Photography Tips for Outdoor, Beach, ,mountain views

The first few things that come to mind when someone utters the word beach are yellow and white sand, breathtaking sunrise and sunsets, delicious seafood, long, comfortable beach chairs where you can sunbathe all day long and several smiling faces all around you.

It’s no different for photographers, the beach is a haven where they can capture a myriad of stunning shots, be it the sun, sand or the sea.

Let’s briefly look at a few of the most picturesque beaches in the world which would be every photographers dream.

Maldives: Set foot on the pure, white, talcum powder sand beaches across the Maldives and be wooed by the many untouched beaches. These beaches are as untouched as they come, no sea walls, no groynes puncturing the shore or any coarse sand used to fill any gaps. You can strut around a majestic and luxurious hotel or swim with the fishes, literally.

Bora Bora,Tahiti: This beach runs for a mere span of 29 kilometers and is one of the islands that make up theFrench Polynesian the South Pacific. The white sandy beaches here are also known as “Romantic Island” on account of its isolated location, intimate yet luxurious hotels and Zen atmosphere.

Lanikai Beach,Hawaii: The first thing that comes to mind when you think of beautiful beaches is Hawaii. Visit the Lanikai Beach to witness glistening sand, palm trees, deep green water and endless sunshine which make it perpetually postcard-perfect.

A few other spectacular beaches are Seychelles, The Hamptons in New York, Langkavi and Frasier Island in Australia.

There are a few tips photographers should keep in mind when on the beach with their cameras and tripods.

Find Focal Points: Capturing a beautiful picture at the beach is child’s play. Almost everything you take a shot of will look good. However, the differentiating factor when it comes to beach pictures is finding a suitable focal point, as otherwise the pictures look rather empty and boring. Whether a pattern the sand has formed, waves breaking against the lifeguard’s tower or something as simple as a bird admiring the beach make the greatest difference. It will give the viewer a place to rest his eyes while looking at your picture.

Get the Timing Right: The start and end of the day are ideal for beach photography. The sunrise and sunset make it ideal for photography with several new colours and shades kissing the horizon. Also, the beach is least crowded at these times.

Challenge the Bad Weather: Head to the beach when others avoid it, stormy weather makes for dramatic yet beautiful cloud formations. And the torrid sea can be captured in all its might.

Exposure Bracketing: One common problem when shooting at the beach during the summer is the excessive light and brightness. This would cause your camera to under expose pictures if on the auto setting. Hence try playing around as much as you can with your exposure setting and see what comes of it. You’ll be pleasantly surprised with the shots you take.

These are a handful of tips to be kept in mind when shooting at the beach. So the next time around, don’t make excuses to not carry your camera to the beach and instead make the most of it by capturing that postcard-perfect picture.

Photography Tips for Mountain Ranges

Mountain ranges can be extremely awe inspiring. They always seem to provoke a sense of wonder within us. It’s as if you can feel that raw intensity and energy flowing through you every time you’re around them. There aren’t very many things that can be compared to the adrenalin rush felt when trekking up the face of a mountain. Mountain ranges are a treat for many photographers and can bring out the drama, impact and a serene calmness in pictures. It is however a difficult art and requires not only a lot of skill but a certain level of physical fitness. Let’s go through a few tips which would greatly help anybody interested in mountain or landscape photography.

Do not keep your camera in the bag: One common blunder is keeping the camera in the bag. Though it’s understandable that you want to be careful with your equipment, but, by the time you get your camera out, the moment will be gone along with the chance of a great shot.

Carry as little as you can: Keep in mind you’re going to be trekking and climbing through rough extreme terrain, it’s no joking matter. The last thing you want is your equipment weighing you down. Another thing you don’t want is too much equipment confusing you in that moment and resulting in it passing without a picture.

Use the light to your advantage: One thing that mountains are great for are backlit pictures. However, the biggest foe to backlit pictures is flare. Try and use a lens hood to eliminate the flare. If this doesn’t work try removing the UV filter from the lens. Also make the most of the early morning and late evening light. The subtle tinge of illumination the light provides makes for sublime photographs.

Use a smaller aperture: If you want to get just the right depth and sharpness, it would be advised to use a smaller aperture. Set it to F22 and you’re guaranteed to get the exact sharpness you’re looking for.

