Since ancient times fire has caused amazement and looked like magic to humans. Since the time when the fire was at people’s hand, it changed the course of history once and for all.

Dancing flames and light in complete darkness can confuse your camera and your photos can turn out overexposed or underexposed with lots of highlights or, conversely, shadows and blackouts.

Keep reading this article if you want to know how to shoot fire, what equipment you need, and how to make fire your subject or create a magical atmosphere in your images using fire.

Tips on Equipment

You already know how to use the exposure triangle and take pictures in the manual mode. When it comes to fire photography, there is always room to experiment. But the one thing essential in fire photography is using a tripod.

A tripod will come in handy if you use slow shutter speed for your fire image. It helps to reduce camera shake and get a sharp photo even in low light.

Since fire can be clearly seen on a dark background, consider using slower shutter speed. It allows enough light to go in the camera sensor and get a steady image. Switch to the Shutter Speed mode to get the best results and take full control of your camera settings.

However, if you are going to shoot fire shows or a person with fire, fast shutter speed will be one of the best options in this situation.

Photograph fire in different ways

Try to stay creative when you take pictures of fire. The fire can be your main subject. Show the details of flame patterns and freeze the motion with fast shutter speed. Start with 1/320 and get even higher shutter speed, depending on your conditions.

Another way to shoot fire is to make it the main source of lighting. Thanks to its soft warm light fire is an ideal solution for low-key portraits or creating a cozy mood in a photo.

A simple candle can change the whole mood of a photograph. Use candles to create the mood you want in a photo.

Shoot candles and campfires

You can shoot different kinds of fire. Obviously, a candle is a type of fire that everyone has at hand at home.

However, the snag of a candle is that it does not give much light alone. One candle is a great option when you have other sources of light within the frame.

Take more candles to get enough light. Pay attention to your exposure settings because fire created a high contrast to the background.

Campfire produces more light than a candle, thus it is an easier subject to work with. You can try shoot silhouettes of people in the background to a campfire. Or take a picture of fire while it’s still daylight. It will add cozy warm light to a photo.

Experiment with longer shutter speed to get amazing results. Remember – fire is a dangerous thing and you need to keep safe while working with fire. Don’t get too close to the fire, and have an emergency plan in case everything gets out of your control.

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We have collected 5 most useful tips to improve your macro photography and encourage you to see the world from a whole new angle.

1. Use aperture to change the depth of field

Focus helps to give your subject all the attention. Human eyes are automatically drawn to the parts of the image which are sharp. You can control the amount of depth of field by adjusting the aperture.

The depth of field in macro photography can be created by millimeter distance. Choose the Aperture priority mode on your DSLR to control the depth of field.

Make the most important parts of your subject in focus. You can use manual focus to do this. One of the best ways to success in macro photography is taking many similar images with different aperture settings and choosing the best one on your computer.

2. Use a tripod and hold it steady

The very first question that crosses your thinking about macro photography is: do I need a macro lens? If macro photography is not the main genre in your photography business, I think you can take amazing macro images with almost any lens with a wide aperture.

When shooting macro photography, you will use a very narrow depth of field quite often. It’s essential to ensure that your camera and subject stay still while you take a shot. The focal point may change even with slight movement.

To avoid this consider using a tripod while shooting macro photography. Ерш step is also important when you work with a longer focal lens. If you don’t have a tripod at hand, you can steady the arm in which you’re holding a camera against some fixed object.

3. Photograph with proper lighting

Proper lighting is one of the main things to consider in any photographic genre, especially macro photography. Since macro photography has a lot of small sharp details, you need to have good lighting conditions for shooting.

If you are taking pictures outdoors, keep your background simple and bright. A lot of textures and lines on the background may distract the eye from your major subject, so try to keep your backdrop minimalist even if it’s blurry.

4. Remember composition

The perfect composition is essential for getting a good shot. But when you take photos of really small objects, it’s simple to overlook the composition.

Remember the rule of thirds – divide your image into 9 equal parts in your mind. Then place the key parts of your image on the lines or their intersections.

5. Be patient

The devil is in the details. Macro photography takes time and patience to master. Learn more about the subject you are going to shoot and with time you will notice details you have not seen before.

Besides, when you take photos outside, you need an extra dose of patience. Even a slight breath of wind may move your subject and ruin your photo in a moment. Or if you shoot insects, you might spend hours waiting for a bee to land on a flower.

However, your patience will be rewarded with wonderful shots. It is definitely worth waiting.

