations more than the better built ones. Cheaper built lenses can thus be very difficult to use and achieve professional quality sharp images at times. To counter the problem of spherical aberration, lens manufacturers use aspherical elements on their lenses. These elements are curved at one side of the lens (the inside) which has the effect of focusing all the refracted light to hit the same focal plane and thus create a sharp image.
Aperture in Photography
A Beginner’s Guide to Aperture in Photography
There is nothing wrong with taking pictures with the camera on automatic, but if you really want to dive into photography, you will need to learn how to take pictures with manual settings. Photography is an art and with your camera in manual mode, you’ll be like a painter who controls every stroke of the brush. There are a few things that you will need to understand before you explore the world of manual camera settings. One of these things is aperture.
What is Aperture?
Aperture is a diaphragm like openig inside the lens which diameter is adjustable. By adjusting the diameter of the opening it controls the amount of light that passing through the lens and hits the camera sensor. However that needs to be balanced with a correct ISO setting (say ISO 100) and the right Shutter speed to get proper Exposure. Usually when a photographer sets the camera on aperture priority mode, the shutter speed and the ISO settings are auto adjusted by the camera.
Aperture is measured in F stops. Usually when you read the specifications of a lens you will notice a specification f/1.2, f/1.4, f/1.8, f/2, f/2.4, f/2.8, f/4 and so on. This is the measurement of the maximum opening of the lens. The more the number following the letter F, the narrower is the aperture (this is a bit confusing). Wider the aperture the more light it can take in and that means the less time the camera lens needs to remain open. As such wider the maximum aperture faster is the lens. When one shifts from one f/1.2 to f/1.4 or so on, the aperture of the lens is reduced by a factor of 2. The shutter speed as such needs to be increased by a factor of 2 to match the lack of light entering the lens. As such increasing one and reducing the other or vice versa will have the same effect.
Both wider and narrower apertures have their own advantages. The former is used to create a soft blur around the focus point (or the subject) which is also known as bokeh and the later is used for increasing Depth of Field and is generally used for the purpose of landscape photography.
Here are a few things to remember:
Smaller f number = bigger opening = more light in sensor = shallow Depth of Field
Larger f number = smaller opening = less light in sensor = deep Depth of field
There are several things you can accomplish by manually adjusting fstop. You can choose what “depth of field” you want by adjusting fstop. Depth of field means the amount of focus you want in your photograph. A photo with a “deep” depth of field means that the whole photo is focused. A photo with a “shallow” depth of field means that only a certain area of the photo is focused and the other areas are sort of blurred.
If you want your viewers to focus on a certain object in your photograph, you would choose a shallow depth of field because the object will be focused and the background will be blurry. This will force the viewer to focus on your object.
If you want your viewer to focus on the whole photo, you would need a deep depth of field. Nothing on the photo is blurred. Everything will be focused. This is great if you’re taking a picture of the landscape and you want your viewer to appreciate everything in your photo.
Take your time to discover the different aperture settings your camera has. The more you practice, the more control you will have over your camera.
Check out other relevant topics at: Exposure Triangle | ISO | Shutter Speed
What is Shutter Speed?
Before it reaches the camera’s sensor, the light has to travel through some basic camera structures. First, it has to pass through the lens elements, then the aperture and lastly the shutter. Lens elements can’t block the light. Because they are made of clear glasses. Aperture can block the flow of light partially by increasing and decreasing the diameter of the opening. Only Shutter can block the light flow completely.
What is shutter?
Shutter is like a time keeper or stop watch of a camera. It controls flow of light by opening & closing it. It follows the same principles of window shutter. When it is open it allows the the light to pass through it & no light can pass through a closed shutter.
Shutter speed
It is the time between opening & closure of the shutter. shutter speed is expressed in seconds. It determines the length of time the shutter remains open to allow the light to pass through the lens aperture and expose the image sensor. For example a shutter speed of 1/30th of a second is slower than a shutter speed of 1/250th of a second. This is used in tandem with the ISO setting and the Aperture. When using a wider aperture a faster shutter speed is recommended to avoid over exposure.
A faster shutter speed is recommended when shooting fast action photography or even sports photography when it is intended to ‘freeze’ the action. A slower shutter speed is used when special effects such as motion blur, light trails or water blur is required to be shot.
