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[H1673]How To Take Great Photographs

by Suzanne E Morrison, Suz

Taking pictures of a baby is something you should not embark on lightly. All parents will treasure these pictures for years to come so you want to give yourself as much of an edge as possible. that means starting off with the best camera you can afford. This usually means a DSLR. If you cannot afford a DSLR then start off with a good make of compact camera.

Good lighting is the key to all good photography, and the professionals know how to make the light work for them. Let me describe two extreme baby photo shoots. The first is where granddad tries to capture that unique baby moment by candle light. He has his phone camera flash set to off and the baby is jumping around all over the place. Oh yes and did I ad that grandad has had a few drinks and is a bit shaky. So how would you guess the photo would turn out?

In the second case a real pro photographer gets mum to bring the baby along to his studio. He has a great backdrop, there is daylight streaming through the windows and he has several remote flashes with diffusers. His camera, the latest top of the range Nikon or Canon DSLR is mounted on a tripod. Not only that but Mum is holding the baby and she is seated. So how would you guess the photo would turn out?

I'm sure the second photo will be the most technically correct picture but will the pro be able to capture that magic baby moment. No, I don't think he will, even though he will be able to compensate for the unnatural environment and he will have some terrific shots he might not get that magic baby moment.

Magic baby moments are usually captured by creating an almost natural environment for the baby to be in. Try not to have the scene too cluttered with baby toys distracting from the main subject of you photo, your baby.

Try to take your pictures in daylight but set your camera to have the flash on - but don't take all your pictures with flash on. If you have a DSLR consider an external flash and bounce the flash off the ceiling to get less harsh shots.

Why don't you try going down on the floor beside the baby. Remember to get someone to hold the baby's attention. Get mum to make a funny face or do something to make baby smile. Try to focus on the baby's eyes. Most of today's cameras allow you to press the shutter button part of the way to enable the focus and light reading. If you keep your finger on the shutter button and move the camera slightly it holds the focus and light reading of the initial press.

Take your photos at different angles to the natural light. Consider taking shots of the baby having a bath or eating or holding her or his favorite toy. Get the picture?

Think along the lines of taking 100 pictures of baby, in various situations, to get 10 good ones and your half way there. Happy shooting baby!

Taking great pictures of different food dishes isn't as easy as it appears to be in cook books and food advertisements. Great care should be exercised when taking these shots. Things that need to be considered include the dish's angle, composition, lighting, as well as problems that may arise. Here are some guides to help you improve the quality of your pictures.

Lighting:
Consider the lighting in the kitchen or venue where you will shooting the dishes. It is a good idea to know this in advance so that you no longer have to make adjustments right there in the venue.

Dark venues may be corrected by using a row of flourescent lighting which possesses diffusers. The drawback of this method is that the image will have a subdued shade of green. Depending on the camera that you have, it may have a setting that neutralizes the effects of flourescent lighting or a magenta filter may be used to compensate.

Stability of tripods:
Since you are taking pictures of food, every shot is done at close range. Unlike shots taken at a distance, shots done in close up are sensitive to movement.

Any sudden moves and the picture will be ruined. Focusing on the subject also becomes easier when using a tripod or even just a stack of magazines.

Food presentation:
To get that professional look, cut the dish in geometric shapes. Proper arrangement of the food is also important so that you will be able to showcase the dish's ingredients as well as its strengths.

Garnishing the food that you will shoot will enhance its natural colors, making it more appealing to the eyes.

Focusing on the subject:
A rather dull photo will become vibrant and dynamic if care is taken when focusing and adjusting the field depth of the camera.

If your camera doesn't have manual focus, depressing the camera's shutter button halfway to lock the focus at that specific depth. Recomposing the focus can be done by changing the position of the camera while the shutter button is still depressed halfway.

Automatic cameras usually lack aperture or depth of field. Some purposely adjust the aperture such that the background becomes a blur to heighten the subject's features while others prefer that a wider depth of field is used to capture the whole scene.

These are some of the things that you should know regarding food photography. Constant practice will help you produce better shots. Follow your instincts. Sometimes this allows you to take better shots.

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Suzanne E Morrison has sinced written about articles on various topics from Wellness, Internet Marketing and Home Based Business. Suzanne Morrison is a keen amateur photographer and recommends as a good resource for anyone interested in digital portr. Suzanne E Morrison's top article generates over 33100 views. to your Favourites.

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