Photography News

 

There's nothing quite like picking your way around the edges of a lake which is just beginning to freeze and photographing great abstract pictures of ice details. Similarly, icicles at the edges of streams and in waterfalls can lift otherwise ordinary shots into a whole new dimension.

On really cold mornings, lake edges start to freeze, providing abstract patterns with overlapping layers of ice just beginning to form. Pop a macro lens on your camera, fix it on the tripod and look closely for patterns in the ice. The edge of the ice can give great shapes, too. Look for leaves caught on or in the ice as well, or bubbles given off by underwater plant life that has frozen in the ice surface.

To see through some of the icy layers to the details below, a polarising filter can be useful to reduce reflection from the surface of the ice.

For a waterfall to freeze, it needs to get really cold, but where waterfalls, or tumbles over rocks, it creates turbulence and splashes up over surrounding rocks and vegetation. These areas freeze into crystal-like caps over rocks, icy stalagmites on grass or chandelier-like structures on large waterfalls. Even where water drips off the edges of peat bog into streams, in cold spells, these can form wonderful icicles which, after water levels drop slightly, hang magically above the surface of the water.

Where there is still moving water in the photo, try a range of shutter speeds to contrast the frozen ice with the flow of the water - or even the ripples in the stream. Use of a polarising filter will take reflections off the water to show it as darker, contrasting with the whiteness of the ice, although sometimes reflections in the water are just as important as the ice itself! A telephoto zoom may help you to crop close without risking a slip and fall into very cold water.

Remember, where there is a predominance of white tones, they are likely to confuse your camera meter, so be prepared to add about a stop exposure. Conversely, highlights on ice against a dark background may blow easily, so keep a close eye on your histograms.

Ice will hang about more in shaded areas, so watch your white balance to avoid your whites turning out with a blue cast.

Finally - watch your step, scrambling around icy edges of lakes, or near waterfalls in sub-zero temperatures can be very slippery underfoot, so be careful not to fall in, or worse, let your camera topple in either; but find some icy margins and create some exciting pictures.

Article by John Gravett of Lakeland Photographic Holidays.

As the sun's still setting before most of us get home from work, now is the perfect time to have a go at night photography. Various types of photography are possible when the nights begin to draw in. Here's our guide to what you can do and what kit you'll need to do it.
 

Photo by David Pritchard

 

Essential Equipment:

 

Tripod

Aside from your camera, a tripod is the single most essential item in night time photography, when low shutter speeds are in use as hand-held photography is virtually impossible. It's a good idea to find a model that's lightweight and compact enough to carry around with ease.

 

Fast Lenses

When it comes to lenses, wide angle is often the way to go - the faster the better. An aperture of at least f/2.8 throughout the entire focal length is recommended as available light will be at a minimum. 

 

Filters, Lens Hoods And Rain Sleeves

A filter is not essential, however a UV filter can be used to protect your lens from the elements. In harsh weather conditions a lens hood can protect the front of your lens from rain while a rain sleeve will protect your camera body.

 

Flash Gun

An additional flash is a useful tool when working outdoors at night, and it's important to find one that's suited to your particular camera. Most flash guns will fit most cameras, but unless it's dedicated it won't work with the camera auto settings and could result in an incorrect exposure.

 

Light Meter

Night photography can be tricky and your camera's built-in metering system may not be accurate enough to get the correct exposure, which is where a light meter will be useful. One that has an illuminated LCD would be best as it'll make viewing easier in low light. Various brands create light meters who have various models which are lightweight, small in design and feature LCD displays.

 

Clothing

Waterproof and warm clothing is essential if you are going to be outdoors during winter for long periods. A waterproof jacket with a hood is ideal. Do wear layers instead of one thick jacket as you can always add or remove items if hot/cold. Wearing a good pair of walking boots and gloves is also a good idea.

 

Remote Shutter Release

Also consider adding a Remote shutter release to your kit. A remote control will activate the shutter release without any need for contact with the camera, eliminating the risk of blur caused by camera movement. Do check that the remote release is compatible with your camera.

Your camera's self-timer can also be used as an alternative, preventing the need for contact at the time of the shutter release.

 

Camera Bag

A weatherproof camera bag will keep your equipment dry and well protected from the elements, and backpacks are generally easier to carry and more comfortable than any other type of bag. Take a look at our review section to find a bag that's suitable for you.

