Shooting low and on The Road is one of my favorite shots
The low angle on The Road shot is one my favorite types of photo to make. This one was made on a winding desert road south of Santa Rosa. It’s a great driving road for its lack of traffic, scenery, and numerous bends and curves. As light was starting to fade, I pulled over and got the camera out to compose this shot using the double yellow lines as a composition technique called leading lines. You can use anything to make leading lines, which catch the viewer’s eye and lead them to look into the full frame of the photo. The next time you are out with your camera, look for something you can use as leading lines in your shot.
Read MoreUsing shallow depth of field and setting your focus point
Since I started Jason Collin Photography back in 2009, I have taught hundreds of people of all levels 1-on-1 photography lessons. In the course of that teaching I repeated some favorite photography advice. Here is one of them:
“Show me something I cannot see by just standing there.”
Another one is:
“A photographer can make something out of nothing.”
In the example photos in this blog post I had my Sigma 50mm f/1.4 ART lens on my Sony a7 III full frame mirrorless camera. This lens is my favorite lens for making something out of nothing because the large f/1.4 aperture means I can easily create very shallow DoF (depth of field). Making a photo with a very shallow DoF is one of the easiest ways to make something out of nothing.
Read MoreGet cooler images with long exposures
Cool things can happen when you leave the shutter of your camera open for more than just a fraction of a second. Look around the photo above where I left the shutter open for 10 seconds. In that time I managed to capture 3 lighting bolts, and the light trails made by the head and taillights of passing cars. Plus, the long exposure created a starburst effect with the street lamps.
Read MoreWhite seamless backgrounds are fun for anyone
A large white seamless background is part of many photo studios, including here at the JCP Home Studio. For a professional photographer, this is a great tool to have. However, I think anyone could benefit from having a large, white seamless paper background in their home! Check out the video tip for why.
Read MoreBuy a tripod once, for life!
In this week’s photography tip video I discuss the thinking process I went through over 10 years ago in buying a tripod. The big takeaway: buy one good enough so that you’ll only ever have to buy one once in your career/life!
Read MoreLook like a pro not Groucho Marx!
In this video featured on Jason Collin Photography I talk about the proper way to hold a camera, how the pros do it! Next time you see a press conference scene in a TV show or in a movie, look how the “photographers” are holding their cameras. I show you how to at least look more like a pro by holding your camera in a stable way that will help you get better sharpness in your photos.
Read MoreThe diffuser - makes harsh sunlight beautiful
Continuing the new series of video features on Jason Collin Photography, this video features a top photo tip regarding another piece of inexpensive photography gear, the diffuser. For only about $40, you can get a 42” diffuser (and most are also reflectors too). In the video you can see me make the two photos below, which are unedited, the only change is one is made in direct sunlight and the other is made with the diffuser over the flower. The diffuser works its magic not just on flowers of course, also people and anything else you want to photograph in direct sunlight.
Read More
