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Anti Gravity Trick Photography

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Light Painting Tips and Advice for Beginners

By Mark A Hastings

Light painting is all about using different light sources in a darkroom or outdoors in the darkness of night illuminating and capturing the scene or subject. Light painting tips and advice for beginners have the full details of all the in's and out's of this beautiful skill set. Mastering this skill set requires creativity of the photographer more than anything else.

Equipment
Some of the important equipments needed to create this magic of light painting includes a tripod, a remote control, a flash, some spotlights and the camera.

Light Sources
Light sources form painting brushes to paint the colourful patterns on the canvas of your subject. Thickness and intensity of the light beam formulates the basic shape and size of the photo. It is not mandatory to use only spotlights and flashes for it. A little experiment with different light sources as street lights or even the light of moving vehicles gets amazing results with a right blend of creativity and experience.

 ISO
You must start with the lowest ISO values supported on your camera. ISO values between 100 and 200 gives good result as higher values tend to invite more noise into the picture.

Aperture
Depending on the depth of field that you plan to capture, you need to set the aperture accordingly. In the beginning, you must start with small aperture values to grab a wide depth of field to include everything painted.

Exposure
Exposure time is completely dependent on the values of ISO and aperture being used. Beginners must start focusing with an exposure range within 30 seconds. You may start experimenting with higher exposure values later.

Focus
Always keep the camera on manual mode when light painting. Don't use auto focus as it fails to give good results in dark environment.

RAW
As a beginner, you must shoot in RAW mode as it widens your exposure to edit the pictures later. Several mistakes that are committed by amateurs in the beginning may be fixed at the time of editing pictures.

Start Small
Instead of focusing on large subjects in the beginning, start learning with small things exploring one at a time. Just start with painting small objects placed on a table in the darkroom. As you gain experience, keep on widening the scope and horizon of your work.

Pattern Drawing
Exploit the best of your creativity in light movements during the small exposure time of 30 seconds in the beginning. Move the light sources in a drawing pattern as if stroking the canvas with a colourful brush. Imagine yourself as a painter drawing the best painting of your life.

Keep it Simple
As a beginner, you must restrain yourself from getting caught up in the complexities. Learn the simple things first, practice and gain experience before moving on to the next. With time and experience, you gain confidence to move on experimenting with other complex creations.

Trick photography and light painting photography have become very popular. This form of photography is now become much easier to learn with the advancements in technology. When you find a complete tutorial on light painting it makes creating these photo's much easier.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_A_Hastings
 

 

Fun Intro to Light Painting !!!

Simple & Fun Introduction to try out Light Painting on your own! =)

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Cool Light Painting Photography by Darren Pearson

Inspiring photography that are produced from creativity, hardwork & determination...

"I won’t stop until I get what I’m looking for. I may do something a hundred times, because I have a vision that I kind of go into something thinking ‘ok, I’ll get this particular shot,’ and if I don’t get that particular shot, I’ll obsess over it." - Darren Pearson

 Fair warning: expect a little bit of inappropriate language:

Are You a Professional Photographer

Just for Laughs =)


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Trick Photography Ideas for Taking Levitation Photography In-Camera

By Jim T May

If you're like most people, you might have dreamed of flying and floating around in the air effortlessly. Some people have dreams of flying around in the living room or the house they live in, while others might travel vast distances and visit other cities, countries, or even outer space. That feeling of freedom is alluring to all of us. Some of us dream about it, some of us go out and build airplanes, and some of us recreate that feeling with trick photography.

Levitation photos are a kind of trick photography that usually depicts people and objects floating in the air. They defy the force of gravity with no real explanation on what is keeping them up. It looks and feels magical to the observer, and leaves you wondering, "How did they create these photos?"
The truth is that most levitation photography are created and digitally manipulated using photo-editing software like Adobe Photoshop. You can create really stunning levitation pictures with advanced Photoshop skills and plenty of creative imagination. But there are also people out there who create this kind of trick photography in-camera. The levitation effect is achieved in real-life without resorting to digital cut and paste. Just like being told that no trick photography is used in a great magic trick shown on television, there is a certain sense of curiosity and amazement when one is told that a levitation photo is done without Photoshop.

Spoiler alert. The simplest way to levitate in a photograph is to jump, fall, or hide the elements that are holding up the levitating person or object. How convincing your levitation photography is depends on your execution. So here are some levitation trick photography ideas you can try at home or outdoors!

Minimize motion blur
You need to make sure there are no motion blur on the levitating subject that can spoil the illusion, unless you want it there for an artistic expression. Depending on your camera, set a high shutter speed or sports mode to freeze your jumps. Use a tripod to steady your camera as well. Some cameras can be triggered with a wireless remote control, which will help you tremendously if you're attempting it alone. Otherwise you can set the self-timer and get in position.

