How to take pictures of scenery, portraits and sports?

Scenery photography skills don't let the scenery in front of the camera miss.

People often mistakenly think that it is so simple to pick up the camera and press the shutter to take a landscape photo, but the photos we get after a passionate click are often not what we want. Indeed, the towering mountains and the blue sea can arouse our infinite impulse and inspiration. They are always so photogenic, but what have we done wrong and what should we do?

The light near the evening highlights the effect of texture.

In front of the scenery, our vision is subjective, and we will unconsciously ignore those discordant and messy things. The film of the camera can only record the real scene.

Therefore, before the next trip, I suggest you adjust the focal length of the camera to a moderate level; In the process of shooting, try to restrain yourself from taking the beautiful scenery you saw at first sight into the lens; If it is difficult for a photo to capture the scenery completely, you can try to take photos from multiple angles and express the beautiful scenery in the form of group photos; First survey the whole situation with a wide-angle lens, and then gradually zoom in to capture the most beautiful details. If your stupid camera has a built-in non-zoom lens, it is only as close to the scene as possible to better highlight the key points.

The sunlight passing through the forest adds a dramatic effect to the monotonous forest scenery.

In any case, you don't have to bother to collect all the rocks, trees or other scenery elements. For example, it is often more interesting to photograph a solitary tree on a mountain than a lush hill. Although it's easy to shoot a branch against a corner of the blue sky, photos are often more infectious.

Remember, all great photos have only one theme, or central element. If the viewer of the photo feels that the theme you captured is not clear enough, then the appeal of the photo will of course be greatly reduced. This rule is not only applicable when you try to express patterns or abstract impressions, such as shooting colored stones, footprints of animals in the snow and so on.

The floating clouds added peace to the farm.

The elements in the foreground of the photo can bring artistic effects to the whole photo and guide the audience's eyes to find them.

The role of the theme. Point out typical examples, such as fences in front of farmhouses, intertwined roads in canyons, and winding railway tracks in mountainous areas.

In the choice of film, the film with the sensitivity of ISO 100 is most suitable for showing the delicate and bright colors needed for landscape photos. If you are shooting a moving object, or the light in the shooting environment is dim, then you should consider using a film with higher sensitivity.

Many people who use a fool's camera only like to take pictures from a horizontal angle, probably because this posture is the easiest to grasp the camera. But for landscape photography, sometimes the vertical angle will have a better effect, such as shooting towering peaks and waterfalls. Some scenes are only suitable for shooting at a horizontal angle, such as the seaside. Of course, there are also some scenes that are suitable for both shooting angles.

The reflection of water provides an interesting framework for this photo of the city scenery around the theme.

When shooting, even if you are sure that the scene is suitable for the horizontal angle, you might as well put the camera vertically and see what effect it will have if you shoot from the vertical angle of the frame. In addition, don't be too disciplined in shooting, and don't dare to violate the rules. Give it a try, and you will find that some scenes will be more interesting if they are deflected at a certain angle.

Many people will stubbornly believe that outdoor photography is only suitable when there is plenty of sunshine. In fact, this view is wrong The dazzling sunshine at noon will wash away the original color of the scenery and make the foreground look gray forever. In contrast, the morning and afternoon with good light are more suitable for shooting. At these times, the light outside will be softer and the shadows may have dramatic effects. Even with a simple camera, it is possible to shoot a rare masterpiece at this moment.

Photography skills in different weather conditions

Whether we are shooting for a magazine, shooting materials for a document or recording a holiday trip, we want to be prepared for all situations-from shooting a football match to taking a portrait of our grandfather's 90th birthday; Take the first step in life from shooting the Great Pyramid of Egypt to recording babies. In this chapter, we will discuss how to apply the technical knowledge and aesthetic skills learned in the second chapter to the actual situation.

