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15.
Image Atmosphere
Preventing cool color casts and adding
warmth to an image
The summer sets you free with warm days and
balmy evenings, but even the camera seems trapped in the chilly winter: photos do
not look warm and appear cold instead. Usually, the camera's automatic white
balance is often responsible for this since it attempts to depict colors as
neutrally as possible. Set the white balance of your camera to 'Shadows',
usually represented by a cloud icon, and your camera will automatically add a
warmer tone to exposures, since subjects are darker and thus appear colder in
shaded situations. If this is not sufficient, you can heighten the impression
of warmth using a separate 'Warm filter'. A manual white balance will suffice,
too. Image processing programs offer adequate functions, using which you can
revitalize photos. In Photoshop, you can find suitable warm filters under
'Image | Adjust | Photo filter'. Here, for example, select the 'Warm filter
(81)' and drag the 'Density' scale to 20 percent. Check the 'Maintain
luminance' box so the overall brightness of the photos remains constant.
Otherwise, the filter swallows up a bit of the light and the resulting image
often appears darker
.
Color
temperature can make a huge difference to the images you shoot.
16.
Motif Selection
Adding attractive motifs to turn the photo
into a captivating scene
You do not simply click your favorite
moments when on a vacation from a standing position. Not at least for every
shot; such perspectives appear quite flat. Instead, search for a suitable
eye-catcher. The proportions of many day-to-day objects appear very different
when captured from the frog perspective. Objects in the picture appear bent due
to the perspective, but these are in reality actually dead straight edges. This
effect can be enhanced by using a short focal length. Ideally, use lenses with
focal lengths of 28 millimeters or lower. This is because the uncommon grabs
attention much more than known image elements that have already been seen many
times.
If you get as close to the object as
possible, it appears disproportionately huge, making for a very interesting
effect. Experiment with this effect and try to achieve your target. Using a
polarizing filter, invigorate the colors on slightly distorted reflections, for
example on water surfaces in the image. This adds more depth to you picture,
which appears more plastic, and transforms it into a head-turner.
This
shot captures, motion, expression and perspective which make it interesting.
17.
Time Exposure
Clicking sharp images using mirror lockup
You carry around a tripod along with your
heavy digital SLR camera, and yet, long-exposure snaps appear slightly blurred.
What goes wrong? Possibly, you do not use one function that is quite decisive
for successful exposures: the mirror lockup. This function, available in most
DSLRs, shifts the mirror from the optical path before the actual snap, so that
the mirror's mechanical movements do not affect the shot negatively.
As soon as you press the shutter release,
the half-transparent mirror tilts up and exposes the photo sensor. During this
motion, the camera casing inevitably creates slight vibrations which often do
not subside completely by the time the shutter is released. While the minuscule
displacement of the casing is not noticeable during short exposures, it can
lead to blurriness during long exposures since the sensor is exposed for a
longer time. These movements cannot be balanced out by a tripod.
DSLR
cameras usually have the option to lock the mirror so that it doesn't interfere
with a shot.
18.
Photo Output
Printing photos with correct colors without
color management
Universal color management of the complete
photography process is too expensive for amateurs. As a result, colors in the
tediously post-processed photos appear a lot different in print as compared to
the view on the monitor. To correct this, try to balance the color differences
manually using your printer's drivers. This is a one-time deal with a bit of
effort, but the color rendered on your prints will be distinctly better. The
control programs differ from manufacturer to manufacturer, but the principle
remains the same. Follow the process for best results.
Open a test photo which displays the most
natural skin tones as well as shades of gray in your image processing program.
Set the photo paper that you normally use in the printer and invoke the printer
driver. You can access the printer driver through your image processing
program's 'Print..' dialog, usually by clicking the 'Properties' button. Select
the setting for the correct paper type and set the print quality to 'Optimum
photo print'. Print the image, and as soon as it is properly dry, compare it
with the color of the image on your monitor. Is a color cast visible? If yes,
open the printer driver again and try to adjust the erroneous color rendered
using the color scale. Print more test photos until the colors match. Finally,
note the values and save them for future use.
Proper
calibration of a camera, software, PC and printer will improve the accuracy of
prints.
19.
Sport Photography
Making sports photos gripping using short
focal length
There's a clear difference in amateur
sports pictures and professional ones; the selection of the correct point of
view and angle is half the job here. However, some effects can greatly enhance
the quality of sports photos.
For a very interesting effect, try
capturing sports photos using a short fccal length lens. With a panoramic lens,
the closer to the spot you get, the bigger the sportsman appears against the
background. The clearly distorted proportions result in an effect that the
viewer is actually nearer and feels like they're in the middle of things. You
can enhance this effect by opting for the frog perspective. Captured from this
perspective, for instance, the legs of a horse on the race track or those of a
sprinter appear extremely long, which suits the visual statement splendidly. It
would be ideal in such a situation if you place the camera on a low tripod on
the sidelines of the track.
An
unusual perspective adds a dramatic touch to this photograph.
