Here at Digital Camera World we’re not afraid of courting controversy. OK, maybe we are a little bit, which is why we thought it was time to be bold. We’ve interviewed a number of famous photographers over the years and been inspired by each of them, but as many readers often ask us… “who are the best photographers of all time?”
We put on our thinking caps and took a stab it. Following lots of coffee and some heated arguments, we agreed on a list of the 55 best photographers of all time. In the history of the world. Ever. Definitely.
Using window light to take photos at home is perfect when it’s available, but when it’s in short supply you need a more reliable and predictable light source. The ultimate solution is a studio flash set-up, but there’s a simpler and cheaper option: a tabletop studio.
Off-camera flash is a great way to create a backlight effect that can boost your still life photography. It’s an easy technique to master, and can add real depth and character to still lifes.
The trick is to create a lovely light rim around your subject, which will show off its shape and edge detail – the prickles of our thistle look great when they’re lit from behind.
As often seen in still life photography, the colours and textures in this still life image give it the feel of a classic painting.
‘Tomato Soup’ by Shootn made us hungry for tomato soup and white bread the moment we saw it. It’s a great still life photograph, and it’s evident that the photographer has taken care to consider the layout of this image down to the small details. For us, the streak of sunshine falling over the bowl really adds an additional warmth and ‘friendliness’ to the feel of the photograph.
No one likes wasting pictures. And the real beauty of taking photos with a digital camera is that it’s so easy to learn from your mistakes. Simply press the shutter button and you’ll see the result instantly on the camera’s LCD screen, so you can assess it at once.
Here we’ll show you how to capture great shots the first time and stop wasting pictures by avoiding some of the most common mistakes in photography. You’ll learn how to improve your shooting skills, but also how to correct less-than-perfect shots that you simply can’t delete and re-shoot.
Converting an image to black and white is pretty simple, but if you want truly impressive results it pays to think about how and what you shoot, and learn how to use your editing software’s powerful tools to get the most from your shots. In this black and white photography tutorial, we’ll show you how [...]
The soft, flat light produced when the sky is overcast and cloudy may be frustrating when shooting outdoors, but it’s perfect for shooting still lifes at home. The trick to window light photography is to control where this light falls and, just as importantly, where it doesn’t.
In this tutorial we’ll show you how to take control of your window light photography using reflectors, diffusers and shade, and at the end we have another free photography cheat sheet illustrating the different types of effects you can get on a budget using window light and some simple tools. These skills will stand you in good stead whatever lighting you use – even a full studio flash set-up is based on the same principles.
In photography, it’s not just what you shoot that counts – the way that you shoot it is crucial, too. Poor photo composition can make a fantastic subject dull, but a well-set scene can create a wonderful image from the most ordinary of situations. With that in mind, we’ve picked our top 10 photo composition ‘rules’ to show you how to transform your images.
Don’t feel that you’ve got to remember every one of these laws and apply them to each photo you take. Instead, spend a little time practising each one in turn and they’ll become second nature. You’ll soon learn to spot situations where the different rules can be applied to best effect.
Poor shadow detail can be a real problem when shooting in high-contrast scenes – especially if your subject is backlit and you’re exposing for the highlights. It’s possible to ‘bracket’ your exposures and combine multiple images taken with different settings in Photoshop to get the exposure spot on, but if your subject might move, even slightly, that’s not an option.
Fortunately, there’s more than one solution to the problem of poor shadow detail. Here are some of the best ways to add a little light into your images’ dark, shadow areas, and reveal hidden detail that will instantly illuminate even the trickiest of shots.
