Photography is defined as the art, skill, and science of producing permanent images of objects on photosensitive surfaces. Thus, photography is not only a technique; it also requires the ability to take the best impressions of reality through light.

Many seek to use it to portray their day-to-day, as a witness of their exploits; others use it to capture incredible moments of nature and others seek recognition of their work through the art of photography. However, far from traditional photography, there are also techniques that give those photos much more strength.

Some think that only through editing programs can image be obtained outside of reality, but cameras provide us with the right tools to make magnificent compositions without having to edit them. To discover the potential your camera has, here are 8 awesome techniques for you to put your photographer skills to work:

1. Light Painting

Closeup Pigeon Photograph

Light painting is a photographic technique with long exposure light. It can be done if you paint in the air with your hand so that the photograph captures the light waves. Performing light painting is very simple, the first thing you should do is set the ISO of the camera: ISO 100 will be adequate. The aperture must also change, it must be at least f / 8 but you can open and close it until the effect is clear. The focus of the camera should be manual so that when you shoot you see what you want and do not focus on something else.

Use a slow shutter speed, between 10 to 30 seconds, and if your camera has the option, use a delayed shot or remote shutter to capture the image well and draw with light while the camera is exposing the photo.

2. Still Life

Closeup Flower Photograph

A still life represents inanimate matter in a small group of objects. The photographer can make the composition that he likes, portray it with the camera and practice several times until he gets a great shot. For a still life to be successful, good use of lighting is required and generating a balanced composition, since you will make and take the images yourself. You have to choose the background of your product photography Los Angeles, the angle at which you will take it and the correct lighting, whether natural or artificial.

3. Traces Of Light

Photos with light trails show the subject with flashes of light in motion. They are prolonged exposures of mobile sources of light, so their creation is very similar to that of light painting. A camera is required that allows control of light exposure and shutter speeds. Although the procedure of this and the first technique are similar, more external factors intervene in the light trail, such as ambient light or whatever we want to portray.

The ISO should be as low as possible, the focus should be manual, and the shutter speed between 10-20 seconds. The aperture should be f / 8 but you can test how the shot works to change and improve it. Finally, you must eliminate any other light source so that the image does not burn out.

4. Star Trails

The path of the stars can also be photographed, this technique is known as star trails or stellar traces and they portray the rotation of the stars of the north pole and south pole. The closer to the Equator you are, the more movement of the stars you can see. Patience is needed to take this type of photograph as the exhibition can last several hours. The camera will capture light in a completely different way with extra long exposures.

You need a camera that allows you to do this, that can stay in bulb mode, a remote trigger, and a tripod. You must use a 28mm wide-angle lens and if you want to capture a rock or a tree it should be 35 to 50mm. You must have a fast 2.8 lens that captures movement on a new moon night, so there is no moonlight to interfere with the shot. Raise the ISO as high as you can and open the diaphragm.

5. Lomography

Invented by the Austrian Lomographic Society, this technique is high-contrast and soft-focus. It is considered an artistic movement that uses light leaks to create impressive effects. Its cameras are special because it uses the disposable cameras of the past. They are usually cameras that are used on sunny and warm days, as they do not work to shoot indoors.

6. Night Photography

Setup Camera Inshot

To achieve night photography you need to shoot in RAW, as you will get a better image quality and you will have more options, such as changing the color temperature or the white balance.

The aperture is known as the “sweet spot” should be used, between f / 8 and f / 16. You must shoot in manual mode, focus your shot and set the aperture to f / 16, review your photos and adjust again if they were not perfect. The f / 16 also guarantees a greater depth of field.

7. Black and white photography

Black and White Photograph of a Photographer

The composition of the black and white photography is more important since the contrasts between lights and shadows are greater. Details are highly significant and texture is paramount, so images in which a firm texture prevails are best portrayed in black and white. For this reason, high ISO, unlike color photography services encino, is very suitable for black and white photographs because of the texture it generates.

Documenting life and what happens in our environment is one of the wishes of any photographer, since his work will be the testimony of society. Many consider that it is only about portraying random faces but street photography also has its science. This technique is very similar to photojournalism but his photographs focus on the everyday lives of strangers.

His goal is to capture what happens without affecting his surroundings, for which most of his photographs are red-handed to show the real nature of people. The street photographer must manage to tell a story.