know your camera

                                                                      

10 tips to better photographs

1.Know the camera's capabilities. Read the instruction book.

2.                Keep the camera handy and be familiar with it. Photo opportunities turn up unexpectedly.

3.                A photograph is made, not taken. Think about the situation before you press the shutter.

4.                When looking through the viewfinder, previsualise what the photo will look like.

5.                Fill the frame with the subject.

6.                Check the background. Try to keep it simple.

7.                Look for the most interesting angle onto the subject.

8.                Try photographing with different lighting conditions.

9.                A good photograph should tell its own story.

10.           Be your own harshest critic. If a photo went wrong or you are disappointed with it, find out why. Ask someone who should know.

Happy photographing.

- G.C. Lawson

stereophotography

Have you tried stereo photography? It's fairly simple and the results are amazing. Even if you do not have a 3D camera, any normal camera will do the job. 3D images are based on two or more images taken a short distance apart, for most purposes about 6cm or the distance between the eyes. 3D cameras take these two images simultaneously.

The Lumix stereo camera.

If a normal camera is what's available, the two images have to be photographed consecutively from two positions by sliding the camera sideways between taking the images. The movement of the camera has to be very accurate so that some form of mechanical device is desirable: i.e. a sliding bar arrangement on a tripod. This works well for static subjects but any movement such as a running dog will create problems. With my sliding bar, I also carry a small spirit level to allow me to ensure that the camera slides perfectly horizontally.

The photo below is a stereo image from a stereo pair and should be viewed with a pair of stereo glasses with red lens over left eye and blue lens over right eye. This type of image is called an Anaglyph.

Stereo pair.