Let’s talk about shooting video when you can’t or wouldn’t use a tripod. We all know why we use tripods – it’s more than just to handle that unsteady look that makes stomachs roil and viewers stop watching while they hiss “amateur”. A proper video head, as we’ve talked about before, makes for smooth pans and tilts. So what do we do when a tripod isn’t the right tool? We use a stabilizer. Manual Stabilizers Back in the olden days, there was a problem for filmmakers to make shots in […]

The Exposure Triangle is a continuous entity. A change to any value necessitates a change to at least one, perhaps both of the other elements. If we want a higher shutter speed, then either we have to open the aperture or increase the ISO or some combination of the two. When we shoot in full automatic, the camera’s CPU is doing all the work for us based on the meter reading. That’s great, right up until we choose to take a bit more creative control of the triangle.

There are only two kinds of digital photographers who use cameras with interchangeable lenses, those who have had to deal with sensor dust and those who have not had to deal with sensor dust, yet. If you are in the latter group, be ready, because it will happen.

Blur shows the motion of the Merry Go Round

When you are going out to shoot, be it hockey, auto racing, polo or figure skating, what makes these events special is the magic of the motion. What you want is a nice sharp photo, that also shows that motion is happening, and so communicates the magic of the event to the viewer. In this article, Ross Chevalier will show you how to use motion blur to capture more exciting photos.

Exposure Compensation: Snowbirds

What is exposure compensation and how do you use it? There are plenty of situations where using exposure compensation can improve your photos – at weddings, around a campfire, at air shows, taking shots of a nighttime skyline, etc. Exposure compensation exists on your camera so you can add brightness to images that come out too dark, or to remove brightness in images that are too bright to begin with. That’s it, plain and simple. Here are some tips on how and when to use exposure compensation.

Two Filters Every Serious Photographer Must Have

When we were shooting film, particularly black and white film, we carried pouches filled with filters because making the light adjustment had to be done at time of capture. With today’s amazing digital post processing, filters have to a large extent gone the way of the dinosaur and the dodo, fondly remembered but not widely used.