Black and white photography

Black and white photography is popular with Journalist and artist. It can provide a classic and historic look. Beautiful black and white photography doesn’t attract with its play of colors, so close attention to composition, lighting, perspective and the context are important.

To take a beautiful black and white photography, it is better for you to shoot in RAW because an image saved in the RAW file format is the digital equivalent to the (exposed but as yet unprocessed) film negative. However, if your camera doesn’t allow you to shoot in RAW, shoot in color and do your conversion to black and white later on your computer.

In addition, you should shoot with the lowest possible ISO, because the noise created by ISO will be more obvious when it comes to black and white photography. Also, choose a time to take white and black photos. Many digital photographers actually prefer to shoot images for Black and White in low contrast situations. So a dark or overcast day can be a great time to shoot out door shots.

( Toni Frissell impresses with a strong trend toward surrealism or realism.)

(Taken by Pawel Swinarski)

(Taken by Janine Mizera) 

Uncertainties and certainties of a photographer

Photography heavily depends on equipments which keep changing with new technologies. It makes photographers feel uncertain. They always ask themselves “should I change my camera?” To be a good photographer, you do not need to be equipment-oriented. You should master some basic principles.

The most important basic is that shooting who or what you love. For instance, the photos you are proud of have nothing to do with the big name folks you captured. But you can demonstrate the characters of the person with your pictures. So no matter how common your model is, you need to understand the uniqueness and express it with your thinking. As a result, your art will not have life if you do not put your passion into it, even if you own the most advanced camera and the most famous models in the world.

Also, you should follow your passion to tell a story. When I take photos, I would like to listen to stories and then tell the stories I understand. Stories will make objectives special, even for an unknown flower. I always believe that when you spend time telling a story with your arts, your audience will feel it.

 (Guess what they are doing?)

 (love between Micky and Minnie)

 (a beautiful morning, calm and serene)

Colorful photography

The colorful images jumped out at me today. It has nothing to do with technology or the composition. Just the color and the mood they expressed. We live in a colorful world and we can feel its color as long as we use our heart. A good artist always can express mood through objects in a creative way. Here, Colorful colors brings mood to life.

I taste sad from the picture. Sometimes, although you are exposed to the crowded environment, you just feel alone and helpless. The crowded people contrast the loneliness. Just the same, the colorful color highlights the sad of the girl.

The picture expresses hope. The hands with wet colorful paint and flowers in full bloom just mean that the colorful life is beginning.

Others:



News photography: Japan earthquake and tsunami

Nearly two weeks have passed since Japan suffered its worst crisis. I hope Japanese citizens can recover from this historic disaster as soon as possible. At the same time, I am very appreciated for the journalists and photographers to stick to their positions in spite of the dangerous situations.

I once worked as a journalist, so I deeply understand the dilemma journalists always face. On the one hand, they should value their lives for their families. On the other hand, it is very hard to say “no” to their job responsibilities. They always have a dream to take part in every event and spare no efforts to record the history seriously. When I was in TV Station, my tutor, a young girl, persuaded the director to allow her to participate in the rescue during Sichuan Wenchuan Earthquake in China. The moment she arrived at the disaster area, she just wanted to cry — the horrible smell of dead bodies, the mudslides and the continuous aftershocks. It was just the end of the world for her. But she still needed to encourage herself so that she can communicate facts to audience and support victims.

I respect the photographers witnessing the scene of the Japan earthquake. They are not afraid of the dangers and at the same time, they can still integrate their thoughts into their pictures. They capture the thrilling scenes and moved moments, contributing to the memories of the crisis.

People take shelter as a ceiling collapses in a bookstore during an earthquake in Sendai, northeastern Japan March 11, 2011. (REUTERS/Kyodo)

Buildings burn after an earthquake near Sendai Airport, northeastern Japan March 11, 2011. (REUTERS/KYODO)

A rescue helicopter lowers a man in search of victims along a remote hillside near Kesennuma City on March 15, 2011, days after the area was devastated by a magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami. (REUTERS/Adrees Latif)

Evacuees stretch while doing exercise at a makeshift shelter in Minamisanriku, northern Japan, Tuesday, March 15, 2011. (AP Photo/The Yomiuri Shimbun, Tsuyoshi Matsumoto)

Capture the taste and smell of food~~

After enjoying the taste and smell of food, gourmet would like to take pictures of their sweeties.

