Showing posts with label flowers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label flowers. Show all posts

Friday, 26 June 2020

Selective Focus

In photography terms, 'Selective Focus' means that the photographer chooses which part of the image he/she would want to keep in focus. This could mean that the photographer chooses to keep the foreground in focus, blurring the background. Or keeping the mid ground / background in focus and blurring the rest of the image.

Using selective focus adds mood, drama and dimension to the final image.

It is very easy to create images with selective focus, this effect can be achieved with the use of macro lens, telephoto lenses or changing your depth of field, using a wide aperture anything from f1.4 to f5.6.

Here are a few examples of selective focus images.

Photograph of a wild flower taken in the garden, using a macro lens and fill-in flash

Wild Flower

Photograph of the bird, blurring the background
Lilac breasted roller bird

Photograph of a flower, taken using a macro lens, the point of focus was the centre of the flower
Orange Flower


Photograph of grass reed, taken early in the morning, the point of focus was the flowerhead, blurring the reed
Reed

The photograph below was taken on my mobile phone, by standing very close to the water droplet, the camera lens focused on the droplet and blurring the background. Most mobile phones have 'aperture' mode (which can be found under 'more' in your camera settings), using this setting, it allows you to choose your desired aperture.

Drop of water

The photograph below was also taken using my mobile phone, I selected the 'Aperture' mode on my phone and chose the widest aperture (f4) and focused on the bee.


Bee

The photograph below was taken using a standard lens, the point of focus was the single stem of bluebells

Blue Bells

Selective focus can be used in anywhere your photography; landscapes, street photography, portraits, it really depends what you as a photographer want to show through your photographs, by creating mood and drama to the images.


Bhupinder Ghatahora ABIPP, ARPS, ASWPP
Ghatahora Photography
info@ghatahora.co.uk
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Saturday, 13 April 2019

Friday, 25 May 2018

Friday's Tip

Tip 18:

Use a macro lens or the macro function on your camera for close-up photography



Bhupinder Ghatahora
Ghatahora Photography
info@ghatahora.co.uk
www.ghatahora.co.uk
@Ghatahora
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Monday, 12 March 2018

Take Better Nature Photographs Part 3

Tip 11:
Capture atmosphere/activities of farm life or zoo
* young animals
* events like lambing or birth


Tip 12:
Use available light to capture atmospheric shots

Tip 13:
Photograph pets
* use available light
* shoot close-ups

Tip 14:
Photograph visual diary 'A day in the life of.........'
I chose a baby rattle snake being fed at a local pet shop

Baby rattle snake




Tip 15:
Take a trip to a zoo
* photograph animal close-ups
* animal behaviour
* use shallow depth of field

Dragon says 'Hi'

Bhupinder Ghatahora
Ghatahora Photography
info@ghatahora.co.uk
www.ghatahora.co.uk
@Ghatahora
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Monday, 26 February 2018

Take Better Nature Photographs Part 2

Tip 6:
Photograph autumn colour
* trees, water droplets, leaves
* shoot low angle

Afternoon sun

* shoot looking up at the trees (stand underneath the trees)

Reach for the sky
Tip 7:
Take photographs in bad weather;
* photograph fog, rain, snow

Morning walk

Tip 8:
Take flower portraits

Wild flower

Tip 9:
Shoot close-ups under soft light (use white card or an umbrella to soften the light)

Close-up of flower

Tip 10:
Spend a day on the farm
* get close to farm animals
* animal behaviour
* animal portrait


Part 3 of 'Take Better Nature Photographs' will be published on 12th March 2018


Bhupinder Ghatahora
Ghatahora Photography
info@ghatahora.co.uk
www.ghatahora.co.uk
@Ghatahora
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Monday, 12 February 2018

Take Better Nature Photographs Part 1

Tip 1:
Fill the frame with your subject - research by looking at animal photographs

