Best True Happiness Quotes of Living Life
Happiness comes from oneself. Everyone has their own perspective to evaluate their living life. What is True Happiness Quotes? Happiness i...
Top 5 Graphic Design Trends For 2021
Are graphic design trends useful or are they completely just trash or is the truth somewhere in the middle? So, let's explore that ques...
Whether you are a beginner or more experienced with photography, here are some of our favorite tips that will help you improve your photography!
1
Use the Rule of Thirds
This rule helps you take eye-catching pictures by using one of the most effective rules of composition.
If you want to take pictures that have a “wow” factor built in them, the Rule of Thirds is the composition secret you need to take advantage of!
To use the rule of thirds, imagine four lines, two lying horizontally across the image and two vertical creating nine even squares. Some images will look best with the focal point in the center square, but placing the subject off-center at one of the intersecting points of the imaginary lines will often create a more aesthetically composed photograph.
When a photograph is composed using the rule of thirds the eyes will wander the frame. A picture composed using the rule of thirds is usually more pleasing to the eye.
If you want to take great photos that you’d be proud of, by using the rules of composition, check out the easy-to-follow Incredibly Important Composition Skills Course!
2
Avoid Camera Shake
Camera shake or blur is something that can plague any photographer and here are some ways to avoid it.
First, you need to learn how to hold your camera correctly; use both hands, one around the body and one around the lens and hold the camera close to your body for support.
Also, for handheld shooting, make sure that you are using a shutter speed that is appropriate for your lens’ focal length. If you’re shutter speed is too slow, any unintentional movement of the camera will result in your entire photograph coming out blurry.
The rule of thumb is not to shoot at a shutter speed that is slower than your focal length to minimize this problem:
1 / Focal Length (in mm) = Minimum Shutter Speed (in seconds)
So, as an example, if you’re using a 100mm lens, then your shutter speed should be no lower than 1/100th of a second.
Use a tripod or monopod whenever possible.
Are you confused by any of the terminology? Do you want to easily control your camera and finally get rid of the confusion about focal length, aperture, shutter speed, and other settings?
If so, check out our most recommended course: Extremely Essential Camera Skills. It’s the easiest and quickest way to learn how to take great photos while learning all the basics of your camera.
3
Learn to use the Exposure Triangle
To get your photos looking their best, you need to master the three basics: Aperture, Shutter Speed and ISO.
You also need to understand the relationships between these three controls. When you adjust one of them, you would usually have to consider at least one of the others, to get the desired results.
Using Auto Mode takes care of these controls, but you pay the price of not getting your photos to look the way you wanted them, and often disappointing.
It’s a better idea to learn how to use Aperture-priority or Shutter-priority modes, and ultimately shoot in Manual mode. To easily learn how to do it, we recommend the Extremely Essential Camera Skills Course.
4
Use a Polarizing Filter
If you can only buy one filter for your lens, make it a polarizer.
The recommended type of polarizer is circular because these allow your camera to use TTL (through the lens) metering such as auto exposure.
This filter helps reduce reflections from water as well as metal and glass; it improves the colors of the sky and foliage and will help give your photos the WOW factor. It will do all that while protecting your lens. There’s no reason why you can’t leave it on for all of your photography.
We recommend Hoya Polarizer Filters for the best combination of performance and price.
5
Create a Sense of Depth
When photographing landscapes, it helps to create a sense of depth, in other words, make the viewer feel like they are there.
Use a wide-angle lens for a panoramic view and a small aperture of f/16 or smaller to keep the foreground and background sharp. Placing an object or person in the foreground helps give a sense of scale and emphasizes how far away the distance is.
Use a tripod if possible, as a small aperture usually requires a slower shutter speed.
6
Use Simple Backgrounds
The simple approach is usually the best in digital photography, and you have to decide what needs to be in the shot, while not including anything that is a distraction.
If possible, choose a plain background – in other words, neutral colors and simple patterns. You want the eye to be drawn to the focal point of the image rather than a patch of color or an odd building in the background. This is especially vital in a shot where the model is placed off center.
