Shooting with Window Light
There are, in fact, some interesting photographic advantages to spending time at home. When we are indoors there are many spots around your home that can be turned into great photographic locations if you understand how to work with window light. Here are some tips and techniques that explain how to work with window light so you can get creative with your camera and take some great images in your home. There are many ways to use window light, all of which give various different types of lighting patterns. Where you put yourself as a photographer and where you place your subject in relation to the window will also have a huge effect on the image. When we work with window light, we are shooting with directional light. This gives us the option of using the window light as a sidelight, front light or backlight. When working with light, as a general rule, the larger the light source is in relation to the subject, the softer the light is. The smaller the light source is, the more intense the light will be. Small light sources will also often create very hard and deep shadows. Window Light Perhaps surprisingly, the weather […]
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Photographing Still Life Subjects using Flash
Utilizing Speedlights and the Auto FP High-Speed Sync function You’re probably thinking to yourself, “What is Auto FP High-Speed Sync and what can it do for me?” It can help you make a pretty cool still life image Auto FP High-Speed Sync is a setting on select Nikon digital cameras that gives you the ability to use much faster shutter speeds with flash than normal. Check the user manuals for your camera and Speedlight flash to see if your camera and Speedlight combination have this option available. The maximum normal sync speed of a camera is the fastest shutter speed that you can use with a Speedlight. Here’s an explanation as to how the shutter works when you’re using a flash. When you press the shutter button, the first shutter curtain will fully open and expose the sensor/film before the second shutter curtain starts to close. When using shutter speeds faster than maximum normal flash sync, the second shutter curtain starts to close before the first shutter curtain is fully open. With ambient light, the sensor/film is exposed by a moving slit or gap between the two moving shutter curtains. What does all this technical information mean? With flash, under […]
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How to Stream Content Using a Nikon Camera
With a small set up, it’s easy to take your message to the masses. But you might be wondering how to go about doing so. We spoke with Seth Miranda, a professional photographer who regularly shares his photographic and streaming knowledge on various platforms including YouTube and Twitch; using a Nikon Z 6 as the webcam for his streaming. “ANYONE that wants a better quality level of content,” he says, should look to using a camera as their ‘webcam’ because “with so many creators competing for an audience…it’s easy to let content die if no one wants to consume it simply because the production level is low.” With the right equipment, you can produce content with higher production value. And when your content is of high quality, it can open doors to collaborating with others and reaching a broader audience. Using a Camera as a Webcam – Learn how Seth uses a Nikon Z 6 and NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S lens as a webcam for high quality video streaming. “With platforms like Twitch and my Discord I’m able to have an ever running community of people of various skill levels share work and keep discussions going. When I go live […]
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INSECTS IN FOCUS
Insects aren’t for everyone. While some squirm and squeal in their presence, others view them as an object of intense fascination. For photographers, they can prove to be an incredibly rewarding subject matter, however, photographing them unlocks a unique set of challenges. It’s estimated that insects make up over 90% of animal life on earth, so there is no catch-all guide to photographing insects, but we have outlined some general tips that should come in handy. D3300, f/8, 1/400, ISO 100, AF-S DX Micro NIKKOR 40mm f/2.8G D800, f/8, 1/640, ISO 800, AF-S NIKKOR 300mm f/4D IF-ED CHOOSING A LENS First and foremost, even the biggest insects are small, their features are minuscule and intricate, so detailed images are the only way to do them justice. A suitable macro lens should be the starting point as it allows you to shoot insects that fills the frame nicely with minute details. This will allow you to pick up details that aren’t easily visible to the human’s naked eye. Nikon’s line of Micro-Nikkor lenses ranges from 40 to 200mm in focal length, which will fit different situations. ENSURING STABILITY Tripods are incredibly beneficial for any type of macro photography and insects are […]
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Embrace the darkness with Low key photography
If you are looking to add some drama to that dull old portrait images, then you have come to the right place. Introducing low key portraiture, a way of capturing portraits with a dark and dramatic look and feel. This technique is all about creating a contemplative mood through the clever use of shadows and lighting. If the technique looks familiar, it’s because many mainstream movie posters utilise this technique to add that extra hint of drama. Distance and lighting are the two most important factors when trying to achieve this technique, by carefully adjusting both, you would be able to create this effect easily. D850, f/16, 1/250, ISO 400, AF-S NIKKOR 58mm f/1.4G LIGHTING In simple terms, low key photography is all about making your background far darker than your subject. The first thing to factor in is your light source. The choice of light source is entirely up to you, as long as there is only one. By no means is this a strict rule, but having one primary source of light allows you to properly control your environment, and gives you the flexibility to focus solely on the direction and strength. When choosing a light source, keep […]
