Nikon Z 9 is easier to use than competing models

DP review site on the use of Nikon Z9 feelings interviewed sports photographer Mark Payne.

Check out Mark Payne’s feelings about using the Z9 in the Sports News Record. Q: DP Review Network reporter, A: Mark Payne.

Q: What are your expectations of the Z9?

A: I feel 99% satisfied with my use of the Z9 system. I don’t like sudden changes in my professional camera habits, so I’m not expecting anything in particular. However, I am excited about the new autofocus mode and want to see if it is as good as the Sony. I wanted to see if Nikon could be as “Nikon” as ever, but rather like the hard-to-use Sony cameras.

Q: How does the Z9 compare to DSLRs in terms of performance?

A: It’s revolutionary in terms of 3D tracking for face recognition, an amazing evolution from the D5 and D6. It is not suitable for shooting sports, when there are two or three people on the screen is okay. But it proved to be less reliable when shooting rugby or soccer. I don’t think I could get more accurate focus shots than with a DSLR. But it’s technically great and definitely helpful for the inexperienced.

Q: Is the Z9 full-screen AF convenient?

A: No. Because I try to focus on the subject as much as possible. Because I try to keep the subject in the center. In sports photography, it is very important to choose the right focal length and place the subject in the center 2/3 of the frame. In my case, the subject rarely appears in the corner of the screen.

Q: How easy was it to master the Z9? How familiar did it feel to you?

A: It was very quick to master, and much shorter than I expected. It was as simple as my transition from D5 to D6 and very easy to use. I got used to EVF immediately and had no problems. I don’t think the EVF is better than the OVF in my work, but the Z9’s EVF is arguably the best I’ve ever used and very easy to use in all situations. I was surprised that the EVF was so good and that it didn’t bother me. the Z9 is definitely a Nikon camera. The high sensitivity is at least as good as the D6.

Q: The Z9 uses an electronic shutter, but is there a strip problem? (Now most of the race course using LED advertising screen, advertising screen is scrolling refresh advertising content, so this part of the content will appear in the screen to a large extent, from the top to the bottom of a different shade of shadow)

A: I’ve shot on professional jobs about 10 times, but I’ve seen stripes on about half of the frames (not a big deal.) LED board stripes are a problem that doesn’t affect 99% of people, but if I knew I was going to use the LED boards for sponsored shoots, I’d bring my Z9 DSLR. I want the image to look perfect with the sponsor’s logo (on the LED board). I would like to make some modifications to the strip.

Q: What would you like to see improved in the Z9 other than the strip?

A: The Z9 is very good and easier to use than the competition I’ve used so far, but the file is too big from a professional standpoint. As a sports photographer, the pixel count is unnecessary. When I opened the RAW in Photoshop, it was 130MB, twice the size of the D6, regardless of compression mode, and was a pain to deal with. It’s otherwise very good and has almost no flaws. I bought a second Z9, and I’m sure I won’t need to buy another camera before they break.

I made a few mistakes with the Z9 during the interview, but in the end he said he would use up both Z9s, so Mark Payne seems to like the Z9.

So far, the Z9 doesn’t seem to surpass the D5 and D6 in every way, but since it’s a newly released camera, I hope it will evolve with firmware updates in the future.

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“Prague, Czech Republic – “Eastern Europe’s Classic Beauty

The philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche said, “When I wanted a word for music, I found Vienna; when I wanted a word for mystery, I thought only of Prague.

Prague has a large number of buildings from all historical periods and styles, castles and churches, and, of course, Prague’s squares are a rare sight in the city.

Prague’s main attractions are located in the center of the city, concentrated in the Old Town, the New Town, the Castle District and the Small Town District, and are very easy to navigate on foot. It takes only 2-3 days to visit the main attractions.

Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic, located in the center of Europe, on both sides of the Vltava River. It has an area of about 496 square kilometers and a population of about 1.21 million. Prague is divided into 22 districts, which are expanding every year. The districts 1-6 are the city center areas. The main sights are concentrated in Prague I and on both sides of the Vltava River (VLTAVA), which are easily accessible by metro, tram or on foot. The most popular place for tourists in Prague is the Old Town Square. It is an interesting experience to sit at the outdoor café in the square and wait for the astronomical clock to announce the time of the twelve disciples of Jesus every hour, or to walk from the square through the twisted old buildings and alleys to the interesting stores in the shopping area of MUSTEK.

