Hit a dead end with your skills in architectural photography? Wanting to improve your quality yet doesn’t know where to start? Take advantage of this advice from expert on architectural photography that should help you improve and come up with beautiful, appealing shots of man-made structures to make your viewers stare in awe.

1. All Subjects Are Treated Equal

Sticking to the good side of any man-made structure will limit your growth in architectural photography. If you want to improve then you also need to consider the negative sides of structures and come up with ways to make your shots with them look good.

2. Prepare Your Equipment

It is not a good idea to delve into architectural photography without preparing the right equipment for your shoot. A camera and a tripod is not your only tool, there are other add-ons you need to consider, like lighting apparatus to give you the perfect lighting condition for both indoor and outdoor shots, wide-angled lenses for panoramic photos, and more.

3. Paying Attention to Detail

Practically the most important factor that determines that quality of the shot is the details of your subject — in this case, the building that will serve as your subject. It is advisable to always consider its many details — from the size of the structure, the angle that capture its most salient features, light refractions, silhouettes, and the likes.

4. Try to Visualize the Result

To avoid wasting time, it is a good idea to first visualize what you want to see from your shots. Instead of just clicking away with your camera and leave everything to chance, it might be a good idea to familiarize yourself with the subject and try to visualize potential takes that will produce quality results.

5. Experiment with Different Lighting Conditions

In the case of man-made structures, lighting conditions can greatly affect the result of your shots. Photographers in architectural photography tend to hold their photo shoots in broad daylight. However, you might produce a more appealing shot under extreme or low lighting conditions. It is best to experiment.

Many claimed that architectural photography is purely a hobby of a photographer wanting to improve their skills by taking quality shots of man-made structures. But in truth, this classification of photography can be considered as a career — a way for an individual photographer to earn income through a different practice of their profession. Here are some of the scenarios how photographers can make money with architectural photography.

1. Promotions and Marketing

Buildings are being constructed almost every day — from simple homes to high-end commercial structures in the downtown locales. The only way for the owners to market their structures is through the use of an architectural photographer’s skills. Quality shots of a man-made structure’s good points are used to entice people to buy or rent. This is commonly showcased in magazines, open-houses, and the likes.

2. Art Shows

Didn’t you know the photos of man-made structures are also featured in art shows and can bring in lots of money from the right viewers? It is not only photos of nature, celebrities, or animals that catch the public’s attention; man-made structures that are common subjects in architectural photography are great subjects too for these events. Imagine taking an appealing sunset shot of a skyscraper or maybe some ruins out in the country side. Take a shot, clean it up, frame them, and showcase them for the public to see.

3. Commercial Photographer

If you’re an expert in architectural photography then it is not so impossible for you to be hired by a commercial or real estate group to take photos of their properties to market them to potential buyers. In most cases, your quality photos will be used as part of their portfolio to be shown to interested clients — adding to the overall appeal and sales spiels to push them to buy.

These are just some of the career paths you can take to make some tidy profit out of your hobby in architectural photography. However, it is important that you improve yourself constantly with modern techniques and learn skills from experts to become a professional in your own right.

There is more to Panoramic Photography than just taking pictures from left to write and piecing them together to create a wide-angled photo. There are different methods involved in this type of photography and this article aims to highlight a few of them that you can use to further improve your skills.

1. Segmented or Stitched Panorama

This is practically a widely used method in Panoramic Photography. This method involves taking different picture called segments and piecing them together to form a single, wide-angled shot. Considering that this method incorporates a use of a single camera taking different photos, there is a large possibility of distortions that can greatly affect your results. The best way to reduce the possibility of parallax error, the photographer might want to use a tripod to maintain the angle or to move his or her location as each segment is taken. The segments are stitched together manually or through the use of photo-editing software, like Photoshop.

