frogsinkhouse.com

When learning photography, you’ll discover there are lots of different elements that make an photograph appear the way it does. Exposure, film speed, camera quality, type of frame (like a gallery picture frame) and printing method all have an impact on the quality of your final print. Contrast is one of the easist elements to manipulate in photography and also one of the most important. When used properly, contrast can take your pictures to a whole new level.

Contrast is simply the difference between the darks and light in your photographs. In terms of black and white photography, high contrast images have very bright whites and incredibly dark blacks with little room in between, while low contrast images will have more grey and appear less distinct. In color photographs, contrast can be used to describe the intensity of the colors and how they stand out in relation to each other. While theres no perfect level of contrast, a good rule of thumb is to try and create images that have pure black, pure white, and every shade in between. However, this is more challenging than it sounds!

Different Degrees of Contrast
As a photographer, you’ll have a preference on the amount of contrast that you like in your prints. Some prefer high contrast, some prefer low, but remember that its all about what works for you. As long as your pictures tell the story you want to share, there is no right or wrong answer.

If you want to see some examples of excellent normal contrast just look at the work by Ansel Adams. His landscape black and white pictures are so powerful because they cover every possible shade of grey, black and white. No wonder Ansel Adams images are so frequently seen framed in simple black picture frames in homes and offices - as the contrast black and white tones are exquisite. For an example of high-contrast, recent films such as Sin City and The Spirit used high-contrast imagery to augment their story.

Adjusting Contrast
There are a few things you can do to adjust the contrast of your images. Different types of film or digital camera settings will give your pictures different amounts of contrast. For example, slide film has a high contrast ratio compared to regular film. You can also push your film while developing it by allowing it to soak in the developer longer than recommended the longer it sits, the higher your contrast will be. Be careful that you don’t over-develop your film because, unlike prints, it can’t be redone once you develop it.

In the darkroom, you can apply a filter to your enlarger to change the contrast of your images. A #1 filter wil be a slight contrast increase, whereas a #4 filter will significantly increase the contrast level in your print. If you’re using a digital camera, most photo editing software has a built in contrast option that will let you mimic the changes you could make in the darkroom. Contrast is unlimited in what you can do with it so play around and take it to the limit and see what happens.

Contrast can control the focal point of an image, as in where your viewers look. It can help further define important parts of your photograph as well as create a higher quality image when done properly. The right (or wrong type) of picture frame can also impact how the viewer looks at your picture so make sure to stick with a frame that has simple clean lines and avoid highly decorative, beaded or jeweled picture frames.

Use the “pure white, pure black” rule in every picture and you’ll see a huge difference in the prints you will produce. Once you understand what degree of contrast works in your photos, you’ll start to see how you can use contrast in the real world to shoot even better pictures. As always, the best way to get better is to shoot, shoot, shoot!

While you can’t obviously learn everything in one photo article, this article gives you five basic tips to start using right away. Whether you have a point and shoot camera or are the proud owner of an SLR, there are a few basic concepts that once understood will get you on your way towards taking excellent photos. Here are five important and easy to use tips that you can put to use right away.

1) Resolve to Have Enough Resolution

Yes, a low resolution setting saves space on your memory card, but it doesn’t make for suitable prints. You can easily resize for a smaller picture, even in free programs like Picasa (”resize” is hidden there under “export”), but making a picture larger usually brings awful results. When you enlarge the picture, the pixels that make up the image are spread thinner.

If you like printing your images, choose medium or high resolution. Depending on your camera, 3 megapixels should give you high quality 4×6 images and sometimes even a very nice 8×10. For excellent quality 11×14’s go for 6 megapixels.

2) Let There be Light (but Make it the Right Kind)

Natural lighting is almost always best so don’t worry if you don’t have a flash or any fancy equipment. If your only flash is the built-in one, that’s all the more reason to opt for natural light. Built-in flashes can make subjects look flat. That’s why the pros use an external flash and bounce light off the umbrellas. There are tricks you can use like wearing a white shirt or taping foil to the camera to bounce the light off the ceiling, but if you want an easy way to get professional quality photos without the equipment, go outdoors.

