Darren Smith Photography's photographic tutorials are aimed to
teach anyone interested in photography the basics in how to
operate their camera and what to consider when you move beyond
taking "snaps".
Accessories 1
This video is all about the common accessories used by
photographers such as batteries, memory cards, bags, cases and how
to clean your photographic equipment.
Accessories 2
This video is all about the common accessories used by
photographers to keep their camera secure, such as straps,
tripods, monopods, beanbags and their variations.
Accessories 3
This video is all about the common accessories used by
photographers to enhance the lighting of their subjects, ranging
from natural light, artificial light and flash.
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Hello and welcome to the Darren Smith photography tutorials.
This video is all about accessories you may use when taking
photographs,
part 1 is all about the basics and the basic needs of your camera
accessories are always going to be part of your kit mainly as things
that make it easier to take the photographs you want.
I hope that these three videos give you a sense of the type of
accessories which could be essential in helping you improve as the
photographer part one is all about the basics and the basic needs of
your camera these will give you the chance to look after your
equipment and make sure you are ready for your next shot.
Whether you are a keen snapper or professional your camera will be
your main utter protecting it should always be the top of your
priorities, a decent camera bag or case will ensure that bumps and
scratches are kept to a minimum and you know where your equipment
is.
Bags can come in several styles and shapes it is a personal choice.
We could use a shoulder bag which makes it easy to get to your kit,
however this may cause problems with posture if your bag is heavy. A
rucksack will spread the load evenly across your back however it
will make it harder to get to your kit possibly missing your perfect
shot.
Your case doesn't always have to be soft padded back, flight cases
and reinforced expedition cases are all used to carry equipment in
rough terrain these offer excellent protection, however they are not
easy to carry around whatever you choose to use it must be right for
you comfortable to carry and most importantly secure
There is nothing worse than taking your camera out and finding that
your battery's flat one of the best ways to ensure this never
happens is to make sure your batteries are always charged before you
go out or you have a fresh supply ready to put in if you do not have
rechargeable batteries.
This problem can also be prevented if your spares ready to put into
your camera.
Camera batteries come in all shapes and sizes depending on the
camera being used if you are using the compact camera the battery is
comparatively small and lightweight larger cameras will probably
have a higher capacity battery which are larger and heavier but will
last much longer in use it is essential to look after our batteries.
My personal care guide is:
number one, don't short out the connections as this could lead to
fire or even a small explosion
number two, don't overcharge them over time this will their charge
capacity
number three, don't get them too cold as this will reduce their
ability to function as a battery
number four, don't get them too hot as this will damage the cells
treat them like us if we get too hot we are less effective too and
number five don't drop them as this could damage the cells causing
any of the problems above to help protect them most camera batteries
will have a small plastic holder to keep the contacts covered.
Spare batteries for your camera can come from other manufacturers,
photographers often debate where the brand batteries are better than
those made by third parties there is obviously always a price
difference and perhaps some difference in quality control the
decision on the best option for you can only really come from
experience
Many cameras also allow the users to attach a battery grip given
the camera a little bit more functionality and effectively doubling
its battery capacity. Some photographers including me find that
having a grip attached to also makes the camera more comfortable to
hold
Another frustration for a photographer is a full memory card from
the introduction of digital cams people have always been advised to
buy the largest memory card that they can afford to a point I
completely agree with this, however if your memory card does get
damaged you lose everything so my personal recommendation is to buy
several cards that adapt to suit your needs. As memory prices
continue to fall you can easily pick up a 32 gigabyte card for the
same price as a takeaway meal in general a memory card needs to be
cleared whenever you have finished with it after your shoot or trip.
As a rule, I clear every memory card after use and format it ready
for the next time in camera it is a practice that ensures that my
storage is always in top condition for most snappers any memory card
is suitable however for those of you who take their photography or
more seriously you might wish to invest in a faster memory card. The
price of memory cards mostly depends upon how fast they write to or
read from, faster cards will obviously transfer the image data
quicker enabling more images to be captured over a shorter space of
time and reducing the time taken to copy them to your computer.
For those few who work with the more traditional film cameras it is
also very annoying when your camera reaches the end of the film,
typically there are between eight and 36 shots on the roll of film
and a single shot on a plate camera, also if it has been used it
needs to be replaced before another picture can be taken having
replacement film is essential and with shops rarely selling film
nowadays carrying spares is vital unused and used film can be
carried easily and stored in their containers, which keep light out
to prevent them from being damaged.
Keeping your equipment clean is a necessity, if your lens is dirty
it will clearly show on your pictures you can keep your camera clean
using a brush or a blower cleaning wipes or a glass tissue. A lens
cleaning cloth is probably the most important as it is the same as
the cloth used to clean a pair of glasses, it removes grease and
dirt from the surface effectively polishing it several of these
tools are also useful to keep your subject clean a small paintbrush
or blower can be used to clear dirt away from a flower or dust off
an ornament improving your photograph.