Faster shutter speeds are suitable when the camera is hand held. Comparatively when the camera is mounted on a tripod a slower shutter speed is feasible and manageable. Creative photographers use slower shutter speeds along with a low ISO, wide aperture (in manual mode) and a Graduated neutral density filter to capture water trails or even motion blur in broad day light.
Read more Creative use of slow shutter speed
Photography Tips: How To Take Waterfall Photos
MacKenzie Falls, Australia [Exposure: f/7.1, 1 Sec, ISO 50]
If you search the Internet for keywords such as “waterfall photos” what you will get are a bunch of photos, which shows several waterfalls with a silky smooth effect. This is not something that we can normally see with our naked eye; but yet they look great on the photos. So the thumb-rule for taking waterfall photos is to capture that silky smooth effect by using slow shutter speed. But how to do it and how more importantly how to successfully capture a good waterfall photo? Below are some important waterfall photography tips & camera settings for digital photography.
There are several aspects to it, so let’s take one at a time and understand them in deeper detail.
Camera Settings
Best camera setting for waterfall photography is the Manual mode. My personal favorite is Shutter Speed Priority Mode though. In this mode you select your desired shutter speed and the camera chooses an appropriate aperture & ISO. However, often a Neutral Density filter is required to utilize full advantage of this mode.
Shutter speed is most important setting in waterfall photography. When capturing a silky smooth effect, you will need to allow a lot of water to flow through while the exposure is being made. But there are some rules to the amount of water that you should allow to flow by and how that can affect the final composition. If the water is flowing very slowly then it is imperative to reduce the shutter speed to something like 1 and 1/2 seconds or even 2 or 4 seconds, again if the water is flowing too fast, try increasing the shutter speed to something such as 1/2 a second.
It is always best to take a few test shots @ different shutter speed and see how the pictures are coming through and then adjust the final settings accordingly.
Next is the aperture. When capturing a shot with a longer shutter speed, it is imperative to reduce the aperture; else the picture has a chance of getting washed out. Try with f/11 or f/16 and take a few test shots. However when reducing the aperture don’t try too small a f-stop else the final composition will not be sharp because of lens diffraction.
Third most important thing is the ISO. ISO is the sensitivity of the sensor to light. When setting a slower shutter speed, it is imperative that the ISO is set to a lower value. Set your camera to the lowest ISO possible. Some cameras can go down to ISO 100 or even 80 and that is good. But if your camera cannot go to less than 200 don’t fret, it is good enough.
Waterfall photography is a long exposure photography. A tripod is an integral tool to have in order to use slower shutter speeds. Choose a sturdy tripod that can carry the weight of your camera and lens and has adjustable feet to stand firmly in water if required.
A Neutral Density (ND) filter or Variable Neutral Density (VND) filters is an absolute must when shooting in tricky lighting conditions. Usually waterfalls are located in places where there is a lot of natural light. Some part of the composition could be brightly illuminated while the other part is not, requiring you to stop the excess brightness to enable using a long exposure. ND filters (and specifically Graduated ND Filters) are used to stop the excess light. Buy a thin one if you’re using a full format 35mm camera so that the problem vignetting can be avoided.
Remote shutter release
Even if a camera is mounted on a tripod, when you press the shutter release there is a minute amount of camera shake that is inevitable. That is enough to ruin your waterfall shot. Thus a remote shutter release is necessary if you’re into precision level photography.
An introduction to tripods
A tripod is a quintessential photography equipment if you’re into absolute pictures quality. It does not really matter whether you’re a studio photographer or shoot mostly outdoors, a tripod is perfect for most circumstances. It’s an accessory that at times can be as important as a ND filter on a bright day. A tripod essentially helps you to shoot pictures with a longer shutter speed and avoid camera jerks or motion blur when shooting. Say you’re shooting the picture of a waterfall and you need a blurry milky white effect of the water captured on the frame. Evidently you will need a longer shutter speed of say 1/4th of a second or even less (depending on the lighting condition). It is almost impossible to hand hold a shot of 1/4th of a second or less even if you’re have very steady hands. A tripod is perfect in such circumstances which will relieve the stress out of the job and allow you to capture that moment with ease. Again when you’re photographing the skyline of a city at night or want to create motion blur by capturing the lights of incoming vehicles on the frame using a longer exposure you will need a tripod. It will ensure the picture won’t appear blurred or soft.