7
Don’t Use Flash Indoors
Flash can look harsh and unnatural especially for indoor portraits. Therefore, there are various ways you can take an image indoors without resorting to flash.
First, push the ISO up – usually ISO 800 to 1600 will make a big difference for the shutter speed you can choose. Use the widest aperture possible – this way more light will reach the sensor, and you will have a nice blurred background. Using a tripod or an I.S. (Image Stabilization) lens is also a great way to avoid blur.
If you absolutely must use flash, then use a flash with a head you can rotate, and point the light to the ceiling on an angle.
To ensure you get the most flattering light for portraits, landscapes or anything else you want to capture – watch this great video here.
8
Choose the Right ISO
The ISO setting determines how sensitive your camera is to light and also how fine the grain of your image.
The ISO we choose depends on the situation – when it’s dark we need to push the ISO up to a higher number, say anything from 400 – 3200 as this will make the camera more sensitive to light, and then we can avoid blurring.
On sunny days we can choose ISO 100 or the Auto setting as we have more light to work with.
9
Pan to Create Motion
If you want to capture a subject in motion, then use the panning technique. To do this, choose a shutter speed around two steps lower than necessary – so for 1/250, we’d choose 1/60. Keep your camera on the subject with your finger half way down on the shutter to lock the focus and when ready, take the photo, remembering to follow them as they move.
Use a tripod or monopod if possible to avoid camera shake and get clear movement lines.
10
Experiment with Shutter Speed
Don’t be afraid to play with the shutter speed to create some interesting effects.
When taking a night time shot, use a tripod and try shooting with the shutter speed set at 4 seconds. You will see that the movement of the object is captured along with some light trails.
If you choose a faster shutter speed of say 1/250th of a second, the trails will not be as long or bright; instead, you will freeze the action.
Try shooting other compositions with moving objects or backgrounds such as waves on a beach, crowds of people walking, cars commuting, with different shutter speeds to either capture blurred movement or snapshots that freeze everything sharply in time.
Whenever using slow shutter speeds to blur movement, it is critical that the camera is stabilized to eliminate camera shake. We recommend the AmazonBasics 60-inch Portable Tripod as an excellent entry-level option for taking photographs with slow shutter speeds.
Top 10 Digital Photography Tips
Whether you are a beginner or more experienced with photography, here are some of our favorite tips that will help you improve your photogr...
Today I will be teaching you how to make a cool vortex that appears to be in outer space. The first step is to open up a new blank document in Photoshop. Keep in mind that this method will work in Photoshop 6.0 and above. Once you have your document opened up select the gradient tool from the toolbar. Now the next step is to set your foreground color to red and black. Once you have done this click and drag the gradient tool from left to write on the document. Now once you have done this go to Filter then Distort and click on Twirl. Once you are in the twirl tab we can start to create our vortex. I would suggest making the angle 399. Making the angle 399 will give the vortex and really cool spiral look to it. Once you have done this click OK. Once you have done this you should have the basic shape of your vortex. Now go to Filter then Stylize and then click on Wind. Once you are in the Wind tab we can start to make the vortex look a bit more realistic. While you are in the Wind tab select Stagger and then From the Right to get the desired effect. Click OK then you will notice the vortex now looks like it is sucking inward. This is a very cool effect that adds some life to the whole piece. In the next part of the lesson I will teach how you to make the vortex appear like is is in outer space.
You now have the basic shape and layout of your vortex at this point. But it will look a little boring. Make a new layer and then press D on your keyboard to set your foreground and background colors to default. Next select your gradient tool and click and drag from left to right on that layer. Once you have done this go to Filter Render and then click on Clouds.
