Action Photography Tips for Sporting Events

Posted on 5 October 2019 by admin

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Whether you’re looking to catch the perfect moment when the puck hits the crossbar, or the high diver goes for the most daring leap, capturing the “perfect” shot in sports photography requires preparation, timing, and a bit of luck. Here are some tips for improving your action shots.

tennis photography

Arrive Early and Cover the Entire Event

Scout it Out

Do your work on the front end, and your final photo results will improve dramatically. Arrive to the venue early in order to best gauge the light and angles (and how they’ll adjust in the next few hours), and find prime shooting locations.

volleyball photography

Behind the Scenes

Arriving early also allows you to capture the behind-the-scenes work that goes into a sporting event. Capture the look of pride on the Zamboni operator’s face when they smooth the ice one last time, or the excitement of the grounds crew raking the baseball diamond.

Atmosphere and Emotion

You can also take shots of the entire atmosphere leading up to the game. Capture faces painted in team logo colors, the happiness of kids attending what might be their first game, and other shots that showcase the role fans play in sports.

celebratory sports photography

Use the Right Equipment and Techniques

Shutter Speed and Lenses

Shooting sports requires fast reflexes and an understanding of how to capture moving subjects. You’ll want to experiment with various camera settings, knowing you’ll want at least a 1/250 shutter speed in order to get in-focus images. Multiple lenses are also ideal, as you’ll need longer lenses for capturing facial expressions, and wider lenses for an entire field. Both are crucial for showcasing the human emotion of sports and the energy of a crowd.

athlete photography

Focus

When you are shooting sports actions you want to be sure you keep taking shots even after the play is over. If the home run hitter crosses home plate, you want to not only capture them at that moment, but also the high-fives and genuine smiles they’ll show off in the dugout.

photography athletes emotions

You should also play with various techniques. One is pre-focusing, where you focus in on an area where you know the action will take place. For example, focus on first base when a ground-ball pitcher is batting as it is likely the first base person will receive some action.

Panning

Another technique is panning, where you shoot with a slower shutter speed while following the subject at a matching speed. This puts the subject (cyclists, sprinter, or hockey player) in clear focus while giving everything else a bit of motion blur.

panning in sports photography

Panning takes practice so you’ll want to experiment under different light conditions.

About the Author
Cosmin Iftodeis a photographer at Dreamstime.

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Canon 11-24mm F/4L Lens Review

Posted on 5 October 2019 by admin

The post Canon 11-24mm F/4L Lens Review appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Nisha Ramroop.

Following the release news of the Canon EF 11-24mm F/4L USM Lens, came countless sleepless nights of research and reading reviews. At the end of that process, all I could safely decipher was that it was the new dream lens of the landscape photographer in me.

Canon 11-24 mm F/4L Lens Review

The build

The moment you pick up this lens, the weight surprises you. It’s quite hefty and you notice every ounce of the approximate (just over) two-and-a-half pounds. The entire build of the lens screams quality too. Like other Canon lenses, the manual focus and zoom rings move smoothly and feel natural. Not a lens you want to be cumbersome with, so this was an important feature for me when working with such weight. You can make easy focal adjustments, as the zoom moves through the entire focal range with a small turn. When behind the lens, the AF/MF is also easily accessible.

Canon 11-24mm F/4L Lens Review

The bulbous front element blooms with authority and still makes me nervous enough to cover it almost immediately when not in use. I am not reassured by the presence of the fixed hood that is meant to protect the imposing glass. However, I am glad it is there. The signature red ring around the front always sets expectations of promised image quality and Canon has delivered.

Image: Size comparatives from left to right: Canon 85mm F/1.2 L, Canon 11-24mm F4 L, Canon 135mm F2...

Size comparatives from left to right: Canon 85mm F/1.2 L, Canon 11-24mm F4 L, Canon 135mm F2 L

What works

The Canon EF 11-24mm is benchmarked as the widest ultra-wide rectilinear lens compatible with full-frame DSLRs, since the Sigma 12-24mm F/4.5-5.6 lens. Thus barrel distortion is minimal throughout the range, and straight lines in your subject are not compromised (and appear straight). The most distortion you would find occurs at around 11mm and 12mm and compared to any other lens at this focal range, it is minimal. Of note, distortion seems non-existent between 15-24mm.

Canon 11-24mm F/4L Lens Review

By comparison, yes the Canon EF 8-15mm f/4L Fisheye is wider, but as is the signature of fisheye lenses, it outputs barrel-distorted images and your straight lines curve. The exception is if your line is directly center of your frame.

The lens is quiet and focuses quickly. Most impressively though, it is super sharp, even at the corners! Added to sharp images; the contrast is nice and balanced. If you have used other ultra-wides, you will admire the difference in the output. The image quality is simply amazing!

Canon 11-24mm F/4L Lens Review

The angle of view on a full-frame, coupled with the minimal distortion, makes it great for indoor architectural spaces. The need for a lens like this to be F/2.8 eludes me, as F/4 feels more than adequate.

What could be better

If you are looking at this beauty, the two major drawbacks may reside in price and weight. It is an expensive lens and certainly not in everyone’s price range. However, it’s a great investment if you do professional architectural and landscape photography. In these areas, the minimal distortion works in your favor. There is no other lens that performs like this lens at the wider end.

Canon 11-24 mm F/4L Lens Review

It is a large, heavy lens that will make you think twice before packing it for travel – you know you want it with you, oh but that weight! Even worse, it is front heavy, so you will want to be extra cautious when out in the field.

The front cap feels inadequate, as it struggles to cover the hood. There are also spaces where it clasps (when aligned) that leave room for dust to get into the front. After all the time they spent on this lens, the front cap feels like an afterthought.

Canon 11-24mm F/4L Lens Review

There is also a noticeable amount of vignetting at 11mm and also some color fringing. Both are easy to fix in post-processing, without loss of your image quality. For an ultra-wide lens though, the falloff (or darkened corners) is negligible.

Conclusion

The Canon EF 11-24mm F/4L is a truly magnificent lens for a landscape or architectural photographer. It is well-built, heavy, sharp, quiet and expensive. One thing for certain though, it is the only one of its kind and a signature Canon lens.

Have you used this lens? What are your thoughts? Share with us in the comments.

 

canon-11-24mm-f4-lens-review

The post Canon 11-24mm F/4L Lens Review appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Nisha Ramroop.