Over time your camera sensor may also pick up a specks of dirt,
pollen or dust we can clean our sensors ourselves with a sensor
cleaning kit, however if you're not competent enough to do this then
there are several companies which will clean the sensor for you.
I hope you've enjoyed watching this video please feel free to check
out more at www.darrensmith.org.uk or a YouTube, Twitter or
Facebook.
Thank you for watching
Accessories Part 2
Hello and welcome to the Darren Smith photography tutorials this
video is all about the accessories you may use when taking
photographs.
Accessories are always going to be part of your kit mainly is
things that make it easier to take the photographs you want I hope
that these three videos give you a sense of the type of accessories
which could be essential in helping you improve as a photographer.
Part 2 moves on from the basics and looks more into how you can
hold your camera reducing the chance of a blurred image and keeping
your camera safe.
Your camera strap is a very personal thing it should not be decided
upon lightly, we can simply use the strap provided in your camera
box and it will work well for you however, once you have around your
neck for a few days it will start to annoy you. Camera straps can
take many forms and use many materials from nylon, canvas, neoprene,
leather, cloth or even wool they also come in many forms. You can
have neck straps, shoulder straps, slings, wrist straps and even
body mounts.
As I said earlier, it's a personal item and you should always
choose based upon what's right for you. I personally use a neoprene
neck strap, the same material the wetsuits are made from as it's
easy to clean and comfortable to wear for a long time.
A method for holding your camera still is a sentinel when taking
pictures such as landscapes or from low-light photography. It is
also extremely useful for wildlife and sports photographers as their
lenses are often quite heavy to hold having a stable camera will
considerably reduce camera shake and when is sure that your pictures
are always sharp
This could be achieved using a tripod or a monopod, there are many
different variations to choose from to suit everybody's requirements
there are also alternatives which can be used in certain situations.
Now let's talk about each of them.
A monopod is basically a pole to provide stability for the camera
attached to it it's very useful for sports and some wildlife
photographers who require some way to perch their heavy lenses to
save holding it. It is also useful to help steady the camera in all
situations as it provides a way for vibrations to be absorbed.
A standard tripod will give a great deal of flexibility in your
photography, a standard tripod can also be used to support other
pieces of equipment such as lighting if you uses reflectors or
backdrops these ranging sizes from about one metre to two metres
tall depending upon your needs. You can also get a miniature tripod
which can hold your camera 10 to 20 centimetres from the surface,
these can be picked up for very little money nowadays and can really
improve our photographers images they are also compact enough to be
carried with a small camera or can be used for other purposes such
as a desktop lights.
Higher quality models will be more rigid and have additional
features, such as a hanging pin to weigh down a tripod to increase
stability also someone will have a centre column to provide another
adjustable axis
A small lightweight and sturdy tripod for travelling is key if
you're exploring the world a large tripod would add excess weight to
your bags and take a valuable space. For tripods like this, multiple
sections allow it to be compacted to a very small size. The downside
of that is that, the smaller it becomes the less sturdy it tends to
be
There are alternatives to a rigid three-leg tripod, such as a
flexible tripod this has multiple joints that can grab on to
virtually any surface as each joint can bend or rotate in any
direction. This can be very useful when attaching your camera to a
rail or lamppost, one downside of this is that each joint must be
able to support the weight of your camera and larger cameras tend to
squash and loosen and joints.
When buying a tripod one thing to consider is the head, this is
what gives you the control of the cameras movement and currently
there are two main types there is the multi way pan and tilt head
where a lever mechanism gives finer control over the position you
can also lock it in any of the axes giving more control but they are
larger and often bulkier to carry.
And then there's the ball head which can be smaller compact giving
easy multiple axis movement but difficult to obtain fine control
whichever you choose it is a personal choice. Both types of head
will often come with the added accessories of their own such as a
spirit level to ensure that your camera is level is straight before
you take your shot or adjustable controls to allow the user to
refine how they use the equipment comfortably and effectively.
Most manufacturers will also sell spare quick release plates which
later swap cameras quickly without the to remove the screw holding
the plate to your camera if you do not have access to a tripod or
other stable surface. I would recommend a bag of rice it is pliable
and can be placed on some railings through a wall without disturbing
or damaging your camera once settled your camera will be quite
secure this method is particularly useful for backpackers who have
limited space in their baggage for anything other than the
essentials. It could also be a bean bag or any other material you
just have to make sure it does not leak all over your equipment or
the floor
I hope you've enjoyed watching this video please feel free to check
it more at www.darrensmith.org.uk or a YouTube, Twitter or Facebook.
Thank you for watching
Accessories Part 3
Hello and welcome to the Darren Smith photography tutorials, this
video is all about the accessories you may use when taking
photographs.
