Photography & Doggies
First, avoid shooting on bright, cloudless sunny days. Too much sunlight
can wash your subjects out. Plus, strong light means strong shadows.
Cloudy days are actually great for taking pictures. The clouds defuse the
light, softening it but still showcasing rich colors. Plus, the diffused light will
cast fewer shadows. If you have to take pictures on a bright sunny day, try
to avoid taking pictures in the middle of the day, when the sun will be at its
brightest.
If it's a bright sunny day and you're taking pictures, look for ways to diffuse
the light yourself. Open shade trees are a good way to do it. Look for a
large tree with a wide spread of branches that are fairly high off the
ground. The leaves will catch most of the light but will also let just enough
in so your subject isn't completely in the dark. Just watch out for any harsh
shadows -- especially on your subject's face.
You may not be able to control your light source, but you can control
where you and your subject are relative to it. Try to have your light source
to the side of your subject. If the light is behind your subject, you won't get
to see any detail -- instead, you'll just see a silhouette. On the other hand,
if your subject is looking into the light, he or she may be squinting. Plus,
direct light on an object or someone's face may be harsh and unflattering.
Photos with the best lighting tend to have the light source to the side.
You'll want to make sure that they light source isn't too harsh -- otherwise
you'll get shadows on one side of your subject. If possible, go for two light
sources, one on either side of your subject. That way, the lighting will be
even and you'll be able to see the subject clearly.
If you just can't seem get enough light on your own, a flash is a great way
to add some, but you'll need to make sure you're using it correctly. Get
familiar with your camera's owner's manual.
You shouldn't rely on a flash to light your scene for you. Instead, use your
flash to fill out the light in a scene, eliminating shadows. For example, if
you wanted to take a picture of something by a bright window, you'd likely
only get a silhouette, since all the light would be coming in from the
window behind your subject. But, by using your flash to fill in the scene,
you'll illuminate the details on the front of your subject, too.
You may also want to use different flash setting for different situations.
Some cameras have a red-eye reducing flash setting that flashes one light
before the photograph is taken, and one while the photograph is being
taken. That helps reduce the red eye effect you'll see in a lot of photos.
10) Experimentation - With digital photography, experimentation is
endless! Take advantage and fire away with tons of shots! You'll never
know if your ideas will work until you try!
Photography is art and I love it! The possibilities are endless and you can
really have a lot of fun along the way as you learn! So grab your camera
and start clicking away!
Sources:
Photography Mad, Tips Tutorial & Techniques, Top Photography Tips