NEW PHOTOGRAPHY IDEAS FOR 2022:

Posted on January 7, 2022 by 123photogo

KNOW YOUR CAMERA:

Your camera has lots of features that most photographers—including yourself—never use. You might not even know they exist or what they’re for. Aperture, shutter speed, and focus are fundamental and very important, but there are many more features that can help you be a better photographer and spend less time retouching and fixing your average photos. There are functions like multiple exposure, time-lapse, mirror lock-up, and metering, just to name a few. Take your time to learn about them and get creative. Creativity will change your photography. Do you know where your camera’s manual is? Time to take it out, go through it, experiment with each function, and learn what you can create. You’ll be amazed.

THE BEST WAY TO LEARN ABOUT YOUR CAMERA IS TO GET OUR NEW BASIC COURSE ON PHOTOGRAPHY! THIS WEBSITE WILL HAVE AN ALL NEW COURSE TO LEARN ABOUT PHOTOGRAPHY, AND IT COMES OUT JANUARY 20TH. WE WILL COVER IDEAS LIKE: “UNDERSTANDING LIGHT”, “HOW TO BUY A CAMERA”, THINK ABOUT “WHAT KIND OF PHOTOS YOU WANT TO TAKE“! COME BACK TO THIS WEBSITE ON JANUARY 20TH TO GET YOUR NEW PHOTO COURSE!

JOIN A PHOTO CLUB, AND MINGLE WITH OTHER PHOTOGRAPHERS:

Photography is lots of fun when you can share the experience with others. Look for local photographers or a local photo club and plan outings. Going out with several photographers allows you to experiment with other cameras and lenses, learn new techniques, and practice. It’s fun and a great way to learn.

LEARN NEW PHOTO TECHNIQUES

This website, this year, is going to have a lot of different ideas of how to take different types of photos. Different ways to take photos. And also learn about things you can do with your camera you may not realize you can do. Should be an exciting new year of learning here at 123photogo.

Try something here now by going to this search engine and just type in a subject you want to learn about. With over 1,000 different blogs on this website, I may already have something new to try out. Try it here now:

TRY SHOOTING SOME NIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY:

Shooting at night is probably the best way to learn photography. Automatic does not work. You have to learn how to balance ISO, aperture, and shutter speed. You are forced to use a tripod, and by doing so, you learn how to use it properly and reinforce proper shooting techniques. Also learn how to focus on the light. In the end, you will be rewarded with amazing images.

FIND A WAY TO SHOW OFF YOUR WORK MORE:

There is no better feeling than someone commenting on your image and liking it. There are many ways in which you can show off your work. Post it online. For example, on SmugMug you can have your own mini-website. Enlarge and print a couple of your images and hang them at home or at the office. Build a photo page of your work on Facebook. Instagram was originally set up for photographers to display their photos online. Plush, you can learn a lot from photographers there as wellThere are many options, and at the end you will feel proud of your photography and motivated to do better.

123PhotoGo has it’s own “photo group” in which you can share your photos. I find that the serious photographers are trying to post new photos almost every day. It makes you think that you need to take more photos, and as you do so, you become a better photographer. Details below:

THIS IS GOING TO BE AN EXCITING YEAR FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS AS WE CONTINUE TO MODIFY THIS WEBSITE SO WE CAN HELP YOU AND OTHERS BECOME BETTER PHOTOGRAPHERS. KEEP COMING BACK! IT WILL BE EXCITING!

CHANGING YOUR APERTURE, AND IT’S EFFECTS

Posted on January 1, 2022 by 123photogo

petals plant flower macro — Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

First of all, I hope you like our new format for this website. Now you have access to more information that is available on this site.

Also note the two new items in the menu: Shop, and Complete Photo Courses. These we are still working on, but, want you to be looking for those items to fill in soon.

The last blog we did was on shutter speeds and the effects you can do by changing the shutter speeds. Now we will talk about what you can do by changing the Aperture setting (commonly called F-Stops, or F-numbers).

When you change the aperture on your lens, you change the depth of field in your photos.

Notice how the background changes as you change your F-Number on your lens.

The ideal times to change those to create the effect you want is on close-ups, like the main photo at the top of the page (the flower). Notice how the background is very blurry, and you can see how it makes the main subject stand out more than ever.

