What camera should I buy?
It just might be the time of year, but I’ve been getting fairly regular emails through from people asking what digital camera they should buy.. It can be a bewildering market so I thought that perhaps I should try to put some thoughts on the matter down here. read more…
RAW
Everyone is familiar with JPEGs. Compatible in just about every device and program you’re likely to come across in day to day life, the humble JPEG is just that: humble. JPEGs may be convenient but if you want to make the most of what your camera is capable of you should consider shooting in RAW. read more…
How to… use a Polariser
The polariser is one of the most commonly used filters in photography, and for good reason. It is a very versatile tool and the effects that are possible through a polarising filter are often impossible to replicate in any other way, including photoshop. read more…
Shutter Speed, Aperture and ISO
When you get right down to it, there are really only three things that control the exposure of your photographs: your shutter speed, aperture and your ISO*. Everything else – your metering modes, exposure compensation – is really just a set of tools to help you tell the camera how to set these three variables.
the Histogram
Digital photography has brought us all manner of new tools that make photography that much easier. The histogram is without a doubt one of, if not the most useful of all these tools. read more…
Less is More
One of the easiest, simplest and most reliable ways to make people appreciate your photography more is to be selective about what you show people. By that I mean that you go through your photos and select only those that are good, that you think other people will enjoy looking at, and you disregard the rest: Less is more. read more…
Just getting started?
Welcome to my free on-line tutorials! It is early days yet for this project but it is my aim to have a fairly comprehensive range of tutorials and articles that will cover everything from the absolute basics to the trickier technical stuff. read more…
Rule of Thirds
Of all the rules of composition the Rule of Thirds is easily the most commonly quoted and used. It’s also the most commonly broken, and frankly that’s fair enough. They’re not really rules, just guidelines: tools to use when it suits you (or perhaps more appropriately, when it suits the photograph). I will tell you right now that the rule of thirds – or any compositional rule – will not work in every situation.
Having said that it is popular for good reason. It’s simple, it’s easy and it’s exceptionally effective under a huge range of circumstances. Once you have learned it you will find that you use the rule of thirds in everything from landscapes to action shots and everything in between. It is, for want of a better word, a good default compositional tool.
If in doubt, use the Thirds. read more…