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Outstanding Prime Lenses for your Videos

Canon EF 24mm F/2.8 IS USM

24mm prime lenses are perfect for capturing wider scene shots to set a story properly. This is the best lens size to mimic how the eyes travel across the scenery, which is handy for creating POV. Wider lenses also detect fewer wobbles when you move in towards the action or follow your subject’s path. Canon’s EF 24mm lens adds image stabilization that lessens edge distortions and corner frays that are the usual limitations of using other wide-angle prime lenses for videography.

Nikon AFS-DX Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G

Unlike the 25mm wide angle, the 35mm tightens up the shot and forces you to think each element through. In a way, this helps bring out the creative in you since you are always conscious of the composition that fit into your frame. Nikon’s AFS-DX 35mm lens is one of the most compact and lightweight in the market that delivers both the classic natural angle view and focused takes comparable to a 50mm.

Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG HSM Art Lens

50mm lenses isolate your subjects to create that dramatic focus while keeping a safe distance from the action. The Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG HSM delivers that weighty bokeh that locks the viewer’s eyes to the main point of interest. The close-ups that draw the viewers deeper into the story makes the 50mm one of the best prime lenses for videography.

Sigma 70mm f2.8 DG Macro Art

For intense moments where the tiniest facial gestures convey emotions, the 70mm macro lens does an excellent jobs. Sigma’s 70mm f2.8 DG Macro captures the last threads and bits of your subject and keeps in focus those details that we’d never notice from a normal 35mm or 50mm shot.

Canon EF 135mm f/2L USM Lens

For those who consistently do serious work on portraits, the 135mm is a worthy investment. Canon’s EF 135mm creates the creamiest bokeh and magnifies pin-point sized features with captivating depth and quality.

Complete Your Videography Toolkit

Prime lenses are a great way to start your videography journey. With the solitary focal lengths, using prime lenses for videography force you to explore the art behind each shot, and improve your handling skills to maximize each range. You’ll also learn the mechanics for creating different effects, a valuable skill that will stay with you long after you move on to more advanced lenses.

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Nikon Z7 and Sony A7 III are both mirrorless full-frame cameras that are available at an affordable price point. You can buy either for less than 4,000 USD without any attached lenses. Both also show promising versatility and high-quality image rendering, but they also have marked differences that will affect your overall experience.

Image Quality

Both cameras are supported by BSI CMOS image sensors and pixel chips. Sony’s A7 III does extremely well with 24.2 megapixels, but Z7’s 45.7 megapixels is impressive for a budget full-frame camera. It’s not all about the MPs though. You’ll definitely get more shots with the 10 frames per second from Sony A7 III vs Nikon Z7’s less snappy 9 fps. A7III is also armed with an ISO range of 50 to 204,800, which makes it a top performer for night scenes and low-light shots.

Build

Nikon Z7 weighs 41.4 ounces including its batteries and kit lens. Sony, on the other hand, weighs much lighter at 33.3 ounces when batteries and kit lens are attached. Both cameras have stable 5-axle support and boast dust and moisture resistant bodies. While both feel solid and sleek, Nikon’s more substantial size gives it a more comfortable grip than the lithe A7III.  

User Interface

The Z7 uses the same touchscreen menu system from Nikon’s DSLRs which makes it very easy to operate. In contrast, A7III has a more complex interface that could be quite confusing to navigate. Sony makes up for it with deep customization so you could access all your favorite features with an easy flick on the menu.

Battery Life

For a smaller full-frame camera, Sony A7III has a pretty large battery capacity. Sony’s new NP-FZ100 has a CIPA rating of 650 shots and performs even better in actual use. In contrast, the Z7 only lives for around 250 shots and the USB charging hardly makes up for the shorter battery life.

Nikon Z7 Vs Sony A7 III

Nikon Z7 Pros

• More comfortable grip
• USB-chargeable batteries
• Easy to navigate touchscreen panel
• Higher megapixels for detailed close-ups

Sony A7III Pros

• Faster continuous shooting
• Better low-light  capacity
• Longer battery life
• Easier to carry

Both the Z7 and the A7III are built for high image quality and flexible use. Sony approaches this goal with a light build, strong built-in battery pack, and excellent range for both outdoor and low-light settings. On the other hand, Nikon packs ultra-high resolution into a solidly-built camera with painless navigation options. This Nikon Z7 vs Sony A7 III comparison ultimately boils down to Nikon’s stress-free handling versus Sony’s all-around photography.

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The histogram is quite a complicated topic to understand for beginners, but here I’m going to teach you how to understand histograms properly.

What is a histogram?

