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http://www.5figurephotography.com/33-easy-photography-projects/

Transfer over to teaching grade 1s... Do nature walk and try to find alphabet letters in the environment (choose word or look for name)... Get to know community and English literacy and enviro literacy... What is the m? (mcdonalds sign)

Older kids get to do photo collages with phone cameras

Reflect... Finally photography and ed have collided yet did in subtle ways before... Ie learning how to teach self, teach kids reflecting process (make a blog talk about pros cons where to go from there

Loved doing this bc want kids interested in natural enviro and getting kids outside... Treat world well and learn by experiencing it... and I am always wanting to be outside taking photos but so much to take in.... Needed purpose beyond "this scene looks nice" kids can reflect on what saw (garbage? Clean?) and helps me take photos outside w purpose and enjoy outdoors w nice weather
Develop artistic eye.

Kids have to consciously think about how to form letters (show know how to write, show understanding)
Could choose one theme like trees or street signs

. see things diff way. Tires are o

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http://photodoto.com/hashtag-photography-tweets/

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https://digital-photography-school.com/5-creative-macro-photography-tricks/

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http://www.techradar.com/how-to/photography-video-capture/cameras/77-photography-techniques-tips-and-tricks-for-taking-pictures-of-anything-1320768/3

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Use Higher Shutter Speed, Shoot Dark, Edit Later (Play it Safe!)

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Use Higher Shutter Speed, Shoot Dark, Edit Later (Play it Safe!)

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http://www.photonhead.com/photographytips/digitalpush/

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https://flipboard.com/@photographytips

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http://pin.it/t0L11Aj
Pins on photography. Mainly portrait.

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I learned it must reach one (or ideally both) ends of the box for a "properly" exposed image - and a bell curve shape is ideal.

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Let the histogram help to determine proper image exposure. Tap in the lower left corner of the main screen to open the histogram, or tap on the graph to minimize. The histogram

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Emily Hancock, a professional Hampshire Photographer recently submitted the following tutorial to on Capturing Motion in Photography.

Image by T.MoE

Photographs, by definition, capture and immortalize a small slice of life. There is little for the viewer to infer what happens before or after that moment. However, there are images that need to communicate motion. For example, you may want to capture a dog running, a train barreling down the tracks, or trees that are blowing in the wind. Each of these scenes can come alive within your photographs if you learn how to convey motion properly.

Today, I'll describe how you can use different shutter speeds and panning to capture motion in your photography. I'll also explain a potential issue you might experience along with tips to resolve it.

Reasons To Capture Motion

Beginning photographers have likely seen captivating photographs that capture motion which they'd like to duplicate. There are several ways to accomplish this and each has a slightly different goal. Sometimes, there is a need to blur certain elements in the image while focusing sharply on a few subjects in the foreground. Other times, you may want to freeze or blur everything. The direction you take depends upon your objective for your photograph.

A lot of photographers capture motion simply to convey that an object is moving. But, there are other reasons to so. Movement can communicate mood. Trees rustling in the wind suggest serenity while throngs of people on a busy city block imply harried activity.

You can also use motion to eliminate elements in a scene that may serve as distractions to the viewer. For example, you may want to photograph a person standing on a sidewalk corner as cars move behind him. By blurring everything but your primary subject (i.e. the man on the corner), you can eliminate potential distractions and focus the viewer's attention.

Two Primary Techniques For Capturing Motion

The shutter speed that you use while photographing a scene plays a key role in capturing motion in your image. The faster the shutter speed, the sharper the focus on your subject. On the other hand, a slower shutter speed will blur a moving object. There are two main approaches (we'll discuss a couple of alternatives in a moment).

1. Blurred Subject With Background In Focus

photo by paulaloe

Let's assume you're photographing a speeding train against a wall of trees in the background. You can blur the train while leaving the trees in focus. Doing so would instantly communicate to the viewer that the train is moving quickly. To accomplish this, you would use a slow shutter speed. (It's also important to use a tripod. That way, your camera remains steady.) You'll often see this technique used in nighttime photographs with car headlights cutting through the image.

Image by Extra Medium

2. Blurred Background With Subject In Focus

This second technique keeps your photograph's subject in sharp focus while the background is blurred. Using our train example, the train would be in focus and the wall of trees would be blurred, thereby conveying the train's movement. Similar to the first method, you need to use a slow shutter speed. However, instead of using a tripod, you'll be panning your camera along the directional path of your subject.
Panning Explained
Photo by fabbriciuse

Most beginning photographers are trained to "secure" their cameras. That is, your camera should remain as still as possible for certain types of shots. By contrast, panning requires that you move your camera with your subject. Specifically, you'll be matching your subject's rate of movement and the direction in which it is traveling.