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Creative Photography You Can Do At Home
Self-assignments of everyday subjects to spark your creativity Featuring TOM BOL I spend close to 300 days a year on the road shooting assignments and teaching workshops in some of the most far-flung locations you can imagine. I love to travel, and photographing new cultures and environments gets my creative juices flowing. Sights, smells, colours, and sublime light jumpstarts my passion for image-making. But what ideas and subjects could you photograph at home to improve your photography? © Tom Bol B&W often turns noisy or cluttered scenes into images that become all about light and shadow, and patterns. Sunlight hitting part of the fence makes it more interesting than if the entire fence was in the sun. Always look for the interplay of light and shadow. Staring out the window, it hit me like a ton of bricks. I realized I was staring at a remarkable graphic shadow on our back fence. Right out the window, I look out a hundred times a day. How come I had never noticed this shadow before? I quickly grabbed my Z.6 and headed out the door. But as I was walking across our deck, I noticed my dog’s footprint in the morning frost. Incredible! Ten […]
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Top Tips for Photographing Children
Through the Ages As a rule of thumb, the ages of your subjects are going to dictate what you can draw from them. • Babies and toddlers – for much of the time, you’re battling with the fact that they’ve got no interest in being photographed, and they’re not going to keep still just because you want them to (if at all, unless asleep!). You can help matters along by choosing to photograph them while they’re engrossed in play at a particular spot, which may mean setting up the right toys to capture their attention in the place you want to capture them. • Children aged four to nine or so tend to enjoy mugging for the camera, which can yield great comedy shots but not necessarily those that authentically capture their true natures, so be prepared to spend a bit of time working through their performance art and then, as they get bored and start to become more engrossed in their own imaginary world, you’ve got the chance to take candids capturing the “real” children. • Nine to 12 or 13 covers a period when children are starting to become self-conscious about how they look and how they come […]
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Portrait Photography Basics
Let’s face it – taking great portraits is what your Nikon DSLR is made for. Try these tips for boosting your learning curve and your success rate. Lens and focal length choice The lens you use has a major impact when shooting portraits: too wide and it will distort the face, making features appear bigger (noses in particular), while too long a telephoto will compress your subject’s face, creating an unnatural-looking, “flattened” result. What you’re after is something within the range of 50mm to 200mm. This can mean primes such as the 50mm, 60mm, 85mm, 105mm or 200mm lenses; but it also means you can select from a zoom like the 24-70mm or 24-120mm. With a longer zoom, such as the 70-200mm, try shooting at the longest focal length (here, 200mm), move back to get your subject in focus, then take your shot; this will blur the background beautifully to put more emphasis on your subject. White balance To capture healthy looking skin tones, it’s vital that your DSLR’s white balance (in the shooting menu) is set for the available light. The easiest way to do this is to set auto white balance, where the camera determines the colour temperature […]
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NIKON ASSIGNMENT: MARCH 2020
Would you like to have your image displayed in Nikon Centurion? Participate in our monthly Nikon Assignments and you could be one of seven lucky photographers who will get the opportunity to have their image displayed. Each Nikon Assignment will have a unique theme to challenge photographers to get creative and use their photographic skills. THEME: YELLOW For this Nikon Assignment, we invite you to share your best photos showing the yellow colour as the focus colour in the composition. From portraits and studio shots to architecture, objects and animals; be creative and share how you capture the colour yellow. *Photos must be submitted in portrait format. Not landscape. The brief Submit an image showcasing YELLOW. To participate in the assignment, you must: SNAP – Take a CREATIVE photograph of the colour YELLOW. GRAM – Post your image on Instagram and/or Facebook. TAG – Add the hashtag #MyNikonAssignment and #NikonYellow and tag Nikon SA in the photo caption. FOLLOW – Follow @IamNikonSA on Instagram and Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/nikonsouthafrica Your entry must be published on Instagram/Facebook during the assignment dates (13 – 31 March 2020). Images posted before or after the assignment dates will not be considered. The award Seven lucky […]
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