Prague’s architecture and monuments: After World War II, Prague became the only city in Europe that was not bombed, so it has preserved buildings and monuments from all historical periods and styles, from Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo, Neoclassical, Art Nouveau to Cubism and Surrealism. Prague’s historic center was inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1992.

Museums in Prague: There are nearly 100 museums in Prague with different themes. Museum lovers should consider a trip to the annual “Prague Museum Night”, where dozens of museums are open for free and free buses take you to and from different museums.

Prague’s food: a must-see city for meat lovers. There are countless small restaurants all over Prague, in the alleys, along the Vltava River, in the underground restaurants down the street, wherever you can find good, inexpensive Czech food (such as grilled pork knuckles, grilled ribs, etc.) and the most famous Czech fresh beer.

The largest fortress in the world, with a concentration of art from all periods of history and the residence of the Czech President

It also includes the following attractions: St. Vitus Church, Old Palace, St. George’s Church, Golden Lane, Lobkowicz Palace

Prague’s most famous square, surrounded by a variety of architectural styles, is a political location where the fate of the country was decided

Also included here: Jan Hus Monument

Charles Bridge

The bridge was built in the 14th century, with 30 statues on it, and was used for the coronation parade of kings

Prague Astronomical Clock

The Charles Bridge was built in 1357 and is a stone bridge of great artistic value. The bridge spans the Vltava River, is 520 meters long and 10 meters wide, with 16 piers, and at both ends are the Prague Castle District and the Old Town District. On the bridge, you can watch street performers and some handicrafts, and you can also buy many artworks, such as watercolor paintings of Charles Bridge, and puppets dressed in traditional Czech costumes and court costumes. The oldest and longest bridge in Europe is home to 30 statues of saints, all masterpieces of 17th and 18th century Czech Baroque art, and is known in Europe as the “Open Air Baroque Museum of Europe. The original statues are now kept in the museum, but most of them have been replaced with replicas on the bridge. The eighth statue of St. John on the right side of the bridge, the guardian of Charles Bridge, has a golden cross carved in the middle of the fence, the spot where St. John was thrown from the bridge.

St. Vitus Cathedral, located in Prague Castle, is a wonderful example of Gothic architecture and contains the tombs of many of the Bohemian kings, making it the largest and most important church in the Czech Republic. The first church, located on the site of today’s St. Vitus Church, was an early Romanesque round building built in 925 by Václav I, Duke of Bohemia. The church was expanded into a Romanesque church in 1060, and in 1344 Charles IV ordered the construction of a Gothic church on the site of the original church, which was only completed in the early 20th century.

Old Town Town Hall and Astronomical Clock

A symbol of Prague’s first city self-government, the astronomical clock in the tower of the city hall is world famous.

3 tips for taking high-quality food photos

Why do other people’s food photos look so clean and comfortable? Your own is pointless? In order to record the daily good fortune, when the food is served, photography enthusiasts often let the “camera first”. Recently, in order to take high-quality food photos, there have been many situations such as customers moving the furnishings in the store without authorization. Some stores are even determined to announce that they do not welcome this type of customer: take special photos in the store to let the food cool and lose its flavor. Or move the decorations in the store without authorization, just for a good-looking picture.

There is no need to make a fuss in other people’s territory. Just need to do 3 practical skills with your mobile phone in your own home, let’s learn together!

Tip 1: Close up
Before you press the shutter, try to think about what you want to convey. Was it the moment the jam slipped off the muffins? Or the richness of the food? By getting close to the food, the viewer’s sensory experience can be magnified from a parallel perspective, and the details of the food can be expressed in great detail.

Close-up photography is very suitable for emphasizing the texture of food, such as the freshness of vegetables and fruits, and the decoration of desserts.

Close-up photography is very suitable for emphasizing the texture of food, such as the freshness of vegetables and fruits, and the decoration of desserts.

Tip 2: Keep the background as clean as possible
Making the background look clean can improve the comfort of the photo. By unifying the tones, you can also enhance the quality of your photos. For example, a white background can present a Japanese transparency.

The white background makes everyday dishes full of Japanese transparency.

A black background can create an impression close to a work of art, but it must be used with caution, not all foods are suitable for a black background. For beginners, when using a black background, you must pay attention to the contrast and light source. It is best to use a single and softened light source, and practice to try lighting from different angles.

Let your hand enter the picture and bring warmth to the picture.

