i've had several people ask about the camera/lens i use so i thought i'd share... i use a Nikon D-90 and love my 50 mm lens. the lens has revolutionized my pictures/ few photography skills, especially when I'm using the aperture setting. I've heard that for interiors, wide angle lenses are great and for details, macro lenses. For now, I'm using the 50 and it works pretty well.
i also thought i'd pass along 10 tips for taking better photographs of your kids by Sabra Krock via the estella blog {that i've found to be very helpful when taking pictures of Olivia, my home, my projects... and anything really!}
1. turn off the flash & use natural light
2. get to know your camera
3. get candid
4. don't forget yourself
5. don't leave home without it
6. hire a pro
7. get in close
8. click, click, click
9. pay attention to the background
10. experiment with framing your shot
and my one and only tip {since I hardly know anything} is to use the APERTURE setting and play around with what's in focus and what's blurry...that's what the 1.4 50mm lens is so good at.
DOES ANY ONE ELSE HAVE SOME GOOD TIPS?
I'm sure we'd all love to hear!
my husband bought a great camera last year and he has really been learning everything there is to know about photography. its a huge passion for him. he has been going to some classes and also has found this book extremely helpful...its called the digital photography book by scott kelby. he has found it very helpful.
ReplyDeleteAwesome simple tips. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteRachael
ohhh these are some great tips!! ive been using my canon 50d for awhile now and i don't really change up my settings very much, at all. i think playing with composition and making sure that your subject is not always centered is good! i've learned that using the rule of thirds is always good!
ReplyDeleteI use my nikon D80 on aperture setting with my 50 mm too...so nice. I can't get enough of it indoors for sure.
ReplyDeleteLove it! thanks for sharing!!! I love your blog...you are such a talented designer!! Love everything you do!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for being such an inspiration!
love my D90, and i've been looking at 50 mm lenses! so this is good to know. i'm also reading D90 for dummies, and it's helped me a lot. ahhh.
ReplyDeleteyou get the "blurry" affect with your aperture at a low setting. the body isn't as important as the lens you buy. the lower the aperture the better. you get great shots because your lens has a setting of 1.4 which creates amazing shots! most people will buy a nice camera that comes with 2 lenses that aren't that great. they wonder why it takes pictures just like their point and shoot. you have to play around with your manual settings. depending on your light, background and subject you want to adjust your aperture, shutter speed and ISO. takes lots of practice so click, click click!
ReplyDeleteI used to work on home shoots for Anthropologie, Martha Stewart, and Better Homes and Gardens, etc. Some tips for shooting interiors yourself (without professional lights or a crew):
ReplyDeleteWhen taking interior shots:
1: Use a tripod and shutter release because you may need long exposures and need to be steady.
2: Turn on all the lights and candles
3: Brush solid colored carpet all the same direction with a broom.
4: Color balance to natural light (digital cameras will have a setting for this)
5: Shooting from a lower perspective will make the room appear more spacious
6: Shooting wide angles will distort straight lines near the frame edge. There are some ways to correct for this in photoshop or you can shoot multiple shots like an overlapping panorama and stitch them together- if you want details on this you can email me.
7: Look for symmetry or try to compare two things in a room against each other to make them more interesting. Don't forget the detail shots to show texture.
8: A long exposure (1 second or more) with a person walking slowly through is a nice effect for scale without showing a specific inhabitant.
9: Turn off the flash!
10: Add something curious to an otherwise plain shot. Some loose lemons or newspaper rolls, or spilled jewelry. Overlapping shoes on the floor. Make it look livable, rather than a museum.
11: A big reflector/giant white board is good to fill in dark shadows if you can. Or you can take multiple exposures on the same exact shot and overlap them in Photoshop, pulling through the shadows and highlights that you want.
-Julie
www.julieflynnphotography.com