In our train example, assume the man on the bike is moving from east to west. In that case, you'll need to pan your camera along the same direction, matching the speed of the bike. The best results occur when you have a clear view of the moving object and ample room to swivel your camera along a parallel axis to it.

Panning effectively can be difficult. You can practice and perfect your technique by photographing athletes who move quickly (for example, basketball players). Try to capture their facial expressions while blurring everything in the background. It will take some time to get it right, but once you do, the technique can be a valuable addition to your repertoire.

Other Techniques To Capture Motion

Besides the two main techniques described above, you can also freeze the entire field of vision or blur everything. Freezing the entire scene can give your photographs a unique look, especially if the objects strongly imply movement. For example, consider a bird that is flying in front of a waterfall. Both imply motion to the viewer. Freezing the entire scene captures that motion in a single moment and can produce a breathtaking image. You should use a shutter speed of at least 1/1000th of a second for this type of shot.

Photo by llimllib

Blurring everything produces the best results when the scene offers bright, contrasting colors or varying shades on the grayscale. In most cases, capturing motion in this manner is done purely for artistic purposes.

Another effective method for capturing motion within your images is 'chrono photography'.

Photo by monkeyc

Using the continuous shooting feature on your camera, you can capture a series of shots and join them together in the post processing stage to create the effect shown above. A tripod is essential when attempting to shoot motion using this method.

Image by Jolantis

Determine The Proper Shutter Speed

A lot of novice photographers ask what the proper shutter speed is, given their objective for their photographs. Every situation is unique. One speed doesn't suit all circumstances. To identify the right shutter speed, you'll need to ask yourself a few questions:

1. How fast is your subject moving?

2. How much distance exists between the camera and the subject?

3. How much motion do you want your photograph to convey to the viewer?

The faster the shutter speed, the more frozen and crisply-defined your subject will be. Most cameras today will allow you to freeze a scene using 1/8000th of a second or faster. That being said, the numbers only serve as a rough guideline. You'll need to experiment with different shutter speeds in a variety of situations.

Potential Issue: Excess Light

When you slow your shutter speed to blur elements in your image, there's a chance that too much light will enter and impact your photograph. It's a common problem, but there are a couple of ways to resolve it. First, check the aperture on your camera. The larger it is, the more likely excess light will enter. Try adjusting the settings to reduce its size. Second, review the setting of your ISO. When it is set high, the image sensor in your camera may be overly-sensitive to light. This can create unwanted noise in your image.

Mastering The Art Of Motion Capture

Like other photography skills, becoming proficient at capturing motion requires practice and experience. You'll need to spend time learning how shutter speeds will impact the quality of your images. Even if you're just setting your camera on its tripod, timing a perfect shot of a fast-moving object can be difficult. In the end, capturing motion in your photography is part technique and part art. Fortunately, with practice, you can master it.
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A Beginners Guide to Capturing Motion in Your Photography

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Emily Hancock, a professional Hampshire Photographer recently submitted the following tutorial to on Capturing Motion in Photography. Image by T.MoE Photographs, by definition, capture and immortalize a small slice of life. There is little for the viewer to infer what happens before or after that moment.

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If you ask 10 photographers what camera feature they are least comfortable with, what do you think they'd say?

Hands down, my bet would be the histogram.

It's probably one of the most useful features on modern cameras.

But it's also one of the most misunderstood and underused features as well.

That's a shame too, because it's such a powerful tool!

In this guide, you'll be taken step-by-step through what a histogram is, how to read it, and how you can use it to improve your photos immediately!

No, seriously...

That's how powerful your camera histogram really is.

If you master how to use it, you'll have a tool at your disposal that can have a dramatic, positive impact on your photos.

Let's get started!

What the Heck is a Histogram Anyway?

Rather than relying on a technical, mathematical-based definition of a histogram, let's just define it as this:

A graph that shows the tones or colors in a photo, including shadows, midtones, and highlights, that also shows how many pixels in the photo represent one of those tonal values.

In other words, the histogram is a graphical representation of the exposure levels in your photo. As you can see above, darker areas appear on the left side of the graph, midtones appear in the middle, and highlights appear on the right side.

The reason this is such a handy tool is because it is a precise representation of the brightness levels of the photo. That is, the distribution of the graph isn't impacted by ambient light or brightness levels of your camera's LCD - two things that impact how you are able to view the images themselves.