To go the other way, and use a higher F-stop number, such as F16, F22, you will primarily use that on photos you want almost everything to look sharp. The ideal time to use that aperture setting is usually for scenery photos:

photo of railway on mountain near houses — Photo by SenuScape on Pexels.com

Notice how the above photo seems to be so sharp from the foreground to the background.

NOTICE HOW THIS IS SOMETHING YOU CANNOT DO WITH YOUR CELL PHONE

Watch for our next blog coming on Monday.

CONTROLLING YOUR SHUTTER SPEED AND IT’S EFFECTS:

Posted on December 29, 2021 by 123photogo

time lapse photography of vehicle tail lights — Photo by Nikolett Emmert on Pexels.com

Another article on: “Something you can’t do with a cell phone”

If you want to be a serious photographer, this is another series of why you should have a “real camera” instead of doing all your photography with your cell phone.

Controlling your shutter speed on your camera is there for you to seriously give you the control to create something beautiful and exciting. The photo above, for example, is just one great photo that was done by having control of your shutter speed. Simply done by putting your camera on a tripod, and then having your shutter speed set so that the lights on the road become a blur or a long string of color. Judging from how long the lights are streaking there, I would say that shutter speed was around 6 to 10 seconds long. Can your camera do that?

SETTING YOUR CAMERA’S SHUTTER SPEED TO “B”.

One of everyone’s favorite things to do when setting the shutter speed slow is to take a photo of a waterfall. When it is slow it just blurs the water and gives it a dream effect. If someone is in the photo, yes, they will be a blur as well. But, that kind of acts as an effect most people will like with this photo.

The “B” setting on your camera stands for “Bulb”. And back many years ago, the photographer would have his camera set on the tripod, and then use a “bulb-type” plunger that you would screw into the camera’s button. This is where the “B” came from. You can still use a remote trigger on your camera, but, it may not be a “bulb”, but, a “cable release” or even use your self timer, so you don’t touch the camera during a long exposure.

EFFECTS OF A FAST SHUTTER SPEED

Photo by Michael Constantin P. on Unsplash

Is there something wrong with this helicopter? No, this photographer used a very fast shutter speed, like 1/1000 or 1/2000 of a second to be able to stop the helicopter blades from showing any motion. Totally freezes anything that moves when you use a fast shutter speed.

Here is another photo showing fast shutter speeds:

Of course, changing your shutter speeds, may involve you changing your ISO setting as we mentioned in the previous blog. And your aperture setting may change as well. All 3 of these settings have to work together. You will just need to know what type of effect you are after in order to use the right settings, or making the decision what setting is most important with the type of photo you want to take.

On the next blog, we will go over the results of changing your aperture setting on your camera. What will you create using different aperture settings? See ya then!

UNDERSTANDING ISO

Posted on December 27, 2021 by 123photogo

photo of candles inside cages — Photo by Craig Adderley on Pexels.com

ANOTHER ARTICLE ON: “SOMETHING YOU CAN’T DO WITH A CELL PHONE”

Too often in today’s world, it seems that people are thinking that cell phone photography is getting close to everything a regular SLR or DSLR, or even a mirrorless camera can do.

This article will dispel that myth so you can see that cell phone photography is still far away from doing what a good camera can do.

WHAT IS ISO?

ISO refers to your camera’s sensitivity to light. The higher the ISO, the more sensitive your camera sensor becomes, and the brighter your photos appear.

ISO is measured in numbers. Here are a few standard ISO values: 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200.

That said, pretty much every camera offers intermediate ISO values (for instance, ISO 125 and ISO 160 between ISO 100 and ISO 200). And most cameras these days include additional ISOs on the high end of the range, such as ISO 6400, ISO 12800, ISO 25600, and beyond.

WHAT DOES ISO STAND FOR?

ISO is the acronym used by the “International Standards Organization”. This is where the ISO came up with it’s standard across the world.

For the purposes of photography, the name isn’t important. Just think of ISO as your camera’s sensitivity to light, and you’ll do just fine!

