Review Digital Camera World 08-31-2013

Digital Camera World

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The real reason your photos don't work: 6 quick fixes before turning on your camera Aug 30th 2013, 23:01, by jmeyer Even experienced photographers who take lots of photographs sometimes find that they are dissatisfied with their images, they're not really capturing anything special or interesting that they want to look at for any length of time. If this sounds familiar, then perhaps our friends at the photo management blog Photoventure can help. In their latest guest blog post they’ve compiled six reasons why many photographers don't produce shots they are happy with, as well as a few suggestions for getting on-track and taking images you can be proud of. Record shots: think about how you shoot each subject A common mistake of relatively novice photographers is to think about what they are going to photograph much more than how they are going to photograph it. The end result is often a collection of record shots that look suitable for use on eBay. They show what the subject looks like, but have no creativity, interpretation, emotion or atmosphere. When you are taking a photograph think about whether you need to have shallow or deep depth of field, consider carefully where the focus point should be (especially when depth of field is restricted) and decide whether it would look good in colour or monochrome – or perhaps toned. Think about what attracts you to the subject and how you can convey that in a photograph. PAGE 1: Avoid taking record shots PAGE 2: Try using new settings PAGE 3: Start a photo project and shoot along a theme PAGE 4: Decide what you want to do with your images PAGE 5: Think about new angles to shoot from PAGE 6: What is your style? READ MORE 55 reasons your photos aren’t working (and what you can do about it) 10 common exposure problems every photographer faces (and how to fix them) Famous Photographers: 100 things we wish we knew starting out Best camera focus techniques: 10 surefire ways to get sharp photos Getting sharp images: every photo technique you need to know starting out DIY Photography Hacks: use a fish tank as an underwater housing for your camera Aug 30th 2013, 10:54, by jmeyer You don’t need an expensive underwater housing to take underwater photos. In our latest DIY Photography Hacks post we show you how to use a common fish tank as a DIY housing to shoot sub-aqua landscapes. Taking your camera under water can give you a completely new perspective on the landscape, but it would normally involve buying an expensive housing or waterproof camera. This isn't really a viable option if you just want to have a go at shooting underwater images, so here's a low-cost, DIY photography alternative. Putting your camera inside a watertight fish tank and using this as a waterproof housing may get you some odd looks, and it's not for the faint-hearted. However, with a bit of care and preparation you can get amazing images simply by shooting with the camera half-submerged in the water. There's an element of chance to the results, but with a bit of practice and a little luck you'll find that you can get results where you have a view both of the landscape and what's lying beneath the water. This technique works best when you use a wide-angle lens. You'll also need to set the camera to manual to get consistent results. Once the camera is in the fish tank and the tank is submerged in the water you'll have to take plenty of photographs from slightly different positions as you won't be able to see the viewfinder or screen to compose your shot. Finally, remember to check (and double-check!) that your camera is going to be safe once you get in the water, and make sure that you have got a very firm grip on the fish tank before you start. How to shoot underwater photos the DIY photography way 01 Prepare the tank Before you start, check that the tank is watertight. Without putting the camera in it, submerge it so that the water reaches halfway up the sides. If this is successful, dry the outside of the tank and make sure that the side that you are going to shoot through is as clean as possible.   02 Set up your camera Switch to manual focus and manual exposure. Set a small aperture, such as f/11, to give plenty of depth of field, and set the shutter speed to give the correct exposure. Using a wide-angle lens you should set the focus to around three metres. Finally, attach a remote release.   03 Final preparations Now put the camera into the tank. Keep the lens as close to the glass as possible to reduce the effect of reflections and marks on the glass. You may need to find something to keep the camera in position. Make sure that you can easily reach the remote release while holding the tank.   04 Go underwater Enter the water slowly, as you don't want to stir up mud and dirt, and gently push the tank under the water until the lens is half-covered. Take several shots, keeping the tank level. If you get water drops on the glass you may need to take it out of the water, clean it and start again. QUICK TIP Try using an ND grad filter, with the transition at water level so it will help reduce the contrast between under and above water. Keep it Still This isn't a technique for the faint-hearted, so the first time you use the fish tank you will find it easier to hold it steady if you simply float it on the top of the water, rather than submerge it. You should also only try this out on still, calm water as spray and waves can easily enter the top of the tank. PAGE 1: How to shoot underwater photos the DIY photography way PAGE 2: Further options for shooting underwater photos READ MORE DIY Photography Hacks: make a light tent from 3-ring binders to diffuse sunlight DIY Photography Hacks: why a blank CD case makes the perfect rain guard for your lens Clever ways to shoot flat, lowland terrain Landscape photography ideas for rivers, waterfalls and lakes Landscape photo ideas for creative pictures of mountains and hills

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