Tips, Tricks, & Photographic Techniques from the Dublin Photography School

Tips, Tricks, & Photographic Techniques from the Dublin Photography School

1. Don’t go crazy buying the most expensive equipment right away.
It’s possible to get very nice photos with an inexpensive point and shoot camera. See these examples on Flickr. The more photos you take, the more you’ll know about what kind of camera to get when it’s time to upgrade.

2. Consider a tripod.
On the other hand parting with your money and buying a good tripod is important, especially if you have shaky hands like myself. When I got a tripod my satisfaction with my shots skyrocketed. For even more stability use your camera’s timer function with a tripod (read our introduction to tripods).

3. Keep your camera with you all the time.
Photo opportunities often come when you least expect it. If you can keep your equipment relatively simple, just a small camera bag and a tripod, you might be able to take advantage of some of those unexpected opportunities.

4. Make a list of shots you’d like to get.
For those times you can’t carry your camera around, keep a small notebook to jot down places you’d like to come back and photograph. Make sure to note any important details, like the lighting so you can come back at the same time of day or when the weather’s right.

5. Don’t overlook mundane subjects for photography.
You might not see anything interesting to photograph in your living room or your backyard, but try looking at familiar surroundings with fresh eyes. You might catch an interesting trick of the light or find some unexpected wildflowers in your garden. Often a simple subject makes the best shot.


6. Enjoy the learning process.
The best part of having a hobby like photography is never running out of things to learn. Inspiration is all around you. Look at everything with the eyes of a photographer and you’ll see opportunities you never noticed before.

7. Take advantage of free resources to learn.
Browse through Flickr or websites like the Dublin Photography School Site for inspiration and tips.

8. Experiment with your camera’s settings.
Your point and shoot camera may be more flexible and powerful than you know. Read the manual for help deciphering all those little symbols. As you explore, try shooting your subjects with multiple settings to learn what effects you like. When you’re looking at your photos on a computer you can check the EXIF data (usually in the file’s properties) to recall the settings you used.

9. Learn the basic rules, and then break them!
The amount of information about photography online can be overwhelming. Start with a few articles on composition. Be open to what more experienced photographers have to say about technique. You have to know the rules before you can break them.

10. Take photos regularly.
Try to photograph something every day. If you can’t do that, make sure you take time to practice regularly, so you don’t forget what you’ve learned. An excellent way to motivate yourself is by doing the weekly assignments in the Dublin Photography School.
Some free online Photo Editing & Digital imaging Software.

We have all heard of Photoshop and picasa, but there’s a lot out there for free. Here’s some we had a look at:

1. Picnik
Arguably Picnik is the most popular web-based photo editor, why? Because it’s now integrated with Flickr.

2. Splashup
Very polished interface. Tools and palettes are modeled after Photoshop and it has layers.

3. Phoenix
Part of the Aviary suite of creative apps, Phoenix also offers layers and compositing.

4. Photoshop Express
Adobe was a little late to the web-apps game, but this is a pretty good first try. I like the free 2GB of space. Unlike the real Photoshop this web version has no ability to layer or composite images.

5. Snipshot
Nice, simple and clear interface with no ads at all.

6. flauntR
flautR offers a cornucopia of image tools, boasting thousands of photo effects. If you want to make your photo look like a cheesy painting, this is the place.

7. Pic Resize
Another ad-free editor. I love the huge buttons.

8. Pixenate
Hmm… looks like Pixenate was “inspired” by Pic Resize. The icons and ads are annoyingly awful, but the app works.

9. FotoFlexer
Another simple interface. This one enables you to composite and layer images but without using a traditional layers palette. Instead you can drag the photos and push them back or forward.

10. Phixr
An example of how ugly these apps can get.
Web design by Stewart Kenny Photography & Design: http://www.stewartkennyphotography.com
Dublin Photography School
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walkinstown
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