It’s almost that time of year again isn’t it? Instagram and Facebook will soon be filled with photos of children dressed in brand new, too big school uniforms, shiny, un-scuffed black shoes and they will be stood awkwardly in front of a door (causing much hilarity as we see yet another cute #frontdoorpic). It’s such […]
Archive | 1. Beginner
Why and when should you use a polarising filter
Polarising filters are a useful addition to your kit if you enjoy photographing landscapes. They reduce atmospheric haze and reduce reflected light, which can be helpful to your images in a number of ways: They give you more detail in the sky, revealing clouds and darkening the blue areas. In the images below you […]
An introduction to white balance
WHITE BALANCE This is really meant as a quick intro for people not familiar with this setting. Light can be different temperatures and degrees of warmth from cool to warm. You will have encountered this when buying light bulbs. The colour temperature of light is measured in degrees Kelvin as shown in this chart from Digital […]
10 reasons why your shot is not in focus
This is a photo I took of a friend’s lovely white Alsatian (Luna?). You might not be able to tell at this low resolution but it is nice and sharp. Although the auto focus on modern digital cameras is awesome, you do need some knowledge on how to take advantage of it to avoid operator error. […]
How to photograph babies – 7 top tips from a professional
When my kids were born I barely knew which way up to hold a camera, never mind have any idea of how to photograph babies in the best way. As a result my photographs of them are very average (still very special to us though!). The odd good picture happened by lucky accident and we resorted to […]
New camera? Why you need to get off AUTO.
Had a new camera for Christmas? If you are one of the lucky people who have been given your first D-SLR or mirrorless camera as a gift this Christmas, you are probably part excited and part apprehensive about getting to grips with it. Whilst it’s fine to use it on AUTO for a while and enjoy the feeling […]
How to take photos on a day out
My kids are older now – 12 and 14 – and although I still love photographing them, they are not as keen as they used to be (wild understatement – Abii acts like a vampire being shown a crucifix when I point the camera at her). So I concentrate more on what’s around me when […]
This is how to photograph a baby!
I absolutely love it when one of my clients sends me pictures they’ve taken that show what they’ve learned and how confident they now are with their camera. I had a great email from new mum Louise today. She attended a Let’s Shoot The Kids course in January and has recently given birth to baby […]
Do I need a tripod?
Do I need a tripod? I get asked this a lot and I think it’s because people see professionals with tripods and assume that they, therefore, need one too if they want to take better photographs. I fell into this trap when I started out and between my other half and me we have either three or […]
How to shoot indoors without flash
We recently made a much anticipated visit to the Dr Who Experience in Cardiff, where fans get to take part in an adventure with the latest Doctor and then look at real props, costumes and prosthetics used in the show. Our kids are Dr Who crazy and were beyond excited and fascinated. All of the exhibits […]
From snapshots to great shots in 7 steps.
I am often asked how you get from snapshots to great shots. Some people assume that I can take good pictures because I have expensive cameras and lenses. I tell them that I have a great oven but my cooking is awful… So it’s not about kit. You can take great photos with a camera […]
How to take better photos with a compact camera
Most of the images in my “how to” blogs are taken using a professional level D-SLR and some pretty fancy lenses and I imagine I can hear people saying, “well, she’s got expensive kit, no wonder her pictures are good!” I can’t deny that good equipment does improve photo quality, although you have to know […]
Looking to buy your first D-SLR? My best recommendation for beginners
I often get asked which D-SLR I would recommend for beginners. I’m a Canon user but have no hesitation recommending other brands, especially if they are offering a good deal. I don’t want this to be a long rambling blog about all the options available, so this is very much aimed at providing a concise […]
How to photograph babies indoors – capturing the every day stuff
Photographs of your baby beautifully dressed in your favourite outfit, with a shiny clean face and huge smile are fantastic and they are the pictures that end up in frames around the house. However, some of our favourite moments may not be “frame-worthy” but are still very special and the ones that make us laugh every time […]