Spontaneity

Photography by Caitlyn Curtis Tips for Cityscape Photography  There are many great opportunities around you to make the best out of your photography session. As a photographer, you do not always need to go too far away places to get the best images. Sometimes it is best to look inside your own town for the best photo ops. For instance, you can go downtown and take images of your local city buildings. Here are some tips for when you decide to explore the city you live in.   For the best images, it is important to use a tripod and your camera's self-timer. This keeps the image still and straight which can make the cityscape look level. This will also allow your image to be sharper, giving it a clearer picture. This is the best way to avoid blurry images in case your hand is accidentally shakey. This is most important when you are shooting with the golden hour and after dark . If you are unable to bring a tripod, you can also make your own by improv...

Photography by Caitlyn Curtis Christmas Lights Photography Halloween is over and it is getting closer to Christmas! That means there are going to be many opportunities to photograph the beautiful Christmas lights. However, sometimes it can be difficult to capture them correctly. There are also many ways to use Christmas lights to give you fun effects in your images. Here are some great tips to photographing Christmas lights and creating a cool bokeh effect on your images, similar to the picture above. The settings on your camera should be for low light since it is usually dark when shooting Christmas lights outside but it will give the lights a pop in your image. When setting the ISO it should be around 400 depending on how dark your image is. However, do not go above an ISO of 800 because it will make the image grainier than it needs to be. When setting the aperture it should be around f/3 and f/8 depending on how much light you want in your image. Also, when using incand...

Photography by Caitlyn Curtis Test Your Photography Knowledge   Now is the time to test your photography knowledge! You may want to take the next step in your photography skills or strengthen your knowledge on key terms. The best way to improve your skills is to understand your weaknesses. Let this quiz guide you in the right direction for your photography success . Take the quiz, then check your answers on the bottom of the page. How many questions will you answer correctly?  1. The aperture controls how much light travels into the camera body.          A) True         B) False  2. Exposure is made up of three components: aperture, shutter speed, and ISO.        A) True         B) False 3. What is the amount of time it takes for your camera shutter to open and closes called?        A) Exposure     ...

Photography by Caitlyn Curtis  Three Tips to the Eye of Photography  During a photography session, it is easy to underestimate the small details that can change your photograph into something amazing. You may think the lights, building structure or cracks will ruin your image, however, it can do quite the opposite. Here are some tips to help you gain an eye in photography: 1. Lighting It is important to have an eye for lighting because it can help you understand when to take certain images at certain times of the day. It can also change your photograph completely depending on if you have soft or harsh light . Soft light is early and late in the day which creates soft shadows because the lighting comes at an angle. Harsh lighting is when the light is directly on your subject which causes dark shadows. Dark shadows are not always ideal in photography. 2. Color When speaking about color it does not always mean one of the colors of the rainbow. Instead, it me...

Photography by Caitlyn Curtis Three Nutty Things Photographers Do  Regardless if you are an iPhone photographer, a beginner or a professional, we have all been in a situation where we have seen people do crazy things for a picture. These nutty tactics may be the improper use of the camera, not thinking about how to take a good picture or just funny positions to get the shot we want. We may even be guilty of these habits ourselves. Let’s jump right into the nutty things photographers do!  1. Overuse of Flash   Have you ever been in a dark room with that one person who uses the flash on their camera? The flash blinds everyone and all of a sudden you are seeing stars. Often times when photographers use their flash close up to someone’s face, it can cause them to look pale. The photograph can also expose red eyes and can make your subject’s face look uncomfortable as they try to avoid the bright light. A way to fix the overuse of flash is to turn up your ISO...

Photography by Caitlyn Curtis “Starve your distractions, feed your focus.” - Anonymous This photograph I took of a jaguar at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens symbolizes the power to face your own fears. When you think of a jaguar you may think of an aggressive animal who carries a lot of power. However, you may not realize the wildcat has deeper symbolism that can also connect to starting your journey in photography. The connection between photography and the jaguar can help motivate you to “starve your distractions, feed your focus.” Jumping into the photography world can be scary and intimidating, especially when you are just starting out. There are many people around you who have more experience and stronger skills. This can be used as your drive to focus on what you want to accomplish in your career and allow you to face your own fears. For example, the Jaguar has binocular vision which gives the ability to use each eye individually. This skill allows them to have better...

Photography by Caitlyn Curtis “Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.”- Victor Hugo Photography is an outlet that allows you to see the world in a different light. Although we are able to live through moments, photographs allow us to remember moments for a lifetime. The moments we capture can express emotions and appreciation that we can not put into words. I believe photography can impact others on a deeper level than just the surface and mean more than what meets the eye. The same photograph an individual can take of an object or a place can bring different memories for different people. This image of the Jacksonville Beach Pier is an example of darkness coming to light, representing the beauty of nature around us. As one might not be able to tell, the pier has been through devastation from not just one but two hurricanes in the past couple of years. The damage from Hurricane Irma and Matthew caused the pier to be closed for repairs. Regardless of the...