DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY NEWS FROM ePHOTOzine

 

Photogenic lighthouses can be found all around the UK's coastline and many of us are close enough to head out for a day trip where a space for photographing a lighthouse, among other things, can be made. However, not all shots need be taken when there's plenty of light in the sky as silhouettes of lighthouses can be just as interesting as ones that capture textures and colour.
 

1. What Gear Do I Need?

You can use any lens for a lighthouse silhouette, depending on the type of image you are wanting to shoot. With a wide-angle, you will need to get in closer and that means converging verticals although that it not a problem with a lighthouse. However, the top will look rather thin and spindly.

From further away, you can frame the lighthouse along the base of the frame and let a colourful sunrise or sunset sky dominate. With a telephoto, you can retreat even further away so it really depends on the effect you are wanting to get.

It's always a good idea to use a tripod for landscapes as you need to ensure your horizons are straight and it makes it easier to adjust your camera settings too.

 

Always make room for filters as they can come in handy and plenty of camera bags have compartments for accessories such as these, plus they don't take up much room.

 

2. What Time Of Day Is Best? 

Timing your shoot is the key thing here. Of course, you can shoot silhouettes at any time of day, but they often look much better when there is some warmth in the sky, so early or late in the day is best.

Early isn't for everyone, however the advantage of sunrise, though, is that there are not many people around so it depends on the effect you are after.

 

3. What About The Weather? 

You are obviously very dependent on the sky for this technique and you can get good effects in all sorts of conditions – dull, even greyness is when it is not worth the effort.
 

4. Never Look Directly At The Sun 

One word of warning with the sun – you should never look through the camera directly at the sun because you can permanently damage your eyes. For silhouettes like this make sure that the sun is shielded by the lighthouse when you are framing up. Or if you want the sun in the frame, use the camera's Live View feature so you can frame up safely.

 

5. How Can I Create A Silhouette?

Aim a camera at a brightly backlit scene and a silhouette is often the result anyway. Some multi-zone metering systems will try to avoid that, though, and give you more detail than you might want in the shadows. This is easily sorted by aiming the camera up at the sky and using the auto exposure lock to take a reading off the brighter sky. You could use the spot or centre-weight light measurement modes of your camera but multi-segment should work fine too. Recompose and shoot for the perfect silhouette. Or just set -1EV or even -2EV on the exposure compensation dial.

 

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    Hedgerows divide land right across Britain, including many back gardens, and they're home to a wide variety of wildlife making them a perfect place for outdoor photographers. A hedgerow will give you a huge shot collection of flowers, plants, insects, small mammals and birds from just one location. You just need to know where to look and when.   What Gear Should I Take? 

 

If you're on the hunt for insects and flowers take your macro lens along but if you want to photograph the many birds and small mammals that live in the hedgerow you'll need a telephoto or zoom lens so you can observe and take your photographs from a distance that won't scare them off.

A tripod or even a beanbag will give your arms a rest and stop you shaking the camera when you're working on those frame-filling shots. Use a remote release or if you don't have one make use of the self-timer as this will give you enough time to press the shutter and move away so your movement won't blur your shot. As it's dark and shadowy inside a hedgerow take a reflector out with you to add and direct light into the shot.

If you're going to be working on the ground it's worth taking a gardener's kneeling pad with you to keep your knees dry and a little comfier.

 

Capturing Shots Of Flowers

 

Whatever time of year you do your hedgerow flower photography, if you use your lens' minimum aperture to give your flower shots greater depth of field, remember this will slow your shutter speed down so watch out for camera shake.

 

Top Tips On Bird Photography 

 

If it's birds you're searching for wrens and thrushes are just two of the species you'll find nesting in the dense cover. This can make them hard to spot, but most birds prefer taller, mature hedges where there are plenty of trees around they can perch on so keep an eye out for areas like this. Also, spend enough time around these older, well-developed areas and you may even spot shy blue tits, owls and even bats if you're out late enough. Keep your ears open for bird song too as this will give away even the smallest of birds locations.

If your focus is a particular branch have your lens focused and exposure locked in place so when the bird lands you can quickly snap your shot. You may find continuous shooting's useful and keep an eye on your exposure as a bright sky and a dark subject can confuse the camera into thinking it needs to underexpose the shot.

Make sure you don't disturb any nests and don't trespass! Stick to public paths or better still, your own garden.

 

Shoot From A Bird's Eye View

If you live near a hill or can get to higher ground try photographing a group of fields. The patchwork of colour, particularly towards the summer with rapeseed, separated by rows of hedges makes a great looking photograph. Try doing a year-long hedgerow safari too as the flora and wildlife will continuously change so there'll be ample to photograph.

