Mirror reflex, digital, smartphone: Technology and accessories

There are several setting options on the display of an SLR camera. These are hardly understandable for strangers and very difficult to assign. You could almost say it looks like mathematics. As soon as you have understood the individual settings, it is even more fun and professional to use your camera. A photographer does not just press a button and have the perfect photo. It’s much more about analysing the scene how you want to take a picture and getting some points worth mentioning. The photographer pays attention to light and shadow, sharpness of the image and many other points that we want to explain to you here. If you buy a reflex camera, you should assume that the extra accessories are huge. 

Autofocus for sharp photos

Autofocus – it’s a small technical wonder in a camera and most people are grateful for it as it ensures sharp images. So it is a great help for hobby photographers and professionals. But if you want more than just sharp pictures, you should turn off the autofocus every now and then and take care of the depth of field yourself. There are different situations in which the autofocus is a disadvantage and an ambitious photographer is best to switch it off.

Beauty retouching makes beautiful skin

Beauty retouching – it is also called photo manipulation of faces and bodies, according to the ideal of beauty. In this process, mistakes in the picture are corrected or even further elaborated, beautified.  Wrinkles are softened, spots are removed, skin is smoothed and colours are adjusted. The aim is the natural implementation of the retouching, for a more beautiful, not too artificial-looking overall impression. This can be very successful and perfect the picture. It can also destroy the image. Therefore you should pay attention to how you retouch pictures.

• Removal of disturbing particles
• Edit and perfect images: Beauty Retouch

Exposure time also called shutter speed

Exposure time – some claim to learn the camera is like pure mathematics. It is not that difficult, but you have to be able to handle numbers and shapes. Every camera has an automatic function, but as a good photographer you should prefer the manual setting. As soon as you have mastered the camera settings, the best pictures can be taken. An important point for the image display and exposure is the exposure time or also called shutter speed. It determines the extent to which light affects the sensor of the image capture device or the duration of the open aperture. Do you know what is called a short or long shutter speed?

• Automatically and manually adjustable
• Read more about the exposure time

Data backup on travel

You like to travel? And do you take a lot of pictures to show your family and friends what a great experience you had? For travellers, camera memory space is a problem. Hobby photographers and travelling used to mean lots of rolls of film to develop and today a memory card is overflowing, because nothing inspires a photographer more than a new environment. To discover them through a lens is something unique and should really be captured in pictures. However, not really every photo taken is a work of art for eternity and a mass of pictures does not mean that the quality is correspondingly high. We have an article for you where it is all about sorting out photos properly and backing up data.

• Save data while travelling
• More about memory cards and backup

One- & tripod for stabilizing the camera

A 0or tripod – no ambitious photographer can do without a good camera tripod. Especially for longer exposure times, such as for fireworks, or for star photography, tripods are indispensable tools. Tripods are used outdoors as well as in closed rooms. Many situations when taking pictures require longer exposure times. If you are looking for a safe position for your camera, a good tripod is a useful tool. But tripods are available for different purposes and in all possible shapes, sizes and weights. It is not only important to use a suitable tripod for taking pictures, one also has to know how to use a camera tripod properly. Here are some basic information that you should keep in mind when buying and using a tripod.

Setting sizes between camera and object

Adjustment sizes – photographs look more vibrant with the right adjustment size. The mood that the image is intended to create is created by choosing the right distance between the camera and the subject. Especially those setting sizes with close-ups of people can be very expressive. The settings are often divided into two main groups: The total settings and the close-ups.

• Panorama, long shot, half close up and close-up
• If you want to know more about the setting groups & sizes

Photo drone: the technology in the air

Photo drone – modern and the trend among photographers. They help to take pictures from exciting perspectives. The drone technology is a fun side factor when taking pictures. Hobby, as well as professional photographers can let off steam here.

• Current models, prices and legal bases at photo drones

Apply backlight for contrasts

Backlighting – Beginners in photography are advised not to shoot in the direction of backlighting. Nevertheless, the attraction of this direction of photography lies precisely in the special contrasts created by the sun or another light source on the object and its immediate surroundings. Careful alignment and a few technical tricks make snapshots taken against the light appear as if taken directly from life.

• Photography with backlight

gray gradient filter as color and brightness adjustment

Gray graduated filters – they help with the problem of dynamic range. These filters have their limits in color fastness and odd horizon line (for example in mountains). An alternative is to digitally superimpose different exposures of the same scene. This requires that there are no moving objects in the scene and that the camera does not change its position (tripod).

