Photography - Shooting Tips

Shooting Tips

Here are some tips for dealing with common photography issues.

Reducing Camera Shake

Camera shake is caused by a combination of the photographer’s hand movements or inability to keep the camera still, slow shutter speed, and long focal length. Camera shake results in a blurred image. The focal length of the lens, combined with a slow shutter speed, creates a situation in which the shutter speed is too slow to freeze the image before the camera moves significantly. 

You can eliminate camera shake by using a tripod or by increasing the shutter speed to a value higher than the focal length. For example, if you’re shooting at a focal length equivalent to 100 mm, you should set your shutter speed to 1/100 of a second or faster. The digital image sensor will capture the image before the movement of the lens has time to register additional light information on the sensor.

Note:  Some lenses have image stabilization features that allow the photographer to shoot at a shutter speed whose value is lower than the focal length of the lens.

Minimizing Red-Eye in Your Photos

Red-eye is the phenomenon where people have glowing red eyes in photographs. This is caused by the close proximity of the flash (especially built-in flash) to the camera lens, which causes light from the subject to be reflected directly back at the camera. When the flash fires, the light reflects off the blood in the capillaries in the back of the subject’s eyes and back into the camera lens. People with blue eyes are particularly susceptible to the red-eye phenomenon because they have less pigment to absorb the light.

There are a few ways to minimize or eliminate red-eye in your pictures. Some cameras provide a red-eye reduction feature that fires a preflash, forcing the irises in your subject’s eyes to close before you take the picture. The main problem with this method is that it often forces subjects to involuntarily close their eyes before the image is taken, and it doesn’t always completely eliminate the red-eye effect. 

A more effective method is to use an external flash via the camera’s hot-shoe mount or, better yet, with an extension bracket. An external flash radically changes the angle of the flash, preventing the lens from capturing the reflection of the blood in the back of your subject’s eyes. While you can also fix the red-eye effect using Aperture, there is no way to accurately reproduce the original color of your subject’s eyes. Preventing the problem before it occurs is the preferred solution. 

Reducing Digital Noise

Digital noise is the polka-dot effect in images with long exposures or images shot at high ISO settings in low-light situations. The effect is most noticeable in images shot in low-light situations. Many consider digital noise to be a synonym for film grain. Although the causes are the same, the effects are quite different. Some film photographers purposely shoot images with enhanced grain for artistic effect. However, digital noise detracts from the image because of the sporadic bright pixels within solid colors, and lacks the aesthetic qualities of enlarged film grain.

You can reduce digital noise by taking your photographs at ISO settings between 100 and 400. The 400 ISO setting provides more exposure latitude, but even 400 ISO exhibits a little noticeable digital noise. If your subject is not moving and you can’t use a flash, using a tripod can allow you to shoot successfully with low ISO settings.

Many DSLR models come with a noise-reduction feature. If you turn on the noise- reduction feature, it is automatically activated when you shoot long exposures. The camera color corrects at the pixel level, processing the image as it’s shot. The main negative aspect to digital noise reduction on the camera is the significant lag time required for the image to process between shots. One way to avoid this lag time between shots is to keep the noise-reduction feature on your camera off and use the Aperture Noise Reduction adjustment controls after you’ve imported your images.