 

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    It's well-known in the photography community that you can go to certain locations and expect to see tripod holes in the floor where photographer after photographer has set-up to capture a popular shot so how can we, as photographers, do something a little bit different? We answer this question, and more, below. 

 

1. What Gear Do I Need? 

1. Zoom lens - it's easier to carry just one lens
2. Support - A support that's lightweight and compact is easier to carry and this could be a tripod or monopod, depending on your preference. 
3. Camera bag - An everyday backpack which is strong, can carry various pieces of kit and is easy to access is perfect for this type of photography. A rucksack style distributes the weight of kit more evenly, which means you'll be more comfortable when walking for long periods of time. 

 

2. What Research Should I Do? 

Having a look through online photo galleries and in travel guides will give you an overall picture of how the landmark(s) you're planning on visiting have been captured before. You'll also be able to find out if there are any costs and the opening/closing times so you can plan your trip around the crowds of tourists that will no doubt flock to your photographic subject. When you arrive at your destination have a look around the tourist information office as you'll find plenty of postcards that feature photos of landmarks and other important buildings which can be a great source for shooting ideas.

 

 

3. Is Clichéd OK?

There are shots that every photographer and his dog have taken of well-known landmarks, but this doesn't mean you should avoid them. A good, postcard style shot of a landmark is something you should try and get early on in your trip then spend the rest of the hour, day or week looking for angles that mean the landmark is still recognisable but the shot you produce is slightly different to what someone would usually expect to see.

 

4. When Should I Plan My Visit For? 

The problem with landmarks is they're popular with tourists so unless you want them in the shot, you'll have to arrive early or stay late to avoid them. Of course, changing your angle or working a little closer to the structure will mean tourists become less of a problem. If it's a really busy day, including them in the shot can add an extra element of interest. Particularly if you use a slightly slower shutter speed to blur their movement around the bottom of the structure you're photographing. Just remember to carry your tripod as you will need it if you plan on playing with slower shutter speeds. Panoramas can work particularly well in busy places too. 

There's probably a couple of local landmarks that may not be as popular with the tourists but are important to the people who live there so consider capturing them too if you want to work somewhere that's slightly less busy.

 

 

5. How Can I Be Different? 

Use your feet and take a walk around to find a unique take on the landmark you're photographing. How does it look from underneath? Can you crouch down and shoot up? Or climb some steps or a hill that's close by to give you a little more elevation. Working from a slightly higher angle can help reduce the convergence you get when shooting tall structures too. When you've finished with the front of the structure have you ever considered photographing it from the back? No? Well, not many tourists do either so you'll be able to capture a unique photo.

 

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When you first think of transport photography you probably think of cars but trains, boats and planes are just as interesting and with the right planning, can be photographed. In this article, we list popular transport photography tutorials and offer a few tips on the gear you may want to consider using.

 

Photographing Cars - Gear Choices & Our Top Tutorials 

 

A standard lens is fine as you can move around the car to alter the angle and position. You'll also want to use a polarising filter to reduce reflections just remember shutter speeds will be slower so you may want to use a tripod.

• Five Ways To Take More Creative Shots Of Cars 
• How To Photograph Your Car Successfully 
• Tim Wallace's To Car Photography Tips

  Photographing Boats - Gear Choices & Our Top Tutorials 

 

A standard zoom of the 35-80mm range is fine, although you may prefer a longer lens 80-200mm if the boat is further away. Make sure you use a polarising filter to reduce reflections/deepen blue skies and pack a tripod but if you plan on taking your shots at the coast or will be walking along a canal for a lengthy period of time, a light-weight tripod that still offers good rigidity will be easier to carry, particularly after you've been walking for a while. 

• Everything You Need To Know About Boat Photography
• How To Take Good photos From A Boat
• More Boat Photography Tips 
   

Photographing Trains  - Gear Choices & Our Top Tutorials 

 

A lens with a focal length between 50mm and 100mm is ideal. Better still, use a zoom lens with a range that covers 28-105mm so you don't have to waste time changing lenses. For shots away from stations, use a tripod with a pan head to follow the train and on the platform use a monopod as they can get busy and you don't want to get in anyone's way.

• Steam Railway Photography Guide 

  Even More Top Transport Photography Tips 

 

If you want even more transport themed photography advice, we have 10 more top tips to help you take better photos of trains, planes, cars and other modes of transport.
 

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