However, since neither taste nor smell can be captured on photos, taking good photos of food is not as easy as it looks. As a result, gourmet should find ways to make the food as delicious as possible.

Here are some tips to help take attracting food photography:

1.       Food photos usually need to be taken at close range. Texture is your friend. You should photograph the most dominant texture of the food. If you were photographing chocolate, for instance, you would want to focus on their smooth, silky texture.

2.       Keep the food in focus and the background out of focus, drawing attention to the food.

3.       Lighting plays an important role in food photos. Proper use of light and shadow can make meals look three-dimensional.

4.      Garnishes and accessories can transform average pictures of food into art. A dessert fork next to a cheese cake with a bite out of it implies that the cake was simply too good to resist.

It's time to be confident about night photography!

When I was a little girl, my mum used to tuck me into bed and read me a story. It was always about a princess...This spring break, i went to orlando. Disney world made me crazy. I was so excited to see all the princesses in the fairy tale. In the evening, I went to Cinderella’s castle very early and waited for the fireworks show eagerly. I prepared to take photos to record amazing veiws. However, it is very hard to take clear photos at night. Even the slightest movement can make the picture came out blurry.

(it is a failure photo taken by me)

Following are some tips to help me to take decent-looking images. I am eager to share with you.

1.      Switch your camera to manual mode by turning the mode dial to “M’.

2.      The trick to successful night photography is to get much more light into your camera. So you need to choose the smallest f-number available and a relatively long shutter speed to record the lights.

3.   Keep your camera very steady. Preferably use a tripod.

4.      Check your photo. If the lights aren’t bright enough, try a slower shutter speed. If the lights are too bright, try a quicker shutter speed.

(i am successful :))

You can have a try!

Explore the fantastic function in your smartphone and camera

I fell in love with HDR (High-Dynamic-Range) photos the first time I saw them. They look surreal just like paintings, blurring the differences between the reality and the illusion.

High-dynamic-range photography is the art of creating one image by combining multiple exposures. Traditionally, HDR images have been created by taking three photos of the same scene at different exposures -- regular, underexposed and overexposed -- and then combining them using a digital editing program.

Now Free HDR applications are available for smartphones, automating the process for amateur photographers. Also, for guys owning the Sony NEX 3 or NEX 5, you can also shoot HDR pictures with HDR mode.

So why not explore the fantastic function in your camera or smartphone right now?

Take a nice photo back from your travel

Spring break is coming. We are eagerly looking forward to travelling. It is good for us to record happiness within nice photos.  Today, I want to introduce using triangle composition to improve our pictures.

The way subjects connect to each other in a photo forms shapes that draw the eye from subject to subject. Some shapes are more effective than others in providing an interesting frame for your photo. Triangle shape always works best in terms of its simplicity and completeness. It will add dynamic to the picture when you shoot people with triangle composition.

(by Jake Garn)

(by Jake Garn)

However, you do not need to manipulate all your photo-taking existence around the triangle rule. But when it is possible, you can have a try to test whether it works!

Photography is an expensive hobby----Fish eye lens

Photography is an expensive hobby. Advanced equipment always can create amazing photos. I love fish eye lens although it is too expensive for its limited usability. The fish eye lens is the best way to capture a full spherical panorama since it is a wide-angle lens that takes in extremely wide.

An all-sky starfield is only possible with fish eye lens.

 (Amazing. It is exactly a world i dreamed during my childhood. )

A fish eye lens can add humor to a portrait.

(April Fool's Day is coming. Maybe i should consider purchasing a fish eye lens to celebrate the funny day)

Will squirrels have a long, long sleep during the winter?

When I was a little girl, I loved watching squirrels on cartoons! In my memory, they were living in the hole of trees and would have a long, long sleep during the whole winter.

