Creative Commons Copyright Steven Wong

It’s time to open up your favorite photo gear catalog and pick a page!  My question to you is this: If you could only have one lens for the rest of your days, what would it be and why?

The reason I ask is because the bittersweet decision says a lot about a photographer and their style.  When I’ve asked other photographers it’s helped me to understand more about them and the art of photography.  For instance, those that want a simple 50mm lens tended to be more practical and versatile in their approach.  While others hooked on wildlife photography long for a coveted 600mm unit of the finest quality.  Other’s still insist on a wide angle zoom or …

Photographing Children can be a lot of fun – but also presents photographer with a variety of challenges. In this guest post the team at Aliph Aur Meem share 5 tips for photographing children to get you started.

1. LET THE KIDS HAVE FUN

Children are most expressive when they are being themselves. Give them a little too much direction and you could end up diluting the whole experience for both of you. This is really one of those times when you need to bring your photojournalism chops to the forefront, and genuinely be a bystander observing the kids being kids. If you want to change up the shot or try something else, instead of telling them what to do, have a conversation and lead them to where you want them to go. For example: “Is that your swing set? Do you have any cool tricks you could show me?”, or, “Look at all these leaves. Don’t you think it would be so much fun to just throw ‘em up in the air and let it rain leaves?”.

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Today I spent a couple of hours working through 3 great new ebooks by David duChemin.

The 3 e-books are only $5 (USD) each – yet they contain some really great information that I’m certainly many DPS readers will really find useful.

Lets take a look at each of them in turn:

1. TEN (10 Ways To Improve Your Craft. None of Them Involve Buying Gear.)

David describes this ebook like this:

“10 is my 32 page answer to everyone that’s ever written in and asked me “So, what can I do to make better photographs now? I have the basics but want to take my images up to the next level. Where do I go from here?””

It’s filled with practical tips and inspirational images to illustrate the points David is making.

2. TEN MORE (10 More

…

Image by John McNab

A lot of photographers have said that while they love to hold the camera and take beautiful photos, they aren’t as fond of the idea of being on the other side of the lens. On the other hand, there’s an enormous group of people who not only enjoy having their photo taken, they actually love to take self-portraits.

In fact, if you peruse Flickr you can find a great deal of self-portrait groups, including 365Days, a place where you can showcase – you guessed it – one self-portrait a day for a full year.

The problem is, many people consider a self-portrait to mean holding the camera firmly in your hand, stretching your arm out, and trying to get your face at a good angle in front of the lens. While that has its place from time to time, a self-portrait can be thought out just as much as a portrait you take of someone else.

Thus, here are seven tips for going beyond basics in self-portraits:

1. Use the timer, or better yet, get a remote.

Most cameras now come with a ten-second timer. While this isn’t a lot of time, it can be enough to manoeuvre yourself accordingly. Just be sure to either use a stand-in or to focus on something at the proper distance or you’ll be fuzzy! What beats a timer is a wireless remote that will allow you to position yourself and then take the picture when you’re ready. Timers are a lot of fun for things like jumping shots!

Image by craigmdennis

Copyright Hidden Creek Photography

Hawai’i’s Big Island is rife with photography opportunities, including those below the surface.  I recently was a guest on an underground tour of the Kazumura Cave, the world’s longest lava tube with a length over 40 miles.  While I didn’t explore the whole length (only a small fraction) this was my second time in a lava tube and first time with my DSLR.  My guide Jeffery from Kilauea Caverns Of Fire was gracious enough to let me spend some time experimenting with shooting in the cave.  Along with online research, it was tremendous learning experience for me and I’d like to pass on what I’ve learnt.  Let’s start with some basics.

Protect Your Gear

One of the most important aspects of cave photography is rock surrounds you, obviously.  Cameras, I’ve found, don’t like to come in contact with rocks in a harsh way.  It’s important while you’re exploring a cave to keep your camera well covered.  You’ll be in an unfamiliar territory and walking on uneven surfaces, often on all fours depending on the cave system.  A camera pouch or backpack is a good idea to keep your camera safe while exploring.

Also caves tend to be wet with moisture falling from the ceiling.  As well as packing away your camera while moving about, bring a hand towel or cloth to wipe down your camera.  It can also be draped over the camera while shooting to help further protect it.  Often the water dripping from above will be carrying a number of minerals which are best cleaned off sooner than later.