Having said all that a tripod can also be a cumbersome and heavy accessory to carry with for long periods of time. The better quality tripods are made of aluminum and carbon fiber composite materials which even though are light, when carried for long periods of time can feel a bit heavy on the shoulders. But at the end of the day most professional photographers find the labor a small trade-off for the final quality of the images obtained.
Any tripod should basically have the following parts. Legs – which span to keep the whole structure firmly placed on the ground; the head which supports the digital camera or the lens (in case of tele lenses a special tripod mount ring is available); the central structure which can extend to further the reach of the tripod head; and the feet of the tripod, which in more expensive models are changeable to allow for better grip depending on the kind of surface that the tripod is placed on. There are tripods which are available with interchangeable heads which allow the photographers to use a head that he needs (ball head, pistol grips and so on). The maximum weight carrying capacity of the tripod should be considered as well because if one is using a professional body along with expensive lenses, the overall weight that is mounted can be more than 2 kilos easily. Care should also be taken to ensure that the tripod installs fast and without much hassle. No one likes to be spending a lot of time trying to install the tripod and miss the moment in the process.
When buying a tripod care should be taken to check the material that is used to make it. Carbon fiber often is the preferred material for two reasons. First they are very sturdy and can support a lot of weight and second they are lightweight which makes them easy to carry around.
Read more Things to consider before buying a tripod
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Reasons to have an 85mm Prime lens (example & Ideas)
Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II | Photo: S.Su
We all know how important it is to have a 50mm lens. They are like bread and butter for photographers across all genres. Compared to them the less popular 85mm is a lens that is often understated and overlooked. They are, however, the perfect length for portrait photography while also serving for a variety of other purposes. In this article we shall be looking at the top reasons why you should invest in an 85mm lens. I assume you are using a full frame DSLR. If you are using an APS-C DSLR the crop factor will make a 50mm lens either 75mm or an 80mm and close to what you would want. This will make an investment into an 85mm unnecessary.
Let me start this discussion by saying that 85mm lenses can be both cheap & expensive. Canon currently sells the EF 85mm f/1.2L II lens which retails around 2100 dollars (Amazon | Adorama | B&H) and the EF 85mm f/1.8 which is the cheaper version, without image stabilization or the superior build quality of a L lens, retailing at 350 dollars (Amazon | Adorama | B&H). Comparatively, Nikon does not sell an 85mm f/1.2 at this time but yet offer no less than 5 choices and 4 out of them are for full frame sensors with one being for DX format DSLRs. The good one, the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.4G retail over 1300 dollars a piece on an average. The cheaper one, the AF-S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.8G sells around 500 dollars (Amazon | Adorama | B&H
Photo: Shawn Chen
Maximum aperture
These lenses tend to have (at least the good ones) the fastest apertures in business. Look at the lenses manufactured by Canon, Nikon or Sigma and you will notice that the best of the lot all have maximum apertures of f/1.8 and wider. The Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II is the fastest and is a joy to shoot with. Fast apertures allow you to collect that much more light than compared to a standard kit lens and are perfect for low light situations and create beautiful smooth bokeh.
Photo: Ben Barnes
Photo: Nan Palmero
Bokeh
Fast apertures also has another advantage and that is they create beautiful out of focus areas around the subject. This is widely used to isolate the subject from the foreground and the background just in case they are not as exciting as the subject itself. read more about bokeh here
Photo: Maurizio Agelli
Ideal Portrait length
The best thing about the 85mm lens is that they are widely considered as the ideal portrait lens. While a lot of users prefer to use the 70-200mm for portraiture, some even preferring the tele end of the 24-70mm, but the odds are heavily in favor of the 85mm prime. As DigitalRev’s Kai would say, “they are not too big neither too small.” Thus the 85mm is a great focal length for covering weddings as well. They are just about compact, not appearing intimidating and yet allowing to capture beautiful candid portraits in social and other events.