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Australia vs Uruguay live stream: how to watch today’s Rugby World Cup 2019 match from anywhere

Posted on 5 October 2019 by admin

While there were few positives to take from their stinging 2019 Rugby World Cup defeat against Wales, Australia head coach Michael Cheika will no doubt draw inspiration from his side's second-half comeback in his pep talk ahead of today's clash with Uruguay. You can watch all the action live and in full no matter where you are in the world by following our Australia vs Uruguay Rugby World Cup live stream guide below.

It's a match where both teams have plenty to prove. After impressing so much in their opening win over Fiji, the South Americans now look to nab third spot in Pool D after their defeat to Georgia.

As has been the way for many teams approaching their third game, Australia look set to rotate their starting line-up in a big way for today's game. The most significant change sees 19-year-old winger Jordan Petaia drafted in, a move that will see the teenager become the first Australian player to make his international debut in a Rugby World Cup.

Uruguay will have to make do without hooker Facundo Gattas who is serving a three-match suspension following a nasty shoulder head challenge, while head coach Esteban Meneses  has made a number of unforced changes to freshen up his squad, with centre Andres Vilaseca set to skipper his country for only the third time.

You can watch all the action from pretty much anywhere on Earth by following our Rugby World Cup Australia vs Uruguay live stream guide below.

How to watch the 2019 Rugby World Cup from outside your country

If you're abroad for any of the Rugby World Cup and don't want to miss out on catching the coverage from your home country, you'll inevitably find it geo-blocked when you try to stream online. But don't sweat. With the option of a VPN, you can tune into those fixtures no matter where you are in the world without resorting to some dodgy feed on Reddit. And best of all, it's really easy to do (or read on for details on how to stream coverage from the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the USA).

How to watch the Wallabies in Australia

How to stream Australia vs Uruguay live in the UK 

How to watch Australia vs Uruguay live in New Zealand

How to live stream Australia vs Uruguay in the US

  • Hulu with Live TV $ 40 per month – Hulu with Live TV includes CBS, Fox, NBC and ESPN.
  • FuboTV $ 35 for the first month – FuboTV gives you the first month at a discounted rate but after that the price increases to $ 45 a month. The service includes CBS, Fox, NBC and the NFL Network but does not come with ESPN.
  • DirecTV Now $ 50 per month – DirecTV Now includes CBS, Fox, NBC, ESPN and for $ 5 extra you can add the NFL Network.
  • YouTubeTV $ 40 per month – YouTubeTV gives you access to CBS, Fox, NBC and ESPN.

Divider

Live stream Rugby World Cup 2019 match in Canada


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Join Me for the Brown Bear Chasing Salmon, Remote Katmai National Park, Alaska Instructional Photo Tour!

Posted on 5 October 2019 by admin
It’s time to check off another line item on your bucket list. With pleasure I invite you to join me in remote coastal Katmai National Park for 7 nights in mid-September, 2020 to photograph brown bears chasing salmon.
 
Arrangements have been made with a highly-respected, long-term (over 2 decades) coastal Katmai NP boat operator to host our group. After a 1-hour floatplane flight from Kodiak, AK, we will set down on a remote coastal Katmai NP bay where we will be met by a skiff and shuttled to the “Ursus”, the original “Time Bandit” boat from the TV show Deadliest Catch, our home for the week. This is a solid ship that I’ve had the privilege of staying on and the Katmai NP bays we will be visiting are incredible (Geographic and Kukak Bays for example). While we will be boat-based (extremely convenient in this location), the skiff will transport us to the shores of the salmon streams where we will get up close and personal with the bears while photographing them. The amount of time allocated for this trip means that the ship can move from bay to bay, targeting the best salmon runs and providing variety in our images.
 
The Ursus
 
The September timeframe is ideal for bears looking good with new coats and a huge size, up roughly 40% from August. The lighting is softer at this time of the year with a low angle ideal that is ideal for photography. Also, the number of dark hours is adequate for a decent night of sleep while still taking advantage of the ideal lighting hours. Humpback/pink, chum/keta/dog, and sometimes sockeye/silver salmon, a bear favorite, run at this time of the year. There are no promises that we will see wolves, but this time of the year holds an increased chance of this encounter.
 
Float Plane
 
Plan on hanging out with a small group that shares your passion for wildlife photography in a spectacularly scenic location. Note that this is not Katmai NP’s popular Brooks Falls where there is often a waiting line to get onto the observation deck.
 
When and Where
 
Thu, September 17 to Thu, September 24, 2019 in remote coastal Katmai National Park, Alaska.
 
Who
 
Hopefully you, along with up-to-7 other participants. Sign up with your friends!
 
Cost
 
The cost for the 7-night Kodiak-to-Kodiak trip is $ 7,695 per person plus crew tips. Meals are included. Email me at Bryan@Carnathan.com to sign up or ask questions!
 
Shaking Brown Bear, Katmai National Park, Alaska
 
What are We Photographing?
 
Our primary photo subject will be brown bears. Wildlife, by definition, is “wild” and that means it is unpredictable and there can be no guarantees. That said, coastal Katmai National Park is an extremely reliable location to photograph brown bears and, as mentioned, the bears should be chasing salmon in the small streams at this time of the year.
 
In addition to brown bear, we could see other animals including sea otters, whales, and potentially even wolves. We will be opportunistic and take advantage of any interesting subjects that we encounter – and discovering those moments are part of the excitement. In addition to the immersive wildlife photography experience, there will certainly be opportunity for some landscape photography. The views from the boat are awesome.
 
Brown Bears and Epic Katmai National Park Landscape
 
Tour/Workshop/Adventure/Expedition
 
While the implied definitions of these terms vary, I see “workshops” typically laid out with a planned schedule and “tours” typically designed to put you in front of subjects at the right time. I’m calling this trip a “tour” because the primary goal is for you to get great images and we will be opportunistic in that regard, making a firm schedule difficult to implement. That said, we will spend a lot of time together and I will teach (including as we are actively photographing), answer questions (please bring many), critique images, assist in editing, etc. throughout our time together. Thus, the educational element will also be a primary part of our time together – an “Instructional Photo Tour”.
 
In the field, we will photograph side-by-side. You taking great images home will be a primary goal, but you capturing those images yourself is important and I can best describe what you should do if I am doing it myself at the same time. This also provides the participant opportunity to watch how it is done. Your constant feedback and questions during the IPT are important and will enable me to provide you with the best experience possible.
 
An “expedition” is another type of immersive photography experience and this event involves multiple daily mini-expeditions. Certain is that we will have an adventure.
 
Physical Requirements
 
This will be an only modestly strenuous trip, with much of the strain dependent on the size and weight of the gear you are carrying. Sometimes the hike from the skiff to the bears will be short and sometimes we might eventually end up as far as (roughly) a mile up the streams. Thus, one needs to be in reasonable physical condition.
 