2. Fixed Lens or Wide-Angled Lens

Another method of Panoramic Photography is through the use of a wide-angled lens or fixed lens. These lenses are bundled with panoramic cameras using a sheet film of up to 10×24 inches. Due to the width of the film, a photographer can maximize the use of the lens to take photos without having to stitch different segments together and eliminate distortions.

3. Rotation

Two other methods in Panoramic Photography are Short Rotation and Full Rotation. The lens rotates along the nodal point on the rear end of the camera simultaneously with the film to create a panoramic shot. Short Rotation’s drawback is the low shutter speed that comes with these types of cameras — which is commonly used only in still or scenery shots. Full Rotation, on the other hand, is perfect for taking photos of speeding or moving subjects with its high shutter speed.

Knowing the different methods of Panoramic Photography gives the photographer a chance to find his or her capabilities in the art. Sticking to the modern method alone with its convenience limits your improvement, but trying your hand out in the different methods will allow you to fully-utilize your skills and create techniques that you can use later on.

Piecing together photos to create a wide-angled shot is called Panoramic Photography. Beginners who are new to this type of photography often utilize wide-angled lenses or using the advanced panoramic features on their cameras to achieve the same results. But before you get too excited in trying out panoramic photography, it is a good idea to learn more about its concepts to avoid having to correct a lot of mistakes later on.
Stitching

The process of piecing the photos together in Panoramic Photography is called stitching. This can either be done manually or you can utilize photo-editing software to overlap these photos along the edges to get a seamless panoramic photo.

The stitching process is relatively simple, like doing a jigsaw puzzle. But there are certain rules to be followed in order to make it easy for you to get the results you want.

Rule # 1: Determine Overlap Zones

It is a good idea to first survey the subject where you plan to practice or take panoramic photos. Instead of depending too much on wide-angled lenses that are quite known to cause a lot of distortions, it is best if you utilize a simple camera and taking into consideration external factors that might affect the shot.

For example, photographer can use a tripod in order to have a stead aim, as well as a well-aimed shot in order to capture photos with overlap zones that match. Lighting conditions must be taken into consideration as well, you don’t want photo 1 to be a lot brighter than photo 2. You want these photos to match and avoid one part to stand out due to distortions.

Rule # 2: Perspective

Taking panoramic shots require you to adjust the perspective to make sure that all the pieces are stitched perfectly. One mistake is rooting to a single spot while taking different angles of your subject can create a lot of distortions that you can do without. It is a good idea to adjust your perspective by moving to the left or right and adjust the focal point and determine the subject carefully to make the seams match.

These rules don’t guarantee a perfect shot with your sojourn to Panoramic Photography. It is a good idea to gain a lot of experience by taking panoramic photos of different subjects, piece them together, spot and correct mistakes, and try again. One surefire way to achieve quality results is to enroll in photography classes and learn from experts.

Panoramic photography is a technique used in photography to produce wide-angled shots to capture a much wider area that is not normally possible with a camera. In most cases, panoramic photography is commonly referred to as the use of a wide-angled lens to capture a wider area, though limited, as what the photographer wants to see on film. Expert panoramic photographers utilize a technique called stitching to piece together different photos taken over a wide area, combining them along the edges to produce a seamless panoramic view.

Manual Stitching

Before we delve into the more advanced methods of stitching photos together to get a panoramic shot, it is a good idea to learn the hands-on method first before relying on photo-editing software to understand the basics to produce quality results.

The manual method of stitching in panoramic photography involves taking multiple shots — horizontal or vertical — then piecing your shots together seamlessly along the edges. Veterans using simple cameras are often found using a tripod in order to come up with consistent photos, determining overlap zones where the pieces are stitched together.

Since it is almost impossible to continuously take shots with any camera, no matter how advanced it is, there is always a need to adjust your angle to avoid distortions and to make sure that the edges will match during stitching.

