Birds in flight can be most difficult to catch without the right equipment. There are essentially two methods of photographing birds in flight.
Tips For Still Life Photography
With still life photography we have many options, generally with a choice of lighting, electronic flash or artificial lighting, if we take into account the color temperature of the lighting. We can use slow shutter speeds with a tripod to give more flexibility.
In order to get an effective diffused light on the subject with little or no shadows a light tent can prove to be excellent. A light tent effectively diffuses all the direct light to produce very even lighting on the subject. A light tent with two or three fluorescent lights placed strategically around the light tent can produce very effective results for photographing ornaments or for product photography. With a light tent set up, shadows can virtually be eliminated.
Under Water and Aquarium Photography
When photographing in aquariums the biggest danger is reflections from the glass sides of the aquarium. It is best to be at an angle to the side of the aquarium, less than 90 degrees, so that you do not get a reflection of yourself directly back from the glass. Also check for reflections of other people as they move around. If using flash for illumination ensure that the flash does not reflect back directly into the lens, hold it at an angle of around 40 degrees.
Transport Photography
Here we may need to capture images of fast moving objects such as racing cars or much slower moving objects. In general, zoom lenses can be an advantage as it will allow for the subject to be captured at varying distances, also a fast lens with an apreture of f/2.8 may be of advantage to utilise fast shutter speeds.
Effective images can be made at night time using a tripod and leaving the shutter open for several seconds to capture light trails of the moving lights from transport.
Sports Photography
With todays cameras very fast shutter speeds are available and it is not too difficult to stop sporting action. Electronic flash also operates at a very high speed and can assist in stopping the action.
By planning for special moments, action can sometimes be frozen. There is a need to be able to predict when the peak of the action will occur and to avoid delays in pressing the shutter.
People Photography
Diffuse light is most desirable for pleasing portraits. Fill in flash can be used to eliminate any harsh shadows. Reflectors can also be used to reduce the incidence of shadows. Higher ISO film or camera settins ISO400 to assist in poorer lighting.For most portraits lighting coming from slightly above the camera and to the side of the camera is preferable. A small amount of back lighting can enhance the portrait.
Nature Photography
Nature photography is defined as the displaying of natural elements in an outdoor environment.
Sometimes the objects of nature will exist in very difficult to photograph places with very difficult lighting. Electronic flash units with a diffuser attached can be of great assistance in providing fill in lighting to nature subjects in these circumstances. Nature photography can be a very challenging field to produce excellent results.
Hot Air Balloon Photography
The balloon is first inflated using a fan, then the burners are fired up to warm up the air, everyone is loaded on board and then lift off after several minutes of heating the air.
A vibration reduction or image stabilised lens is very suitable for photography from a balloon to reduce any camera movement. I used a 24-120mm lens for the images.
Landscape Photography
Generally landscapes require a great depth of field, which can be obtained by using a small aperture of around f/16. Also landscapes require components of the image in the forground and also in the background which are in focus.
Landscapes will have a more pleasing appearance if the lighting is low in the sky, which means that the best time to photograph landscapes is early morning or late in the day.
Bird Photography
Birds are one of the most beautiful subjects to photograph, however they can also be one of the most difficult subjects to photograph. Most types of birds are quite shy and it is difficult to get close to them. The most chalenging thing about photographing birds is trying to capture them in their natural environment.