• More about gray gradient filters and the brightness differences

High Key & Low Key: bright and dark light

High key and low key photography – an overexposed image, with astonishingly many details, probably shows a high key photography. The counterpart is the low key photography. In this mode, the photographer plays with brightness and darkness, creating elaborate black and white stretches.

• High and Low Key are the counterpart of each other
• More on the subject High Key & Low Key Photography

Camera tripod for a stable position of the camera

Camera tripod – whoever wants to buy a camera tripod faces an almost unmanageable offer. While in the past camera tripods were made mainly of wood, high-quality tripods are now made of aluminium or carbon, and anyone who travels a lot with their photographic equipment will always pay particular attention to the weight. Tripods should be large enough so that you can look through the camera comfortably at maximum height without bending your back. Nothing is worse than taking pictures all day long with a bent back. But the bigger a tripod is, the higher the weight is usually. As a photographer you will usually have to make a compromise between size and weight.

• Detailed tips on the topic camera tripod>/li>

Macro lenses: interchangeable lens for shootings

Macro Lenses – this lens refers to a special interchangeable lens that allows you to achieve an image scale. One also speaks of macro photography. Macro lenses are also very suitable as beauty and portrait lenses. Apart from an affordable price, the focal length is roughly equivalent to a light telephoto lens, which is ideal for facial proportions.

• Special interchangeable lenses and macro lenses

Monitor calibration: Adjustment for color & brightness

Monitor Calibration – Once you decide to work with photos and bring them into the desired format on the screen, edit them in color or post-expose them, you can’t avoid professional monitor calibration.

• Exact adjustment of the color and brightness display of a screen, especially with the help of color management
• More information about monitor calibration

Polfilter: Tool of product photography

Polarizing filter – this filter is a useful tool especially in product photography, where reflections are most if not all unwanted. But it can also be used in landscape photography, for example to make a rainbow more striking or to make the leaf green appear more saturated. It is a special tool, the handling of which one must have tried and practiced many times.

• The useful tool: polfilter

Memory card: volume, types and tips

Memory card – the question of the type of memory card usually does not arise because it is predetermined by the camera. CF cards are usually much faster than SD cards. Fast cards are preferable, so that in extreme cases (for example, series shot) really all data is written. The larger the storage volume, the greater the risk of losing many pictures at once if the card breaks down. On the other hand, smaller storage volumes must be changed more often.

• More information about CF, SD and memory card types

Sensor contamination: Cleaning the camera

Sensor contamination – as a photographer who travels a lot and shoots in different locations, you can assume that sensor cleaning is a necessary and easily manageable evil. Depending on the degree of soiling, dry cleaning with a bellows is sufficient or wet cleaning with special cleaning agent or isopropanol is necessary. In the latter case it is recommended to work with a special cleaning pad, which is available in stores.

• dry cleaning with a bellows
• More information about sensor contamination and sensor cleaning

Depth of field & aperture

Depth of field – at a small depth of field only the foreground is sharp, as the depth of field increases the photo becomes sharper and sharper in depth until finally the whole background is sharp. The means by which the depth of field is controlled is the aperture. A small aperture number provides a small depth of field (only the foreground is in focus), a large aperture number provides a large depth of field (everything up to the background is in focus).

• More about the term and its meaning depth of field

ISO value as light sensitivity of the sensor

ISO Value – the abbreviation for International Organization for Standardization. So the ISO value of your camera is an internationally standardized value. The higher the ISO value, the higher the light sensitivity of the sensor. This includes vocabulary like aperture and shutter speed. To get better at this topic in practice, you should practice on your own camera and turn the ISO values up and down.

• Every doubling of the number means that only half as much light is needed
• Information on light sensitivity, sensor & aperture

White balance avoids color errors

White balance – this balance prevents a color error during a shot. Semi or fully automatic white balance is quick and easy, even for beginners. However, it has a high error potential depending on the environment. Photography with manual white balance is particularly natural. However, this takes considerably more time. If, despite both methods, color errors remain in the image, they can be at least partially corrected by subsequent white balancing on the PC.