ISO AND YOUR EXPOSURE SETTINGS:

By increasing the ISO in your camera, you are making the light meter more sensitive to light. It would allow you to shoot in different types of light, even when light is not good.

person standing beside waterfalls — Photo by Jeremy Bishop on Pexels.com

The first number that you would use in your ISO setting is usually 100, and is the basis for shooting in good light, such as sun, and bright light. You would then be setting your shutter speed and aperture according to what your desired effect is.

THE HIGHER THE ISO NUMBER, THE BETTER YOUR RESULTS WILL BE IN LOWER LIGHT:

Now if we go from 100 ISO to say 800 ISO, you will now have some control over what is normally not scene in the darker shadows of your photo. Like this:

an underexposed image of a room — A Picture shot at 100 ISO.

a well-exposed image of a room — Maybe shooting the same photo at 800ISO will give you a great exposure inside where it once was dark.

Both the above pictures have something to be aware of. If shooting at 100 ISO, the photo is usually perfect if shooting outside. Look at the exposure of the outside through the window, with the first picture.

Now, looking at the second exposure, for sure it seems like it’s a better picture. But, now the outside is so washed out, the picture really seems kind of useless, because it is now over exposed. Although it looks perfect inside, where the lighting isn’t so good. So, which one do you like? Either one will work, it just depends on what you want in your photo.

HOW DOES YOUR ISO WORK WITH YOUR SHUTTER SPEED AND APERTURE?

To get the perfect exposure, it is all a combination of ISO, the proper shutter speed, and the best aperture setting. All 3 of these are important. Let’s look at why you would change your ISO setting when you have the perfect light.

A QUICK LESSON ON SHUTTER SPEEDS:

I know this is a lesson on ISO settings, but, let’s look at the other settings it has to work with: The first being the shutter speed.

If you set your camera at ISO 100, the perfect exposure outside will probably be: 1/125 second, and the aperture or F Stop will be F16. Perfect exposure. If you will recall, the faster the shutter speed, you can now stop action:

timelapse photography of green and white racing vehicle on lane — Photo by Chris Peeters on Pexels.com

If you want to stop action, then your shutter speed will need to be close to 1/1000 second. To get the proper picture then, the easiest thing to do is to raise your ISO from 100 to 800 ISO to get the proper exposure. (That is as long as the aperture stays the same).

You see that changing your shutter speed, you will need to change your ISO to keep things in proper exposure.

CHANGING YOUR APERTURE WILL ALSO GIVE YOU THE NEED TO CHANGE YOUR ISO:

pink rose — Photo by Jonas Kakaroto on Pexels.com

Now let’s see what can happen if you want to change your aperture setting to get a shallow depth of field, like the above photo.

If you change your setting on your aperture to F2.8, there may be the need to change your ISO, but it can’t go lower than 100, right? (Most newer cameras will only go as low as ISO 100). So, the only thing you can do here again, is to change your shutter speed, to match the ISO of 100. Changing it to F2.8 would mean you would need to change your shutter speed to 1/2000 second. That will allow you to get the exposure you need.

DIFFERENT SCENARIOS YOU WOULD USE TO CHANGE YOUR ISO SETTINGS:

* WHEN TO RAISE YOUR ISO:

You’re shooting at an indoor sports event, especially if your subject is moving fast
You’re shooting a landscape without a tripod and you need a deep depth of field
You’re shooting a landscape at night (or doing astrophotography) and you need a reasonable shutter speed to freeze the stars
You’re photographing portraits in a dark room or in the evening/night
You’re shooting an event indoors with limited window light (such as a party)
You’re photographing a dark concert
You’re photographing an art gallery, a church, or a building interior (you might also consider using a tripod, but this is against the rules in a lot of spaces)
You’re photographing wildlife in the early morning or evening (especially if you need a fast shutter speed)
You’re photographing fast-moving subjects and you need an ultra-fast shutter speed

* WHEN TO LOWER YOUR ISO:

You’re shooting motionless landscapes and your camera is mounted on a tripod
You’re photographing portraits in good light
You’re photographing an event, and you have plenty of window light or you’re using flash
You’re photographing products with a powerful artificial lighting setup

portrait of a handsome man with muscular body — Photo by emre keshavarz on Pexels.com

CONCLUSION :

ISO and shutter speeds and aperture settings all work together. It just depends on what you want to achieve in your photo, that will be what you need to set for ISO, Shutter speed, and F Stops. We will go into why you would change your shutter speeds and the effects you can get with changing it. And then we will get into why you would change your aperture setting as well. Keep with me…….