Nonchalant pose
This is somewhat common but looks really cool to those who haven't seen it before. The idea is to pose in a way that looks very ordinary and relaxed in mid-jump. It looks like it doesn't take any effort, and you don't even notice you're doing it. Try to fit the pose to the correct location, like standing and waiting at a bus stop with other people. Everyone else is standing on solid ground, except you.

Unusual pose
How unusual your pose really depends on your physical body dexterity, if you still commit to doing it in-camera. Unless you can hide the props that are holding you up from the camera view, you'll need to remove it digitally later. The more outrageous the pose you could pull off, the more surreal the levitation looks. If you happen to have friends in gymnastics, Parkour, or breakdancing then you could ask them to pull off some moves for you.

Use props to enhance the effect
A lot of levitation and trick photography include the use of props. Levitation pictures done with Photoshop often include other levitating elements like clothing and shoes. These are digitally inserted or tinkered with to enhance the effect. This doesn't stop us from trying to insert it in-camera as well. When you're jumping, you can ask someone outside the field of view of the camera to toss shoes below your bare feet. With luck and proper timing, the pictures looks as though your shoes are coming off your feet as you rise into the air. Another idea is to hang the objects in the air with a very thin and transparent string. Think outside of the box, and you can come up with neat ideas to fit props into your picture.

Finally...
Having fun and experimenting is the best way towards trick photography mastery. You will get great ideas popping up in your head when you actually go out and take levitation photos of yourself and your friends. There are no limits on creativity, and everyone has their own unique view of the world around them. This practically guarantees that we will continue to be amazed and surprised by clever new levitation photos taken by other people. So go out there and share your contribution!

Jim blogs about trick photography and special effects techniques that people use to create stunning photographs. You can sign up at his Trick Photography site to receive a free report on the top 10 trick photography ideas for travel photos.

 Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jim_T_May

 

Improving Your Skills and Knowledge As a Photographer

By Lynne P Smith

While anyone can hold a camera and snap a photo, it takes creativity and knowledge of the art to be a true photographer. Just in the way painting is a form of creative expression, photography is also a way to express yourself. Getting into photography and improving as a photographer can be difficult, particularly if you find yourself without many resources. However, there are many ways that you can improve your skills and knowledge in the photography field without necessarily breaking the bank.

• Receive feedback
• Take online classes
• Check out others' photography
• Practice, practice, practice

Receiving feedback is important in any type of creative field. Constructive criticism from other points of view is helpful in improving your own photography and can spark new ideas. While you may have different views and disagree with others opinions, hearing other points of view can be enlightening and you may consider ideas or techniques you wouldn't have thought of on your own.

Online classes are a great way to improve your photography knowledge. They provide the opportunity to learn the basics or expand upon what you already know. You'll have the benefits of working with professionals leading the class and be able to study the best practices. There are a variety of online classes offered depending on your interests and skill level.

One great way to improve is to check out other people's photography. You may be inspired with new ideas, techniques, subjects, and color schemes. Check out work in a photography magazine or at a local gallery show... who knows, one day your work might be featured! Reach out to people with whom you relate and admire - they may be able to give you some tips on succeeding as a professional or tips to improve on your photo art.

Practice makes perfect, so in order to become a better photographer, it's important to practice. What's great about photography is the ability to practice anywhere. Choose non-traditional subjects around your home and make them into a work of art. Play with different settings on your camera, lighting, and color schemes. The only way to get better is to practice and play around. In the process of practicing, you'll find what subjects you like working with, what color schemes work, and how to make the most of the lighting provided to you.

Whether you'd like to make your hobby a dream or are looking to learn the basics, these are just a few things you can do to improve your skills and photography knowledge. Make goals for yourself, like submitting a photo to an online photography magazine. Remember to be open to and learn from constructive criticism, study other photographer's work, and that practice will make you a better photographer.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lynne_P_Smith

 

Rekindle the Joy of Taking Cool Pictures With Trick Photography

By Jim T May

 
 

Do you remember when you first picked up a camera? Whether it was film or digital, it was exciting to explore the world and take pictures. We bring our cameras everywhere we go and just start snapping anything that looks even remotely interesting. Now that almost all modern smartphone has a decent camera, there is simply no reason why we shouldn't be taking more interesting pictures more often. While we are snapping more photos than ever, the trick is to take photos that are interesting and not mundane.

But as time goes by, taking pictures become routine. We take more pictures especially when we travel, but somehow it ends up looking the same. Time after time we take pictures of our subjects in front of a tourist attraction, usually with the same pose. After awhile our holiday photos are nothing more than a photographic proof that we've been to a specific landmark, rather than having something interesting to convey.