The Bird

Tip 2:
Photograph natural forms;
* flowers, trees, animals, birds

Jelly Fish
* shapes, texture, use leaves, rocks, water

Patterns of a rose
Tip 3:
Photograph garden designs


Tip 4:
Use sky as the background

Sunset over the beach
Tip 5:
Photograph trees as your main subject; shoot low angle against the sky

Trees on a cave
Part 2 of 'Take Better Nature Photographs' will be published on 26th February 2018
Part 3 of 'Take Better Nature Photographs' will be published on 12th March 2018


Bhupinder Ghatahora
Ghatahora Photography
info@ghatahora.co.uk
www.ghatahora.co.uk
@Ghatahora
Facebook
Pinterest
Flickr
Instagram

Monday, 1 May 2017

How to take photographs of flowers

It is possible to take good flower photographs with a compact camera also and not just with a SLR.

Compact cameras often do not have interchangeable lenses like SLRs, but the macro and zoom facilities on most compact cameras will allow photographing subjects in close-up as well as distant.

The first step is to know your camera; it is your greatest tool in creating your master piece. It is also advisable to read the camera manual to familiarise yourself with its basic and advanced functions.

I have often been told by novice/beginner photographers that the manuals tend to be complicated with terminology that tends to be alien to them. My advice to them is to start with the basic controls such as ‘Program Mode’, then move to the advanced features as ‘Aperture/Shutter Priority’, bracketing and others that may be unique to their camera.

Every compact camera should enable you to have some control over the aperture, shutter speed, the ISO, exposure compensation (+/-) and finally focusing. Some compact cameras will allow the user to take full control over the focusing using the ‘manual’ mode.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind when photographing flowers.

The main control on a compact camera for close-up photography is the “Macro” button (often with the symbol of a flower). This enables you to focus closer to the subject and also blurs the background, keeping the flower sharp. The camera automatically sets the aperture and the shutter for you, so you don’t have to worry about the exposure, allowing you to just focus and press the shutter release.

Now I will briefly touch on the Aperture Priority (AV) mode. When in this mode, the camera will set the shutter speed to give you the right exposure. This mode is very useful as it allows the user to determine what part of the subject and background to keep in focus and what to blur by choosing the desired aperture. In close-up photography, it if often advisable to blur the background, as it draws the eye on the main subject when viewing the final photograph, therefore having an out of focus background is not considered bad.

When the camera is set to Aperture Priority, if the lowest ‘f’ number is selected, then the area nearest to the focus point will be in focus and the remaining picture will be out of focus. When the highest ‘f’ number is selected, the focus point and the area before and after the point is all in focus. If ‘f’ numbers between the lowest and highest is selected, then through practice and experience you can determine what to keep in focus and what to blur.

Red & Yellow tulips

Water lilies

Foxglove
As well as the aperture mode, the Shutter mode (TV) is also important. This mode can be used when you are unsure of what aperture to choose and its great for capturing movement in the flowers caused by any wind.

Selecting a slow shutter speed of 1/30 or 1/15 will capture the movement in the leaves on the trees and flowers creating a ‘ghostly’ effect, whilst shutter speed of 1/60 or above will freeze the movement without blur.

I hope this very brief insight into flower photography assists you in your photography. 

Bhupinder Ghatahora
Ghatahora Photography



Monday, 2 January 2017

New Year offer

Book you wedding and get 20% off any wedding package

Offer ends 28th February 2017


Ghatahora Photography specialises in wedding photography for all cultures, book for wedding photography for 2017/2018.

Basic package starts from £550: includes 5 hours of photography and selected images available on a memory stick which are printable to size 9"x6.






Email me on info@ghatahora.co.uk to discuss your wedding needs.

Book now to get this fantastic offer. Call for a free friendly consultation.

Areas covered, Reading, Newbury and Basingstoke.

Book you wedding and get 20% off any wedding package

Offer ends 28th February 2017


Bhupinder Ghatahora