• white-balance sensitizes the color temperature of the light at the shooting location
• More information about the topic white balance

Tips for photographers: avoid beginner’s mistakes

Beginners often make many mistakes. They lack the experience of practice, theory and practice. In order to avoid these mistakes, one should allow help and take up tips from experts, experienced and train with this information. Especially the field of photography is broadly diversified and often underestimated. There are many techniques and settings that vary from camera to camera and always differ from the photographic genre.

• That’s why we have for you the 10 tips & Tricks for beginners
• Read more about interesting photographer tips

Book tips

But how do I photograph correctly? What are the tricks? How do I expose correctly and how do I adjust my camera according to the environment? How do I work with apertures and how do I retouch my pictures naturally? These and more questions are answered in the best possible way in the following books. A photo workshop is not absolutely necessary, you can simply teach yourself photography with the help of these books. We have compiled the top 10 book recommendations for learning photography. We also have more book recommendations for Fashion & Beauty, Fashion Photography, Models & Style Icons and for Health, Nutrition & Fitness.

Fashion photography is a branch of photography that focuses on clothing presented by models. Often such photographs are used for advertising purposes, but some are taken for purely aesthetic reasons. Fashion photographye fascinates fashion enthusiasts as much as aesthetics lovers. The eye is spoiled with beautiful fashion, special settings and extraordinary & beautiful models. Fashion photography has established itself as an art form in its own right.

• 10 book tips on fashion photography

Basics of photography

Learning to photograph takes time. Most of them start with portraits, then photograph not only at home, but more and more outside and discover more and more motives in the studio as well as outside. But how do you photograph landscapes perfectly? What do you have to pay attention to when you photograph animals in the wild or moving people in the city? In our free guide for photographers you will find all the important and first tips you need to know as a beginner in photography.

Get to know important topics, as well as how to take portraits, people, outfits, sports motifs or even night photography.

• learn to photograph – beginners and novices

Top 6 – Cologne Cathedral City Photo Studio

In the NRW area, you can find the best photo studios in Cologne. From industrial buildings to chic loft studios, photographers can shoot.

LOFT STUDIO COLOGNE

Recommendation for LOFT STUDIO on Google: 27 Rating

4.7/ 5.0 stars

Further information, contact persons and directions:

• Address: Richard-Wagner-Str. 18, 50674 Cologne, Germany
• Loft Studio Website
• Phone: 01511 6790949

The greenhouse studio

Recommendation for the greenhouse studio on Google: 3 Rating

4.7 / 5.0 stars

Further information, contact persons and directions:

• Address: Hammer Deich 26 – 34, 20537 Hamburg
• The greenhouse studio Website
• Phone: 040 20007599

FOTODOM rental studio

Recommendation for FOTODOM on Google: 15 Rating

4.2/ 5.0 stars

Further information, contact persons and directions:

• Address: Hongkongstraße 7, 20457 Hamburg
• Fotodom Studios Website
• Phone: 0221 9498080

LuftHaus Studio

Recommendation for LuftHaus Studioon Google: 2 Rating

5.0/ 5.0 stars

Further information, contact persons and directions:

• Address: Rondorfer Hauptstraße 45, 50997 Cologne, Germany
• LuftHaus Studio Website
• Phone: 02233 9660400

HafenRaum GmbH & Co. KG

Recommendation for Hafenraum Studios on Google: 11 Rating

4.3/ 5.0 stars

Further information, contact persons and directions:

• Address: Im Zollhafen 12, 50678 Cologne, Germany
• Hafenraum Studio Website
• Phone: 0221 9331860

STUDIO LIGHT STREET

Recommendation for Studiolichtstraße on Google: 5 Rating

5.0/ 5.0 stars

Further information, contact persons and directions:

• Address: Lichtstrasse 28
• Studio light street website
• Phone: 0221 9545013

Special! Learn photography – tips for beginners

Photographers can only join the artists’ social insurance to a limited extent

Unfortunately, the law classifies the work of photographers as handcrafted, who mainly take photos for private use, such as portrait or wedding photographers. Children or nude photographers are also excluded from this membership. On the other hand, advertising photographers or press photographers may well join the artists’ social security fund, and this also applies to all photographers who live from the fact that their photos are shown publicly at art exhibitions. Stock photographers are also included in the Künstlersozialkasse, as they do not have a permanent client, but take photos and then offer them for sale.

According to the legislator, stock photographers have the free choice of their motifs, which for him is an indication of artistic freedom. For the membership in the Künstlersozialkasse a business registration is neither an obligation nor an obstacle. However, independent artists of all kinds cannot be members of the Künstlersozialkasse if they employ more than one employee. In such a case they are not considered to be in need of protection and can insure themselves.