Advanced Stitching Techniques

Many modern panoramic photographers utilize photo-editing software to create a seamless panoramic photo. These modern methods of stitching are often discussed in various seminars and tutorials, like Photoshop courses. Such software allows photographers to match the edges of photos, remove distortion, as well as improve overall color and graphic quality to achieve the desired results.

However, there are certain rules to be followed in order to simplify the stitching process, both manual and using photo-editing applications; such as:

• Overlap zone – the edges that will be stitched together are called overlap zones. A photographer must take extra care that these areas contain a lot of identical images in order for it to be stitched together.

• Distortions – irregularities in photos that complicate the stitching process are called distortions. These come in different form, varied lighting, curves and bulges, irregular aspect ratio, and so on. This can be easily remedied if the photographer is careful with their shots and the utilization of a tripod, the right lens, and planned lighting conditions.

Landscape photography may be used as a means to generate a healthy profit or give you a steady income if you know how it’s done. Your creative photos of Mother Nature may be your ticket to a financially stable future. Interested? If you are then read on to help you get started with this new career path quick and easy with tips from experts.

Get Your Equipments Ready

Practically the most important advice that an expert can give to landscape photographers who wishes to make money out of their photos is to get their equipments up to par with your clients and customers’ expectations. If you want to excel in this career path then you need to make sure that you have the right gears to produce quality shots that your clients and customers will love. It might be a good idea to invest in assorted lenses, a tripod, lighting equipments, and the likes so you can take quality photos anytime anywhere. It might also be a good idea to learn photo-editing techniques so you can fine tune your shots to improve its quality before selling it out.

Choose Your Market

Landscape photography offers a wide variety of subjects for you to focus on — ranging from mountains to beaches, forests to ridges, and more. With the abundance of potential subjects, it is a good idea to pick one that is more appealing to the masses and lucrative for your career. You can capture a variety of landscape photos and display them in an art gallery, turn them into home decors, or even sell them off as posters. It is also a good idea to be picky with your own work before showing them to the public. Only release high-quality photos to avoid ruining your reputation with bad shots.

Selling Your Photos

Once you have your photos at the ready, the next detail to think about is where to sell your photos to earn you money. You can either set up a deal with a local art gallery or décor shop to showcase your photos with commission. Another idea is to watch out for trade fairs opening up in your area and set up a booth to show off your works of art. The idea here is to maximize your photo’s coverage in the market by making sure that there are a lot of people to see them.

Tips And Tricks To A Successful Landscape Photography

Landscape photography is more than just taking random shots. Keep in mind that this is an art — appealing to your viewer’s sense of beauty so it is your paramount duty to make sure that every click of your camera brings out excellent photos that you can be proud of. Here are some tips and tricks that experts would like to share to budding photographers to get quality shots every time.

Stick To Your Subject

The gist of landscape photography is the scenery, not the people in it. Imagine yourself taking a picture of a newly-wed couple on top of a mountain with the sky all around. In most cases, novice photographers would focus only on the people and not on the scenery itself. This is wrong. The venue is very important in these types of photographs so you need to balance it out. Instead of giving most of the space to the couple, why not make two-thirds of the photo to include the scenery. You will be shocked with the results.

Experiment in Different Lighting Conditions

Experimentation with the various lighting conditions of landscape photography is one of the steps you need to take to become a professional. You can get varied quality if you take a picture of your subject in different lighting conditions, let’s say, one when the sun is high up and the other is under the pale afternoon sun. The one with full lighting captures plenty of detail, while the one taken in low-light conditions creates silhouettes that enhance the subject’s placement in the surrounding — a more dramatic effect that your viewers will surely love.

Use a Tripod

Let’s face it; most who love to trek to take pictures of landscapes are not fond of the tripod. You don’t want to lug this around when climbing to the top of a mountain just to take amazing photos of the scenery. However, professional landscape photographers always bring their tripod with them. Why? You need to have a steady hand if you want clear shots; or properly set the angle if you’re planning to take panoramic photos of Mother Nature — a tripod is your best friend under these circumstances.