Photo: Ehsan Khakbaz H
Non-distorting
Being the ideal portrait length could mean a lot of things, but one aspect that photographers love about the 85mm is that it does not distort the facial features of a subject, chiefly the nose which can appear larger when shot with a 50mm or wider lens.
Photo: Dominik Golenia (f1.2)
Examples
Possibilities are limitless with these 85mm prime lenses. Your own imagination is the only limit here. Below are few examples of 85mm lens’s capabilities. See what kind of images it can produce.
Photo: Jon Osborne
Photo: HENG FU MING
Photo: Hiroyuki Takeda
Photo: Vaidotas Mišeikis
Photo: Jun Seita
Photo: Hiroyuki Takeda
Photo: Hiroyuki Takeda
Photo: Julian Schroeder
Photo: HENG FU MING
Photo: Fouquier ॐ
Photo: Stephan Geyer
Photo: Christian Yves Ocampo
Photo: Sean Molin
Photo:Sean Molin
Some popular 85mm Prime Lenses
Reasons to Have a 50mm Lens or Normal Prime with Examples
A 50mm lens is like a must-have & very important for many photographer. In order to be even considered in the hallowed corridors of professional photography, your 50mm lens is like a passport. But why is that important to have a 50mm lens? Because of its focal length. Yes, the 50mm lens represents more or less the same perspective that the human eye has. So anything shot with a 50mm immediately becomes the same perspective that you have seen it with your naked eye.
But even before you jump to a conclusion and dash for your laptop to order consider this, the format of your camera makes a difference. Digital SLRs comes in two main formats, the full frame and the APS-C. I have deliberately not considered Panasonic’s and Olympus’s 4/3 system based DSLRs here as they are not that popular any more. So if you have an APS-C sensor powered DSLR the effective angle of view of a 50mm lens will become something like 80mm due to the 1.6x crop factor (for Canon users. Nikon APS-C users will experience a crop factor of 1.5x and a resulting effective focal length of 75mm). So if you do have an APS-C camera don’t go for a 50mm. Rather, opt for a 35mm lens which gives a more accurate angle of view. There are, however, some advantages to using a full frame lens on an APS-C DSLR. We shall be discussing that later.
Having said that here are the top reasons to have a 50mm lens
Excellent Image quality – If you want professional image quality at a cheap price this 50 mm lens is one of the best option. In terms of image quality these normal focal prime lenses can beat any kit zoom lens very easily. Just borrow one and compare it yourself. You won’t have to be a rocket scientist to notice the differences.
It is light – A 50mm lens is light. Compare the weight of any of the 50mm prime lenses that Nikon currently sells with that of the weight of their 85mm or 100mm primes and you will realize what I am implying here. Your camera bag feels that much lighter when you carry one of these to work.
It is quick & extreme low light performer – The 50mm primes come with some fast maximum apertures. F/1.8 and the f/1.4 lenses allow you to make stunning compositions in some of the weirdest lighting conditions. They also produce better & smoother bokeh than most consumer zooms.
It is cheap – These are prime lenses and one thing about prime lenses is that they are cheap. Cheap, however, does not mean that they are poorly made. Lenses such as the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II is one of the best made you will ever come across. It is also one of the cheapest ever and at around $100 is a steal or AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D.
It forces you to move yourself around and position at the right spot because of the lack of zooming power and that in itself is good. Why? Because the luxurious 200-400mm and the likes of it often takes the fun out of photography. You can zoom in, click and zoom back out without ever having to lift your feet off the ground. Where’s the fun in that?
They are low-profile – A good thing for some. Street photographers for example would love to go for a lens that gives the proverbial 50mm angle of view and the advantages of a fast maximum aperture.
It gives the same perspective as the human eyes, and we have already discussed that in length so no point in going through it again. One thing, however, I would like to point out is that the 50mm lens works best with a full frame DSLR or MILC (like the Sony Alpha 7 & 7R).