If you know that you are going to face a special scene, check the relevant chapters-for example, if you are going to travel to the Grand Canyon, look at the tips about the scenery. You can also consult other photography books and magazines to see how other photographers shoot under the same or similar themes. Think carefully-and keep it in mind-how they successfully demonstrated this effect. Just as painters learn from the works of masters, we can also learn a lot from others.

weather

Photographers like dramatic weather. Rain, snow, fog, stormy sky-using the weather can add color to photos and help you convey a mood or emotion. Wet streets reflect neon lights, which look very different from abandoned houses in the sun. Fog will have more atmosphere than sunny days. Try to photograph the scenery near your home in different weather conditions and compare the mood conveyed by each picture.

rain

When shooting in the rain, find a sheltered place (such as a porch). Simply wrap your camera with an umbrella or plastic bag and leave a hole for the lens, because water may damage your equipment. Pay attention to the raindrops that fall on your lens or filter, and always wipe them clean.

Cure it or blur it.

To freeze raindrops in mid-air, use a shutter speed of1125 or higher. 1/60 seconds, the raindrops will lengthen, especially when you slow down the shutter speed. It is best to highlight raindrops in a dim background, but if it is impossible, try to include another clear object in the picture to show that it is raining-for example, an umbrella holder or water dripping in a puddle.

Tip:

If it's raining or just starting to rain when you shoot the city, go out-sparkling streets will add a lot of color to your photos.

The influence of rain

Find out how rain affects your photos. The leaves will shine, and the windward trunk will become dim because of the humidity, making the forest more dramatic. A farmer can stand in the field and watch the timely rain with a smile, while a businessman who is in a hurry may look unhappy.

Photo 1: At a railway station in Ethiopia, the rain did not stop the woman from trying to sell goods to passing passengers. The high-speed shutter freezes the raindrops and is almost invisible. The shutter speed of 1/60 seconds makes raindrops appear faintly on the dim background of the train car, which is fast enough for the main body of the character.

Figure 2: Same picture, same exposure, different effects. The shutter speed of1/60s almost solidified the snowflake on the left, and the snowflake was elongated at115s. Before adjusting the combination of aperture and shutter speed to correctly expose the camera, think about what kind of effect you want.

snow

Ice and snow, like a beach, can deceive the exposure meter: bright white will lead to underexposure-because-don't forget-the exposure meter gets readings from 18% gray scale. The easiest way to compensate is to get a reading from a gray card or a landscape that you know is in the middle tone. Make sure it is in the same light as your subject, and the exposure meter will not read data in a bright background. If it's an important shot, use surround exposure.

If you have taken many photos of the same scenery, and you have determined the underexposure of the exposure meter, you can set the exposure compensation dial to automatic compensation. If your camera doesn't have such a dial, you can change the ISO value to "cheat" the exposure meter. For example, if you use ISO 200 film, the exposure meter reads F/ 16 at 1/250 seconds. From the grey card, the reading you get is F/ 1 1, at 1/250 seconds. Change the ISO value to 100 to compensate for the first gear. Remember, halving the ISO value doubles the amount of light needed to reach the film. Don't forget to switch back to the original settings after shooting.

If the weather is fine, come out in the early morning or at dusk. Low-angle sunlight makes snow show more details and textures than during the day. Avoid shooting when the sun is shining directly from behind you. Light reflected directly from the snow to your lens usually gives you a white effect.

If you film sports-skiers or sledders-look at the details of sports chapters and learn how to freeze or capture sports.

In very cold conditions, we should try to keep the camera battery at an effective working temperature. I usually put my camera in my coat, take it out when shooting, and put it back when I go to a place. Also remember that skin will stick to extremely cold metal, so tape all contact surfaces in advance. Don't forget the point where your nose touches the camera. )

On very cold days, don't forget the condensation phenomenon when you go back indoors. When you are still in a cold environment, seal the camera with a plastic bag, then heat the camera when you return to the room with heating equipment, and then open the plastic bag.

Look for the details that really explain "cold": a bird curled up in feathers, a child who just showed his eyes from a bright down jacket, the suspended breath in the air when two people talk, and the ice on his beard.

Tip:

Be extra careful when shooting falling snow with a flash. The flash will only illuminate the latest snowflake, but not the rest.

doubt

A ship is suspended in fog, and the fog-water vapor floating on the lotus pond can produce a very resonant picture. Like snow, fog can deceive your exposure meter and flash. Some fog may be a perfect medium gray tone or its thinness is irrelevant, while others may be close to white. To ensure the correct exposure, get exposure readings from the subject, or, if you have a way, from a gray card. In dense fog, your flash may be reflected by water particles and cannot reach your main body, just as car headlights sometimes can only illuminate the fog but not the road.