Details are very important when you plan to try your hand out in landscape photography. As a landscape photographer, it is necessary to consider all the factors involved in your shoot to fully control the results. Here are some of them you need to know about.

1. Subject
That’s right; the most important detail to consider in landscape photography is the subject. Instead of just clicking away with your camera when you discover a location you want to catch on paper, it would be more productive on your end to carefully consider what you want to stand out in the photo. This will give your shots a lot of meaning, especially to your viewers. For example, instead of focusing on the entire forest, it would be more subjective if you focus on a tree and use the rest as background.

2. Size
The size of the subject also plays an essential role in the accuracy of your landscape photos. You can use angles or even some of the items in the background as a means for the viewers to gauge the exact size of your subject.

3. Weather Conditions
The weather is your best friend or your worst enemy in landscape photography. The lighting conditions, humidity, even the clarity of your shots would depend on the climate you’re working on. For example, if you take a photo under intense lighting condition, there is a big possibility of ruining your shot because of too much light; or distorting the subject because of poor lighting. The weather can also enhance the beauty of your shots, like shooting at a misty forest for a more dramatic effect, especially when the sun breaks through the foliage.

4. Clarity
Speaking of clarity, it might be a good idea to practice a steady hand when taking pictures of landscapes. The subject is too big for you to mess up. If you think that your hand is unsteady or you’re shivering too much due to the cold, it would be best to bring a tripod with you to solve the problem. ]]> http://commercialphotographer.melbournelocal.com.au/landscape-photography-important-details-that-a-beginner-should-know-about/feed/ 0 http://commercialphotographer.melbournelocal.com.au/architectural-photography-photos-that-makes-you-feel-like-youre-there/ http://commercialphotographer.melbournelocal.com.au/architectural-photography-photos-that-makes-you-feel-like-youre-there/#comments Wed, 30 Jun 2010 03:07:36 +0000 admin http://commercialphotographer.melbournelocal.com.au/?p=91

The essence of Architectural Photography is not to promote the beauty of a built structure or to convey appealing designs and styles by renowned architects or famous landmarks. The essence of this classification of photography is to let your viewers feel that they are actually in the vicinity of the structure on your photo — giving them the sense of “being there” and seeing with their own two eyes instead of just looking at it on a frame.

Architectural photography can be considered an art — the combination of human creativity and visual perception with modern technology. Taking stunning and appealing photos of different man-made structures is not just a product of experience; it is necessary to enhance one’s skills, as well as to delve into modern photography techniques to improve your shots to captivate the hearts of your viewers.

Surveying the Subject

All subjects in photography have its good and bad sides. It is a photographer’s decision to decide which shot is better and what shots should be avoided. Architectural photography is a bit more complicated, especially when you’re dealing with a subject that is not in its perfect state and both interior and exterior conditions are not to your liking.

It is important for a photographer to always survey the overall structure in order to find the perfect shot. This can be done through the inclusion of the building’s interior and exterior qualities. Architectural photography requires inclusion of light and shadow, what angle would display an appealing outlook to your shots, or how the lighting would affect silhouette appearances for a more dramatic look.

Things to Avoid

To further expound on the above concept of surveying the subject, architectural photography requires the artist to first define areas of the structure that should be avoided that might ruin the shot. Reflective surfaces in direct angle to the light can cause a part of your picture to brighten that might ruin the overall effect. It is also important to survey the overall scene to determine which areas should be blurred and focused. It might also be a good idea to change your lenses to fit the subject; this would give you added experience on what would result to the perfect shot and what you should avoid when the occasion demands it.

Practice Makes Perfect

The most common way to improve in architectural photography is to evaluate your own work. It is all and good to label your shots as appealing; but a true artist must consider the taste of the public. Meaning, you need to evaluate every photo to see if it is appealing to the rest of the public and not just to your own personal criteria.