 

Accessories

Depending on where you are planning to go to carry out your photography, a torch might be good idea as some areas will not have the benefit of street lighting. For those who prefer to keep their hands free consider packing a head torch.

If you are going to be outdoors for a while, a flask of hot tea or coffee may be a good idea.

 

Photo by Joshua Waller 

 

What To Photograph:

 

Buildings At Night

Shooting buildings at night can create a very different feel from the way they would look during daylight. Cityscapes are always a good choice, as are churches. Useful equipment for this type of photograph includes: Tripod, flashgun, wide lenses, light meter, torch and filters. Click the following links for tips on shooting buildings at night:

• Advice On Shooting In Towns And Cities At Night
• Photographing Night Time Urban Scenes
• Town / City Night Photography Tips
• Tips On Photographing Buildings At Night
• Photographing Architecture In Singapore

  Moving Cars And Fairground Rides

Moving cars and fairground rides are easy to find and can create some stunning streams of lights and patterns when done after dark. Experiment with different shutter speeds to see what effects can be created.

Useful equipment includes: Tripod, monopod, flashgun, light meter, shutter remote release and warm clothing.

 

Moon And Moonlight

Landscapes need not stop when then sun goes down. Try using the moon as a source of light to produce some dramatic as well as eerie effects. Click here to see the ePHOTOzine guide to photographing the moon. Useful equipment includes: Tripod, telephoto lenses and warm clothing.

 

Night Portraits

Outdoor portaits at night may be slightly more tricky than portraits during the day, but the results can be much more effective. Useful equipment includes: Tripod, light meter, flashgun and warm clothing.

 

Wildlife

A whole new world of wildlife emerges after dark. Disguise yourself in a hide and see what turns up! Useful equipment includes: Tripod, camera trigger, flashgun, hide, warm clothing and a flask.

 

Star Trails

Even though it takes a while, the effort is worth it as the effects captured can be amazing. For more tips, take a look at these tutorials: Photographing star trails part one and two.

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There are plenty of great mountain ranges scattered around the UK that are well worth a photo at any time of year but in winter, when a covering of snow's fallen or a hard frost has settled they tend to look even more impressive.

The cool, clean air of winter is good for capturing mountainscapes as everything seems much more clear with distant subjects appearing crisp. However, snow, ice and cold plus a mountain equals conditions you have to be extremely careful in. Make sure you dress correctly, have a route planned, carry the right equipment (map, compass, phone etc.) and tell someone where you're going.
 

What kit will be useful?

You'll find both a wide-angle and longer lens useful so make room for both in your camera bag and don't forget your tripod or monopod as a support is a must. A polarising filter will cut down on glare/reflections while an ND Grad filter will balance out the contrast between the sky and ground.

Sweeping shots from the tops, especially with snow and a crisp, blue sky look great but if you go too wide with your lens choice the sense of grandeur can be lost so be careful and check your frame before hitting the shutter button.

Think about scale

For shots that give the mountain(s) more depth compose your shots from a spot where you can make the most of their size from. Don't forget that foreground interest such as the mountain's ridge help give your image scale and can be used to lead the eye through the shot.

For shots with foreground and background interest where front to back sharpness is needed you'll need to use smaller apertures which can mean longer exposure times are needed so make sure you have your tripod or monopod with you.

Consider a panorama for impact

Don't forget about panoramas as they work particularly well for shots of mountain ranges. It won't give you shots that really show off the mountain's height, but it will emphasise how far the landscape stretches out into the distance for. For tips on panoramas, have a look at our previous articles.

Shots of the mountain are what really show how tall these natural structures are, rather than photos taken from the top of them - good news for those that are a little less intrepid! You can use a wide lens but you have to be closer than you think to the mountain(s) to create any sense of height and more often than not, whatever is in the background tends to lose impact with the foreground taking centre stage. It's much easier to use a longer telephoto that pulls the distant mountain to you, filling the frame and as a result, giving the shot more impact.

                                                                                                                           

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Mobile phone cameras are now capable of producing shots which even the most critical photographer will say are decent and well worth displaying in portfolios. Modern smartphones have had a major impact on the photography market as a lot are now capable of producing images just as good, or even better, than basic compact cameras. If a compact is all you wanted to use for your travels, why not upgrade your smartphone and have one less item to pack? 

