Taking better photos with your DSLR: Series 2

Continuing our series on how to take better photos and improve your photography skills, I will be going over composition. I believe great photography is achieved when you have an understanding of technique and aesthetic quality. Having a strong composition can be the difference between a great image, or a bad one.

Composing an image
You want to make sure elements within the frame are balanced and have a focal point. Consider your point of interest and how to place that within the frame. When shooting photos, I find it helps to: get down low, stand on something and shoot downward, shoot upwards from the ground or, straightforward. These different methods help give perspective in your photos. It's important to keep perspective in mind, especially when shooting landscape photography. It helps to have elements in the foreground and background to give depth. Try shooting subjects at a side angle too, so you can guide the viewer with lines or curves that lead into the picture. Try framing your photo by using doorways or arches as a “border” for your compositions. Cropping can sometimes help too, that's why you should include as much of the scene as you can and then trim things out later.

You may have heard of the Rule of Thirds concept. This is where you divide the picture into thirds vertically or horizontally. The best place to position your subject is a point where the lines intersect. The rule of thirds is something to keep in mind, but not a hard and fast rule of composition.

Rule of thumb
Overall, experimentation and experience will help you determine what works and doesn’t work. I've learned the more photos you take, the better photographer you can become. See what works best and try to understand why. Eventually, composing an image becomes a very natural process.

Ghost town photography

Photos taken at the J.Lorraine Ghost Town in Manor, Texas.

Aperture: f/5.6, Shutter speed: 1/400, ISO 200

Aperture: f/5.6, Shutter speed: 1/400, ISO 200

Aperture: f/5.6 Shutter speed: 1/250, ISO 200

Aperture: f/5.6, Shutter speed: 1/500, ISO 200

Taking better photos with your DSLR: Series 1

In this series, I will go over how to improve your photography skills and utilize the best settings for your DSLR camera. These recommendations are based on my experiences and learnings. In the first part of this series, I will cover camera modes and which ones to use.

What are digital camera modes? 
Simply put, there are letter modes and icon modes. Letter modes include Program Auto (“P”), Shutter-priority (“S”  or “Tv” ), Aperture-priority (“A” or “Av”), and Manual (“M”) on the mode dial. These settings allow for the most creative flexility because you can adjust the aperture, shutter speed and ISO yourself. Icon modes include the little pictures or icons on the mode dial (i.e. “Sports”, “Portraits”, “Macro”, “Landscape”, and “Night”). The camera predetermines the settings based on which mode you choose. This sounds great, but they don't always work for what you are trying to shoot and they override most of your manual settings. I do not recommend using the icon modes.

What are the differences between the letter modes?
Program Auto allows you to control the ISO and flash. The camera selects the shutter speed and aperture for you. I do not recommend shooting in this mode because you can't control the shutter speed to make sure your picture doesn't come out blurry.

Shutter-priority allows you to control the shutter speed and ISO. The camera selects the aperture for you. Shutter-priority mode can be useful when the shutter speed takes priority over the aperture in order to get a specific effect. For example, when you are trying to get smooth waterfalls, light trails, or capture a fast moving object.

Aperture-priority allows you to control the aperture and ISO. The camera sets the shutter speed for you so it is properly exposed. If you are shooting landscape photography, portraits or sports for example, aperture priority mode works effectively. You can also increase the ISO (i.e. 200 - 1600) to get faster shutter speeds. A higher ISO can increase noise in your photo, but can help with blurring.

Manual allows you to control the aperture, shutter speed and ISO. This gives the photographer total control over the image. Manual mode can be a bit intimidating to work with, but with a bit of experimentation, you can get just what you are looking for. If you are shooting nighttime photography, manual is the way to go.

What camera mode should I use? 
It depends on what you are shooting. I recommend “Aperture-priority”mode for portraits, landscape photography, etc., “Manual” mode when you need to shoot the same thing repeatedly or situations where you aren't rushed for time, or “Shutter-priority” mode for fast moving objects, like sports photography. In my opinion, it is ok to use “Program Auto” when shooting indoors and you need proper exposure. I use Aperture-priority mode most of the time. Aperture-priority mode works for just about every type of photography, which is why so many professional photographers use it. Overall, your photos will drastically improve if you learn how and when to use P, S, A or M modes.

Nighttime photography

Photos taken at the 1st street bridge, Lamar bridge, and the Capital building in downtown Austin, Texas.

Aperture: f/22, Shutter speed: 30 sec, ISO 200

Aperture: f/11, Shutter speed: 8 sec, ISO 200

Aperture: f/5.6, Shutter speed: 1/4 sec, ISO 200

Tips for taking nighttime photography

DSLR cameras are optimal for taking nighttime photos. Cityscapes, neon signs, twilight and after sunset options are ideal to work with. Incorporating reflecting water and light trails into your composition will create some visual interest as well. Here are a few tips on maximizing your camera settings. These settings are based on my experiences:

1. Make sure to use a tripod when taking nighttime photos. You will be using longer exposures so I recommend utilizing a tripod to keep the camera steady. It also allows you to point the camera up.

2. Utilize the self-timer. Any movement (including pushing the shutter release button) can cause vibration and therefore, result in a blurry image. You can also invest in a timer remote control.

3. Make sure the auto white-balance setting is turned off your camera. Try a different white balance option to create tonal variation. Set the long exposure to off as well. I use a Nikon camera, which has both these options listed under the Menu button.

4. I recommend a higher f/stop (f/18, f/22) and a lower ISO (200-400) setting for cityscapes. For twilight photos, I recommend a lower f/stop (f/3.5-5.6) and a higher ISO setting (800-1600). Both options yielded positive results. Remember, the right settings will depend on how much light you have to work with.

Note: Your autofocus may have trouble focusing under low light conditions, like in nighttime photography. You may have to switch to manual focus to resolve this issue.

Mt. Bonnell photography

Photo taken after sunset at Mt. Bonnell in Austin, Texas.

Aperture: f/5.6, Shutter speed: 2.5, ISO 200

Tips for taking sunset photography

1. Timing – Get to your location about an hour before sunset. You can also capture some great shots an hour after sunset as well. Pick your location before you get there. I like to scope out an area before I shoot, so I can be prepared.

2. Equipment – You can take pictures hand-held an hour before or during the sunset. Use a tripod for longer exposures (i.e. an hour after sunset when it starts getting darker).

3. Settings – Experiment with different settings. You can try a wider aperture (f/stop) for a brighter picture or a smaller aperture for a darker picture. Try a higher ISO for a brighter picture or a lower ISO for a darker picture. Remember, a lower f/stop creates shallow depth-of-field, a higher f/stop creates full depth-of-field.

4. Composition – Make sure you have a strong composition. Experiment with different angles and directions. I find it helps to have a focal point. If you are shooting a scene that is pretty flat, get down low with your camera and capture some of the ground to gain greater depth.

5. Lighting – Keep the location of the sun in mind, as this is your light source. You can shoot a scene facing the sunset to catch vibrant colors, or shoot with the sunset behind you or to the side and let the light illuminate your scene that way. Again, experimentation will yield the best results.