SHOOTING LANDMARKS

1) Obvious local landmarks include things like Nottingham and Newark Castles and Trent Bridge and the Trent, the Forest and County Football Grounds etc. - but what about the less obvious such as the Papplewick and other Victorian pumping Stations around the area. There are many unusual and beautiful churches around the county, often in attractive settings such as the ones in Attenborough and Clumber Park.

GETTING GREAT WINTER SHOTS

2) Winter shoots can include anything from capturing glistening winter landscapes with frost and snow, to people or situations affected by the weather. Someone working outside in the driving snow would make a great image.

3) Ice and frozen lakes and ponds provide great opportunities – but as always, think safety first and never walk on the ice.
Look for patterns in the ice and go in as close as your lens will let you. Often stress lines in the ice on the edge of a pond – or even just in a puddle - can contain all the colours in the rainbow.

4) If you are photographing snow here’s a technical tip. The light meter in even the most expensive cameras can be fooled by the white of the snow into underexposing the shot. This results in grey rather than white snow and the picture looks flat and has little or no detail in the shadow areas.
If you think this may happen and have a camera which allows you to override the automatic settings – this will often be a knob on the camera marked ‘Exposure Compensation’ (if you are not sure – look in the manual) – add around one to one and a half stops to the exposure setting on the camera. This will restore the snow to white. Don’t forget, you can always take a series of shots one after another with around half a stop difference between shots. This is called ‘exposure bracketing’ and is a technique used by even the top pro’s when they are not sure about which exposure will give the results they want. Again, look at your camera manual – many cameras can be set to ‘bracket’ automatically.
If you are shooting digitally, you can look at the image on your camera screen just after shooting to check the exposure and that you can see all you want to see!

5) If you are the lucky owner of a ‘macro’ lens – a lens which lets you get in very close to your subject – try shooting a single frozen droplet on a flower or a leaf. These look great especially with the sun behind them shining through the drop. Again be careful with the exposure – shooting into the sun can have the same effect as shooting snow above. You may need to increase the exposure to get the shot you want.

6) Leaves and other natural debris often get caught in frozen puddles. Fill your frame with the muted colours which will look great with the ice above them.

BUILDINGS AND ARCHITECTURE

1) There’s a wide range of subjects – from traditional buildings and structures (Churches/pubs/bridges etc) – to modern buildings which are really worth a picture.
In modern buildings in city and town centers, look for interesting curves and shapes.

2) Select a viewpoint which makes the most of the subject. Look around the subject for interesting angles, don’t just snap the first view that you see. Try tilting the camera on modern buildings to increase impact.

3) Photography is all about light. Check that the subject is lit to reveal its best features. If the sun is not lighting things as you want, go back at a different time of day.

4) Why not just shoot a small part of the subject – doors, windows or other features. Look for interesting reflections in the glass, particularly on modern buildings.

5) Look for interesting colour combinations and textures – and keep your images sharp by avoiding slow shutter speeds when hand holding your camera.
Have a look at my gallery for some shots I took of New York skyscrapers.

SHOOTING IN SUMMER

1) Take a picture which shows what Summer means to you.
Your shot might portray memories of warm Summer days in Nottinghamshire – people enjoying themselves doing Summer things.
On the other hand, it could be a close-up of a nice refreshing glass of something cool.

2) If you try and capture a summer landscape, remember that sunlight can be very harsh in the middle of the day in Summer. Many photographers prefer to shoot in what they call the ‘magic hour – the time just either side of sun - up and sun - down. At these times the light can be orange and atmospheric.
In the Summer, dawn is very early – but capturing that early light can lead to some very special pictures

MOTION AND MOVEMENT

1) Capturing interesting pictures which show motion and movement calls for creativity and bit of know-how.
What is it that’s in motion? It could be anything from transport to sport. Trams, trains, busses aircraft? The swing of a cricket bat, cars, trains motorbikes, family at play, anything that moves!

2) One way of getting movement into your shot is by ‘panning’ or moving with the subject as you press the button. This will usually blur the background into a streak of colour whilst keeping the main subject sharp.
Let’s say we are trying to shoot a cyclist in a race.
For this technique, decide where you want to photograph the cyclist – if you are track side this might be a point a few feet in front of you. As the cyclist approaches, train your camera on him/her and ‘pan’ with them keeping them in the viewfinder as they pass in front of you. When they are at the position you decided earlier, click the shutter – then continue swiveling your hips as the cyclist disappears.
Make sure you squeeze the shutter button rather than stab it.
This effect can be enhanced by using a slow shutter speed. If it is possible to set the shutter speed on your camera (it might have a mode marked ‘Tv’ for instance), try using shutter speeds of around 1/15th of a second. This should keep the subject reasonably sharp and allow a good blur on the background.

