Saturday 21 January 2017

Using manual mode for Night photography

For Manual mode, set the aperture at f11 and the shutter speed at 15 seconds. Use this shutter speed as a guide only, as your exposure time may vary depending on the available light. You may either have to increase or decrease the shutter speed depending on the image produced. Remember to use a tripod to get sharper images.


Bhupinder Ghatahora
Ghatahora Photography

Thursday 19 January 2017

Simiple steps to adjust in Lightroom

I published a blog on the 17.01.2017 (A walk around the canal)
As mentioned in the post, I adjusted the image, see below for the before and after.

Image before adjustments

Around the canal (before adjustments)

Final image

Around the canal

Increased Contrast +19
Decreased Highlights -100 (to retain detain in the reflection)
Decreased Shadows -100 (to bring out the shadows in the trees)
Increased Whites +33 (to bring out the whites in the boat)
Increased Clarity +10
Increased Vibrance +17
The above image was cropped

While altering the adjustments, always keep an eye out for the whole image, see in detail that other parts of the image are not getting effected.

Bhupinder Ghatahora


Wednesday 18 January 2017

Understanding your camera modes

In this article I will briefly explain the common camera modes associated with ‘Point & Shoot’ cameras and DSLRs. You may be aware that compact cameras have various pre-set modes (often known as ‘scenes’) and you may have wondered what these modes are use for.
The three most common modes which are often available on most advanced cameras are, Programme (fully automatic), Manual and Semi-Automatic modes (Shutter and Aperture control). Recent digital compact camera include these modes and several other scene selection modes, which are specifically designed for the subject being photographed, such as fireworks, beach, snow, parties, nightlife, etc.
The function of these modes is to create accurate and correctly exposed images. These modes are useful shortcuts for the novice photographer who may lack the full understanding on how to use Manual and Semi-Automatic modes.

When a ‘scene’ mode is selected, the camera adjusts the aperture, shutter speed and ISO to calculate the right exposure. Selecting ‘scene’ mode often limits the user from making adjustments to the flash, white balance, ISO and other criteria as the camera adjusts these according to the subject.
When the correct ‘scene’ mode is selected to fit the subject being photographed, the results are often to acceptable standards, giving a balanced photograph.

Advanced photographers often use the Manual or Semi-Automatic modes because they provide better control on the final image. The photographer would envisage the image he or she would like to be created, and then adjust the camera settings accordingly.

Below is a brief summary of some of the common camera modes and examples of images taken using these modes.
(All the following photographs have been taken using a DSLR, but the same theroy can be applied to any 'Point & Shoot' cameras.)

The flower symbol stands for Close-up or Macro which means taking photographs of subjects really close. Use this mode to photograph close-ups of flowers, jewellery, insects, dew drops, abstract patterns, etc. In this mode the built-in flash may be disabled to prevent an overexposed image, as your camera is really close to the subject.


Close-up of flower


The person & star symbol stands for Night Portrait or Night Photography. This mode uses a combination of flash and long exposure to pick the ambient (available) light in the background. Use this mode to take pictures of persons in low-light conditions. The use of a tripod is often recommended.

On the bridge

The face symbol stands for Portrait mode. The camera selects the widest aperture setting
to minimise depth-of-field in order to blur the background. Always remember to focus on your subject’s eyes for sharper portraits. In this setting, the flash will automatically activate the ‘red-eye’ reduction setting.


The mountain & cloud symbol stands for Landscape mode. Using this mode your camera will select the smallest aperture to maximise depth-of-field. Your image will be sharp both in the foreground and in the background. As the name suggests, use this mode to take landscape photographs.




The running person symbol stands for Sports mode, which is all about speed. Your camera will automatically choose the fastest shutter speed to capture the fast moving subject. In some cameras, the camera will enable continuous high-speed shooting; which means it will take photographs one after another continually. Use this mode to capture fast moving subjects or any kind of sport.

Jump
The 'A' symbol stands for Aperture mode (semi-automatic). In this mode you select your desired aperture and the camera will set the shutter speed to match the aperture settings. For example, if you change your aperture from f5.6 to f11, the camera will adjust the shutter speed automatically keeping the exposure the same. Use this mode to have more control on the depth-of -field.

The rope
The 'TV' or 'S' symbol stands for Shutter mode (semi-automatic). In this mode you select the shutter speed, and the camera will set the aperture accordingly. For example, if you change the shutter speed from 1/30 (slow) to 1/250 (fast) of a second, the aperture will change automatically. This will leave the exposure the same as the camera is matching your shutter settings. The shutter mode is used to capture movement or create a blur. I use shutter mode to photograph movement in water, trailing traffic lights or to freeze the action.

Freezing the waves

Waves
 Slow shutter speed to show movement in water
Waterfall
The 'M' symbol stands for Manual mode (fully manual). In this mode you have full control of your camera. You decide what aperture and shutter speed to use in order take a correctly exposed image. In this mode you can also override any of the camera settings, i.e. flash, ISO, exposure compensation and white balance. Choose this mode if you are fully confident about how the aperture and shutter work together to produce a correctly exposed image. I use this mode mostly for landscape, close-up portraits, snow and night photography, and even just experimenting with different exposures.

Into the woods


Trees

I hope this brief insight into camera mode assists you in taking better photographs.

Bhupinder Ghatahora
Ghatahora Photography

Tuesday 17 January 2017

A walk around the canal

I have started a few personal projects photographing the local landscapes, canals, streets and weather.

These are on going projects which I am working on. I have taken several different photos of the locally, however I will be editing one at a time and updating them on weekly basics.

Today's photograph from a series called: 'A walk around the canal'

A few minor adjustments on Lightroom were done, see below

Increased Contrast +19
Decreased Highlights -100 (to retain detain in the reflection)
Decreased Shadows -100 (to bring out the shadows in the trees)
Increased Whites +33 (to bring out the whites in the boat)
Increased Clarity +10
Increased Vibrance +17

While altering the adjustments, always keep an eye out for the whole image, see in detail that other parts of the image are not getting effected.

Final image

Around the canal

Bhupinder Ghatahora