Photography moved on from exciting and adventurous to becoming a mechanical routine. Then you see other people's photographs on flickr or other photo sharing websites and they look stunning, interesting, thought-provoking, etc. How did they do it? It must've taken a lot of talent, time, and fancy equipment.

But the truth is, it doesn't really take much to start taking great photographs that you can be proud to show off again. You need to re-engage the creative side of your photography skills and start having fun. When you rekindle the joy of taking photographs, you'll invariably take better photos.
We all can take great photographs given an interesting subject, but adding some trick photography techniques into the mix can really make your pictures pop out and grab attention. All you need is just a little extra effort and preparation to get pictures that are out of the ordinary.

There are various special effects in trick photography that can definitely enhance the pictures you take in most situations. Some takes time to learn and use but if you want something immediate, you can do the following. In addition to your camera, try to bring along something fun and different that you can use to enhance the content of your photos. Some people bring dolls or soft toys and have it posed against their subject or scenery to give life to their photos.

When it comes to trick photography, most people think of forced perspective. No doubt you'll have seen pictures of people pushing the leaning tower of pisa with their hands or holding one of their friends in the palm of their hands. These are forced perspective pictures, and add a great sense of fun and humour to any subject matter you're trying to photograph. So toy around with different variations on this trick to get some funny pictures.

Taking photos at night is a great opportunity to get creative and play with your subject matter. You might have seen pictures of cities at night with those long light trails of cars, these are great examples of using trick photography to convey a mood or feeling through photographs. Some of the more impressive trick photos of this nature are taken with nothing more than a camera, tripod, a flashlight, and a great deal of imagination.

So stop taking pictures of people in front of bits of scenery. Use your imagination and come up with creative and fun photos using some of the trick photography techniques mentioned here. Not only will you take great pictures, but you'll have more fun doing it!

Jim blogs about trick photography and special effects techniques that people use to create stunning photographs. You can sign up at his Trick Photography site to download a free report on the top 10 trick photography ideas for travel photos.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jim_T_May

 

3 Tips to Improve Photography

By Jason Kay

 

Tip #1: Use the Sun
The sun is a photographer's best tool, and an unmatched source of lighting. The primary ingredient that separates amateurs from professionals is the quality of lighting. While professionals typically provide supplemental lighting or bounce cards (shiny material used to reflect sunlight) to help attain the perfect shot, you can raise the caliber of your photos by knowing how to use the sun.
Taking a picture into the sunlight will make your subject dark, and there will be a significant loss of detail. Always try to shoot photos with the sun behind you - this way, you're using the sun's light to naturally brighten the people or objects you're taking a photo of.
But what if you're in India trying to take a picture of the Taj Mahal, or you're trying to grab a shot of your friend as they score the game winning goal - and the sun is facing you, blasting beams of light straight into your camera? Obviously, moving the subject in these scenarios isn't an option. Depending on the angle of the sun to your lens, you can lessen the impact of the sun by casting a shadow on the camera lens.
Think of it as you would if you were driving down the road, but the sun is shining in your eyes. In this instance, you use your hand to shield the sun out of your eyes. Apply the same principle to your camera lens. Shadowing the lens can be done with a business card, note card, or even your hand. Hold the camera up with one hand, and use your other hand to block out the sun's rays.

Tip #2: Get Eye Level and Fill the Frame
Getting eye level with a child is a good way to capture precious photos. It brings you down to their level, and creates a far more engaging photograph. Try taking some photos from behind the child while they're at play, as this not only shows what the child is doing, but it shows where the child is going, and it also shows life from the child's perspective.

Getting close is another key to better photographs. If you're taking photos of your Cocker Spaniel, don't shoot from across the room. Rather, get up close to your pup, and let his face fill 75% of the frame. Keeping the background simple is a good way to direct your viewer's eye to the object of the photo, and if this isn't possible, filling the frame is an easy way to minimize any distractions from a busy background.

 

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Tip #3: Shoot Often, Delete Often
Professional photographers will usually take thousands of photos during one hour-long photo session, but the end result will only be a few hundred photographs. The trick to being a good photographer is snapping at least two or three shots per expression or action, and then choosing the photo that best captures the moment.
Practice by taking several pictures when nothing exciting is going on. Create photo sessions with friends and use this time to learn a little about your camera. Try adjusting the ISO settings (your camera's sensitivity to light) depending on how well lit your subject is. By practicing and understanding how to use your camera, it will help sharpen your skills when important events do occur.

See a list of current photography contests at http://www.photographycontest.ws

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jason_Kay

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