Camera LCD displays are usually very small and it’s quite difficult to see what your photo really looks like. This is why a histogram is critically important. It gives you a mathematical representation of your photo exposure. The histogram shows you a summary of the tonal range of a certain image.

Brightness on a grayscale makes a histogram. It graphs your image tones from black on the left to white on the right and all shades of gray in-between.

There are 256 recorded values of brightness in a usual jpg image. 0 is completely black, 255 is totally white. Thanks to a histogram, every pixel of a picture is assigned its value.

Histogram examples

Let’s take a look at a few examples of images and their histograms. As I mentioned, an LCD screen of your camera is not big enough to give you a perfect review of your photo, and you might get home and find out that your image is overexposed or underexposed. The moment would be lost, so here is where you need to use the histogram.

Here are examples to help you understand a histogram:

A histogram with a lot of dark pixels will be deflected to the left, just like on this portrait.

And then a histogram of a bright image will be skewed to the right.

As they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and there is no such thing as the right histogram. But a balanced well-exposed image tends to peak somewhere in the middle of the histogram, just like in this image:

However, don’t trust histograms too much. A picture with snow would have a histogram skewed to the right, but it does not mean the picture is overexposed. Photographers produce different images with many styles, and sometimes you need to rely on your taste and perception.

How to read a histogram

Now you know how the histogram works. You will find yourself using histogram more and more. Take your camera and switch to playback mode to see the histogram every time you take a picture.

Keep an eye on histograms with dramatic peaks. They mean that you have too many black or white pixels. In most cases, this situation may be a sign that you have under- or overexposed an image. However, remember that a histogram is simply a tool that can give you more information about your image.

When you are going to take a photo, think of your exposure. Set your digital camera to manual mode, and set up the proper aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. Take a picture and review it for exposure and composition. Then check your histogram. Users of Canon cameras, click on the Info button to see it.

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Top 6 Best Camera Lenses For Your Kit This Year

Sony FE 24mm f/1.4 GM For Sweeping  Landscapes

The ultra-wide lens goes on full-frame cameras and is suitable for a wide range of subjects. The lens offers a 24mm wide-angle view, paired with a wide f/1.4 aperture. When you pair it with full-frame mirrorless cameras like A7R III, you can capture bright beachfront shots and magnificent nighttime skyscapes with no pain.

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM For Stunning Low-Light Images

The Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM doesn’t go as wide as Sony’s FE 24mm. But its even wider f/1.8 aperture lets in more light for stunning low-light images. You can play around with this lens to create dramatic and breathtaking high-contrast photos.

Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM For Show-Stopping Action Shots

This is the ultra-fast telephoto zoom lens you need to capture crisp and vibrant blow by blow sports photos, every single time. The Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM is well worth its steep cost. Its Hypersonic Motor (HSM) Autofocus, optical stabilizer, and f/2.8 maximum aperture grind for crystal clear close-up and long shots that truly speak for all the action.

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8E FL ED VR For Still-Life

70-200mm lenses are most convenient for covering special events without stepping too close to the limelight. Nikon’s AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8E FL ED VR gives your wedding photos and portraits a depth and vitality that very few other lenses achieve.

Zoetouch 2 in 1 Professional HD Kit For Mobile

The Zoetouch Clip-on HD 2 in 1 Lens includes a 12.5X macro lens and a 0.45X wide angle lens amplifies your mobile phone and digital cameras. Zoetech packed both wide-angle and ultra-zoom capabilities into this clip-on kit so you can capture life’s big moments and little surprises without distortions and background noise.

Sony FE 16-35mm f/4 ZA OSS For Versatile Zoom Shots

Sony’s FE 16-35mm f/4 ZA OSS is capable of multiple angles and shots. This zoom lens is the perfect balance between wide-angle landscapes and standard action shot. The f/4 aperture works well for bright outdoor shots, but it also pairs with full-frame cameras like Sony’s A7 series to capture crystal clear low-lights.

Always be Ready for the Best Moments

Life usually goes by in a blur, and you want to be ready to capture all its best moments. You can, when you have all the best camera lenses you need. Check them out in your favorite shop and head into 2019 with a complete photography kit.

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Let’s figure out how to use this theoretical knowledge by examining two shooting modes: Aperture and Shutter Priority modes. I’m going to take a closer look at these two modes and discuss scenarios where they make more sense.

Just Remember…

Both aperture and shutter speed priority modes are semi-automatic. When you increase your aperture, larger f-stop number, less light comes on the camera sensor. So, in this case, you need to make shutter speed shorter.

On the other hand, when you choose a longer shutter speed, you should also decrease the aperture as this is the only way that you will get a properly exposed shot.