The Art of 50mm Photography: Few examples of their capabilities
Photo: Sean Molin
Photo: Thomas Shahan
Photo: Thanh Tran
Photo: Nicolò Paternoster
![more violets in the grass [Explored!]](https://i0.wp.com/farm9.staticflickr.com/8391/8672350302_f413f3ab17.jpg?resize=827%2C550)
Photo: Shandi-lee Cox
Photo: Bethan Phillips
Photo: Sorin Mutu
Photo: Adrià Ariste Santacreu
Photo: Elvin
Photo: Michael Shaheen
Photo: Rachid Lamzah
Photo: Dustin Gaffke
Some popular 50mm lenses
- Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM – (Amazon | Adorama | B&H)
- Canon EF 50mm f/1.2 L USM – (Amazon | Adorama | B&H)
- Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G – (Amazon | Adorama | B&H)
- Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.4G – (Amazon | Adorama | B&H)
- Sigma 50mm f/1.4 EX DG HMS – (Amazon | Adorama | B&H)
Posing Tips – Wedding Photography Posing Guide [Video]
Here are some awesome posing tips for shooting wedding couples from photographer Doug Gordon. He calls it Flow posing, definitely worth watching & sharing. Here he demonstrates how to get 50 couple shots quickly. A great time saver. In this video he used a dimmable LED Light Switronix TL-50 for lighting. available here
How to photograph light trail – Tips, Settings and Ideas
Photo Credit: Dennis Forgione
How to photograph light trail
Photographing light trails is one of the easiest assignments that you can go on. You may have seen photographs like the above picture in magazines or on the internet. Believe me, anyone can capture images such as these. All one needs is a camera that lets you choose the shutter speed and a bit of imagination and patience to go with it.
Tools
Of course popular blogs and photography tutorial websites will add a few extra gears to the above list, such as a tripod, a remote shutter release cable and many be even a neutral density filter. But honestly, to get started you only need a camera, preferably a DSLR. Tripods and the rest can come later when you want to do more serious stuff.
What are light trails?
Light trails are the results of exposures that are captured using a really long shutter speed and are usually of subjects such as a vehicle or any other moving light source. Even your hand-held flash light could be used as a light source for capturing light trails. Advanced users have been able to take this a step forward by burning steel wool and creating mesmerizing works of art.
Location & timing
As a humble beginning you can head for a busy street or a freeway where there are a lot of passing cars and your chances of capturing light trail is easy. It must be an evening or at least the sun should be below the horizon to be able to use a longer shutter speed. If you meter the scene and note down the shutter speed, you will notice that the camera needs a longer shutter speed to properly expose for the scene than you would need during the day. If there is a lot of ambient light then the shutter speed will be shorter and you may need to use a neutral density filter to use desired shutter speed.
Camera settings
The key to capture light trail is to keep the camera’s shutter open for long enough. So that, desired effect can be created. Applying exposure triangle you can achieve that effect in many combinations at different shutter speed, aperture & ISO. Try to keep the ISO at low (100-400) to avoid digital noise. Remember the trick is not to overexpose your photographs and yet capture that beautiful long light trail. Usually, to get the effects of light trails you need a shutter speed of at least 1/15th of a second and maximum has virtually no limit. Which means you must use a very good tripod.
The shutter priority mode is my favorite & easiest mode to photograph light trails. This mode will allow you to set your desired shutter speed and camera sets the aperture. Remember to set the ISO manually, otherwise camera may select a hight ISO number to compensate the low light, may result more digital noise. Also set the camera to shoot in RAW. This will allow you to correct issues and eliminate any noise later on. When every settings checked you may start with 1 second shutter speed and see what the result is; if the trail is too short, add 2 seconds, and then keep increasing the shutter speed until you get the desired effect. Modern digital cameras will let you see the effect immediately. If you have too much blurring, then your shutter was open too long, and you need to dial it back down maybe a full second.
Is there any ‘golden’ setting for light trail photography?
There is no such thing as a ‘golden’ setting in photographing light trail. One setting is not suitable for all situations and there is no one trick that can guarantee you ‘wow’ quality pictures. You will have to begin with a setting and keep changing it until you are happy with the results.
Composition
What to point at depends on what appears interesting to your eyes. This is where your mastery over the rules of composition comes into place as well as knowing what makes a great picture.
Point & Shoot? Don’t fret
For those without a DSLR or the budget to buy one don’t fret. Your point and shoot can also be used to shoot light trails. As I said you are only limited by your imagination. Your camera probably came with a number of preset modes such as ‘fireworks’, ‘snow’, ‘candle light’, etc. Select the ‘fireworks’ setting and you are good to go.