ShelbyMelissa

Lighting 22. Invest in a cheap pair of lights If you're doing any kind of indoor photography, invest in a cheap pair of lights. Buy at least a pair, complete with tripod stands and reflectors to direct the light. Opt for continuous light rather than flash units, as they're cheaper, easy to use and great for beginners, as you don't have to take test shots to see how the shadows fall during setup. 23. Understand colour temperature Different colours and levels of light are measured using the Kelvin scale. For the best results, look for studio lights with a temperature of around 5,500K-6,000K to emulate bright daylight. Lights with a lower colou

20. Save money by opting for a smaller sensor This means you can, technically, save money by opting for a smaller sensor, as you'll be able to buy less powerful lenses to achieve the kind of results you would otherwise only get with a longer, more expensive zoom. 21. Use zone focusing Related to point 6 -- f/8 and be there -- if you have a lens with both f-stop and focal measurements on the barrel, understanding how they relate to each other can help you take great spontaneous photos with a high degree of confidence. In the image below we've set our aperture to f/5.6, as indicated by the red line pointing to the 5.6 reading on the lower gau

18. What do the measurements on my lens mean? Lenses are measured in terms of their focal length, which broadly describes the effect they have on incoming light and the way it is focused on the sensor. A short focal length, such as 24mm, doesn't have a very high level of magnification, so will focus a broad vista on the sensor. A long focal length, such as 240mm, has a high level of magnification, like a telescope, and so will fill the sensor with just the central part of the view. This lens has a fairly long telephoto with the zoom topping out at 300mm. 19. Understand your lens' true dimensions Unless you've paid for a high-end dSLR, or a

16. Shoot slowly, zoom quickly... At the same time If you're shooting a static display, add some interest by turning the zoom control while shooting with a fairly slow shutter speed (you can only do this with a manual zoom, as a powered lens will be locked off when shooting). This works particularly well when shooting cars and other forms of transport as it gives them a sense of motion. Give static subjects added dynamism and excitement by changing the zoom while using a slow shutter speed. 17. Try a prime lens for more creativity Shooting with a fixed focal length -- a prime lens -- will make you think more carefully about how you want to

14. Avoid stacking up too many filters It's tempting to add multiple filters to the end of each lens to achieve different results, but bear in mind that although they may look perfectly clear to you, each one reduces the amount of light passing through by a small amount. For the best results, use the smallest number of filters possible. 15. Choose a manual lens over a powered one Some compact interchangeable lens cameras come with a choice of powered or manual zoom. The former is a great lazy option, allowing you to press a button to get the framing you're after, but the latter is often cheaper and almost always quicker to use as it moves at