When taking pictures outdoors, consider the position of the sun. With the exception of sunrise and dawn, the lower the sun is in the sky the better. You should also try to avoid noon as this time brings the harshest shadows. Unless the sky is part of your photograph, bright overcast days produce the best light.

3) Compose a Perfect Picture

Getting a fast snapshot of something without any thought mostly depends upon luck. But by first learning how to compose a photo, you will end up with more pictures that look good and are suitable for framing. The pictures you take will look more like what you had in mind when you clicked the shutter release.

There is a lot to learn about photo composition, but for starters, here is the number one rule. Fill the frame of the viewfinder. First, decide on what is the most important subject in your photo and then move close enough (or zoom-optical zoom is best) to fill the viewfinder with the subject. For example, if the subject is your grandmother watering her petunias then that’s the subject not her entire yard. Many make the mistake of losing their subjects in the landscape.

4) Steady Now

It doesn’t take much camera movement to create a blur, in fact most times, you’ll never even notice the movement until you see the blurry picture. For sharp photographs, keep your elbows down, feet apart and hold the camera steady while pressing (not punching) the shutter release. Continue holding still until the light indicates the camera has finished taking the picture. When you are taking a photo that needs a slower than usual shutter speed, like a fireworks display, use a tripod to steady the camera. You can also use other items as props to set your camera on as long as you have a remote shutter release. A good rule of thumb is to use a tripod for shutter speeds slower than 1/60.

5) Share Your Creations

If your photos are digital, use a photo editor to bring copies (save originals) of your photos down to the appropriate size for your website, email, photo album or picture frame. Use photo-printing paper that is compatible with your printer model. If you’re using a film camera but want photos for email or a website, use a quality scanner or when dropping off film to be developed, request a CD. 

Frame your best photographs and display them in a decorative wood picture frame. A picture framed in a classic silver picture frame also makes a very welcome gift, especially when it is a portrait of someone special. Remember a portrait can be of a single person, family, multiple friends or a beloved pet…the list is endless, and again, these make lovely gifts, especially when framed nicely.

By using these 5 tips you’ll help to expand your photography knowledge so you can continue to take even better looking photographs.

So you’re interested in starting to learn photography –  congratulations! Photography is a wonderful practical hobby as well as an exciting career opportunity. Learning photography takes a little bit of patience but in the end it’s all worth it. Let’s start with the reasons why you should learn photography:

• The chance to capture special events like a special birthday or the family vacation with clear, well composed pictures.
• Never missing another “Kodak moment” while searching for the right dial or button.
• Taking beautiful photographs that you and your loved ones proudly frame and display.
• Communicating through your photographs. A picture really is worth a thousand words (especially if you put it in a beautiful jeweled picture frame)! You can capture an expression that says it all. Or as we’ve seen in magazines like Time and National Geographic, you can shoot photographs that convey messages powerful enough to open a mind or convey just about anything you want to communicate. You don’t have to be a professional photojournalist to get out there and take some great shots.
• The ability to take a portrait photograph in a home or outdoor setting that captures the unique personality and beauty of a loved one – the type of portrait that uplifts the person and makes them want to see the portrait framed on the wall, not hidden at the bottom of a box.
• Excitement! With a good telephoto lens you can, from a safe distance, capture exciting shots of wildlife and weather phenomena. Picture your friends reactions when they see your photographs beautifully framed on your wall.
• Fun! It’s fun to take photographs of people, places and things we love. It’s even more fun to take pictures after learning just a few skills!
• Fame and Fortune! Many a hobbyist photographer has gone on to win ribbons, awards and make money by selling their prints online with or without frames. Others photographers sell downloads at photo sites like iStock. Some take pet pictures of their friends pets and get their business started from there. Others become wedding photographers or get jobs working as photographers.

You may have some goals in mind that weren’t listed here. As mentioned the rewards of taking pictures are numerous. To get started taking pictures, all you need is a good (not expensive) camera and a few basic skills and you’ll be well on your way.