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Soon, there will be cooler temperatures here in the DC area, bringing with it, fall foliage which only lasts for a few weeks, so take advantage of every opportunity to photograph those brilliant fall colors! Here are some ideas for photographing the fall foliage: Rain produces wonderful reflections and color saturation! You may need to…

Cosmos Negative space simply refers to empty space around the subject (which is called positive space). The word negative in this case is not a bad connotation, but a way of guiding the viewer directly to the subject since the rest of the space has little to no visual interest. Negative space is relatively uniform,…

Les Colombes (The Doves), Washington National Cathedral When you lift your camera to your eye, what is happening in your mind? In thinking about the scene before you, is your mind working on finding more creative angles and perspectives, avoiding cluttered backgrounds, looking at how light is falling on the subject or considering other elements…

What exactly is Intentional Camera Movement (ICM)? It is an abstract style – a creative way of working with long exposure photography, which involves deliberately moving the camera during an exposure to produce an artistic, painterly effect. It is definitely contrary to all the training a photographer receives to create sharp images by NOT moving…

So many times when we go out with our cameras, we fall into the same old routine of how we photograph the world around us. Below is a series of ideas to help you break out of that same old routine and try something new the next time you go out with your camera this…

With Independence Day celebrations taking place in the coming days, here are some tips for making the most out of your short time behind the camera to photograph fireworks… 1) Do NOT try to hand-hold your camera, do NOT use a flash 2) For best results, find a location where you will see the fireworks…

What makes a great photo? Is the goal of the image to portray beauty? Is it to be thought-provoking? Is it to surprise or startle the viewer? Whatever the goal, if it communicates your message or idea, it’s considered to be a good photo. To fully achieve your goal, you need to become proficient in…

To become a better photographer, you need to take lots of photographs! As Henri Cartier Bresson said, “Your first ten thousand photographs are your worst.” As with any skill, the more you practice, the more you improve. In photography, that means to go out with your camera and make images! Yes, concepts and techniques are…

Digital cameras give us the flexibility to create a multitude of effects, right in-camera. One of those effects is to change the color temperature of your image by changing the Kelvin Color Temperature Scale. The Kelvin color temperature scale is used to describe the way various light temperatures appear visually. The scale goes from 1,000K…

Even the best photographers work on improving their skills continuously to refine their craft. Skills are like muscles — you need to flex them regularly, or they become weak due to underuse. Although you think you’re already comfortable using a camera, it’s always beneficial to learn new tricks and techniques to build your skillset. So…

50mm, F/8, ISO 200, 1/13 second Ready to learn a new photographic technique? Try creating custom bokeh effects! Bokeh is a word with Japanese origins, defined as “the way the lens renders out-of-focus points of light.” The word comes from the Japanese word boke, which means “haze” or “blur.” (The “h” was introduced to help…