Photography Features

How To: Take evenly lit professional high definition photos

You can take high resolution photos with just about any digital SLR, but whether these high resolution photos turn out impressive depends on setting, lighting, and the compliance of your subjects to pose. While photographing your friends and family in everyday life has these aforementioned conditions already set for you, if you take photos in the studio many factors can be adjusted to your liking.

How To: Convert a Super Wide Polaroid camera into a pinhole

Watch this video and learn how to convert a Super Wide Polaroid camera into a pinhole camera. This conversion will also work for super shooter and colorpack cameras. Strip down the camera, "chop" the body and prep to recap for a super wide angle pinhole camera. This project works for cameras that accept 3.25 x 4.25 polaroid and fujifilm instant pack films.

News: Fold-It-Yourself Pinhole Camera

Easy as 1-2-3... Print, fold and start taking pictures. Free download and instructions for the Czechoslovakian designed Dirkon camera here. The Dirkon uses 35mm film and takes hazy, blurred, highly saturated pictures typical of the pinhole format. Image examples below.

How To: Make a cheap studio light with soft box for under $20

This video shows how to make a studio softbox light for under 20 dollars. It is made with items found around the home or easily acquired. The author takes us through the process in a step by step manner. It starts with a cheap camera tripod upon which a plastic electrical outlet strip is attached using either a screw or strong plastic adhesive. An electrical plug with a light socket attachment is plugged into the strip to allow the light to be attached. A small cooler with a hole cut in the b...

Real Life Cyborg: Man Plans to Implant Camera in the Back of His Head

Professor Wafaa Bilal of New York University plans to soon undergo a surgical procedure that would temporarily implant a camera in the back of his head. The project is being commissioned for an art exhibit at a new museum in Qatar. The Iraqi photographer will be a living, breathing cyborg for an entire year, during which the implanted camera will take still photos every minute, simultaneously feeding the images to monitors at the museum.

HowTo: Capture Monster Waves on Camera

Waves are like clouds. Perpetually calming, they possess a serene beauty that never grows old. It's no wonder humans capture the planet's daily natural wonders over and over again. Armed with a camera, they just can't resist the classic postcard shot: Sunrise. Sunset. Clouds. Mountains. Beaches. Waves.

How To: Use AV mode & High Speed Sync (flash)

In this tutorial, we learn how to use AV mode & High Speed Sync (flash). First, go to AV mode and change the settings to 2.8. When you do this, your shutter speed will blink at 250. To fix this, hit the lightning bolt with the "h" and change it to the high speed setting. Now, your camera will be able to use the high speed shutter with the flash as well. Now, take some shots of your subject in the sun and you should be able to see a huge difference. The background should come in crystal clear ...

How To: Take a digital SLR timelapse photograph

Timelapse photography is possible with a huge variety of cameras, especially if you're willing to teather them, hook them up to a computer. Connectors, pclix, shutter times, and all sorts of plug-ins will make timelapse pictures relatively simple. Watch this video photography tutorial and learn how to take quality timelapse pictures with you digital SLR camera.

How To: Take an infrared photograph with a DSLR camera

Infrared photos are photos that are taken in such a way that they absorb light from beyond the visual spectrum, giving your pictures a cool, surreal effect. This video will teach you everything you need to know to take them yourself. You'll learn how to determine if you have a camera that will work, get the proper filter, and take the photo. It's pretty quick and easy if you have the right equipment, and looks really, really cool.

How To: Build a Double-Shoulder Camera Mount for Only $8 Using PVC

Shoulder mounts are great for stability, but they can be pretty pricey. This DIY project by TheJamesTheatre is better in both aspects—it rests on both shoulders for extra stability, and it only costs 8 bucks to make. The frame is made of PVC with foam pieces from a pool noodle for cushion. All you need is a few connectors and the nuts and bolts to put it all together. You can find the full parts list on the About section on YouTube.

How To: Do night photography with your kids

In this video, we learn how to do night photography with your kids. Glow sticks. flash lights, and ghost images are great for night time! First, put your camera in the manual mode and then learn how to set the shutter once you're in manual mode. Put the pop up flash on your camera, then get started taking pictures! Use glow sticks to take pictures of the children, giving a cool effect on the photos. Use different shutter speeds on the camera to capture the sparks on the glow sticks and with s...

How To: Create time lapse photography

There are several ways to do time lapse photography, my favorite involves using a digital still camera and a controller. Once the photos are taken, I demonstrate how to to stitch the photos together into a finished movie. You could also use a digital video camera with controlling software to do time lapse.

How To: Give Your Photos a Surreal Effect by Stacking Negatives

Want to add cool effects to your photos without using expensive equipment? Photographer Laina Briedis created these gorgeous shots by stacking 35mm negatives of starry or cloudy skies on top of photos of people to give them a surreal, dreamlike effect. There are a few ways to go about it. Laina explained to PetaPixel that you can do this with or without a darkroom. If you have access to one, you can expose two negatives at the same time by stacking them, or expose them separately onto the sam...

How To: Shoot unique product photography with long exposures

This video shows you how to light a bottle with long exposure in photography. The end result is to have a picture of a bottle with glowing edges with a black background. For starters you set your SLR camera settings to a 30 second manual shutter speed and a f5. 6 set aperture. Put the camera on a tripod for steadiness and set up your subject. For the subject, on a table, place your bottle in front of your chosen drop cloth. It is best to choose a color similar to the bottle. Then you use a li...

How To: Problem solve small product photography techniques

This instructional photography video explains how to problem solve small product issues. Two ways to tackle a particular challenge is through pre-production and the other in post-production. There are many different ways a photographer can approach and deal with a challenge. The more knowledge you have about different methodologies about photography, the better and easier you will be able to solve those problems when they occur.

How To: Use Nikon's metering system for photo cameras

This instructional photography video explains the basics on how to use all three different types of metering systems on Nikon D-SLR photo cameras: 3D Matrix Metering, Center-Weight Metering, and Spot Metering. Watch this tutorial and start taking better, more professional photographs now that you understand how to use the metering system.

News: Photograph Beams of Light

More science-geek-art: amazing photographs by Alan Jaras. Apparently the images have not been altered in any way (computer generated or color treated) and are true reproductions of light refraction patterns captured on film.

How To: Use a Diana camera shutter release lock

This photography tutorial shows you how to make a better shutter release lock for Diana Plus and vintage Diana cameras. This is helpful for low light situations and long exposures. You can make a replacement shutter release lock with a clothes pin and a file. Have fun taking night photographs with this handy tool.

How To: Use a light meter for your photo camera

This cinematography tutorial video provides the basics of working with a photographic light meter as well as how to read the meter. A light and flash meter is nothing expensive. All you need is something that will measure the light and your flash. Most light meters are relatively the same. Metering is a relatively simple process. Just key in the ISO, key in the shuttle speed, push the button, and it gives you the f-stop to use on your professional photo camera.