The raw material becomes part of the background, and the photometric elevation angle is used to shoot, so that the food photos are full of artistic conception.

Tip 3: Create Depth of Field
Focus on the food in front and use the food in the back as a background for the depth of field to create context. An afternoon cafe with friends, just taking pictures of your own meals is too boring. Use the composition in tandem to tell the story!

If you are shooting the same food, you can try the composition one after the other

Sometimes it’s not necessary to just practice photographing whole, uneaten food. Using creativity, such as taking just one bite, can also enhance the sense of life. Combined with the above three techniques for taking high-quality food photos, enable the mobile phone camera’s nine-square-grid composition assistance. With a little practice, you can take artistic photos of food too!

Chairs in the background at the back create a relaxing atmosphere

5 must-learn tips of travel photography for smartphone camera

The mobile phone is already one of the daily possessions, and of course it is the same when traveling abroad. Sometimes when you want to travel easily without carrying a heavy SLR camera, the mobile phone is the best shooting tool! But how can you use your phone to take beautiful travel photos? As long as you learn these 5 basic skills, you will definitely be able to shoot successful works!

(Tip 1) Know your travel destination
Whether you use a mobile phone or a camera, to take good photos, you need to do data collection in advance. The most basic thing is to know which is the best time to shoot, and what the destination is worth shooting. Otherwise, even if you have superb shooting skills, you may not be able to capture the ideal picture in your mind.

(Tip 2) Grasp the “Golden Time” Shooting
Lighting is a very important element in creating attractive and distinctive photos. If you encounter beautiful light when shooting, you will get twice the result with half the effort. You can have great work with a tap of your phone. Here are some lights for your reference:

• Morning sunrise
  • At Magic Hour time before sunrise, the sky will fade from dark blue to reddish-orange, and there is a peaceful environment.
• Strong noon light
  • At noon, the sun will be overhead, making the light harder, and the shadows of various things will increase. Therefore, the effect of taking general photos may not be good. It is recommended to take black and white photos or photos that require high contrast with this light.
• Sunset magic hour
  • The sun gets lower and lower at sunset, turning the light golden yellow. And the direction of the light is side light, which is very suitable for taking photos with feelings such as portraits, silhouettes, and backlighting. It is very easy to shoot even if you are using a mobile phone.
• Evening after sunset
  • A normal mobile phone is not the best time to shoot at night, because the ISO will be pushed up when hand-held, making the photo more noisy. But if you can find some interesting artificial light sources, you might as well hold your phone steady and shoot, and you may get a satisfactory picture!

(Tip 3) Find a special angle
One of the benefits of mobile photography is that it is light and convenient! You have to pay attention to the things around you, move around a little more and place your phone at a special angle, such as shooting from top to bottom, from low to high, or close to objects, etc. The purpose is to find perspectives or objects that normal people will not see, so that the photos taken will have more visual effects and give the work a different feel.

(Tip 4) Add locals to photos
When traveling to other places to shoot, be sure to take photos with local characteristics. And the locals at the destination are an indispensable element! Using mobile phones to shoot is more convenient and reduces people’s attention. It is a good shooting tool, don’t miss it!

(Tip 5) Use photos to tell “travel stories”
Because of the convenience, shooting with a mobile phone can be very easy. If you don’t know what to shoot, you might as well give yourself a subject – “travel story”. Use your phone to record every little event in your journey. As long as your photos are not too cluttered and have a clear protagonist, it is easy to take interesting works, remember to give it a try!

32 super-dream spots you must visit in a lifetime

Every photographer should also love to travel. Through the lens can not only retain memory, but also improve photography skills and enhance knowledge. The author is collecting 32 super-dream scenic spots to share with readers. See where you plan to travel for photography in the future? Because my family is poor, I don’t go abroad very often, and the entire list is only one-third. Looks like I’m going to keep trying! How about you?

