About half of all known bird species—some 6,500 in total—belong to an order whose very name highlights one of their most remarkable traits: the ability to sing. Songbirds (and, indeed, most other avian groups) possess a highly specialized vocal organ called the syrinx. Take a walk during the breeding season through places where birds live, and you’ll hear just how effective that organ is. It can produce sounds across a wide frequency range and at astonishing volume. The “song” of the South American White Bellbird, for instance, can reach up to 125 dB—roughly the level of a chainsaw.
Get ready for some expert advice from a Finnish pro who reveals seven smart camera settings that are guaranteed to change how you shoot on the street. The promise is that there will be no more missed shots or incorrect exposures if you heed Peter Forsgard’s advice.
Forsgard is a highly respected Helsinki-based photographer whose street photography tutorials explore the art and techniques of capturing the essence of urban life while remaining invisible and working fast to grab those fleeting candid moments. And that difficult to do if the camera settings you choose aren’t up to the task.
These time-tested recommendations are designed to work in just about any situation you confront from bright daylight to dark alleys, and Forsgard says, “it’s a real workflow that I use every single day.” He begins with a discussion of shutter speed options, both fast and slow, that have a huge impact on the look and feel of your images.
Forsgard’s examples illustrate why this setting is all about motion control. This important decision hinges on whether you want a pin-sharp subject that’s frozen in time, or one that conveys a sense of movement with light trails from passing cars or wispy pedestrians rushing through the frame.
Next on the list is a thoughtful approach to aperture for maximum control over depth and dimension, and the f/stop you choose depends upon the specific effect you intend to create. In other words, you can stop down for a maximum range of sharpness and context or open up wide to accentuate a key subject against a soft clutter-free background.
Forsgard also reveals the ISO strategy that he recommends for any light, and how to take corrective action with exposure compensation when tricky light confuses your camera’s meter. As this eye-opening lesson proceeds you’ll learn Forsgard’s approach to autofocus configuration, a Manual mode zone-focusing technique, and his Camera Always On workflow. And if you’re interested in the gear that Forsgard prefers, there a list in the description beneath the video.
And don’t miss the tutorial we featured earlier with a post-processing expert who demonstrates how Lightroom’s new Color Variance tool enables you to quickly fix photographs with annoying color-balance problems.
Not long ago, I wrote an article about how your photography can benefit from the advantages of local adjustments. I called it, “Think Globally, Act Locally.” The focus of that piece, however, was on which edits should be made using masks — not on how to actually create the masks in the first place. In today’s article, I’d like to fill that gap. So if you’re not completely confident on how to create masks in Capture One, this article is for you.
Mastering your camera’s Exposure (EV) Compensation feature is truly essential for capturing properly balanced photos in difficult light like when your scene includes prominent areas with both light and dark tones. Selecting a positive value brightens the shot while negative settings accomplishes the opposite in varying degrees.
This simple technique is most frequently applied when shooting in one of the semi-automatic modes like aperture priority, shutter-priority, or even programmed auto. But did you know that you can also take advantage of this transformative tool when your camera’s Mode dial is set to Manual?
Today’s interesting tutorial from the Hamed Photography YouTube channel describes the benefits of EV Compensation, how they work, and why this powerful feature is typically disabled in Manual mode. Then you’ll see how to turn in back on and get the light right with precision.
Hamed is an experienced photographer, gear specialist, and top-notch educator whose popular channel is full of camera tips, shooting techniques, and great advice for boosting your visual storytelling skills. Here’s how he summarizes today’s episode: “This video is designed to help beginners and intermediate photographers master EV compensation with ease.”
Along the way you’ll also gain a more thorough understanding of exposure in general and how a few simple tweaks will get the job done regardless of conditions in the field. He covers its all, from the Exposure Triangle, appropriate camera settings, and a few pro tricks—driving his points home with clear explanations and examples that will boost your confidence in a hurry.
As Hamad says, “Whether you’re shooting with a DSLR or mirrorless camera this tutorial will help take your photography skills to the next level.” And he does so less than 11 minutes. Be sure to visit the instructional Hamad Photography YouTube channel where there’s much more to learn.