What is Included
 
From Kodiak and back to Kodiak, all food and lodging (on the boat) is provided. In the boat’s current configuration, lodging is two bunks per room and two rooms per bathroom.
 
What is Not Included
 
Transportation to/from Kodiak and any lodging prior to or post trip. Note that flights to Kodiak are typically out of Anchorage.
 
Tips for the crew are not included.
 
Brown Bears Fighting, Katmai National Park, AK
 
Schedule
 
The schedule may vary, but a typical day looks like this: We will wake up in the morning, eat breakfast, slip into waders (hip waders provided, bringing your own chest waders is a better option), board the skiff with our gear, and, along with a bear guide, will head for the streams holding both salmon and bears. Typically, we come back to the boat for lunch and go back out for another round of photography later in the day. Staying out all day is an option we can request.
 
Cancellation Policy
 
Please note: travel insurance is very strongly recommended for this trip. While the operator has had “only three trip cancellations in the past twenty-two years due to weather (guests didn’t schedule buffer days)”, they “cannot accept liability for costs incurred due to weather or other forces of nature.” They are “a small company, servicing relatively few clients each season, and the nature of [their] trip presents some variables over which [they] have no control.” Safety comes first. If conditions are not safe, they don’t fly. Allowing some flexibility in travel (buffer days) is highly recommended in this part of Alaska.
 
This trip will fall under the operator’s booking guidelines as follows:
 
To reserve your space, a 50% deposit (not refundable unless your reserved space can be rebooked) of trip price within 10 days of verbal confirmation of your desired dates. Final payment is required 90 days prior to trip departure date. Reservations made within 90 days of trip departure dates require full payment. Credit card payments are welcome. Cancellation fees are in effect. Anyone requiring a different payment plan can ask about the Custom Pay Plan.
 
Let’s Do This! Sign Up Now!
 
Email me at Bryan@Carnathan.com to sign up or ask questions!
 
Camera Gear Needed
 
Aside from a great attitude and a strong interest in wildlife photography, you are going to need some gear and while most cameras with a telephoto lens will work fine, mid-upper-grade gear should be considered for best results from this event.
 
There will be times when a fast frame rate is beneficial (bears chasing salmon for example), but I will likely opt for higher resolution cameras that typically do not have the fastest-available frame rates. A DSLR camera or a late-model MILC (Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera) should be in your bag.
 
A telephoto lens or lenses will be needed with a full-frame equivalent of at least 400mm (250mm on an APS-C) suggested and having longer focal lengths available will be appreciated at times (full frame 600mm equivalent is ideal and a 1.4x may even be appreciated behind this lens). Wide apertures are often an advantage, especially on dark days, and the wide aperture’s ability to blur the background can be useful. Any telephoto lens can work, but there may be times when an f/4 or wider aperture is preferred. This is a great event to break out your big lenses for and it is also a great time to try a new one, perhaps via renting.
 
My current plan is to take a pair of high-resolution cameras such as the Canon EOS 5Ds R along with a 600mm lens such as the Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS III USM Lens (probably along with a Black Rapid shoulder strap to carry it with) and a telephoto zoom lens such as the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM Lens for my primary wildlife kit. In this location, I plan to carry both setups in a MindShift Gear FirstLight 40L.
 
We will sit together in a line on small folding stools while photographing streamside and a strong tripod with a gimbal head is ideal. I’ll leave my backpack on the ground/sand beside me (on a garbage bag to keep it clean) with the second camera and lens ready to grab when the bears get too close for the big lens (expect them to get very close at times).
 
Bring some basic landscape photography gear.
 
Bring adequate memory card capacity, enough batteries to last at least a day and enough chargers to restore that capability overnight. Bringing a laptop is highly recommended, enabling review of your images throughout the time we have together. Bring an external hard drive (or multiple of them) for an additional level of backup. Bring a flashlight.
 
Consider what failure of any piece of gear means for your experience and consider bringing a backup for items identified as critical.
 
As always, feel free to ask us for gear advice.
 
Weather / Clothing
 
The weather in Katmai in late September is typically very nice, though cool and sometimes even cold (mostly mornings and late evenings). Dressing in layers is the best plan. Rain protection may be required at times, including rain covers for camera gear while in the field.
 
The wildlife we are pursuing is acclimated to humans and does not seem to care what we are wearing. Thus, camo clothing is not necessary. Just in case you were wondering, bears think salmon taste much better than people.
 
Sign Up or Ask Questions!
 
Contact me at Bryan@Carnathan.com.
 
Huge Brown Bear, Katmai National Park, Alaska

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Weekly Photography Challenge – Triangles

Posted on 4 October 2019 by admin

The post Weekly Photography Challenge – Triangles appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.

This week’s photography challenge topic is TRIANGLES!

Following along on our shapes theme for the past fortnight, this week is Triangles. You can see triangles in flags, sails, architecture, windows, rooftops, in patterns and shadows, etc.

So go out and capture anything that has triangles. They can be color, black and white, moody or bright. Just so long as they have triangles in them! You get the picture! Have fun, and I look forward to seeing what you come up with!

 

Check out some of the articles below that give you tips on this week’s challenge.

Tips for Shooting TRIANGLES

Embracing Shadows in Photography – A Lesson for Light and Life

How to Tell Stories with Architecture Photography

9 Creative Architecture Photography Techniques for Amazing Photos!

Tips for Different Approaches to Architecture Photography

How to Understand Light and Color to Improve your Photography

Top Tips for Photographing the Best a City has to Offer in 48-hours

 

Weekly Photography Challenge – TRIANGLES

Simply upload your shot into the comment field (look for the little camera icon in the Disqus comments section) and they’ll get embedded for us all to see or if you’d prefer, upload them to your favorite photo-sharing site and leave the link to them. Show me your best images in this week’s challenge.

Share in the dPS Facebook Group

You can also share your images in the dPS Facebook group as the challenge is posted there each week as well.

If you tag your photos on Flickr, Instagram, Twitter or other sites – tag them as #DPStriangles to help others find them. Linking back to this page might also help others know what you’re doing so that they can share in the fun.

The post Weekly Photography Challenge – Triangles appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.


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Chrome will soon block sites that mix HTTP and HTTPS (possibly including some favorites)

Posted on 4 October 2019 by admin

Having already introduced warnings in Chrome that let you know when you're visiting a non-secure website – that is, HTTP rather than HTTPS – Google is taking things further and is planning to start blocking ‘mixed content’.