• Machu Picchu, Peru

• Prague, Czech Republic

• Glacier Bay, Alaska

• Magic River Surigao, Philippines

• The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Universal Studios, Florida

• Sossusvlei, Namib Desert, Namibia
  

• Iguazu Falls, Argentina

• Yangshuo, China
  

• Sacre Coeur Basilica, Paris
  

• Kauai, Hawaii

• Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico
  

• Thrihnukagigur volcano inside Iceland
  I

• St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City
  

• Salzburg, Austria
  

• Delphi, Greece
  

• Edinburgh, Scotland
  

• Oxford, UK
  

• Esplanade Cape Town, South Africa

• Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah

• Ilulissat, Greenland

• Yellowstone National Park
  

• Lalibela, Ethiopia
  

• Mount Evans, Colorado
  

• Uluru, Northern Territory, Australia
  

• Table Mountain, South Africa
  

• Koh Samui, Thailand

• Cliffs of Moher, Ireland
  

• Angkor Wat, Cambodia

• Paje, Zanzibar
  

• Heidelberg, Germany
  

• Santorini, Greece

• Epcot Disney World Orlando, FL

Middle composition – a great technique to bring the focus

When I first came into photography, the first composition method I learned was the “Golden Ratio” or the “Rule of Thirds”, but in fact, we are shooting a lot. We can use another weight map that needs to be used carefully but works well. Let the photo works have more changes, this time I will introduce the use of “middle composition”!

What is an middle composition?
The middle composition is to place the subject of the target in the middle of the picture, whether it is straight or horizontal can also be used.

The advantages of middle composition

It’s very convenient to take pictures
The main body is placed in the center, and the reader can easily notice
Works with almost any photo size
Easy to learn to use
Wide range of applications

Disadvantages of middle composition

The screen becomes cluttered easily
The subject placed in the middle needs to be chosen carefully
Improper operation can make the photo look worse
As seen above, intermediate composition has its own advantages and disadvantages. Let’s see how to avoid its shortcomings and easily control the technique of “middle composition”!

Techniques for applying middle compositions
(1) Choose the background to avoid clutter
One of the easy mistakes in middle composition is that the subject is not prominent enough, making it difficult for readers to understand the subject that the photographer wants to express. Therefore, when using the middle composition, it is best to look for a simple background or something that is larger than the subject. The contrast can easily highlight what you want to shoot.

(2) Make good use of shallow depth of field
If you can’t find a very simple background when shooting, you can make good use of shallow depth of field shooting methods (such as enlarged aperture, long focal length, etc., please click here for detailed teaching), which can make the subject jump out from the background and strengthen the subject. expression.

(3) Choose a target with a “story”
One of the most important points of the middle composition is to shoot the target with “story”. Whether it is static, animal, or model, its action and appearance are also the key to the quality of a photo. Deepen the imagination in the reader’s head (what story does the person/thing in the photo have?), and the photo will become an ordinary, unattractive photo.

(4) Try the square size
Because the subject will also be placed in the middle of the photo, you can try to change the traditional 3:2 format to a 1:1 square when shooting. Just like taking photos with Instagram, by reducing the space on both sides, the reader can see more visually. concentrated!

Postscript
Although there are some rules or guidelines to follow for composition, in fact, it is necessary to decide which one to use according to the actual shooting situation, to learn different composition skills, and to be more handy when applying shooting!

7 steps to teach you to take the perfect long exposure photo!

If you are a beginner in photography, you may have a passion for long-exposure photos, but you don’t know how to start. This article hopes to introduce how to take beautiful long-exposure photos with simple words and steps. Let’s come together Learn it!

7 steps to taking the perfect long exposure photo
(Step 1) Pay attention to the weather and time

As the name suggests, a long exposure photo is to open the shutter, allowing the camera to capture changes in the environment over a long period of time. In the relationship between aperture, shutter and ISO, long exposure means that the shutter becomes slower. At this time, the aperture and ISO should also be adjusted accordingly, but the aperture and shutter cannot be infinitely smaller, so you must pay close attention to the strength of the external light source. On a cloudless, sunny day, it might not be a good time to take a long exposure photo (because it is easy to overexpose and the shutter won’t slow down much)! We can choose to take long-exposure photos of the landscape when there are clouds or sunrise and sunset. Of course, the train tracks, star tracks, etc. are taken at night.

(Step 2) Observe the target terrain in advance

For a successful landscape photo, pre-observing the target terrain allows you to grasp the timing and composition of the shot earlier, especially for long-exposure photos. Each photo will also be captured for a long time. Frequently changing shooting locations may make you take pictures. There are not many small photos, so if possible, go to the scenic spots you want to take pictures at different times to inspect the environment, so as to grasp the time, and hit it with one click.