BIRD PHOTOGRAPHY! THE THINGS TO KNOW:

Posted on December 17, 2021 by 123photogo

Photo of a “Blue Scrub Jay” getting their daily dose of peanuts. This bird has no problem fetching peanuts from a feeder. Whatever it takes, even if it means hanging upside down.

Bird photography is one of the most entertaining types of photography for all photographers. But, there are a few tips that make them look good, and makes the photos seem professional.

If a bird would take the time and pose for you, this would certainly make things easy. But, the cute little animals have a built-in nervousness about them, because they are food for other predators. The predators that usually affect the normal birds we see around our house are also birds: the hawks, the eagles, etc. thrive on eating anything that moves, like smaller birds.

That has been a problem we have had recently as we feed birds in our backyard. Generally, our bird feeders have birds eating all day long, some seeds that we put out in the morning. We have recently gone outside to find no birds there, absolute silence, and they appear to be hiding. As I walk around the yard, I find a hawk sitting in one of the trees nearby waiting for the moment when a smaller bird makes the wrong move. I quickly scare it away so there won’t be any bloodshed in my yard.

However, I will admit, it would be an amazing photo experience to get on a photographic record, the hawk capturing a small bird to have for it’s dinner. I somehow, however, have this over protective feeling for these cute innocent birds, the sparrows, the finch’s, the Chickadee, and even the Dove’s who like to come in hoards:

The Mourning Doves, patiently waiting their turn at the feeders. They are generally such polite birds, unless they are really starving.

BIRD PHOTOGRAPHY EQUIPMENT:

My personal equipment that I use for my bird photography is usually this:

Canon EOS Rebel T6, with a 75-300mm zoom lens.
Tripod: Zomei Professional Tripod with ball head (I love a ball head and will only use a tripod that has one)
58mm protective filter
58mm hard lens shade ( I have had too many photos that ended up with a light flare on the lens, to not have this. I think it’s a must if you shoot anything outside. And besides, it is something so cheap, but so worth protecting your hard earned good photo.)

Just a note to the above photo equipment: This is one type of photography that can get you by without having to go into expensive camera equipment. I still have my “kit lens” as well that serves for the other type of photography, and other filters for special effects.

CAMERA SETTINGS FOR BIRD PHOTOGRAPHY:

I usually want to have only the bird in focus, so, I use a large aperture, usually 4.5 with that big lens. That will make the bird in focus, and the background out of focus.
Shutter speed, usually around 1/1000 second, or close to that depending on the light. Just in case the bird moves, it could stop action.
ISO setting usually around 100 or 200, or if it’s overcast: 1000.

SOME GREAT PHOTOS OF BIRD PHOTOGRAPHS, FROM VARIOUS ARTISTS:

photo of two pigeons — Photo by Ashithosh U on Pexels.com

brown bird flying towards birdhouse — Photo by Kevin Blanzy on Pexels.com

white and brown bird — Photo by Flickr on Pexels.com

A CRISIS IN BIRD POPULATION MAKES BIRD PHOTOGRAPHY MORE VALUABLE:

Just found this article that really concerns me:

North America Has Lost 3 Billion Birds in 50 Years

A sweeping study says a steep decline in bird abundance, including among common species, amounts to “an overlooked biodiversity crisis.”

Slowly, steadily and almost imperceptibly, North America’s bird population is dwindling.

The sparrows and finches that visit backyard feeders number fewer each year. The flutelike song of the western meadowlark — the official bird of six U.S. states — is growing more rare. The continent has lost nearly 3 billion birds representing hundreds of species over the past five decades, in an enormous loss that signals an “overlooked biodiversity crisis,” according to a study from top ornithologists and government agencies.

This is not an extinction crisis — yet. It is a more insidious decline in abundance as humans dramatically alter the landscape: There are 29 percent fewer birds in the United States and Canada today than in 1970, the study concludes. Grassland species have been hardest hit, probably because of agricultural intensification that has engulfed habitats and spread pesticides that kill the insects many birds eat. But the victims include warblers, thrushes, swallows and other familiar birds.

mother and her daughters feeding the birds — Photo by Los Muertos Crew on Pexels.com

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