Join the Artist Social Security

Those who are not sure whether they can become a member of the Künstlersozialkasse should complete the online questionnaire for membership. This questionnaire is a test for the Künstlersozialkasse whether the conditions for membership are met. The artist can prove the required income through his tax return, or an invoice. This also includes his activities at exhibitions, or perhaps certificates, prizes, or scholarships that he has received through his work. Publications can also be decisive for becoming a member of the Künstlersozialkasse.

Contributions to the Artists’ Social Security

The advantage of being a member of the Künstlersozialkasse is that the Künstlerkasse pays the employer’s contribution to the social insurance, which it in turn collects from the companies that have artists working for it, such as galeries, newspaper publishers or advertising agencies. That’s why the artists pay only half of the contributions compared to other self-employed people and are as good as employees. The Künstlersozialkasse also receives contributions from artists who, for example, with an annual income of around 10,000 euros per year, have to pay around 150 euros a month in contributions to the KSK. However, the amount of contributions also depends on other income, or the number of children present. If someone is engaged in a social security or artistic activity, it is usually decided in which area this person achieves the higher income in order to be classified there.

Many self-employed people are in great demand for entry into the artists’ social insurance fund because they have to pay far lower contributions for compulsory insurance there. However, the limits for membership in the Künstlersozialkasse are very limited and actually intended only for people who earn their living exclusively with art. For photographers this is however of disadvantage, because portrait and order photographers are classified as craftsmen, why they must pay the far higher tariffs of the independent ones. Only press and advertising photographers, such as those who devote themselves solely to their artistic inclinations, are recognised by the Künstlersozialkasse.

What is the KSK and what are the advantages of KSK?

Freie Wildbahn e.V. provides information about the Künstlersozialkasse and explains everything you need to know about applications, membership, monthly savings and insurance rates.

https://youtu.be/37a6XcRnk8I

Artist Social Security Contribution – What is important?

DATEV explains how self-employed artists and publicists have to insure themselves, who is affected by which taxes at all and which taxes have to be planned financially.

https://youtu.be/p2hwO3y2Q4s

The Audiopedia: What is the artists’ social insurance? Meaning and explanation

Meaning, advantages, requirements and more on the topic of artists’ social insurance simply and precisely explained by The Audiopedia.

https://youtu.be/mcIULyvZCdE

Plan and prepare star photography well

There is no room for spontaneity when photographing celestial bodies – good planning is called for here. The nightly location should be chosen very carefully. What is needed is a dark area, far away from the halos and light pollution of large cities. The darker the area, the more stars are visible.

As an anchor for the photos you should look for a nice foreground. Unlighted buildings, fences, trees, rock formations, lakes etc. are suitable. An interesting foreground gives a photo an individual character. Information about local weather conditions is also helpful. What is needed is a clear, cloudless sky. High humidity is also not good, as this can lead to blurred images. Bright moonlight unfortunately outshines many stars, ideally a time should be chosen for the photos when the moon is not visible in the night sky.

The wandering of the stars over the night sky is mostly caused by the rotation of the earth. For best results, the camera should be oriented north or southeast. The axis of the earth points exactly to the polar star (north star), therefore it does not change its position in the course of the night. While it can always be found in the same place, the other stars move on.

How your star photography equipment could look like

A DSLR camera or a camera with manual recording mode and fully charged batteries are the basic prerequisites for successful photos. Likewise a stable tripod, even passing game can cause shocks. A wide-angle lens (10 to 20 mm) provides the best results. You can also shoot with a longer focal length, but the wide aperture of the wide-angle lens allows for much lower ISO values and an impressive image width.

If there is a way to program your camera to take pictures at certain intervals, that would be ideal. Otherwise a remote control helps. There should be plenty of space on the memory card. The photos should be saved in RAW format to get better results during post-processing. And don’t forget coffee (or other drinks) and snacks, it’s gonna be a long night. Sometimes a warm jacket is also good, because the nights can get very cold here too.

Clear sky – it can start

Because it can be difficult to set up the equipment in complete darkness, it is best to start in the last daylight. First you should place the camera and the tripod at the desired location. Align the camera to capture as many stars as possible. Take some pictures of the foreground in daylight with different ISO settings for post-processing. Switch the camera to manual mode and select the setting for serial photos. If you want to display the stars as a dot, open the aperture completely and expose the sensor for about 30 seconds.