3) Another technique to convey movement is to make everything blurred in the picture. The idea here is again to set a slow shutter speed on the camera but this time, keep the camera still (perhaps even on a tripod) and allow the movement of the subject create a recognizable blurred shape on the picture. This works well with dancers – especially those dressed in brightly coloured carnival or other costumes. The result is a riot of coloured streaks. Try using a slow shutter speed of around 1/15th of a second or longer. Keep the camera still with the subject moving in the viewfinder.

4) Many people now have photo manipulation software in their computers. If you have a way of combining images – why not take a still shot of a subject (perhaps keeping the camera still on a tripod) then take another exposure of the same situation with something moving in it (eg. balls on a pool table) and combine the shots. The possibilities are endless.

SHOOTING FLOWERS AND URBAN WILDLIFE

1) It might be flowers in your garden, swans at Attenborough Nature Reserve, birds, deer at Wollaton Park, insects – anything.

2) When shooting wildlife, the prime thing to remember is don’t do anything to upset the creature you are shooting. Wild animals can get very stressed and frightened by lenses being shoved up their noses or being chased.
For successful wildlife shots you need a lot of patience and, unless you are very lucky, a bit of preplanning.

3) With wildlife, almost more than any other type of photography, it really helps if you know a bit about the lives of your subjects and their habits. Study where and when they feed etc.
If you are shooting urban wildlife such as birds or foxes – perhaps attract them to where you want to photograph them with tit bits. Note when and where they prefer to eat.
If you haven’t got a telephoto lens to bring distant subjects close, you can get some great bird shots by putting your camera on a tripod or wall fairly near to a tree and training the camera on a birds favorite branch. Put a bit of food on it – then using a long shutter release cable, which you can buy for most cameras, pull back and wait for the bird to get into position on the branch - and click!

If flowers, when and where do they bloom? I’m always on the lookout for flower rich locations and make a note of when to go back later in the year for the best shots.
Insects like butterflies are usually less active at the start and end of the day when it is a bit cooler. Shooting flowers or fungi outdoors is best done on a day when it is cloudy but bright. This softer light avoids the harsh shadows you get on a sunny day and brings out the details.

4) Whilst it is by no means impossible to get great wildlife shots with simple cameras – it does help with wildlife if yours has a telephoto zoom setting or an interchangeable lens. For small birds you need either a telephoto lens (300 – 400mm focal lens would be useful) – or you need to get up close to your subject without spooking them. Many wildlife reserves have permanent hides which can be used by the public and you can get some great shots from these with basic cameras.

5) Photographing insects can be tricky and usually calls for lenses designed to let you get close to your subject otherwise you subjects will be very small in the frame. These are usually referred to as ‘macro’ lenses - and all the major camera manufacturers make their own version. If your camera will take interchangeable lenses and you are serious about shooting insects or small objects, get a 1 to 1 macro lens (usually of around 100m focal length) and a tripod and camera remote release. With this gear you will be able to get ‘life size’ and very sharp shots.

SHOOTING AT NIGHT

1) We’ll start with the boring but essential reminders for when shooting outside at night.
First of all, always have the safety of yourself and others in mind.
If you are shooting in towns or cities on public roads – make sure you are visible to drivers etc. by wearing something bright. High visibility, luminous jackets are ideal.
Really great, sharp shots are usually taken whilst using a tripod (although this is not essential). Don’t set up your tripod where passers-by can trip over it.
Finally, bear in mind personal security and that of your gear when working in poorly lit public areas. Work as a team of two if possible. In the city or town, stick to places where there are plenty of people. Not everyone is as honest as you – there could be someone who would really like to get their hands on your gear!

2) The possibilities for night-time photography are endless.
Towns and cities take on a new look when the lights come on.
Public buildings, old buildings and churches etc. are often floodlit at night – even modern office blocks can look amazing when lit by artificial light. For the purposes of this competition, let’s include other ‘low-light’ photography such as the inside of buildings etc. at night.
Look out for ‘neon’ signs and fill the frame with them for added impact. If you have ‘manual settings’ on your camera, try a setting for neon’s of around 1/30sec shutter speed, f4 aperture using a film with a 100 ISO rating- or set your digital camera to 100 ISO.
If you are shooting with film – use film with a low ISO (film speed) such as 100 ISO, rather than a very fast film (eg 400 ISO) which can give ‘grainy’ results. If you are shooting digital, the same applies, set an ISO speed of 100.

3) If your shot includes a lot of sky, take the picture just after sunset when there is still a little light left in the sky. Large areas of pure black sky in a picture can take the viewers attention from the lit areas.

4) It is possible to get great night shots whilst hand-holding your camera. If you have an ‘automatic only’ camera though, remember that it will usually be setting quite long shutter opening times to get enough light into the camera to make the picture. This can lead to blurring of the lights in the picture. To avoid this, rest your camera on a wall or other surface to give it support – and try not to move the camera as you press the shutter.