In future versions of Chrome, Google will block HTTP content that is loaded by encrypted HTTPS sites. The company is taking steps to address the problem of secure sites that pull in content – such as scripts, media files and iframes – that are not secure. It calls this mixed content.

The reason for wanting to lock this down further is that HTTP content can be interfered with. This means that an incorrect image could be displayed, or a malicious script could be run in the background.

As it has done with previous changes, the new security feature is going to rolled out gradually. Starting with Chrome 79, which is due to moved from development and beta testing channels for a mainstream release in December, Google will start to completely block mixed content.

At the same time, the company will also introduce a new toggle that will enable users to unblock mixed content on specific sites. Google also says that in order to minimise disruption, it will "autoupgrade mixed resources to https://, so sites will continue to work if their subresources are already available over https://".

It's for your own good…

With Chrome 80, Google will automatically upgrade mixed audio and video resources to https://, and Chrome will block them by default if they fail to load over https://. The browser will load mixed images, but Google says that this will cause Chrome to show a 'not secure' chip in the omnibox. This build of the browser is due to hit the early release channels in January 2020.

With Chrome 81 the following month, Google will continue to upgrade mixed content to HTTPS, and will start to block and images that fail to load in this way. The option to override this blocking will remain, so Chrome users should not find that any of their favourite websites suddenly become inaccessible. Google's hope is that the move will encourage more website developers to stop the practice of using mixed content.


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Welcome to TechRadar’s PC Gaming Week 2019

Posted on 4 October 2019 by admin

Welcome to TechRadar's fifth – yes, fifth! – annual PC Gaming Week. This is the TechRadar Computing Team's favorite time of year, a time in which we get to celebrate the joys and explore the depths of arguably the most powerful and versatile gaming platform of all time.

This time around, we've rounded up a fine selection of analyses, interviews, opinions, how-to guides and features both old and new for all kinds of PC gamers. Whether you've been gaming on computers since the days of baud modem-powered multi-user dungeons, or you have no idea what we just said (but can clean house in Fortnite), we've got some excellent reads for you.

We’ll be updating this page daily as new articles are published, just so you don't miss a thing. Keep coming back throughout the week for fresh, new pieces and looks at gems from the TechRadar archives that you may have missed last time around.

OK, enough with this loading screen, let's get TechRadar's 2019 PC Gaming Week started right now.

Control

How Remedy and Nvidia teamed up to push PC gaming to its limits with Control

Control is one of the most graphically ambitious PC games in years, so we chatted to the team at Remedy Entertainment, the devs behind the game (as well as Max Payne and Alan Wake), and Nvidia about how the companies worked together to push PC gaming to its limits.

The most graphically-impressive PC games of all time

The PC is the place to play some of the most beautiful games ever made. In our rundown of the most graphically-impressive PC games of all time, we look at some of the best looking games in recent history.

Game changers: the PC gaming moments which have most wowed us in the last 30 years

PC Gaming week is all about celebrating this brilliant platform, and what better way of doing it than listing the PC gaming moments which have most wowed us in the last 30 years?

I spent way too long playing with the new Steam library

Just in time for PC Gaming Week 2019, Valve released a beta update for Steam that completely changes the way the library looks. So, we took the opportunity to dive in and play with all the new features. And, we liked what we saw.

Game ownership in the digital age: what do you do in a post-ownership age?

If you buy a lot of new games, you've probably noticed that we're not stacking up new games all the time like we used to. That's why we thought we'd take the opportunity to dive into what PC game ownership means during PC Gaming Week. 

I expect you to die! The 10 best ever villains in PC gaming

Over the years we've seen some truly memorable – and terrifying – villains while playing on our computers, so to celebrate PC Gaming Week 2019, we've listed the 10 best ever villains in PC gaming.

How to run your old PC games on Windows 10

The PC has a huge back catalogue of some of the best and most groundbreaking games ever made, and it's relatively easy to get older PC games running on newer hardware – giving you the ability to play decades of games.

So, check out our guide on how to run your old PC games on Windows 10 to find out how you can get the PC's awesome back catalogue on your modern gaming rig.

How to play PC games on a cheap laptop

One of the best things about PC gaming is how easy it is for almost anyone to get involved. Sure, you can spend loads of money on a fancy new rig to play the latest games at full graphical settings, but you don't need to spend a fortune.

In our guide on how to play PC games on a cheap laptop, we show you how you can play games on a budget laptop – with a few choice tweaks to make the games run as smoothly as possible.

The history of Minecraft – the best selling PC game ever

Minecraft is the biggest selling PC game ever – so to celebrate, we look back at the history of Minecraft, from its humble beginnings to world domination.

5 movies that should have been made into PC games

It always seems like the worst movies get made into PC games, right? Well, for PC gaming week, we take a look at 5 movies that should have been made into PC games. Who knows, there's still time, right?

Best gaming mouse pads 2019: the best mouse mats for gamers

Gaming keybaords get a lot of attention, so do the gaming mice. But, the gaming mouse pads sadly get ignored far too often. That's why we went ahead and gathered up the best gaming mouse pads 2019 has to offer. 

Best gaming keyboard 2019: the best gaming keyboards we've tested

You can't celebrate PC gaming without celebrating the essential peripherals, right? That's why for PC Gaming Week, we decided to take a look at the best gaming keyboards you can buy today. 

The 35 best indie games on PC

Just ask any PC gamer, and they'll likely tell you that PC gaming is just as much about indie games than the big-budget AAA adventures – maybe even more so. That's why for PC Gaming Week, we took a look at the best indie games on PC right now. 

How MSI builds some of the smallest gaming PCs in the world

When you think of PC gaming, it's likely you imagine a giant tower of a PC. But, you can have all of that power inside a tiny little chassis that will fit next to your TV. So, for PC gaming week, we took a look at how MSI builds some of the smallest gaming PCs in the world. 

Best hard drives 2019: the top HDD for desktops and laptops

SSDs might be all the rage, but a good hard drive is a great place to store all the dozens of PC games that you don't want to delete, but maybe don't load up very often. That's why, for PC gaming week, we took a look at the best hard drives 2019 has to offer. 

Touring Maingear: the hypercar auto shop of gaming PC builders

For PC Gaming Week, we take a look around the head quarters of Maingear, a boutique PC builder that makes some seriously impressive gaming PCs.

Why (and how) Acer makes the most extreme PC gaming hardware

Acer makes some of the most powerful – and over-the-top – gaming hardware money can buy. So, we talk to Acer President of IT Products Jerry Kao about Acer's passion of PC gaming, and why the company wants to provide insanely powerful PC gaming hardware.