That means that using your LCD to view your images to make a determination of the quality of exposure isn't going to get you the best results. Rather, a histogram will.

Tweet This Histogram In Depth Guide

Gleaning Information From the Histogram

Typically, modern cameras actually have a number of histograms, including one that indicates luminosity (as discussed in the previous section) and another that indicates color, as seen below:

The luminosity histogram is used most often, and has a monochromatic display. The color histograms give you an overview of the presence of red, green, and blue pixels in the image. Usually, these histograms are displayed in their specific color spaces, as seen above.

Since the luminosity histogram is used most often, let's explore it in more detail.

The luminosity histogram gives us detailed information about the exposure of the photo. But a histogram shows more than just how many pixels are dark or bright:

Histograms indicate if an image is well-exposed throughout. If the graph extends from one side to the other, all tones are represented in some number in the photo.

Histograms indicate if one value of tones is overpowering the others. If there aren't any spikes on the left or right sides of the graph with an arch in the midtone region, the image is pretty evenly exposed.

Both of these concepts can be seen in the histogram above. Note how the graph extends from one side to the other, but without sharp spikes on the edges. Also note how the midtone area is prominent, with the tell-tale arch peaking in the middle and descending towards the left and right.

Let's take a look at a few more examples.

Note in this histogram how we do not have the midtone arch that was present in the previous example. The graph has changed because the image of the mom and her baby is predominantly white tones with very few dark areas. That's why we see a large spike at the far right of the graph, and a greater number of pixels from the middle of the graph to the right. Note in the image how there are very few dark areas - something that's reflected in the histogram as well.

It's important to be aware that just because this graph is shifted to the right doesn't mean that it is a poorly exposed image. All this means is that for this subject, which has many lighter tones, the resulting histogram will naturally be shifted to the right. In fact, if the exposure was adjusted to make the histogram more "typical," it could well render the light-colored subject matter as darker, like turning the white highlights to gray.

In this histogram, we see that darker tones are greater in number because of the sharp spikes toward the left side of the graph. Again, keep in mind that this doesn't necessarily indicate a poorly exposed image. Rather, the primary subject might simply be a dark, like the shot of the dark forest above.

Something that this histogram and the previous two histograms have in common is that the full range of tones is represented. Notice how even though one histogram spikes in the middle, another spikes on the right, and another spikes on the left, that there are still values across the entire spectrum represented in the image. That means that each of these histograms indicate a good exposure.

Using the Histogram to Adjust Exposure

When you view the histogram for an image and there is a gap on the left or the right, you'll need to put some work into making it a more appropriately exposed image.

Why?

Gaps indicate that there are pixels in that range of tones completely missing from the photo.

For example, in the sample image of New York City's skyline above, note how there are no shadow details in the image. This is reflected in the histogram where a gap exists on the left side That means that the image is overexposed (which is also indicated by the tall spikes on the far right of the graph). To rectify the situation, you would adjust your exposure settings to restrict the amount of light, either by using a smaller aperture, a faster shutter speed, or a lower ISO, or a combination thereof.

Of course, the opposite problem can occur as well. In the example above, there are far too many dark tones in the image, with no detail beyond the foreground leaves and a minimal amount of contrast. This is indicated by the cluster of spikes on the left side of the graph. There are no highlights indicated, meaning the image is too dark. Boost the brightness of the image by using a larger aperture, a slower shutter speed, or a higher ISO value, or a combination thereof to extend the graph from the left all the way to the right.

Tweet This Histogram In Depth Guide

Clipping 101

You might have heard the term "clipping" thrown around before.

If you don't know what it means, it simply indicates that there has been a loss of detail in the image in the highlighted or shadowed areas. In other words, that detail has been clipped from the image.

Clipping is indicated by a tall spike on the left or right side of the graph. Tones in these clipped areas are usually unrecoverable, meaning that they will render as pure black (if on the left side of the graph) or pure white (if on the right side of the graph), as seen below:

To avoid clipping, ensure that your histogram barely contacts the left or right sides of the graph. That will ensure that you retain the details you need in those dark and light areas. This goes for colors too! Check your RGB histogram for clipping as well because it might show areas of colored clipping where the luminosity histogram shows no clipping at all.

Give yourself even more protection against clipping by using the histogram in tandem with your camera's highlight warning feature, which is often called "blinkies."

Essentially, blinkies make the clipped highlights or shadows in an image preview blink - that way you know what areas are being lost. This display is separate from the histogram, and gives you yet another visual cue as to what areas of the image might need more attention to bring the exposure into a more desirable realm.