Don’t get immersed in the mountains, look for the smaller details: You can’t blame anybody for getting completely hypnotized by a mountain range. All you wish to do is stare at the range, completely awestruck. However, there are many smaller details like flowers, butterflies, rocks and trees which make for phenomenal pictures. So don’t always look high up, there’s a lot of beauty down below as well.

We are blessed to have the Himalayas in our country, the Himalayan range passes through five countries and with over a hundred mountains combine to a height of 23,600 ft. It also houses the world’s tallest peak, Mount Everest. So get out there and make the most.

Most of us live in big cities and are surrounded by buildings. We’ll always at some point find ourselves taking a picture of a building. Unfortunately it is extremely easy to take a picture, but it probably won’t do justice to the architectural masterpiece in front of you. Capturing an uncommon picture of an extremely common subject is what makes architectural photography such a skill worthy feat.

Focal Length: When trying to capture architectural structures you must always try and get the widest angle possible. This means you should use a wide angle lens for example a fish eye lens is perfect for this genre of photography as it allows the photographer to capture the entire structure along with its surrounding environment which adds to the beauty of the picture.

Keep your camera stable: One good thing about shooting an inanimate object is that you will not face the usual problems of movement and lighting which you face with all other types of photography. Hence, take your time with every shot you take and try and keep your camera as stable as possible, as even the slightest blur could ruin your shot. Get a sturdy tripod and use it as much as you can.

Camera Position: Keeping in mind you’re going to be shooting with a wide angle lens, try and get a close up shot of the building. This would highly enhance the size of the structures as compared to other objects in the background. If you do not wish to adopt this approach, use longer focal lengths and bring the objects closer to one another, this might reduce the impact your picture has but it will certainly add a stronger, more solid look to your picture.

Low ISO: Since you’re going to have a stable camera and a stable object, you can use comparatively longer shutter speeds. Use a lower ISO in order to minimize noise.

Close the aperture: As mentioned before, since you’re going to have a stable camera and object, you can leave the shutter open. Shooting at a low aperture will reduce any lens errors that might occur. The setting would be above f8 in most architectural scenariol

A few cities with absolutely exquisite architecture are Paris, Florence, Barcelona and Istanbul. Each city has structures which depict their very own signature style, each unique of their own culture and history. However, beautiful architecture is all around us so we aren’t short of options, so get clicking.

Best Photography Tips for Waterfalls

Waterfalls are another one of nature’s great wonders. They make for the perfect balance of grace and strength. They are drop dead gorgeous to look at, but also have an extremely dynamic nature which lures us to just stare at them for hours on end. Waterfalls are number one on any landscape photographer’s interest list. They make for phenomenal pictures, but also present many hurdles along the way. The lighting is always tricky and their dynamic movement makes it quite difficult to get a good shot.

Much has been spoken about the various grievances faced when trying to capture waterfalls, let’s take a look at a few tips which should help us battle the gushing water and low light situations.

Use a Slower Shutter Speed: This is a very important tip to be kept in mind. Using a low shutter speed adds to the smooth and silkiness of the flow of the water. The longer the shutter speeds, the more enhanced the effect.

Carry a Tripod: Using a slow shutter speed requires you to keep your camera absolutely steady. The only way this is guaranteed to be achieved is by using a tripod. Keep in mind, the objective should be to capture the blurry flow of the water, keeping everything else in the frame in sharp focus. If you do not use a tripod, chances are your entire shot will be blurry.

White Balance: Another important thing is to always use a manual white balance setting, as the lighting with waterfalls is always very tricky. The light can be of different shades depending on your surrounding and hence an auto white balance setting will not do justice to the picture.

Composition: Capturing a strong composition is also a must. You can shoot horizontally or vertically, depending on the waterfall and your personal preference. Also try and squeeze in some foreground into the picture, if you think its adds to the appeal. Something as simple as a tight shot of the waterfalls pouring down on some rocks could work wonders.

 

India has no shortage of waterfalls. We can choose from small 100 ft waterfalls or others which are over 5000 ft high. You can choose between a waterfall in the midst of a forest or one out in the open. A few stunning waterfalls you must visit are the Bhagasu Waterfall in McLeod Gunj which is 7112 ft high, the Dudhsagar Falls in Goa which are around 1017 ft high. A few smaller ones are the Athirappally Falls in Kerela which were made famous by the Mani Ratnam biopic Raavan or the Dhuandhar Falls in Madhya Pradesh, where parts of the Shah Rukh Khan starrer Asoka, were shot.