How much RAM do you really need in your gaming PC?

Recently we've been seeing games with ever more demanding specifications – including RAM. While component makers and PC manufacturers are perfectly happy to sell you large amounts of RAM, we look at how much RAM do you really need in your gaming PC.

Make sure you read this before splashing out on huge amounts of memory – it might just save you a lot of money.

The best gaming PC 2019: 10 of the top gaming desktops you can buy

For PC Gaming Week 2019, we pick the very best gaming desktop PCs that money can buy right now. If our PC gaming coverage has got you desperate to fire up a rig and play some games, then this list is an excellent starting point.

xbox game pass deals

PC gaming has entered the eye of the subscription service storm

PC gaming is changing thanks to subscription services like Xbox Game Pass. For PC Gaming Week 2019, we take a look at how PC gaming has entered the eye of the subscription service storm – and what it means for our favorite pastime.

Sega logo

How Sega became one of the biggest names in PC gaming

Sega used to be best known for console games featuring a certain speedy blue hedgehog, but these day's it's one of the most powerful players in PC gaming.

In an exclusive interview, we talk to Gary Dale, President of Sega Europe and Anna Downing, VP of Marketing for Sega Europe, about how Sega became one of the biggest names in PC gaming.

How to turn a second hand PC into a gaming beast

You don't need to spend a fortune to build yourself a decent gaming rig as our guide on how to turn a second hand PC into a gaming beast shows.

All you need is an older PC and a few choice components and you can create a gaming PC that can handle most modern games for not much money.

Overclockers UK 8Pack Orion X2

What’s it like to game on a $ 40,000 PC?

How good a gaming rig could you get if money is no object? We put that to the test as we explore what it's like to game on a $ 40,000 PC.

We visited Overclockers UK's head quarters to test out the phenomenal 8Pack Orion X2, which costs £33,000 – or around $ 43,000 if you’re in the USA – which is more than most people's house deposits. But just how good at playing games is such an expensive machine? Read on to find out…

a photo of a dualshock 4 controller

Best controllers for PC 2019: the best PC game controllers you can buy today

It may sound blasphemous to some, but game controllers absolutely have their place in PC gaming. This is especially true when you consider the glut of indie platformers and other games of their ilk on the platform.

With that, it's about time that we collect the best PC game controllers in one place for your perusal, from overall greats to specific pads for those retro gems.

Best SSDs 2019: the top solid-state drives for your PC

With the amount of massive PC games releasing on an annual basis, peppered with countless indie releases that just demand playing, the need for a fast, sizable solid-state drive is more dire than ever.

So, we've incorporated our guide to the best SSDs on the market in several categories into PC Gaming Week 2019. Here's what we think are the best SSDs for several use cases and occasions.

How to build a cheap gaming PC that doesn't suck

We get it: PC gaming can be an awfully expensive hobby. However, we also have come to learn that it doesn't necessarily have to be, especially if you're able to save.

So, we've built a gaming PC for not much more than an Xbox One X that doesn't compromise where it counts. This thing can store plenty of games and play them swimmingly at 1080p resolution. So, here's how to build a cheap gaming PC that doesn't suck.

Epic Games Store vs Steam: a tale of two digital storefronts

We ran this piece for the first time earlier this year, just as the Epic Games Store was coming out of the gate from a December 2018 debut. As it turns out, not a whole has changed in comparing it against the elephant in the room, Valve's Steam.

Regardless, we've slightly updated and repurposed the piece to examine both online PC game stores as they are in late September or early October 2019. Here's where the Epic Games Store vs Steam debate stands today.

The best PC gaming headsets of 2019

Being huge fans of PC gaming, we test every end of the hardware experience, even the vast PC gaming audio market. We particularly enjoy the immersion of a good gaming headset.

Since we figure at least some of you share the same desire for excellent audio from our PC games, we've included our comprehensive list of the best PC gaming headsets we've tested in 2019.

Why Corsair believes in the wireless future of PC gaming

Last year, we spoke with game peripheral maker Corsair about its long-awaited journey into wireless gaming accessories. 

Given that it's well into producing some of the best wireless mice and keyboards on the market today, we thought it fitting to revisit this piece.

The best gaming PC 2019: 10 of the top gaming desktops you can buy

Has all this talk of PC gaming got you wanting to upgrade your rig? Then check out our pick of the best gaming PCs of 2019.

We've picked the best desktop PCs that are packed with some of the latest and greatest gaming components, and can handle the very latest PC games with ease.

Intel’s love affair with PC gaming

Intel isn't just one of the biggest names in computing, thanks to its processors that powers so many of our rigs, but it's also a big supporter of PC gaming.

For TechRadar's PC Gaming Week, we explore Intel's love affair with PC gaming, and how the company is helping grow esports, while also giving players and creators the powerful tools they need to get the most out of their games.

The best PC games 2019

PC Gaming Week wouldn't be complete without our definitive rundown of the very best PC games you can play right now.

From the top single player games, to hectic multiplayer madness, we've selected what we think are the best PC games in 2019. Each one has been thoroughly played by us, and they all prove why the PC is the best gaming platform. 

5 secret tips for building a great gaming PC

Think you know all there is to know about building a gaming PC? Think again, as we kick off TechRadar's PC Gaming Week 2019 with this guide to the best secret tips for building a great gaming PC.

From winning the silicone lottery, to PSU and cooling tips, these handy hacks will have you building a killer rig in no time.


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How to Make a Manual Lens Correction in Lightroom

Posted on 4 October 2019 by admin

The post How to Make a Manual Lens Correction in Lightroom appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Ringsmuth.

The job of a camera lens is straightforward: it bends and focuses light, and it does so through the use of several curved pieces of glass that move back and forth. It sounds simple but is actually a lot more difficult than it might seem. Byproducts of all that glass are anomalies such as chromatic aberration and barrel distortion which can mar an otherwise beautiful image. Lightroom can fix these on its own to a degree, but to really take control of your pictures you can use the Manual Lens Correction panel to fine-tune your image until it’s pixel-perfect.

How to Make a Manual Lens Correction in Lightroom

Understanding Chromatic Aberration

Before wading too deep into manual lens corrections, it’s important to understand what causes issues such as chromatic aberration in the first place. Different colors of light travel at different wavelengths. As a result, when the glass elements of a lens bend the incoming light, it can be quite tricky to make everything line up properly on the camera’s image sensor. This is especially prominent when shooting at the widest possible aperture since it gets really difficult to get the light to behave properly when you let so much in at once.