5) If you have a more sophisticated camera with manual exposure control, it is worth using this and getting a tripod. Also, a cable shutter release is also a good investment.
Switch your camera to auto exposure first and take a reading. Then switch to manual and reduce the exposure by about a stop and take the picture.
Professionals ‘bracket’ difficult exposures like these i.e. they will take three or more separate pictures about ½ a stop apart on the principle that one should be spot on. With digital, things are easier. We can review the picture to check the exposure just after taking it. If your digital camera has a Histogram, learn to use it – it is your best guide to exposure levels.

6) Why not do a shot of the motorway or ring road and capture the car head and tail lights as ‘streaks’. Set your camera on a tripod, use 100ISO film or digital setting - and try shooting at f16 for around 20 seconds.

7) Finally, don’t forget bonfire night.
If your camera has a manual setting, for fireworks in the garden try 100ISO film or digital setting at around 1/15th second at f5.6.
For aerial fireworks – again a tripod is essential for great results. Make sure the area where the fireworks are bursting fills your frame. Expose using 100ISO film or digital setting. I tend to use a wide-angle lens. Set an aperture of f8 on the lens. Wait for the first firework to burst, then open your shutter on the ‘B’ or brief setting and keep it open till the burst finishes. Then try other exposures at f11 and f16.
An extension of this technique is to use a cable release and the ‘Brief’ setting – along with a piece of black card big enough to cover your lens.
With the camera on a tripod, cover the lens with the card and open the shutter on ‘Brief’ (it should stay open as long as you press the shutter release). When the fireworks appear – remove the card. Replace it when several fireworks have gone off and close the shutter. Alternatively, keep the shutter open and remove the card again to add more fireworks to the one shot.

SHOOTING PEOPLE

1) If you are taking a conventional portrait, try and capture something of the personality of the person.
Look for visually interesting faces, young or old. Beards, spectacles, age lines in older folk etc. anything which makes a viewer want to study the face.

2) Ideally try and capture a bright spot or catchlight in the eyes. This really brings the portrait to life. Do this by having a light source – eg. a window - behind the camera which reflects in the eye – or use a small burst of flash.

3) The traditional advice for conventional head and shoulder portraits, is for the photographer to crouch down to put the sitters eyes roughly one third of the way down from the top of the frame. Rules like this, though, are made to be broken - providing the shot works!
Always, but always, focus on the eyes of the sitter. Portraits without pin - sharp eyes are about as useful as an ashtray on a motorbike!

4) If people are ‘posing’ for your shot, talk to them and encourage them – don’t just stand there clicking away!

5) Finally, an important word of warning, avoid taking shots of children in public places (unless of course, they are your own). It is a sad reflection on our society that perfectly innocent photographers seen snapping children are assumed to have ulterior motives.
Any professional photographers working with children have to be scrutinized by the authorities and are issued with permission to do so.
If you take pictures of people or models to be used commercially, you have to get written permission, in the form of a ‘model release’ form, to do so.

SHOOTING SPORT

Sport – for this competition can include sporting pastimes from Darts to Tiddlywinks!!

1) Sport is all about emotions. Most sports people get very emotional both during competition and immediately after it. Capturing this raw emotion can lead to some great shots.

2) Try and capture the ‘height of the action’ eg. in ball sports, the instant the ball is hit – or in cricket, as the bails fly off. For this sort of shot set a fast shutter speed on your camera if you can – 500th of a second or faster, to freeze the action. If you use film, choose a film with a fast ISO or ASA speed. 400 ISO is great for sports photography and allows faster shutter speeds. If you have a digital camera set it on 400 ISO if you can.

3) Try ‘panning’ or following the subject with your camera as it speeds past. This will cause the background to blur giving an impression of speed. Shutter speeds of 1/30th of a second or slower work well here.

4) Get in close if it’s safe to do so – or use the ‘telephoto’ end of your zoom so that you fill the frame with the action. This will give your shots more impact.
Shoot from low or high angles by crouching down or standing on something. Shots from ordinary ‘eye level’ tend to be a little boring. Sports pro’s will often put their cameras on the ground and fit a ‘wide angle’ lens for maximum impact.

5) In sports involving a lot of competitors, such as the Nottingham Marathon, look for ‘pattern pictures’. These can be wide angle shots of patterns formed by brightly coloured shirts etc. Also in the Marathon, keep your eyes peeled for ‘quirky’ shots and amusing costumes.

6) Finally, don’t forget to turn your camera on the crowd! Again look for emotion on faces – elation as the arms go in the air as a goal is scored – sadness when the other team wins! Colour, banners, patterns, it’s all there – all you have to do is capture it.