If the fog is too thick, wrap your camera in a clean plastic bag. Pay attention to the fog and steam condensed on the lens.

When there is fog outside, don't be scared away by its dim light-diffuse light is very suitable for taking some emotional photos.

A stormy sky

When I saw the dramatic stormy sky, I ran around trying to find some interesting points in its foreground. The dramatic sky creates a feeling that you can't get from other scenes, just like classical painters do.

If you shoot sunlight through the clouds several times, be careful not to get the exposure meter reading from the light column, because you want it to be bright. The same applies when the white foam of generate hits the rock. Remember, if the sky is too dark, the exposure meter will be overexposed.

Figure photography

Portrait photography, also known as portrait photography, is the most widely used form of photography in life. It seems easy to photograph people, but it is not easy to capture the beauty with personality characteristics in people. People photography requires high quality of photographers. The French sculptor Rodin once pointed out: "Beauty is the expression of individuality" and "Nothing in nature has more individuality than the human body". Therefore, the human body contains huge aesthetic resources with infinite potential. Facing the living subject in life, how to discover its inner beauty? It is important to communicate with the subject. Communication is an emotional interaction based on careful observation. Photographers should have enthusiasm and humanistic care for their subjects. Not only should we look carefully and observe carefully, but more importantly, we should feel, appreciate and discover, which requires us to handle our psychological factors well. It is very important for photographers to keep a peaceful attitude towards their subjects. Whether you know the subject or not, as long as you carefully observe, concentrate on communication, try your best to understand, find the most charming, touching, attractive and charming place of the subject, and press the shutter at a critical moment, a moving figure photography will jump to the page.

It is an instant result after a long and complicated process to discover the beautiful shining point of the subject and capture it in time with the camera, which is the embodiment of the photographer's comprehensive quality. People photography has its own unique rules, so photographers should use it flexibly and grasp it well in practice.

One is to reveal the psychological factors such as thoughts, personalities, emotions, subconsciousness, etc. through the appearance and various information of the characters, and to explore the "inner truth" from the "outer truth", so as to gain a profound sense of beauty, introduce people into the spiritual world of the subject, understand the essential strength of people, and thus obtain aesthetic enjoyment and spiritual enlightenment.

Second, the face of the character is the key part to see through the inner world. The mouth should be opened and closed, the muscles should be pulled tightly, and the eyebrows should be stretched, all of which are related to the psychological state of the character. The eyes of the characters are the windows of the soul, which can best convey feelings, but they also need to be carefully carved. The subtle differences in eyes will reflect the world of worlds apart, so you should have a good proper limit.

Third, gestures and postures have a strong function of revealing the heart. The hand is the "second face" of people, which can convey feelings and express personality. Gestures change a lot, and it is important to make them close to the psychological state. The expressive force of hand posture and body posture is amazing, sometimes not? Quot the participation of eyes in the window of the soul is enough to show the inner world.

The fourth is to use the environment that has some internal connection with the subject to express the character characteristics of the characters. Such as: suggesting the character's identity or professional environment, pointing out the environment of character cultivation, showing the character's hobbies, revealing the character's feelings and so on.

High speed sports photography

Although the focus tracking ability of consumer digital cameras is often not as good as that of SLR, we can still use some shooting skills to make ordinary consumer digital cameras shoot good high-speed moving images.

For example, we can narrow the aperture and get a wider depth of field. For example, in general sports, such as running and skating. We can shoot at the turning point, which makes it easier to successfully chase the focus.

In addition, "pre-focusing" or "manual focusing" is also a feasible method.

1. Reduce the aperture of the camera to about F8.

2. Choose a scene with a corner to focus on the ice surface at the corner in advance.

When people turn a corner, swing the camera in the direction of the skater. This part needs more practice to keep up with the smooth rhythm of the athletes.

The 10th National Games is going on, and I think it should be regarded as a very practical skill!