The result is purple and green fringes when you see hard edges in a picture. It can also produce distorted images that look either squished or puffed out in the middle. Cheaper lenses, or lenses with very wide apertures, don’t have as many glass elements to correct for these issues. It’s also why lenses like the Nikon 105 f/1.4 or Canon 85mm f/1.4 cost (and weigh) so much! They have a lot of special glass inside to correct for the problems that often happens with their less expensive counterparts.

How to Make a Manual Lens Correction in Lightroom

If you don’t have a few thousand dollars to spend on ultra-sharp lenses, you can fix these image issues in Lightroom.

When you shoot in RAW, you can use the Automatic option. This does a fine job of removing purple and green fringes and fixing barrel distortion based on what it knows about the characteristics of your lens.

Image: Click these boxes to have Lightroom automatically attempt to fix lens-related picture problem...

Click these boxes to have Lightroom automatically attempt to fix lens-related picture problems.

Nine times out of ten it does the job quite well. However, sometimes you will want to tweak things for yourself or just do the entire operation on your own. This is where the Manual option really comes in handy.

Manual Lens Correction

The Manual Lens Correction panel contains three options, each of which you can control separately.

  • Distortion lets you re-shape your picture so it’s less puffed-out in the middle.
  • Defringe deals with purple and green fringes at areas of high contrast, particularly with a lot of backlighting.
  • Vignetting is for lightening or darkening the corners of a picture.
Manual-Lens-Correction-in-Lightroom

The Manual Lens Correction option gives you full control over lens corrections.

Distortion

This is a common issue with many lenses that isn’t always very obvious. However, once you notice it, you’ll start seeing this phenomenon all the time. Fortunately, the fix is simple. It’s usually just a matter of dragging the Distortion slider to the left or right.

Image: Something’s not quite right here. The composition is fine but the middle is bulging out...

Something’s not quite right here. The composition is fine but the middle is bulging out like a balloon.

As you drag the slider, you will see a grid appear over the picture which can help you get just the right value. Look for straight horizontal or vertical lines in your picture, and drag the slider until they line up with the grid.

Manual-Lens-Correction-in-Lightroom

The roof of the building gives a nice guide when correcting for distortion. It’s not quite lined up with the grid yet, but pushing the distortion slider a bit more will fix the problem.

The Constrain Crop option makes sure the final image stays within a square or rectangular boundary. If you adjust the slider too far to the right, the image can get a little too warped. However, checking this option will fix this by essentially zooming in on the picture as it’s being adjusted to avoid an extreme pincushion effect.

Manual-Lens-Correction-in-Lightroom

 

Final image:

How to Make a Manual Lens Correction in Lightroom

Defringe

This is where you can easily correct purple and green fringes that can show up on your pictures. You can adjust the sliders manually, but my preferred way is to use the eyedropper tool to select specific areas of purple and green fringing that you want to remove.

The picture below is straight out of the camera with no lens correction applied. Notice how the edges of the bench have what appears to be slight purple and green outlines. These are caused by the light being bent and shaped by the camera lens. Once you know to look for these sorts of issues, you start seeing them all over the place!

How to Make a Manual Lens Correction in Lightroom

Here’s a close-up view of the same picture. Notice the purple curve at the base of the seat and the green edges at the knurled edge that goes horizontally across the frame.

Manual-Lens-Correction-in-Lightroom

To manually correct these instances of chromatic aberration, Lightroom needs to know what range of colors you want to remove. Use the eyedropper tool to select either a purple fringe, a green fringe, or both, and then fine-tune by adjusting the sliders for Amount and Hue.

Manual-Lens-Correction-in-Lightroom

After selecting your purple and greens with the eyedropper tool, Lightroom will do its best to remove those specific colors around any high-contrast edges. You can fine-tune the defringing by adjusting the Amount and Hue sliders, but I usually find that Lightroom does a fine job just with a few clicks of the eyedropper.

How to Make a Manual Lens Correction in Lightroom

When viewing the full image, you can see these instances of chromatic aberration are now gone, and the picture is much more pleasing as a result.

How to Make a Manual Lens Correction in Lightroom

This operation can be extremely useful with portraits, which are often shot using larger apertures. Even if you don’t shoot close-ups for a living it’s nice to know that this simple, fast fix is available to you.

Vignetting

This option works much like the regular Vignette tool in Lightroom. You can use it to make the corners of your picture lighter or darker, depending on whether you drag the slider to the right or left.

Nearly all lenses exhibit some degree of vignetting, especially when using their widest aperture, but you can easily correct them using this tool.

Manual-Lens-Correction-in-Lightroom

Original image, straight out of the camera.

Sliding the Amount all the way to the left darkens the corners of the picture. It’s subtle but effective at drawing the viewer’s attention to the subject in the middle.

Image: Vignette amount -100

Vignette amount -100

Conversely, sliding the Amount all the way to the right makes the corners lighter. This is often useful to correct for the vignette that is inherent in many lenses at wider apertures.

Image: Vignette amount +100

Vignette amount +100

Conclusion

While you can use Lightroom’s automatic lens corrections, it’s nice to know how to correct for things like chromatic aberration, distortion, and vignetting on your own using manual lens correction. The best part is that none of these edits are permanent and you can undo your changes any time due to the non-destructive nature of Lightroom. So if you just want to try these out and see what happens, go right ahead!

 

manual-lens-correction-in-lightroom

The post How to Make a Manual Lens Correction in Lightroom appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Ringsmuth.


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Announcing (2) Small-Class Lighting Workshops Baltimore / Washington, DC Area, Dec. 6 and 7

Posted on 4 October 2019 by admin

UPDATE: Both workshops filled very quickly. I only do these about once a year; apologies for the imbalance. I have set up a system so people who are potentially interested in future small-class lighting workshops can receive advance notice. More info here.

__________

I’ll be teaching two, full-day lighting workshops in the suburban Baltimore/DC area on December 6 and 7.

They are two separate one-day events. These are small-group workshops, with a maximum class size of 12 people each day. These are shooting workshops, and you’ll be behind (and/or in front of!) a camera for most of the day.

Assuming you arrive at this class with a basic understanding of f/stops and shutter speeds, you will leave with a strong foundation in the fundamentals of off-camera lighting. You will be comfortable using single and multiple lights both alone and/or balanced with a mix of ambient lighting.

All lighting gear will be provided. We will also provide lunch.

You will need to bring a camera that is adjustable in manual mode and has a hot shoe connection for a flash, a lens that covers normal and/or portrait range, one or two fully charged batteries and an empty storage card. Maybe a notebook and pen if you like.

That’s it. Just show up ready to learn and to have fun. Leave the rest to me.