Depending on whether you want the sky to be brighter or darker, you should experiment with different ISO settings. If the result is satisfactory, save the settings. With an exposure time of one minute, the movement of the stars on the horizon becomes noticeable. If you want to show the star migration as a trace in the sky you have to make several interval shots. It becomes really spectacular when the traces of the stars stretch over the entire horizon. This often requires exposure times of up to 2 hours. Also here some experimental recordings are to be recommended.

Result: The perfect summer night and good equipment provide fantastic star images

With well thought-out planning, good equipment and the right viewpoint, spectacular shots of the night sky are not that difficult. With free software such as Startrails (Windows) or StarStax (Mac and Windows), the images can be combined in post-processing to a grandiose shot.

The optimal starter equipment for outdoor photography

Expensive is not necessarily optimal, this also applies to the camera. Automatic functions such as ISO value, exposure time and aperture must be manually adjustable if necessary. In addition, a camera on which interchangeable lenses can be mounted is optimal. Both requirements are met by digital system cameras or digital SLR cameras. Digital system cameras are easier to handle for hikes, climbing excursions and just as much easier.

These take up very little space in the backpack or hand luggage and are hardly noticeable in terms of weight. For the equipment it also applies that there should not be too much. A beginner is better off using only those accessory elements that they can easily handle in the great outdoors. Even professionals only carry a few accessories on their hikes to make them as handy as possible. Important are interchangeable lenses and a tripod suitable for off-road use (best folded up small enough for the backpack). External flashes can be useful, but are only suitable for outdoor photography if the user is able to use them advantageously.

Outdoor photography – know the technology well, then use it

The available functions are explained in the manual of each camera. Many of them are automatic, some can also be selected manually. Before the first outdoor use, exercise photos according to the manual instructions are a good training and in any case recommended. But not everything that is possible is also used in nature.

It is therefore important to master a few important functions well and to gradually get back to the others as the photos of the hike gradually become more professional. Knowledge of the ISO value, aperture and exposure time is crucial. Convenient photographers can leave automatic settings to the digital camera here. But it is more creative to set the values manually in order to capture the photo object in the best possible way.

video tutorials as tutoring

If the information in the manual and your own experiments are not sufficient at first, then video tutorials on certain camera models are helpful. This can even be researched before a purchase decision is made: Which models can be learned most quickly with these tutorials? RAW formats are better suited for outdoor images than JPG. In RAW format, the images still contain all image information in uncompressed form.

This corresponds to the classical recording in the negative, which is developed only afterwards. Also RAW formats are developed only then, however virtually, thus with appropriate software. Managing outdoor photos is a learning process that takes place only after the image has been captured. Editing and managing gradually lead to really ambitious amateur photographers “shooting” better and better pictures on a permanent basis. This also includes experiments in the wild, for example changing perspectives (as intuitively as possible instead of according to doctrine), intentional disturbance motifs during a shot and of course more than one photo of each experiment.

Result: new, fascinating motifs can be discovered everywhere in nature

Outdoor photography offers endless possibilities for exciting photos in the middle of nature due to the diverse landscapes. Beginners should buy rather handy, light cameras and only the most necessary accessories. This can be expanded at will once the user has learned the best way to use the camera. For really beautiful nature shots, the amateur photographer should also consider the possibilities of the subsequent image editing and management.

What you need to photograph drops of water

The easiest way is to photograph drops of water outside on a sunny day. In contrast to shooting in rooms, you don’t need any additional light outside. Your equipment should include: DSLR camera with macro or telephoto lens, tripod, remote control, food dye, medical syringe (alternative: freezer bag with a small hole), large bowl filled with water and sunlight. The following procedure is recommended:

• Step 1:
  Place the bowl in the bright sunlight, preferably on a table.
• Step 2:
  Fill the bowl with water, reach about 3 cm water depth. Add a blue or any food colour until the water has reached the desired shade.
• Step 3:
  Mount the camera on the tripod. If you use a macro lens, there is a risk that water splashes will hit the lens. In this case, slide a transparent film between the bowl and the camera. You can place a telephoto lens further away, so you don’t have to spend time here. It is best to focus the image manually on the middle of the water surface and fix the setting. The shooting angle should not be too steep and the sun should be behind the camera.
• Step 4:
  For a macro lens, select a shutter speed of at least 1/4000 second at an aperture of f16 to f20 to obtain the necessary depth of field. If you use a telephoto lens (for example 100 mm), you can try f2.8. The values are strongly dependent on the individual lighting conditions, therefore some test shots are indispensable.
• Step 5;
  If you don’t have an assistant, you’re faced with the difficulty of creating a drop with the syringe and pressing the remote control almost simultaneously. This is why many photographers use a freezer bag that is fixed above the bowl. With a small hole, this bag provides a constant rate of water drops, so you only have to worry about the remote control. It is important that the drop always hits the water in the same place. The greater the drop height of the drops, the higher the water drops jump.
• Step 6:
  Take a few test shots and correct the exposure or aperture. After that there are a few impressive shots in the way. If you take pictures in RAW format, you have all possibilities for post-processing.

The same structure basically applies for indoor shots. Just that you need to take care of extra light. You can use a lamp or a flash. This works quite well if the light source is in front of the object and a reflector is used. Reduce the power of the flash until the water droplets are sharply focused.

In the post-processing you can try to reduce the image noise and optimize the sharpness. You can also choose a different color temperature and crop and align the image.

Alternatives and other techniques

In order for the liquid to react more slowly, you can thicken it with a thickening agent (e.g. guar gum). This means that the droplet shapes last much longer. Experiments with different water colours or the use of other liquids such as milk often yield good results. Interesting effects can also be achieved using smoke or coloured backgrounds (foils).

Result: With simple tricks breathtaking pictures with water drops can be created

Photographing images that are largely hidden from the human eye is always fascinating. Even with a relatively simple structure, fantastic images with a lot of dynamism and aesthetics can be created again and again when photographing water drops. Experimenting with different techniques often leads to amazing images from the world of water drops.

7 tips how to find the right tripod for you

1. Weight

In most cases a tripod must be carried from the car to the place of use, therefore the device should be as light as possible. The lighter and transportable option should also be chosen when travelling. There is also a difference between a small, lightweight camera and a heavy DSLR with a large lens. Light travel tripods are available from 800 grams, while the large ones weigh more than 2 kg. Monopods weigh about 650 gr.

2. Stability

A high tripod weight does not automatically mean good stability. Ideally a tripod can be tested beforehand. How does the tripod behave on a windy day? Does it start swinging when someone bumps into it? Carbon tripods are less susceptible to vibration than aluminium tripods, so the shots don’t shake so easily.

3. Locking of the tripod legs

The tripod manufacturers use different mechanisms to lock the tripod legs in certain positions. Which lock is more suitable has a lot to do with personal preferences. A locking device should be easy to use and stable enough to hold that weight of the camera and its lenses. It is not advisable to use cheap plastic locks, which break quickly and make the whole camera tripod unusable.

4. Maximum height

Of course, all tripods can be adjusted in height by extending the tripod legs as well as the centre column. The maximum extendable height of a tripod is mainly determined by one’s own height. At full tripod height one should still be able to look comfortably through the camera. Large persons (1.85 or larger) often have difficulty finding a suitable tripod. If the legs consist of two extendable elements, the tripod is probably larger in the retracted state than with three elements.

5. Tripod heads

Tripod heads are one of the most important things on a camera tripod. A reliable tripod head gives the photographer absolute control over his camera, so this component should be chosen very carefully. Mainly 3-way-tilt, gear and ball heads as well as panorama and video heads are distinguished.

Video heads are often used by wildlife photographers, but also in sports photography and wherever long focal lengths are required. Speed and precision are among the main selection criteria. Photographers often buy the tripod head first and then select the appropriate tripod.

6. Monopod

Compact design, flexibility and stability are the decisive criteria for the use of a monopod. Devices of this kind are the perfect companions for hiking and traveling. Not only do they take up little space, but they also provide sufficient support and stability during shooting. These tripods are also very popular with sports photographers, when using heavy telephoto lenses and frequent position changes. Ambitious photographers have the choice between compact tripods for small mirrorless cameras and sturdy tripods for medium format and heavy DSLR cameras.

7. Handling

Camera tripods are mainly used for long exposure times to prevent camera shake. If the shutter speed is slower than 1/60 of a second, a tripod should generally be used. A small spirit level is often used to check whether the tripod is in an upright position. When extended, the tripod should stand firmly on the ground and not wobble. The height can be corrected via the centre column.