When you couple this improved technology with the hundreds of apps that are available which are designed to help you be more creative and take better photos, it's easy to see why there's a growing admiration for this form of photography.

As most people now carry a smartphone that has a camera built in we thought we'd put a list of ten tips together to help you improve your shots taken with cameras built into mobile phones, for those situations when you want a good shot and all you happen to have is your phone. 

 

 

Think Of It As A Camera

Holding your phone in one hand and trying to press the shutter button will only result in blurry, wonky shots. Holding your phone with two hands quite close to your body will mean your phone is much more stable and as a result, your images will be better. A lot of modern smartphones now have dedicated shutter buttons to help you capture photos easily, and some even have the ability to take a photo from a squeeze of the sides, like the HTC U11. 

 

Stay Still

Having your arms tucked close to your sides and standing as still as possible will stop any blur caused by movement from spoiling your shot. Don't move your phone away as soon as you've clicked your shutter button either as shutter lag can mean your camera's still processing the shot so you'll end up with a blurry photo of another part of the scene rather than the person or object you want a photo of. Phones like the Samsung Galaxy S9 have OIS built-in, to help combat this too. 

 

Use Accessories

Many companies are now producing lenses and supports for iPhones and other mobile phones which can help enhance and improve your mobile phone photos. One example is the USB Fever Super 20x Macro Lens which offers a magnification of 20x. You can find out how the lens performs in our review. Lensbaby also make a kit which uses magnets to let you interchange various creative lenses.

 

 

 

Zoom With Your Feet

If your camera phone doesn't have an optical zoom use your feet to move you closer to your subject rather than using the digital zoom which can lower the quality of the shot.

 

Light

You'll be relying on natural light most of the time so get outside, when possible, and set up near windows or patio doors when working inside. If you need to turn a few lights on, do watch the colour cast they create. You can tweak the white balance on some phones or there are apps available which you can do this with too. Some also give you exposure compensation options so you can brighten or darken your shot. It's worth checking your settings, which we'll cover next, to find out exactly what your phone's camera can and can't do. Most modern phones pride themselves on having good low light capabilities, many of which use apertures of f/2 or wider to maximise light entering the lens.

Be careful where you position yourself when shooting outdoors as shooting in the direction of the sun can result in flare, although some people like the effect and it can actually work quite well with some shots. As well as having too much light in your shot too little can result in grainy shots where not much detail can be seen.

 

Check Your Settings

Go into your camera's settings and make sure that you camera is primed for the shot. Are there different scene modes to choose from? Experiment to find the right one. A lot of mobiles offer 'pro' or 'advanced' modes, allowing you to change the ISO and shutter speed, white balance etc manually, and experienced photographers will find this useful to personalise images. You may also find there are various shooting modes on offer as well as presets such as night, panorama and portrait mode all designed to help you take the best shot possible.

 

The Lens

It's quite easy to take a shot where a finger or thumb is covering the lens so watch where you position your hands. As phones are put in pockets and carried around in bags they get dusty easily and due to us handling them a lot they get covered in greasy fingerprints quite quickly too so make sure you keep your lens clean and check it before you take any shots.

 

 

Try Different Angles

Working with a phone generally gives you more flexibility than a camera that's on a tripod so make the most of this freedom by varying your shooting angle and trying new shots. People don't always know you're taking a picture when you're holding your phone either, making them good for quick street candids. This doesn't mean you can take photos in places that say you can't though, you still have to obey the rules.

 

Don't Forget About Post Production

Using a phone to take photos with isn't an excuse for not correcting wonky horizons or adjusting the brightness levels in a shot. You can edit your photos with apps on your phone but the screen is a little small so don't overlook transferring them to your computer so you can edit on a larger screen.

 

Experiment With Apps

There's no excuse for not experimenting with your phone photography as the many apps that are available mean you can colour pop photos, add frames, create film effects... the list goes on. There's also apps out there that offer you shooting advice in the palm of your hand so if you want to brush up on your wedding photography while out and about, for example, you can. Some apps you have to pay for but there's also many free apps available which are just as good. Take a look at our review section to see what apps we've liked the most.