Details

Dates:
December 6 and 7, 2019

Time:
9:30am – 5:30pm

Price:
$ 259

Location:
Sandy Spring Friends Lyceum
17715 Meeting House Road
Sandy Spring, MD 20860

Note; These are the only small-class lighting workshops I’ll be teaching in the US this year. In the past, these have tended to fill very quickly. So if this is something you’d like to do, I’d suggest signing up sooner rather than later.

Sign-Up Links

Friday, December 6 [FRIDAY’S CLASS HAS BEEN FILLED]

Saturday, December 7 [SATURDAY’S CLASS HAS BEEN FILLED]
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Just Launched: 5DayDeal’s The Highly Popular Complete Photography Bundle is Now Live for 2019

Posted on 4 October 2019 by admin
5DayDeal’s The Complete Photography Bundle 2019, an exclusive collection that will exist only for the next five days, has just launched.
 
Until Oct 8th at 12:00 PM (noon) PDT, get nearly $ 3000 worth of photography resources for just $ 89, a huge savings. The inclusion of Skylum Software’s Aurora HDR 2019 is a highlight of this bundle.
 
A great part of this event is the impact on those in need with ten percent of the bundle revenue ($ 8.90 per sale) going directly to charities.
 
5DayDeal’s resource bundles have been extremely popular, so be sure to check this one out.
 
Also, please share our link with those in your network, for their benefit and for the benefit of the charities.

Canon, Nikon, and Sony News, Deals and What’s New at The-Digital-Picture.com

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How to Take Epic Sunrise Photos with a Zoom Lens

Posted on 4 October 2019 by admin

The post How to Take Epic Sunrise Photos with a Zoom Lens appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Ringsmuth.

epic-sunrise-photos-with-a-zoom-lens

Taking a beautiful sunrise picture might seem simple: just point your camera or mobile at the sun as it creeps over the horizon and you’re good to go. While this can certainly result in an interesting image, you can take sunrise pictures to a whole new level with a zoom lens and a bit of camera knowledge. If you have a lens with a longer focal length that goes to 200 or 300mm, you can get some epic sunrise pictures with a zoom that showcase the majesty of nature in the morning.

Sunrise-Photos-with-a-Zoom-Lens

200mm, f/11, 1/500 second, ISO 100

Seek the sun

Before you can take a good sunrise picture, you need to do a bit of planning, so you know when the sun is going to come up. It also helps to know where to look so you’re ready when the moment hits. A quick internet search with your location and the words “sunrise time” will help you know what time to take pictures. As far as where to look, that’s up to you.

Of course, the sun always rises in the east, but it’s necessary to know exactly where it will come up relative to your specific location and time of year. To get the best results, you want to snap your pictures right as the sun appears on the horizon. If buildings obstruct your view, you’re going to need to find a location that offers an unobstructed view in the right direction.

To show how precise this process is, look at the picture below. I shot it as the sun was coming up, but the result is boring, bland, and entirely unremarkable.

Image: 200mm, f/6.7, 1/500 second, ISO 800

200mm, f/6.7, 1/500 second, ISO 800

This was shot precisely one minute and 48 seconds before the picture at the top of this article. Why is it so boring? The answer is a simple truth of the business world: location, location, location. While I looked east for the sun, I didn’t realize it had already crested the horizon behind a grove of trees. I was able to take a vastly improved picture just by repositioning myself 100 meters from this point.

When you go out to take sunrise photos, make sure you can actually find the sun!

Expose for the sun

Nailing the exposure on a sunrise picture is quite tricky. Imagine taking a picture of a flashlight in a dimly-lit room. You’ll end up with one of two results: 

  • The room will be properly exposed while the flashlight is super bright.
  • The flashlight will be properly exposed while the rest of the room will be entirely dark.

 It’s nearly impossible to get a properly-exposed flashlight and a properly-exposed room.

Image: 200mm, f/8, 1/30 second, ISO 280. Aside from being hidden behind the trees, this is also a po...

200mm, f/8, 1/30 second, ISO 280. Aside from being hidden behind the trees, this is also a poor shot because the sky and sun are just too bright. The foreground is fine, but all the color detail in the sky is mostly gone.

That is precisely what it’s like to take a picture of the sunrise, especially with a telephoto lens. What you want is a picture where the bright parts (i.e. the sun and sky) aren’t too bright, and the dark parts (i.e. the foreground) aren’t too dark. Basically you want an HDR image, but rather than shooting on a tripod and combining multiple exposures in post-production, you can do it with a single image by shooting in RAW.

Since RAW files capture much more picture data than JPEG files, you can fix many issues in Lightroom, Photoshop, Luminar, and other editing applications. The trick is to make sure you don’t lose any data to clipping, which happens when bright things are so bright that it doesn’t record data. The same can happen with dark areas too, but it’s usually not as much of a problem.

Image: 200mm, f/8, 1/1000 second, ISO 280. Exposing for the sun gave me a lot more wiggle room to fi...

200mm, f/8, 1/1000 second, ISO 280. Exposing for the sun gave me a lot more wiggle room to fix the darker areas of the picture in Lightroom.

There are a couple of ways to expose for the sun so it’s not too bright. You can set your camera to Center-Weighted metering, which ensures the middle of your picture is not too bright or too dark. Another method (and the one which I prefer), is to have your camera evaluate the entire scene but use exposure compensation to under-expose by roughly two stops.

Regardless of how you meter the scene and set your exposure, the end result is the same. In your resulting image, you want the sun to be visible and not too bright. This means the foreground will be dark, but remember that you can recover everything you need when you process the RAW file.

Use a small aperture

If you have a high-end zoom lens like a 70-200 f/2.8 or a 300mm f/4, you might be tempted to shoot sunrise pictures with the largest possible aperture. Blurry foregrounds and backgrounds are great, right? So why wouldn’t you shoot wide open?

Contrary to what you might think, smaller apertures are better when taking sunrise photos. First, it helps make sure your entire picture is sharp. Bokeh is great on portraits but not so desirable on most landscapes. A blurry foreground (thanks to a wide aperture) can distract the viewer and leave the scene feeling kind of mushy as a result.

Image: 200mm, f/11, 1/250 second, ISO 100

200mm, f/11, 1/250 second, ISO 100

Another reason to use smaller apertures, like f/8 or f/11, is that it gives you more control over your exposure. Remember, the sun is really bright, so you don’t need to worry about not getting enough light in your picture! On the contrary, you actually want to limit the amount of light, especially since you want the foreground to be underexposed. A small aperture helps with this.