Conclusion: Size and weight are the most important factors in camera tripod selection

Tripods should be large enough to allow you to look through the camera at maximum height comfortably and without bending your back. Nothing is worse than photographing the whole day with a curved back. But the bigger the tripod, the higher the weight. As a photographer you will usually have to make a compromise between size and weight.

The eight setting sizes in photography and filmography

The eight approximate size designations are the same for both still and moving images:

Panorama (Supertotals)

At this widest setting size, an object is represented in relation to its surroundings, with the optical goal of representing the location of an object or person. Objects can be a person on a sidewalk, an animal on the playground, or a house on the side of the road. The panorama shot is chosen next to the focus on the location in order to create an emotional feeling of vastness, loneliness or infinity in the viewer. In such an environment, the actual subject of the shot looks almost as if it has accidentally entered the picture, in any case very small.

Total

Even with this setting size, the actual subject remains small in relation to the surroundings. The aim of total photography is to make an event appear more vivid. People are bigger than to be seen in the panorama, but also here rather embedded in the much more comprehensive photographed surroundings. In film, the movement of several shots in this setting size helps the viewer to relate to a rather unapproachable object (or person). With photographs, a good shot in the long shot also creates an atmospheric way of looking at things.

half total

The focus of a shot in the so-called semitotals is clearly on the object, but in a clearly recognizable relation to the surroundings of the shot. Persons can be seen here from head to toe, and the facial expression is also given an important importance for the adjustment size of the semitotals. The aim of the semitotals is the depiction of body language and also on photographs a moving feeling of the person depicted.

Semi-near

With this setting size, a person is only recorded up to the hip. In the rest of the picture the environment is emphasized. Since the camera works in the “half-near” from a short distance, the facial expression of a face can be seen very well. The body language can influence the mood of the picture to a certain extent, but is rather secondary.

American Setting

In the film, people are photographed up to their knees. In photography, the American setting is used less frequently because the semi-close is similar and better for still images. But also here the person is embedded in the clearly photographed photo environment.

Italian Setting

No good Italo-Western would be conceivable without the correspondingly long and intensive representation, especially of the eyes. For photography, too, eye expression can be an artistic stylistic device, precisely because eyes can “speak” and thus unconsciously a direct interaction between photography and viewer arises.

Far

This setting size has portrait character. The camera is so close to the person that they are photographed from head to chest with focus on the body language of the face. The environment is often in the bokeh, so blurry and as if by chance to be seen.

large shot

The focus of such portrait photos is on the facial features in such a way that in some cases only the face is photographed and the upper part of the head looks cut. But also complete photos with cap and hairstyle down to under the chin count to the setting size close-up. In film, but also in photography, individual images of feet or hands are assigned to the close-up.

Detail shot

Only one mouth, only one eye, or a piece of an arm are the goal of a detailed photograph. The camera must zoom so close to the person that neither the surroundings nor other parts of the body can be seen in the picture. This visual representation is unnatural, but due to the recognizable details it is emotionally appealing. Because the extra emphasized detail can be extremely expressive.

Result: The setting size affects the mood of each image

With the help of the correct setting size, photographs appear more vivid. The mood to be created by the image is created by choosing the right distance between camera and object. Especially those settings sizes with close-ups of people can be of very intense expressiveness.

Why backlighting is not a taboo, but can be a stylistic device

Beginners should not photograph in the direction of the sun. The camera lens and the photographer’s eye could be damaged. Even objects that are too close in the direction of the sun can only appear unclear or not in the desired perspective. Nevertheless, there is nothing to stop using backlighting for atmospheric shots.

Light and shadow, especially in their partly contrasting strong counterplay and with the right camera setting, create very vivid photographs, which are just as popular for advertising purposes as for private photo albums. Backlighting on an object can make object boundaries into filigree silhouettes, emphasize textures of leaves or insects in all their delicacy.

In portrait photography, backlighting can have the effect of a deliberately set light reflex. The model herself is blurred, but fine details such as blowing hair, a moving skirt hem or the bank waves right next to the model appear dark and in this proportion almost overly clear. Because everyday impressions are faded out by backlighting, other object details come to the fore all the more strikingly and turn an everyday photograph into a picture like a dream.