Aperture Priority Mode

In fact, the only way to take a decent photo is using manual mode. Using the proper manual mode will help you to take a picture you want and get full control over camera settings.

For example, aperture priority mode is the perfect solution for when you want to get a nice shallow depth of field to separate the main subject from the background. It’s often marked as “Av” or “A” on  most camera dials.

This mode allows you to choose the aperture and the camera automatically adjusts the shutter speed in order to properly achieve a proper exposure. You can simultaneously change the ISO for shooting in lower lighting situations.

When you shoot in daylight or in other good lighting conditions, the best thing to do is decrease the aperture and lower the ISO in order to get a beautiful depth of field and subject in focus.

While shooting in the dark, you can decrease the aperture (low f-stop number) and increase the ISO to make your image brighter.

Shutter Speed Priority Mode

Have you ever tried to shoot kids playing sports? It’s almost impossible to take a photo without motion blur! This mode lets you control the time that the camera shutter is open so that, in the case of kids playing sports, you simply need to increase the shutter speed and get a “freeze motion” effect.

Start at about 1/400 seconds and adjust the setting until you get the results you want. To use shutter speed priority mode, use the symbol, “Tv” or “S” on the camera dial.

Fast motions require fast shutter speeds. It also means your photo will come out less bright than it could be. So, increase the ISO to give yourself a margin for shutter speed.

There is a general rule when it comes to selecting a minimum shutter speed for a focal length. The rule is that you will need the denominator in the shutter speed fraction to be equal to (or higher) than the focal length of the lens. This sounds complicated so let’s look at an example. For instance, if you use a 50mm lens, Your shutter speed should be at least 1/50. If your image is blurry, most likely from camera shake, increase your shutter speed to 1/80 or higher until your images are sharp.

***

As you see, these two camera modes give you more control over your images, just remember to practice each mode in different lighting conditions to get used to them.

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White balance is a setting on your camera that controls the overall color tone of the image. Our human eyes automatically control this so you don’t notice this throughout the day. If you didn’t know, different sources of light transmit different tones of color.

In this article, we are going to get a better understanding of what white balance is and how it works. Luckily for us, most modern cameras allow you to adjust white balance in a matter of a couple buttons. And for other cases, you can use Lightroom or Photoshop to change your white balance on a photo afterward.

What is White Balance?

All light has color. Some light will appear warmer or more yellow, for example, the light from a candle. While other light, day light, will appear bluer or cooler. On auto white balance, your camera body will automatically make these adjustments so that your pictures will look normal.

Ultimately, when the white balance setting is on auto, the camera will do its best to keep all whites in the frame truly white without a blue nor yellow tint.

Unlike our eyes, a camera cannot adapt precisely to changes in lighting; the built in camera color metering assists with this. In most cases, white balance works correctly on Auto mode. However, the results rendered from your camera sensor may give a different result then what you would expect. For instance, you may get an image with blue tones on an overcast day.

White Balance Values

White balance uses a temperature scale in units of Kelvin (K) and an original reference point is the sunlight at noon. Sunlight is considered to be 5500K.

If the light conditions are bluer, the white balance will be high on the Kelvin scale. And vice versa, if the light conditions are more yellow, for example, during sunset, your white balance will be lower on the Kelvin scale.

We created a quick cheat sheet with the recommended white balance temperature value to select depending on the type of light.

Good news, you don’t need to know the exact temperature values. Just use this cheat sheet to remember which white balance setting goes with which condition.

White Balance Presets

All digital cameras now have presets for white balance such as Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, and Flash.

Here’s a series of pictures of flowers using different white balance presets to show you how the color of the light changes depending on the presets:

Honestly, most photographers almost always will use Auto for their white balance. This is especially true when the lighting conditions are constantly changing. Moreover, it would be one less setting to worry about on top of shutter speed, aperture, and ISO.

However, if you are shooting with a controlled lighting source, for example, in a studio, choosing a custom white balance will making your post processing much easier.

How to Manually Set Your White Balance

Now that you have a better understanding of the color of light and its ‘K’ temperature, you can select the Kelvin value to get a perfect image in different lighting situations.

You have the ability to control your white balance on most camera modes, such as M, Av, Tv, and P.

You have a lot of options when it comes to white balance. Remember to shoot in RAW because If you didn’t choose the correct white balance for a particular scene, you can always correct it using Adobe Lightroom.

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We rounded up 5 of the best cameras in different niches based on their performance and overall value-for-money.

Fujifilm X100F For The Classic Professional

The retro-style Fujifilm X100F comes with a design that is both aesthetically and functionally beautiful.  It comes with a fixed focal length 23mm 5/2.0 lens and a 24.3MP resolution hybrid viewfinder.