Accessories are always going to be part of your kit mainly is
things that make it easier to take the photographs you want I hope
that these three videos give you a sense of the type of accessories
which could be essential in helping you improve as a photographer.
Part three is all about using accessories to manipulate lights
changing how your subject looks in your picture.
It is common for a photographer to use some sort of artificial
source to increase the available light to their subject over short
distances in order to balance harsh shadows or increase the light We
could use a flash gun this is also sometimes called a speed light
these work well over a few metres, but are completely ineffective
over a long distance such as photographing a valley or a monument
Flash guns or speed lights come in several different formats one of
the most easiest and most convenient is a pop-up flash as it is
simple to use and often there already it is often built into many
consumer cameras. It will produce light directly in front of the
camera which in general use is enough to light up the area needed,
the problems caused with a pop-up flash are its limited range due to
its low power and it produces a harsh shadow, due to the location of
the light next of the lens which makes your own seem a little flat
If you want to improve your lighting further as with many cameras
we can add a hot shoe mounted flash, a dedicated flash or speed
light is quite versatile and far more powerful than the built-in
flash. Many models can adjust the head so we can change how the
light falls onto the subject.
One example is aiming the head directly towards the ceiling,
bouncing diffused light back onto the subject, there are however
some downsides which you may need to consider, such as it adds
weight to your gear bag, a flash gun or speed light needs its own
power supply and of course there are additional costs into your
purchase
Off camera flash works exactly like a flash but with more
opportunities to move the light source around the subject increasing
the quality and the direction of the light produced. Modern
off-camera flash set-ups use some form of wireless trigger to give
the photographer more opportunities where the camera however we can
still simply just use a cable.
Another form of off-camera flash is a ring flash, which produces
the soft and diffused flash for portrait and macro photography as it
produces pleasing results it spreads diffused light evenly around
your subject in portrait work it will wash the underside of a face
with light improving skin tone and shape hey continuous light source
will constantly provide light for the duration of your session.
Think of it as a light bulb lighting a room it is constant and if
you correctly will give a consistent result every time we can move
the light at different places we can diffuse it funnel or channel it
all over the subject.
We may have ever need additional lighting to get it just right as
we see fit, a reflector does exactly what its name suggests it
reflects light it is particularly useful when shooting photographs
where the light source is predominantly from one direction as it
will bounce light back onto the shadow producing a more even balance
across a subject. Reflectors often have multiple colour surfaces
such as white, silver, gold and black that each give a different
tone to your image.
You may be wondering "a black reflector" and you'd be right
although its role is to absorb light rather than to reflect it it is
very useful to minimize reflections and shiny objects or to remove a
reflected colour from a nearby object although any colour can be
used to give a different effect to your image.
Reflectors also come in many different sizes ranging from 30
centimetres or 12 inches up to 5 meters or 16 feet and they're quite
easy to transport. If you don't have a dedicated reflector, one can
easily be fashioned out of a variety of different materials such as
aluminium foil, plain white or plain black paper who are all
possible reflectors which will serve the same purpose.
A direct light source can produce quite a harsh shadow on your
subject a diffuser helps eliminate this harsh light by making the
image look more natural for example a photograph here of dice has
harsh shadows caused by the light source whereas when the diffuser
is in front of the source the detail is more obvious. The light
diffuser has obviously diffused the light making it far more even,
clouds produce a similar diffusion effect when they obscure the Sun
We do have to be careful though as too much diffused light makes
the subject appear dull just like on a miserable day, a backdrop can
drastically enhance your photographs by either adding to the details
of the photograph or removing details so we can focus on the subject
A backdrop can be a single coloured cloth like we often find in a
photo booth, a sheet of card or a fully detailed background often
helps the viewer understand the situation such as an interview in a
news channel. CGI film-makers use what is known as green screen
which allows computer software to determine the edges of the subject
and superimposed images in the background. Each of these
self-portraits are shot in the studio as you can see from the setup
it's actually quite easily a background does not need to be large,
it can be a sheet of paper or anything that is large enough to be
effective in order to compose your images. It may be necessary to
hold certain objects in place or out of the way. Here are a few
items that are particularly useful for this purpose, large clamps
are useful for holding back heavy items or securing a backdrop to a
subject, a clothes peg does the same and can be used to hold back a
delicate structure, they spoil in the composition. I will often use
a few pegs to hold back small branches or to stop a stem moving when
photographing flowers. Some cotton thread can also be used to tie
back part of a delicate structure such as a plant to remove
distractions, or to frame the image better. For portrait work a hair
clip or hairpin can be used to do exactly what it's designed for to
hold a person's hair out of their face, this is particularly useful
if you were taking a legal photograph for a passport or visa
I hope you've enjoyed watching this video please feel free to check
it more at www.darrensmith.org.uk or on YouTube Twitter or Facebook