If you're a Canon shooter, either press the "Info" or "Display" button repeatedly until you see the blinkies appear on your image preview. If you're a Nikon shooter, press the Up or Down buttons as you preview an image until you see flashing highlights. Consult your camera's owner's manual to get more details about your specific model's highlight warning features.

Using the Histogram to Your Advantage

Now that you have a firm grasp on what a histogram is and how to read it and interpret it, it's important to determine how you can use that information to your advantage.

Part of this process is identifying the impact that the scene you're photographing will have on the image you take. For example, if you take a portrait on a bright, sunny day, you should expect to see a spike on the right side of the histogram. Conversely, if you take a low-light image of a forest with a lot of shadowed areas, expect to see a spike on the left side of the histogram.

Because every scene will be different, your histograms will be different as well. Just because it doesn't conform to the typical form with the midtone arch in the middle doesn't mean it's a bad exposure. Let the scene speak to you, and if it requires more shadows, let the histogram reflect that; if it requires more highlights, that's fine too!

In other words, don't conform your photos to a certain type of histogram. It is a tool that is helpful for correcting exposures that have gone awry - not a hard and fast rule that you must adhere to in each and every shot. Ultimately, what makes a "proper" exposure is you and your creative vision.

That means that sometimes you'll intentionally overexpose an image, as was done in the image of the couple riding horses above; other times you'll intentionally underexpose it. Doing so can add to the artistic interpretation of the photo and result in something that has more mood, evokes more emotions, or simply aligns with your aesthetic more completely.

In the end, look at each scene you're photographing and determine how you want to interpret that scene. Then, use the histogram to help you get the effect you want. That's how you use this powerful tool to create even more powerful photos.

If you liked this article check out these: Six Things Your Camera Would Say if It Could Talk and Understanding the Basics: Your Cameras Histogram

Hello from PT!

Beginner Photography Tips

Not sure what to photograph next?

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Demystified: An In-Depth Guide to Your Camera's Histogram

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If you ask 10 photographers what camera feature they are least comfortable with, what do you think they'd say? Hands down, my bet would be the histogram. It's probably one of the most useful features on modern cameras. But it's also one of the most misunderstood and underused features as well.

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https://flipboard.com/@photographytips

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1,729 Flips | 18 Magazines | 737 Likes | 717 Following | 2,400 Followers | @photographytips | Photography Tips, Articles, and Amazing Photos... Be Inspired and Take your Best shot!

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Learning photography can be a daunting task.

Between learning how to use your camera (let alone knowing which one is right for you), mastering exposure, becoming skilled at composition, and so forth, there's a lot to soak up about creating beautiful photos.

But the beauty of photography is that it's a process - not something that you have to learn in the span of a few days, weeks, months, or even years.

In that regard, becoming a better photographer is all about a commitment to maintaining your learning over the long haul.

And the best way to learn in the long-term?

Tackle it on a daily basis.

With that in mind, here are six things you can do today (and every day) to become a better photographer.

Learn Different Types of Photography

Tell me if this sounds familiar:

You buy a new camera because you like taking photos of landscapes, then pretty much all you do is photograph landscapes. There's few - if any - portraits. No street scenes. No variety in your shots.

That, my friend, is called getting into a rut.

Now, I'm not saying that over time you can't or shouldn't focus on your favorite type of photography.

Instead, what I'm saying is that by exploring photographic pursuits outside your primary area of interest, you are able to develop a better skillset.

For example, if you enjoy portrait photography, the chances are that you'll learn how to frame a nice portrait and use lighting to your advantage to make that portrait more dramatic. But, by taking those skills into the realm of landscape photography, you're able to see how framing and lighting can be used in a totally new context.

As a result, your ability to compose a dramatic shot and use lighting to your advantage will be increased.

So, stretch your boundaries. Use the skills you have in different situations so you can challenge yourself to hone those skills, and learn new ones!

Learn a New Way to Spice Up Your Photos

In addition to branching out into different types of photography, if you can take some time each day to learn a new photography technique, you'll certainly become a better photographer.

This can happen in a couple of different ways.

First, you might explore techniques to add visual interest to your photos. For example, you might experiment with different angles of view by getting down really low to the ground for a worm's eye perspective or finding a high vantage point to take a photo from a bird's eye view.

You might also consider compositional elements like the rule of thirds or using leading lines to add greater balance or depth to your shots.

Secondly, there is a wealth of things you can do in post-processing to make your photos more interesting. YouTube is a fantastic resource for photographers, with thousands and thousands of how-to videos on just about any type of post-processing technique you can think of.