Fujifilm X100F is Perfect for:

• Professional photographers who hanker for a high-end clicker with a vintage touch.

Sony A7R III is an Artist’s Smart Investment

The Sony A7R III is a full-frame mirrorless camera with a 42MP sensor. A7R III boasts of clear and dynamic landscape and outdoor shots, thanks to its slew of auto focus features. It’s also tough with a magnesium alloy body that’s dust and moisture-resistant.

Sony A7R III is perfect for:

• Landscape, fashion, street, and fine art professional photographers
• Photography sessions on the go

Nikon D850 Balances Vibrant Stills and 4K Footages

The silent burst shooting and 4k video features of full-frame camera Nikon D850 make it an easy charmer for wedding photography and event coverage. It comes with a 45.7MP sensor with various preset resolutions for fashion, portrait, and landscape set-ups.

Nikon D850 is perfect for:

• Professional shots for fashion shows, weddings, and other event coverage
• Professional landscape, street, and indoor photography

Canon EOS 80D for Affordable HD Footages

If you are focused on capturing video while working on something less than a full-frame camera, Canon EOS 80D is a handy option. The 24.2MP full HD DSLR has a 3.2-in Vari-angle touchscreen that lets you capture footages with crisp details, vibrant colors and controlled noise levels. You can follow the scene into any location and not have second thoughts on the end result.

Canon EOS 80D is perfect for:

• Full HD footages without full-frames

Sony A7 III is the Versatile Choice for Beginners

A7 III is Sony’s more affordable iteration of the A7R III. This mirror-less camera comes with the latter’s best features, such as the Eye Tracking Autofocus, high-quality stills, and 10fps bursts. But all at a lower price point. A7 III gives photography beginners and enthusiasts an affordable option that also gives comparable end results.

Sony A7 III is perfect for:

• Beginner or enthusiast-level landscape, outdoor, and low-light photography

What are the Best Cameras for You?

The best cameras are the ones that work best for you. These 5 cameras are on the top ranks for this year, but they are designed for different purposes. The best camera in your world is the one that suits your price range and elevates the quality of the work you do.

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If you want to get the best exposed image every time, you need to understand what ISO is and how it works. In this article, I’m going to explain ISO in simple language, share examples, and provide a short cheat sheet to suggest to you what ISO to choose in different situations.

What is ISO?

ISO is a camera setting which allows you to make images brighter or darker depending on the situation. This is why higher ISO is often used in low light photography so that you could have more flexibility with shutter speed and aperture.

If you want to know the history and technical part of the ISO, read this guide.

However, raising the ISO is a bit tricky. A photo taken with high ISO will be brighter but will also have a lot of digital noise or grain. Many professional photographers try to avoid using high ISO but in some situations, using a high ISO is the only solution for a proper exposure.

Raise your ISO only in situations when you can’t make a photo brighter via aperture or shutter speed. For instance, if you choose a slower shutter speed and it makes your object blurry, try to brighten your image with ISO instead.

ISO Values

Here is a standard set of ISO values: ISO 100 (or low ISO), ISO 200, ISO 400, ISO 800, ISO 1600, ISO 3200, ISO 6400 (or high ISO).

It’s quite easy to understand: When you double your ISO, you will make an image twice as bright. In other words, an image with ISO 400 is two times brighter than an image with ISO 200.

We have created a quick cheat sheet for you that will suggest the ISO number to use in different situations.

How does ISO Affect the Exposure?

When you double the ISO, you double the exposure. ISO is much easier to understand compared to aperture and shutter speed.

A low ISO will give you a darker image, and vice versa, a high ISO number will give you brighter image. Check out the image taken with different ISO numbers.

How Does ISO Affect Photo Quality?

I have mentioned that digital noise will appear when you use a higher ISO number. Moreover, ISO also affects the quality of your image. When you use a lower ISO number, you’ll get a photo with better quality. The noise/grain reduces image details and color accuracy

The same image taken with ISO 200 will have less noise and grain than with ISO 3200.

Let’s look at this image taken at night. A photographer used a low aperture (small number) and a slow shutter speed, but a high ISO to brighten the shot. Obviously, there is grain on the image.

And here is another example of the photo taken at perfect light conditions with low ISO. It is clear, smooth, and there is no grain at all, as you see.

***

Use a higher ISO only in a situation when there is no other way to brighten your image. As you can see, ISO affects the quality of the image. However, don’t be afraid to make higher ISO. It helps you to fight motion blur.

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