Luckily, I am now living in Boston and there are a lot of cute squirrels. I am always curious about their home. All the time, I try to find holes in the tree and say hello to squirrels. But once I tracked a family of squirrels and found that they actually lived in the nest just like birds. I am a little bit disappointed. The fairy tale in my mind is shattered.

( I tracked the family and my fairy tale shattered)

Today’s point is how to take photos of animals.

1.       Getting the eyes in focus is key to capturing a photo of animals. Remember, miss the eye and you’ve missed the shot.

2.       Animals need to be large in the frame, but photographers should leave some room in front of the face.

3.       Just like human photography, animal photography can be ruined by a bad background. Litter, roads, and other manmade objects often detract from animal photographs.

4.  Catching an animal in the middle of an activity or interacting with its surroundings can create a powerful image.



Why not take a picture of your sweetheart right now?

It’s amazing! Scientists at Stanford University have discovered that the pictures of loved ones have the power to dull pain by 44%.

It’s so true. When I have pressure, I would like to look at photo collections of my parents and my boyfriend. I just thought it was a habit, but it is indeed a science. According to researchers, image of romantic partner has a calming effect in the pain processing areas of the brain, similar to the effect of paracetamol or narcotics like cocaine.

So, why not take a picture of your lover right now and do a test when you have headache, toothache or backache :)? It seems it is necessary to keep a photo of your sweetheart in your wallet all the time!



How can we look 10 pounds thinner in photos?

I love Oscar, Hollywood’s biggest party with the biggest stars. I am always curious why stars always look skinny in red carpet photos?

The secret is in the pose. Here are some tips:

1.       Stand like a ballet dancer.

Face front and cross one leg in front of the other one, then turn your body 45- degree angle towards camera and turn head and shoulders toward the camera. Place one foot angled in front of the other.

2.       Lean in towards the camera.

Think of having a long neck like a gazelle, and tilt your chin down just a bit to avoid the appearance of a double chin.

3.       Get a shoot from below

For long legs, point one leg into the center of the frame and get the photographer to shoot looking up your body.

4.       Hold arms slightly away from your body.

This keeps upper arm flab from flattening out and therefore appearing flabbier.

5.       Just relax and give a big smile :)

 (Actress Anne Hathaway)

 (Actress Scarlett Johansson)

(Actress Carmen Diaz ) 

Who is your favorite star? For more stars, please check http://www.moviefone.com/oscars-academy-awards/photos/red-carpet

memorize the journey of togetherness and love...

It is very nice for a couple embarking upon a beautiful journey of  togetherness and love...
Girls love to imagine their romantic wedding...
Photos will record the big smile of brides...
In the future, they can taste the happiness in their big day!

I love wedding pictures that shoot small details. Photograph rings, backs of dresses, shoes, flowers, table settings, menus etc – these help give the end album an extra dimension.

Love sunshine

Light is photographer’s favorite. They are used to create all kinds of lights in their photography studios. However, photographers always ignore making good use of natural light. Today is a sunshine day; I want to introduce how to take photos using natural light.

In the morning and at the dusk, the light is weak, and its color is warm. It is better to take silhouette photo at this time. In order to take silhouette shot, you need to place your subject in front of the light and force your camera set its exposure based upon the brightest part of the background (not the subject of the picture). Remember, you must turn off the automatic flash which will ruin the silhouette.

(photo by T J Scott)



At the noon, the light is strong and it is easy for photographers to employ light. I prefer to take sidelight and backlight photos at noon. Following are pictures taken at noon.

It is a nice picture. The side light is used as butterfly light shining on the bride’s face. It makes the bride’s face soft and solid.

It is a pretty girl, but the picture is not successful. The photographer failed to employ the light, as the result, the face of the girl appeared to be flat and big.

Rainy day Photography

Rain is a season of pain. It is easy to remind people of memories.

Rain is the blessing for the heart and mind.

Rain always creates chances for photographers to bring up romantic works.

Today is a romantic rainy day, I eager to share some photographs with you.

We should learn to make good use of frontground in order to take nice pictures in the rainy day, such as glass and umbrella. I love the first picture. The water drops on the glass reflect a blur world. We can adjust the focus and focal length to achieve this effect. In addition, the warm color contrasts with the cool color, making the pictures full of energy.