Use a fast shutter speed

The sun moves fast – really fast. Or, rather, the earth spins fast. That’s what is actually happening when you see the sun come up. And just like any time you want to capture motion, you need to use a shutter speed that’s up to the task. Slower values like 1/30th and 1/60th will not only make exposure tricky, but result in a blurry sun as it speeds upwards on the horizon.

Sunrise-Photos-with-a-Zoom-Lens

200mm, f/2.8, 1/4000th of a second, ISO 100. I broke my own rule about small apertures here, specifically because I wanted the vehicle in the foreground to be out of focus. The trade-off for such a wide aperture was a very fast shutter speed.

I recommend a minimum shutter speed of 1/250th, and even faster if possible. 1/500th is even better. If you are exposing for the sun, you might even use ultra-fast shutter speeds like 1/1000th or more. Of course, the foreground will be dim, but that’s fine since you can recover those shadows in post-production.

One nice thing about this is it means you don’t need to use a tripod. So that means one less thing for you to bring with you to your sunrise photo shoots. Handheld will work fine, even when zoomed all the way in. That’s because you should have a shutter speed that will compensate for any motion blur due to camera shake.

Be patient, but act fast

Once you have the technical aspects figured out, and you know where you want to position yourself to capture a sunrise, the final piece off the puzzle is patience. I recommend arriving early so you can make sure everything is situated properly. Bring some music or a podcast because you might be waiting a little while. However, it’s better to arrive early than scramble at the last minute.

Sunrise-Photos-with-a-Zoom-Lens

190mm, f/2.8, 1/180th of a second, ISO 250. The sun wasn’t up yet, but I really liked the rich purple and blue colors of the sky – an added bonus of arriving early and waiting. Note the large aperture. It was required to let plenty of light in since there just wasn’t much light available.

As soon as you start to see the sun peek over the horizon, you only have a few minutes to get your shots. Remember to use a small aperture, expose for the sun, and shoot in RAW, and you should be fine. Go ahead and snap a few pictures with your mobile phone too. You’ll be amazed at how much more dramatic and impactful your pictures are with a zoom lens!

Sunrise-Photos-with-a-Zoom-Lens

200mm, f/8, 1/1000th of a second, ISO 100. The sun isn’t in this picture but you can clearly see the morning light on the clouds. I liked the silhouette of the tower against the glowing morning sky too. You can’t get this shot with a mobile phone!

Do you have any other tips for sunrise photos with a zoom lens? Share with us in the comments. Also, I’d love to see your sunrise photos, and I’m sure the rest of the DPS community would also, so please share them in the comments too!

 

 

The post How to Take Epic Sunrise Photos with a Zoom Lens appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Ringsmuth.


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Travel Photography Tips and Techniques

Posted on 3 October 2019 by admin

With travel photography you want to convey not only the scenes you have seen but also the feelings and emotions associated with the locations. The unexpected is always around the corner when you travel and with some careful preparation and a keen photographic eye you can produce some memorable results.

Good travel photography starts at home or the office before you leave for the airport and weeks in advance of your trip. Here’s how capture great travel images.

1. Research before you leave

Purchase the best travel guide you can afford and find out everything about the locations you will be visiting. Find out about the natural beauty, tourist sites, and the culture. Look at the images in the guides and see what the important areas are and what you need to record.

Learn about local transportation and distances as well as timing to reach the areas you want to visit. Learn about the culture and find out what you can photograph and what is taboo, what the dress codes are and any local laws or rules. Buy a phrase book and learn some of the key phrases to communicate when photographing. You will be amazed at how this will open doors for you.

2. Prepare a checklist

Essential for any photographer is a checklist of everything you will need for the trip, photographically as well as you normal travel needs. Check that all your gear is covered by insurance and that it is up to date. Take proof that you purchased your equipment at home and not abroad so you don’t get landed with customs duty on your return.

3. Avoid cliches

Don’t return with all of the images that are in the guide books which everyone has seen. Use new angles and try get to viewpoints that are not traditionally used for photos. Leave the tourist path and get away from the bus. If you can afford it, hire a private guide to take you off the beaten track.

tips for travel photography

Photo by Giuseppe Milo; ISO 80, f/16.0, 1/30-second exposure.

4. Photograph local life

Local life in foreign countries is rich with sights and scenes that are brand new to you. You’ll often find that you will experience your photography much more by getting to know the local folk and seeing just what their daily life is like. By capturing the essence of their lives and homes you will experience the journey and capture memories that are unique and far more interesting.

5. Make yourself the subject

As the photographer you probably find that in all aspects of your life there are few images of you in front of the camera. So go out of your way to include yourself in photos while touring. Ask a travel companion, a guide or another tourist to take photos of you experiencing the local life. With digital you can see immediately the results of their work and whether you’ll need to reshoot it.

6. Take portraits

By respecting the local culture and as I mentioned learning a few of the most important phrases most locals will allow you to shoot their portraits. When photographing them close-ups are great and reveal character and the beauty of people you aren’t familiar with. But, this is the time to photograph portraits of people within their environments so shoot fewer head and shoulders and more with some of the background. Use wide angle lenses more often for great shots.

7. Shoot candids

With a longer lens and the ability to stay in the background and keep your distance you are able to photography people without them knowing. Unposed photos have people behaving totally naturally in their environments without the pressure to pose. The key here is to remain unobserved. Reveal yourself only once you have your shots. Look for opportunities that will reflect the local culture and people naturally.

times square photography

photo by Andrés Nieto Porras

8. Look for detail

By getting in closer and photographing the traditional clothes and jewelry you will see details in the color and styles. Look for details in the architecture, transport and local costumes that reveal something more than a traditional shot. A macro or telephoto is great for this type of shot.

9. Tell a story

By shooting a series of shots at a location you will be able to tell a story of the life of the local people. How they dress, work, have fun and where they live and relax. Select a theme or shoot at a market and try to think about the end result and how you will tell friends and family about your trip in just pictures. Maybe shoot a day in the life of a local you have befriended from morning till bedtime.

10. Take lots of photos

Work out how many images you think you should shoot and then double it. And then double it again. You can never take too many images. This may be the only opportunity for you to see this country and rather edit later than lose the memories by shooting too little. Not every picture will be perfect but it will be a memory. You are not just looking to create perfect photos but also great memories. Digital film is inexpensive so take lots of memory cards with you.

Travel is often a once in a lifetime opportunity for many people so go well prepared and come back with memories that will last a lifetime. Happy shooting!

About the Author:
Wayne Turner has been teaching photography for 25 years. Passionate about photography, radio and video. He is a Radio CCFm producer and presenter in Cape Town.

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