Photography Tips

Here is a master list of tips that I did several years ago.  They may be dated (I have removed some of them, since they are VERY DATED and not really relevant anymore).  These are mostly just beginner type “learn your camera” and some basic photoshop posts.  If you want to get more in-depth and knowlegable information, here are a few forums and blogs to check out.

I Love Photography forum – This forum has been an invaluable resource to me on learning how to shoot with my camera in manual and gives me inspiration all the time.

Digital Photography School blog – Subscribe to this blog, most definitely.  It has some great informative articles.  It also has a forum area, which I haven’t checked out, but may be worthwhile, as well.

Pinterest is also a treasure trove of links.  Just make sure it is actually linking to the photography tip before you click on it, as they are a favorite for spammers.

I have the older ones listed first and the most recent on the bottom. I think my more recent ones are better, but for beginners in Photoshop, you might want to read the beginning Photoshop tips.

Tips in taking photographs

The “holy” trinity of manual – This tip is a discussion of Aperture, ISO and Shutterspeed and how they work together.

What not to do photo tips – This tip discusses some basic photography no no’s that will ruin a photo.

My makeshift studio – I’m sure you will be green with envy when you see these photos. 😉

Looking at the environment for composition – A few examples of using the environment to add to the story.

Catchlights – This discusses the difference in photos with having a catchlights and with no catchlights.

Taking pictures inside – This tip discusses the challenges of taking pictures inside without the flash.

Shooting in full sun – This tip discusses some strategies for taking pictures in harsh full sunlight.

Finding your outdoor studio – This tip discusses scouting spots to take pictures.

How to take a family picture – Some tips (along with a little humor!) of taking a self-family portrait. *updated*

F-stop/aperture – A discussion on what this is and how to use it when shooting pictures.

Photographing the little ones – Tips on how to capture your little maniacs

Composition – Detailed with lots of photos on different composition techniques.

Ray of light – Tips on how to look at how the light hits your subject to really tell the story.

What makes a portrait – Tips for creating a candid portrait vs a snapshot.

Working on the flash – An intro level to using a hot-shoe mounted flash on the DSLR

Use window light – A discussion on why to use window light for indoor shooting.

Focus – A discussion on manually focusing with your DSLR.

Backlighting – A quick discussion on backlighting and some examples.

Take a self portrait – Some tips on how to take a self portrait

Setting up a photo shoot for your child – A discussion on tempering your expectations 😉

Location shoots – Tips at looking for old stuff in an environment to add some interest and texture to a photograph

Shooting in RAW – A (short) discussion on shooting in the RAW mode on your DSLR

Styling your shoot – A discussion on some things to look at when setting up a photoshoot

Getting eye contact – Some discussion on how to get eye contact with kids – read the comments, too!

Getting sun flare – on purpose!

Tips for PhotoShop

The basics of Photoshop – a little explanation of layers, using defog and a start at processing photos

Using the Virtual Photographer plugin – a tutorial for different ways to use a free plugin for Photoshop.

Bring on the color – With the wonderful fall colors this is a great way to bring them out.

What is a color cast? – Discussion on how to see the color cast

Color cast and turning pictures to b&w and another one– These show how you can save a picture with a strong unsightly color cast.

How to make a fairy picture – This tutorial shows how to turn two normal pictures into a fantasy picture. *updated*

Another Black and White Conversion – The way I convert most of my pictures to b&w now.

Adding Borders and Frames – This shows how you can add simple borders or swirly frames in PhotoShop.

The basics – How I process most of my pictures

Dodge and burn – How to use these tools in Photoshop to add light or dark areas to the photos.

Watermarks – Tutorial on how to add a watermark to your photos for sharing on the internet.

Pumping up the eyes – This tutorial shows how to make the eyes “pop”

Printing Colors – A brief discussion on out of gamut printing – dulled prints.

Noise vs. Grain – A discussion on digital noise and how to get rid of it.

Editing process – Here I took some examples and ran through how I edited them.

Toned black and white photos – Tips on how you can colorize your black and white photos.

Contrast– This tip shows how to add contrast to your photos to give greater depth.

Are you a purist? – Discussion (read the comments, too) on why you may want to use Photoshop in editing your pictures.

Adding texture – This tutorial discusses how to add a texture layer to your photos.

Editing process – Further elaboration on how I basically edit photos.

Creating a collage – This tutorial shows how to create a frame for a collage in Photoshop.

Fixing imperfections – Tips on how to fix pimples, bruises, scratches, etc. in photos.

The “300” Look – A tutorial on how to try to achieve this look

Before and afters – Some SOOC and processed shots

Straightening a photo – This tutorial shows how to straighten a photo in Photoshop.

Desaturating a photo – This tutorial details the steps you need to do to have a antiqued/desaturated photo.

How to create a storyboard – A tutorial on making a storyboard in Photoshop.

Batch processing – My workflow in ACR and CS3 for processing many photos at the same time.

Miscellaneous Tips

Where to print – Just some links and discussion on how to get the best quality prints.

DSLR Lenses – Discussion on why you just absolutely need as many lenses as you can afford. 😉

Camera Accessories – Discussion on more camera-related stuff you can buy.

My Philosophy – A little bit of my 2.5 cents.

Ready, set, GO! – More 2.5 cents.

Taking and designing your holiday card – A few tips.

Cameras and Lenses – My equipment and make sure to read the comments for what other photographers have and love in their arsenal.

Photography Books – A listing of books that I like on learning photography.  Read the comments for what others have read and liked, too.

What’s your style – A discussion on finding the type of photography you prefer to shoot

How long does it take – A discussion on the journey of learning how to use that camera

3 Replies to “Photography Tips”

  1. Voila! I can’t believe somebody sharing their diary full of cool photo secrets to me. Awww.. thank you so much for sharing your tips. Links and the articles in it were of great help to me. Thanks again:)

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