(Step 3) Bring a tripod, a cable release and a backup battery

For long exposure shooting, in addition to the camera lens, remember to bring a tripod and backup battery. A stable tripod is a prerequisite for taking good long exposure photos. If the tripod is not stable enough, or if you forget to bring it, you will Greatly affects the quality of long-exposure photos. The shutter release can be replaced by Selfie/countdown, but it is more efficient and convenient to shoot with the shutter release. It is recommended that you prepare.

(Step 4) Focusing skills

If you have already set the shooting position, don’t use autofocus, especially at night or in a dark environment, there is a high chance that the autofocus will fail. You only need to use the autofocus to focus once (you can focus on the light-emitting area that is easy to focus, but The distance must be the same), then set the lens or camera to manual focus (MF), and then keep shooting without moving the camera or focus ring, which is very convenient.

(Step 5) Use M-Mode to set exposure

Beginners may use aperture-priority mode when shooting landscapes, portraits, etc., but manual mode is recommended when shooting long-exposure photos, so that you can fully control the settings of aperture, shutter and ISO, and take ideal photos. The “urgency” of long exposure photos is not as great as other photos, and beginners can adjust them slowly, so it is also a good time to learn manual exposure!

(Step 6) Apply ND filter or graduated gray filter

Sometimes I want to take long exposure photos during the day. When I adjust the aperture and ISO to the limit, the photos are also overexposed. At this time, it is time to use the light reduction filter! The ND filter is a gray semi-transparent mirror with different degrees of dimming effect. It is recommended that students prepare ND4 and ND8 ND filters for practical use. Now there are also some adjustable ND filters to consider, which is very convenient.

(Step 7) Shoot and check the histogram

Well, after the above 6 steps, you can finally press the shutter to shoot, but remember to refer to the histogram after shooting, especially for long-exposure photos during the day, to avoid overexposure or underexposure.

Postscript
Long-exposure photos are easy to take and have good effects. It is a subject that all beginner photography students must practice. Therefore, whether it is sunny or rainy, morning or evening, we can also bring a tripod to shoot, you will definitely find it fun!

11 must-have mobile apps for iPhone photographers

Now many young people and photography enthusiasts, the first condition for choosing a mobile phone is to decide whether to buy this mobile phone based on whether the photo is beautiful or not, whether the film is good or not. So how can mobile photography be comparable to the visual effects seen on SLR cameras or Youtube? This article introduces a variety of smartphone apps to help your phone take better photos! Today first introduce the 11 apps for the iPhone, the next article we will introduce the Android system of the app, do not miss it!

#1 & #2 – ProCamera and Camera+ 2

ProCamera gives you a lot of control over your settings and offers advanced features such as RAW shooting, live histograms, stabilization, and more. In the new iPhone with multiple camera lenses, it can be applied to any one lens. Get a very sharp image after precise exposure, as the focus and exposure points can be separated, truly creating a sharp, balanced composition. The app can also shoot in manual, semi-automatic or auto modes. It also features a low-light mode called Low Light Plus, which can take up to 64 photos and combine them into a single photo, reducing noise. ProCamera also has a movie mode that lets you manually lock focus, exposure, white balance, and more, which is useful if you can shoot movies with your iPhone!

In addition to having the same functionality as ProCamera (but no video mode), Camera+ 2 includes a variety of very useful shooting modes, such as :

1. Manual Mode: Full manual mode, changing shutter, ISO, white balance
2. Macro: Macro mode, which lets you shoot at a distance closer to the subject, solves the problem that the built-in camera app for iPhone is too far from the nearest focus
3. Slow Shutter: Slow shutter, which slows your shutter speed to 30 seconds (ProCamera’s manual mode can only reach 1/3 second), and is useful for shooting stars, tracks, running water, etc
4. Action: Specializes in shooting moving and fast-moving objects

Both apps are also purchased and installed to cope with daily shooting.

#3 & #4 – VSCO and Snapseed

VSCO is a very famous negative color grading tool, the free version has a variety of simulated negative effects, and you can adjust the light and dark, contrast, shadow, tone, etc., which is a must-have tool for social media photos such as Instagram! However, if you want more negative effects, you need to pay to join the membership!

Snapseed is now part of Google, is a completely free and powerful mobile post-production software, basically using Snapseed has been able to complete 90% of the post-production, the function from simple light and dark fine-tuning, filter effects to advanced Curve adjustment also has, but also has a series of AI intelligent post-production functions (such as post-production mobile face angle and smile degree!). ), is a must-have post-production software for all photography friends.