Now nobody wants these strange light circles on the photograph. But such reflections are the ones that can be technically very well staged. Also, not every shot in backlight necessarily has to be low in detail and high in contrast. The following simple, technical possibilities improve backlit shooting to near artistic quality.

These tips help to use or attenuate backlighting

• Lens Flare for zoom objects:

These light circles can be attenuated (if desired) either by shielding the light side of the camera by hand or by placing a lens hood on the lens of a SLR camera before taking a picture.

• Exposure correction for desired contrast centers in the image:

Each digital camera has a plus/minus setting for exposure in the menu. The correction makes parts of the image brighter, others darker. To find the ideal setting, some practice is required.

• Fool the backlight:

Beautiful shots are possible when the backlight, in nature shots the sun, disappears just behind a house front, but still falls strongly enough on the subject. If a person is photographed in this way, he or she can be positioned just in front of or next to the backlight, creating a particularly exciting light/dark effect.

• Spot measurement for auto correction:

Some camera models make it possible to automatically illuminate an image area optimally. Either the viewfinder is directed to a dark spot or, for a scissor-cut effect, to a bright area. Spot metering detects exactly where light correction is required.

• Manually focus for intentional reflexes:

Maybe an exact close-up in the backlight is not the goal of a photo at all. For snapshots that seem to be random and are definitely out of focus at the edge of the picture, you can just as well manually adjust the exposure as you want it to be. Especially without white balance, very natural-looking shots can be captured.

Result: Photographing with backlight takes a little practice with the camera

Beginners in photography are advised not to photograph in the direction of backlighting. Nevertheless, the attraction of this shooting direction lies precisely in the special contrasts created by the sun or another light source on the object and its immediate surroundings. Careful alignment and some technical tricks make backlit snapshots look like they were taken directly from life.

Animal Photography and Endurance

Photographing a cat is usually fantastic. Because room tigers, so the human faith, hold a camera lens just sufficiently worthy, in order to be flashed by this and thus be photographed. With dogs, the Pavlovian effect can be optimally used to keep them motionless for the important moment. With wild animals such as birds, deer or foxes, neither animal self-confidence nor (anyway impossible) conditioning work. Nevertheless, the necessary stamina combined with care helps to create fantastic animal photos:

Tip One: What exactly does the animal want in this second?

Animal eyes reveal a lot about the current mood. At least in the case of pets, this shows how promising the admission attempt can be right now. Animal photography with a focus on the animal’s eyes is also the most professional in terms of camera technology.

Tip Two: The viewing angle

A bird lives in the air. So the viewing angle from below is optimal for a perfect photo. A horse stands on solid ground, but it nevertheless looks sublimely down on the photographer. This should be considered for the perspective of exactly this animal photography. If hamsters, goldfish or rabbits are to be photographed, changing the angle of view according to size is a recipe for success for a good shot.

Tip Three: Nature is perfect without Photoshop

Cut animal photography is not professional. No matter what strange contortion a recorded animal makes, it’s good as it is. In animal photography, photo editing is more likely to be assigned to the area of natural caricature.

Tip Four: The shooting environment

In the case of pets, the background may have some influence on the animal photography. A photographically perfect background in a forest or zoo can only be achieved through sharp observation and patience when selecting backgrounds.

Effects in Animal Photography

If these four less technical basic rules are observed, the following tips will significantly improve a shot in any animal photography.

Tip Five: It’s just animals

Calculating what an animal is doing right now is pointless. At best, the photographer has optimally adjusted the camera, chosen a good background and is just waiting for the perfect moment. So why not take a picture when Fuchs feels silently caught by humans or when a horse just dares a bold yard jump? The photographer, however, should be fully prepared for the moment of a movement in order to establish himself as a professional in animal photography with photographic evidence that seems almost alive.

Tip Six: Motion or Still Life?

Action photography takes up quite purposefully the movement of an animal. The focus is on physically distinctive features such as eye expression or individual muscle movement. Animal portraits, on the other hand, resemble a still life. They photograph an animal in as quiet a moment as possible in order to capture its optical beauty away from any movement. The photographer should know long before taking the print which of these variants better meet his shooting requirements.

Result: Catch the right moment and be well prepared

For a sensational wildlife photography gamekeepers or hunters like to recommend the wildlife camera. But the real attraction lies in capturing the beauty of the moment from other, less spontaneous angles. Technical tricks and personal patience support truly sensational photos of pets and even wild animals in motion.