After you add the clouds to the new layer press Control I on your keyboard to invert the the clouds. Keep in mind that you need to hold down the Control Key and then press I while you are holding down the Control Key. Now from this point press Control U on your keyboard to access the Hue and Saturation tab. Use the sliders on the Hue to select the color you want your clouds to be. You can use the sliders on the Saturation and Lightness to adjust the brightness of the clouds. Once you are happy with how your clouds look click OK. Now the last step is combining the clouds with the vortex. While you are on the layer where you created your clouds click on the drop down arrow and select screen as your blending mode. Once you do this you will notice your clouds have blended in with your vortex. But they still look to intense lower the Opacity to 82%. Now you should have a cool looking vortex with a space like cloudy look around it. If you want to make the whole piece look ever cooler you can add some stars with the shape tool or add a lens flare to add some extra life to the vortex. To add a lens flare go to Filter then Render and click Lens Flare. Make the brightness 87%. After this move the lens flare to the top left hand corner or where ever you wish to position it. I would also choose 50-300mm Zoom as the type of Lens Flare. Once you do this click OK and you should have a very cool looking vortex in space. I hope you enjoyed this lesson.
After you add the clouds to the new layer press Control I on your keyboard to invert the the clouds. Keep in mind that you need to hold down the Control Key and then press I while you are holding down the Control Key. Now from this point press Control U on your keyboard to access the Hue and Saturation tab. Use the sliders on the Hue to select the color you want your clouds to be. You can use the sliders on the Saturation and Lightness to adjust the brightness of the clouds. Once you are happy with how your clouds look click OK. Now the last step is combining the clouds with the vortex. While you are on the layer where you created your clouds click on the drop down arrow and select screen as your blending mode. Once you do this you will notice your clouds have blended in with your vortex. But they still look to intense lower the Opacity to 82%. Now you should have a cool looking vortex with a space like cloudy look around it. If you want to make the whole piece look ever cooler you can add some stars with the shape tool or add a lens flare to add some extra life to the vortex. To add a lens flare go to Filter then Render and click Lens Flare. Make the brightness 87%. After this move the lens flare to the top left hand corner or where ever you wish to position it. I would also choose 50-300mm Zoom as the type of Lens Flare. Once you do this click OK and you should have a very cool looking vortex in space. I hope you enjoyed this lesson.
Learn How to Make a Cool Vortex in Space Step by Step
Today I will be teaching you how to make a cool vortex that appears to be in outer space. The first step is to open up a new blank docume...
Step 1
Open Photoshop, and then your scanned image. To do this, click File> Open (File -> Open) and select your file, or simply drag the image into Photoshop.
For this lesson we use a scan of a beautiful watercolor drawing made by our talented colleague (Andrea).
Remove the background from scanned images.
Step 1 Open Photoshop, and then your scanned image. To do this, click File> Open (File -> Open) and select your file, or simpl...
Most of the ideas for using Photoshop, though good ideas, have become ‘normal’. Making yourself skinnier, deleting the background of your picture, all of these are great ways to utilize the tools in the program but if you’re looking for something that maybe you haven’t thought about doing, here are some ideas to help you on your photo-editing journey.
Add Clothing: With the economy in such a bad shape, everyone wants to look good without paying designer prices. With Photoshop you can wear any clothing you’d like for free. Free standing Clothes– If the clothing you want is in a picture by itself, take a picture of yourself either naked or scantily clad (depending on where the clothing would cover up. Ex: A tank top would look a little strange on top of a t-shirt…) If you’re female be sure to pay special attention to how the shirt bends around the breast area, if it’s something like a tank top and you should be able to see the top curve of the breasts, an ace bandage will work in place of a bra to eliminate the strap problem. Save the picture of the clothing you want and open it alongside the picture of yourself. (File- >Open->”Your Picture”->Windows->Arrange Vertically/Horizontally.) Open up a new layer named clothing on the picture of yourself, and decide on a place in the clothing that you can easily match up to a part of your body, usually where the neck meets the shoulder, the underarm crease, or the center point of your cleavage. Then, using the cloning tool, hold down Alt and click that place on the clothing. Now you can click the same place on you and drag the mouse across the area to fill in the clothing on your body. Slight inconsistencies can be fixed using affects or liquify. For pictures where the clothing is on someone: Pretty much the same deal but be sure to be in the exact same position as the person wearing the clothing for your picture. Any skin that gets cloned in can be safely erased using the background eraser tool if the clothing has a sharp contrast to the skin. If not, just the eraser is an easy fix, if a little slow and detailed.