#5 – Lens distortion

Lens Distortions is a unique app that offers a variety of filter effects such as blur effects, light leakage, textures, sun flares and sunrises, creating visual effects for a variety of light sources, perfect for iPhone photography users who like unique filter effects. While smartphones don’t have the aperture that lets you create a sun or flare effect like on the DSLR, the app lets you create a sun-rising effect that provides a realistic feeling of the sun’s rays, and the photos you take can even rival THOSE of a SLR!

#6 – Rays

The app makes it easy to create realistic light effects, adding light to highlight areas, as well as light rays that pass through trees, rays filtered through clouds, beams through fog, and even light effects from some special light source. You can also use the color picker to set the color of the light yourself and specify where the light is visible. Incidentally, if you want to do this in desktop post-production software, you can use Luminar.  

#7 – Superimpose

Let’s take a look at apps that can create textured effects that you can use to create some fun bark, floors, walls, or any style you like to create your own background. Superimpose creates professional-grade layered images on smartphones, an app that makes it easy to overlay one photo on top of another. You can also use this tool to blend textures, add borders, or create double exposures while adjusting transparency using dozens of different blending modes. When using the app, the background image is loaded first, then the foreground image is loaded, and then you can move, scale, resize or flip the foreground, and adjust the color and exposure.

#8 – My Aurora Forecast and Alert

Many photographers have written on their life lists that “the Northern Lights must be photographed once in a lifetime” . My Aurora Forecast and Alerts is an app that helps you track the elusive Northern Lights and make predictions of the Northern Lights based on starry sky activity. You can track the Aurora from your current location or anywhere else in the world, it will prompt in advance, tell you when and where the Aurora began, of course, whether it is really as predicted depends on your luck!

#9 – Geotagged Photos Pro 2

Geotag Photos Pro 2 allows your DSLR or camera to add the geographic location at the time of shooting (if the camera doesn’t have this built-in feature). This data usually includes file names, folder locations, cities, GPS coordinates, dates, and times taken. It records your location as you take a photo and creates a GPX document that you can export to desktop apps like Lightroom, Flickr, and Apple Photos. This is a particularly good tool for landscape photographers, as it’s easy to track location and record shots, and it’s also possible to connect to Lightroom’s Map Module to create maps of your shooting routes and make thumbnails along the way.

#10 & #11 – Sun Seeker and Moon Seeker

Sun Seeker is an app used by landscape photographers to track solar light sources that shows the angle of the sun and where the sun will rise in different views. It provides a flat compass view as well as 3D live images, and also covers the path of light cast by the sun. You can choose any date and any location to plan the best shooting conditions in advance.  Moon Seeker is developed by the same company, providing an app for tracking the moon, which is very suitable for photographers who like to shoot stars, moons and other subjects!

Learn these 7 simple tricks to take good photos with your phone

Mobile phones have become a part of everyone’s life, and the shooting functions are getting stronger and stronger, and some are even close to traditional SLR cameras. With the convenience of mobile phones, photography is no longer limited by equipment, and you can shoot anytime, anywhere. But there are also some tricks to pay attention to to take good photos with your mobile phone. Today, let us learn the following 7 points to pay attention to!

(1) Clean your phone lens
One of the serious problems of mobile phone photography, which is often overlooked by novices, is that the mobile phone lens is very easy to have oil stains on it, which will destroy the quality of the photos! As a necessities of daily life, mobile phones are used very frequently, and the camera lens of the mobile phone will be soiled if you are not careful. Fortunately, modern phone lenses are also usually easy to clean. You can remove oil by swiping with a dry cloth or the corner of your clothing before shooting, but only if you remember to do this before shooting!

(2) The mobile phone should also focus accurately
Just like a traditional camera, your phone needs to focus! If your focus is inaccurate, there is a chance that the photo will be out of focus and blurred. Focusing on the phone is very simple, you just need to tap the position you want to focus on. If you want to do a camera-like AF-Lock function, you can just long press (in the case of an iPhone) and the phone will lock the focus point.

(3) Manually adjust the light and dark of the photo
If you compose the shot and press the phone to shoot immediately, the photo will automatically meter for you and automatically set the shutter and ISO, just like in fully automatic mode. However, in some clear situations, such as white snow, black caves, or framing with sky, the metering of the phone may be wrong, then you need to manually adjust the light and darkness of the photo to make the photo have accurate exposure . The iPhone pulls up and down next to the four boxes after focusing, while Android usually has the option of “+/- EV” directly. Students need to find it in the mobile phone camera app.