In the video above, Marcin Mikus offers up a Photoshop tutorial for sharpening your images in the quickest and easiest way possible. It's just four minutes long, but by the end, you'll have a better understanding of how to get sharper photos.

And, sharpening your photos is a great way to create more visual impact and spice things up!

Ask Questions and Get Feedback

When I started in photography, there weren't photography forums and chatrooms online where I could easily ask for clarification or advice.

Today, there is no such excuse!

Having someone that you can bounce ideas off of won't just help you from a creative standpoint (i.e. "What do you think of the composition of this shot?") but it can also help you master technical skills that you struggle with.

Exposure settings come immediately to mind in this situation.

For beginning photographers, mastering exposure is probably one of the more difficult tasks. But, if you're part of a photography forum or a local photography club, you can seek the help you need from more experienced photographers to get clarification on the topics you don't quite understand.

Feedback is a crucial component of this as well.

If you have a mentor or a photography buddy, you have someone that can offer critical feedback to help you improve your photos. There's no point in striving to take photos every day if you don't share them with others and solicit their opinions!

Part of your growth as a photographer is to learn what works and what doesn't work, and having a fresh set of eyes inspect your photos will help you clarify what you should and shouldn't be doing.

Keep Your "Fails"

I don't know about you, but when I'm out shooting and I don't like a photo, I'm pretty quick on the delete button.

But that's not the way to become a better photographer.

In fact, many would argue that hanging onto those "fails" and reviewing them later can have a huge difference in the way you create photos.

As you learn and grow as a photographer, you will acquire the ability to see things in images that you weren't able to see when you were just starting out.

That means that all those photos that you branded as epic fails might, later on, end up having some redeeming qualities that you can work with later on when you have more photography skills at your disposal.

That's not to say that every photo will be something you can save. But at the very least, taking a few minutes to look through your old images is a great way to see how your skills have changed and how you've developed your creative eye over time.

Intentionally Restrict Yourself

Ok, ok, I know this sounds contradictory to the whole point of this article, but trust me on this, it'll work!

By restricting yourself in some way - say, only shooting with your smartphone for a week - you can work on specific skills without the worry of other stuff causing you stress.

So, using the smartphone idea as an example, you can work on things like noticing light and shadow, framing shots, using the rule of thirds, and other compositional tricks that don't require a full-blown camera.

What's more, you can restrict yourself in terms of the subject matter. Try taking nothing but portraits for a few days, then nothing but shots of nature, then nothing but cityscapes.

Doing so forces you focus on how you apply central rules and techniques of photography in that one particular space, while at the same time forcing yourself to look for the most compelling and unique shots.

The result? Better photos across the spectrum of your work!

Try Something Completely New

Photographed by Steven Lippman for 2016 ESPN Body Issue of Courtney Conlogue, pro surfer

Why not combine the above tips on trying new types of photography and spicing up your images into one?

Hear me out on this...

What if you could turn a single, static image into a Plotagraph?

Yeah, the first time I heard that word I was like "what the heck is a Plotagraph??"

I had to investigate, and found that Plotagraph is a kick-you-in-the-butt software that, with a little guidance from you, turns your photos into a motion-based graphic that is just absolutely eye-popping.

By converting your photograph into a Plotagraph, you create something that has an incredible level of detail, depth, and dimension, and brings your images to life in a way that is unparalleled.

Better still, it's is dead easy to use - just upload your photo and use the software's algorithms to add motion to the shot. There's no need to upload a ton of photos or video - Plotagraph can work its magic with a single still image.

See Plotagraph in action in the video below. In it, Troy Christopher Plota gives us a rundown of his software's awesome features.

Beyond being something easy you can do to create better photos on a daily basis, Plotagraph is a community of artists where you can learn new skills and get feedback - just like I was mentioning earlier.

In that regard, Plotagraph is a great way to combine a number of these daily photography improvement exercises into one. Now that's how to become a better photographer!

Hello from PT!

Portrait Photography Tips

Still haven't uncovered all the tools, tips & tricks you need to take the stunning portrait shots you want?

Enroll in our Portrait Photography Mastery Course and join the photographers who have fast tracked their learning by mastering the art of taking awe-worthy portrait shots in just a matter of days.

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If You Can Do These Things Daily, You'll Become a Better Photographer

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Learning photography can be a daunting task. Between learning how to use your camera (let alone knowing which one is right for you), mastering exposure, becoming skilled at composition, and so forth, there's a lot to soak up about creating beautiful photos.