Decorating Your Room: You can always add a completely different background to your picture, but then again why not make the space you have to look better? Look up some items you wish you could have such as lamps, pictures, bedspreads, shelving etc.. Again using the clone tool, open both of the pictures up [see above for directions.] and decide where you want your objects. Open a new layer on the picture that the objects are going in, for ease of placement and deletion of unwanted objects. Once you’ve decided where you want your object to go Alt+click it and then start filling it in on your picture. (Click the area you want it to go and follow the lines of the object.) Make sure that the picture of the object matches the size you want it to be in your room, you can adjust the size by selecting the window it’s in and going to Image+size and filling in your size specification. Make sure that it’s locked so your width will always match your height. Once you’ve cloned your object in the room play
around with the lighting affect to make sure it looks right. If it’s a lamp or other light source make the bulb the center of the light source and use shadows to adjust your room. Voila!
Upgrade Your Stuff: You’ve got an outdated t.v., iPod, or phone. Why not have the newest? Find a picture of the object you want and use the tricks above to clone in the new stuff.
Adding makeup: Time is precious, and sometimes you’re just not ready for that camera to be shoved in your face. Or maybe you don’t have the makeup that you’d like. By enlarging the picture dramatically and using the paintbrush tool on your desired color of mascara, eyeliner, lipstick, or cover up you can be totally made over in any picture. Make sure to open a new layer when you do this because you will want to lower the opacity to about 15-20% to make it look realistic.
More Ideas Using the Techniques Above:
- Add fake nails!
- Fill in that bald spot.
- Change what you were eating to your favorite meal.
- Add jewelry.
- Change generic labels to name brands.
- Make your shirt say something witty.
- If you’re a drummer: Make your kit look more impressive by adding more drums, high hats, and cymbals.
around with the lighting affect to make sure it looks right. If it’s a lamp or other light source make the bulb the center of the light source and use shadows to adjust your room. Voila!
Ideas You May Not Have Thought of for Using Photoshop
Most of the ideas for using Photoshop, though good ideas, have become ‘normal’. Making yourself skinnier, deleting the background of you...
Actions and Batching
Actions and Batch Processing are Photoshop's little tools for saving you precious time whenever you find yourself doing repetitive operations. Actions record a set of operations you perform and Batch Processing allows you to perform any action on numerous files.
Creating an Action
We'll start off by making one of the simplest actions imaginable, but one I frequently use nonethless, a 1 pixel black image outline. I use this action for creating thumbnails for lovely tutorials such as this. Start by opening Photoshop and creating a new document. I made mine 150x150 pixels in the example. Change your foreground color to black (pressing D will do this quickly).
Name the action 1 px outline or whatever you please. Click the 
to start recording your action.
Press Ctrl+A (Mac: Command+A) to select all and then go to Edit>Stroke. Select 1 px and Inside for location. Press Ctrl+D(Command+D) to deselect your selection. You might notice a faint one pixel border around your image. It's pretty hard to see. As a final step to your action, press Ctrl+S (Command+S) and save your file as any name. (Often you will not want to have a save funtion in your action, but for the batch process we will be doing, this is a good idea). Then press 
in the Actions Palette to end your action. Your action is now complete. You are now able to apply your action to any open file you want by selecing the action in the Actions Palette and clicking the 
button. We don't want to use it quite yet though, we'll use it in a Batch Process.
Running a Batch ProcessIn order to run a Batch Process you will need some pre-made files to apply your action to. I chose 4 borderless thumbnail images that were going to be used for the Spoono Skillet.
Back in Photoshop, go to File>Automate>Batch. In the menu that pops up, locate your action in the Action drop-down. Choose Folder in the Source drop-down and browse to find your folder with the four images. Make sure Destination is set to None (which it should be) and press OK.
Four images will flurry about the screen and in a few seconds the Batch will be complete. The images will remain open and if you zoom in on them you will notice nothing less than a one pixel black border around all of them. You don't have to worry about saving them because they have already been saved during the Batch.So that's about it. Now you can consider yourself a regular batching fool.
Actions & Batching Tutorial - Spoono
Actions and Batching Actions and Batch Processing are Photoshop's little tools for saving you precious time whenever you find yoursel...
