Photo Tips: How to learn photography

How to learn photography?

This is a question that i often been asked. Normally, what i see how people learn is, they bring their camera out, shooting here and there, go back home post on internet and ask for comment. So, is this the efficient way to learn? Now put this aside, lets find out what is the basic of learning process.

Look back when you were child, how do you learn to talk? How do you learn to write? You learn to talk by speak after your parent; you learn to write by your parent holding your hand to write, right?

When your were school, you did what kind of science experiments? you did what kind of mathematics equations? you did a science experiment that someone solved before; you did a mathematics equation that have a solution, isn't it?

All of these learning process, they have one common characteristic, do you notice what is it?

It is IMITATION. you imitate your parent voice, you imitate your parent hand writing, you imitate scientist's experiments and mathematics equations, all you do is imitating! Lets imagine, when you were school will you do an experiment that scientist never do before??? No! Because this is not an efficient learning process, right? So this is just about the same that you bring a camera out and shoot here and there blindly.

To learn photography, we should not ignore the basic of learning, imitation. What i suggest is, go and collect the experts' photos, find out what make this photo special. lighting? composition? timing? equipment? or even setting? Whatsoever. If you are unable to identify, ask your experienced friend to identify, and the next time you met the similar situation or go find out the similar situation, imitate it! Why imitation work better? because you have a clear direction, you are not doing an experiment that no one do before. After imitation, you modify; after modify, you create. This is the learning process.

Lets see the power of imitation. Nowadays, every internet user know to use the symbol =.=!!!. But can you define =.=!!! ? When i say define, it mean someone that don't know what is =.=!!!, he will know to use it after read your definition, e.g. your grandpa. Can you do it? i believe most of people are not able to define. They don't know how to explain, but what funny is they know to use it! Funny right? Yeah, this is the power of imitation!

I can't explain how exactly to take a good photo. Rules of third? golden spiral? golden triangle? lighting? and you said "i have did that all and why my photo is not good?" Go and imitate, and one day you will surprise that you are not imitate any more, and you take good photo. This is what we call art sense! :-)

Photo Tips: Lighting Reference

1/500 sec, 17-50mm f 2.8@f 7.1, iso 200

This lighting set up is make a brighter outline, hence the power of strobe light 2 hv to set higher than 1(this is also depends on the distance btw the light and model, light closer will be brighter.). In this sample photo i din't use the two boards that block the strobe light 2 because of the limited space. The board is to block away unnecessary lighting from strobe light 2, because purpose of strobe light 2 is only to expose model's outline, not her face. Bring out the outline of model can create beautiful tone on model's skin, and it also allow black shirt with black background.

1/400 sec, 17-50mm f 2.8@f 6.3, iso 400

for this lighting set up, what u need is a honeycromb snoot or just DIY as what i shown in previous aquarium shooting.

1/320 sec, 85mm f 1.4@f2.8, iso 200

Photo Tips: Lighting Reference

1/640 sec, 17-50mm f2.8 @ f5.6, iso 200
it is a cloudy day, and i use stronger flash power to push down the sunlight to make the background slightly under exposure to create mystery atmosphere.


1/200 sec, 17-50mm f2.8 @ f8, iso200
fill in flash light at left hand side to compensate the exposure which sunlight cannot cover.


1/80 sec, 17-50 f2.8 @ f4.5, iso 320
it's cloudy day, however the subject is under a kiosk and the surface of lake is reflecting light, hence the exposure is not balance. flash light fill in to compensate the exposure.

Photoshop Tips: Film Effect

Digital SLR is flooded in the city nowaday, then there is some ppl start to thinking bout film slr. However, not everyone dare to step into film world. So, now photoshop can help u to create a fake film photo by few click =)


select gradient map. (click to see large image)


double click on the color bar, the gradient editor window will pop out, and then select the blue, red, yellow preset gradient. (click to see large image)


change the color bar into orange, blue, red and yellow, then click on ok. (click to see large image)


change the opacity into 10%. (click to see large image)


change the saturation into -20. (click to see large image)


at the layer side, select the background. and then click on filter > noise > add noise. (click to see large image)


set the amount as 5%, done. (click to see large image)