(4) Keep the phone stable
Have you ever noticed that the photos taken by your mobile phone are blurry? One of the reasons is that the phone is not stable enough and moves during the exposure process. To keep the phone stable, it is best to hold the phone firmly with both hands, or put it on/rely on a fixed object, or even put it on a tripod dedicated to the phone, which can reduce the chance of blurred photos.

(5) Take a shallow depth of field
As long as you understand the shooting method of shallow depth of field, the mobile phone can definitely produce the effect of “clearing in front and behind”! For modern mobile phones, there are two main ways to shoot shallow depth of field. One is the “traditional method” like a camera; the other is to use the “portrait mode” to let the mobile phone do post-processing. Now let’s review the shallow depth-of-field method of a camera:

Traditional method (for any mobile phone)

1. Large aperture (assuming the phone cannot change the aperture)
2. Long focal length (assuming the phone has only a single lens and cannot optically change the focal length)
3. The distance between the background and the protagonist should be farther

1 and 2 can be adjusted in traditional cameras, but not many mobile phones on the market. Therefore, in order to take a shallow depth of field effect, the most important point is the third point – “the distance between the background and the protagonist should be farther”. Remember to use the mobile phone to open the shallow depth of field, the mobile phone should be as close as possible to the protagonist, and the farther the protagonist and the background are, the better. You also have the opportunity to move the angle of the mobile phone to adjust the distance of the background.

Portrait mode method (depending on whether the phone has this function)

Just set the phone to “portrait mode” and shoot directly. But if your phone doesn’t have a built-in portrait mode, you’ll need to shoot the traditional way!

(6) Turn on the grid of the phone
Most mobile phones also allow you to open the grid in the photography app. It is recommended that you open the 3×3 grid. This can effectively implement the “rule of thirds” composition, and can also be used as a counterpoint function, so that the photo can be kept horizontal, which is very important and convenient for photographers who have requirements!

(7) Find interesting angles
One of the great advantages of mobile phones is convenience. Convenience comes in handy when looking for compositions! You can hold your phone at high and low angles, or jump over a railing and place your phone out of the camera’s reach to shoot, so your chances of finding interesting angles are greatly increased. Therefore, when using a mobile phone to shoot, remember to change the angle to increase the composition change.

5 Myths About “Macro Lenses”

For macro photography, many amateur or professional photographers are also addicted to it, but for many beginner photography friends, the subject of “macro” is relatively unfamiliar, and there are often many misunderstandings about “macro lens”. Here are 5 pairs. The myth of the macro lens, see if you can answer the question in your mind?

(1) The macro lens is only used to take macro photos
Of course, a lens called a “macro lens” will be very competent when taking macro photos, but a macro lens is not necessarily only used to shoot macro works, but many photographers also use it to shoot other subjects. , such as portrait photos, and many macro lenses also have better contrast and saturation.

(2) Macro lenses are expensive
It is undeniable that the original macro lenses are often more expensive than ordinary lenses, but in fact, there are many high-quality macro lenses from sub-brands such as Sigma, which are often only half the price of the original, which is more suitable for amateur photographers or novices. Calculate it!

(3) The maximum aperture of the macro lens must be f/2.8
Many friends also feel that if the maximum aperture of a lens is not f/2.8, the lens is not good enough. In fact, for macro photos, unless the subject is at some distance from the lens, the f/2.8 aperture value is not commonly used because the depth of field becomes very shallow. And when shooting macro, even f/8 aperture can make beautiful bokeh, not necessarily f/2.8!

(4) The longer the focal length of the macro lens, the better
Generally speaking, for macro shooting, the focal length of the lens is more suitable in the range of 50-70mm. Of course, when taking pictures of some small insects and small animals, the distance will be too close to scare them away. At this time, a longer focal length is required. But it should be noted that the longer the focal length, the higher the stability requirements of the camera, so many photographers will also use a tripod to shoot macro works.

(5) You must use a macro lens for macro shots
Many novices have never tried to shoot macro works, because they think that they must use a macro lens for macro photography. Of course, a real macro lens is also more convenient for imaging and convenience, but in fact, beginners can use some accessories such as close The camera ring, macro tube, etc., with the existing lens, you can also take beautiful macro works, and these accessories are not high-quality, very suitable for students who are just starting to play!