Learn how to take creative photographs

Travel & Holidays y

Creative trip and holiday photography
A relaxing holiday or an impressive trip. New experiences in an inspiring environment. Youll want to photograph that. But how can you best do that? What do you need to consider? What produces a surprising effect? Youll get more out of your holiday, your camera and yourself with the following tips and tricks. Whether or not youre just starting out in photography or you have some experience: the results will amaze you. Have fun!

look at the world from a different angle

A picturesque street, your children on the beach or an exceptional church. You see something beautiful, moving or different. Your first reaction is to reach for your camera and shoot. Logical. But alter your vantage point for a change and opt for a more creative point of view. In doing so, you change the perspective in the photograph and this creates more movement. For example, sit on your haunches, or even lie on your stomach or back. In brief, teach yourself to look at things more dynamically. You can always still take one front on!

try switching off the flash!

There are all sorts of light. Daylight, candlelight, light bulbs and neon all create an atmosphere of their own. They provide your photograph with colour, nuance and feeling. Using your flash wipes out most of these effects. Use them to your advantage by switching off the flash. Your photograph will then reflect far more of your special holiday memories. Exactly as it was then!
Modes and settings Look at your camera to see how to switch off the flash. In the case of a compact camera, you can control the flash in the automatic mode. This is not usually possible with a single-lens reflex. Here you have to avoid the automatic mode (green square). Many cameras also have an easy standard setting for photographing in low-light conditions, for example night scenes. Taking photographs in low lighting conditions In a dark location for example a church you can put your camera onto something or fix it on a tripod. Or you can activate the self-timer. Because then you know for certain that the camera wont move when the picture is taken. Another possibility is to raise the ISO in your cameras menu. A higher ISO makes you camera more sensitive to light. The photograph will be a little grainy. So dont forget to adjust the ISO setting when you return to a lighter environment.

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stop or Ill shoot!

If your subject is moving, take lots of shots in succession. Then youll get the special photograph you would certainly otherwise have missed. There is a handy mode on your camera for this: continuous shooting. This allows you to shoot multiple photographs in rapid succession of your target in action. With digital photography, you can easily erase less successful photographs. So: shoot and capture that spectacular moment perfectly!

attention to detail
The essence of a special moment is often captured in the details. A splendid dish, a single flower or your holiday lovers lips. If you learn to keep an eye open for this, you will see that your photographs become more than just a snap shot. Theyll become encapsulated emotions that will later arouse that special and intense feeling, bringing it immediately back to life.
Zoom tips Zoom in on the little things that make your holiday so beautiful. Look at something (or someone) and decide which detail makes the biggest impression. Record that, instead of just everything. Use your lens to zoom in or move in closer to your subject. Bear in mind the minimum distance your lens requires to focus. This distance depends on the lens or camera. Stay sharp! Always check if your camera focuses properly for detailed shots. Most cameras show the focusing points in the viewfinder or on screen. You can often change these points too. This will allow you to photograph with even more precision.

back to (back)lighting!
Play with light and consciously introduce large contrasts. This often results in beautiful and exciting shots. So, for example, if you are leaving a tunnel or station hall, take a photograph there too. You can create beautiful silhouettes using the backlight from a sunset.
Under and overexposure

The correct exposure is extra important in the case of backlighting. Do you think that the subject is too light or too dark? Then use under or overexposure. A silhouette derives its intensity from darkness. But youll probably want to continue to see a persons face against a beautiful sunset. Then fill-in flash is a good option here. Check your camera to see if the flash is switched on.

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turn your photograph into a painting

People often position the subject slap-bang in the middle of the photograph. But this does not often do the reality of the situation justice. Use the rules of composition from painting. This will draw a lot more attention to the subject. It works simply like this: position the most important object (or a horizon) not in the centre, but at 1/3rd of the picture. This will ensure a more penetrating result.

Tips for Semi-Pros

Your camera has many more possibilities than have been discussed here for getting more out of yourself and for taking more attractive photographs. Many people are hesitant about delving deeper into the menu and trying out new functions that they dont already know. Understandable, but certainly unnecessary. Experiment and dont let yourself be put off. And if you get stuck, switch your camera off and on and start again! If youve been taking photographs for a while and the tips above are obvious to you, you may benefit more from the following more advanced advice.

experiment with the shutter speed

The shutter controls the time that the light has to affect the film or sensor. Play with the shutter speed in the case of moving objects (by setting this to Tv), this will allow you to influence the focus of the photograph. Sharpness is of course often desirable, but causing blur consciously can also produce interesting results!

Tv

Maintaining focus or creating blur You are photographing a moving subject, for example a passing cyclist, and you want to prevent blur? Then keep your shutter speed high. For example 1/250s, or even higher if necessary. Both the cyclist and the background will be in focus. If you have image stabilisation, you can employ a slower shutter speed. You can use slower shutter speeds (1/30s or less) to actually stimulate picture blur, creating all sorts of artistic effects. If you move at the same speed as the cyclist from a moving car for example, the cyclist will remain in focus at a slower shutter speed while the background will be blurred. This emphasises the idea of speed and makes the photograph more dynamic. These techniques arent simple. But be patient, practice makes perfect!

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play with depth of field

With the aperture you control how much light enters through the lens. This influences the depth of field in the photograph. If you change the aperture size, you manipulate the depth in your shot. This can produce attractive effects.

Av

Crisp details or the big picture The smaller the aperture, the greater the depth of field. Do you want to isolate and accentuate a subject? Use a larger aperture (for example F2.8). Do you want to have every detail of the composition in focus? Then select a smaller aperture, for example F16. Try using both possibilities step by step on a single object and compare the results with each other. Look especially at depth and blur. Master the essence of photography! Once you have mastered the techniques above, switch your camera to manual (M) for a change. You then determine for each photograph the correct combination of shutter speed (Tv) and aperture (Av). From that moment, youre immersed in the absolute essence of photography!

experiment with the light metering

If your camera allows this, you can adjust the light metering yourself. Consider beforehand which part of the photograph must be properly lit. With partial spot metering you can measure very precisely. Certainly in difficult situations, such as high contrasts, this is very important.
Under and overexposure Practice for a change with over and underexposure with light and dark objects or surfaces. Youll have to overexpose a snow-covered landscape or a polar bears fur. Dark surfaces require less exposure.

Have fun with photography!

You dont learn to shoot beautiful or special photographs overnight. It requires practice and patience. You also need to be lucky with the circumstances, such as weather. But if you take the time to apply the tips above, youll quickly achieve surprising results. And even if it doesnt work out as youd hoped from time to time, whatever you do, dont give up. Look at it as an extra stimulus to experiment further and investigate what you can do to discover the photographer in yourself. Most of all, its about having fun. The pleasure you experience from the unexpected possibilities of your camera. And from a new way of looking at the world around you. Going on a trip? Dont forget to take several memory cards, an extra rechargeable battery, ordinary batteries, a charger, lenses and a tripod with you. There is even a special underwater housing for your camera. Of course you need to test it first while empty. Would you like to know what other handy accessories there are? Visit www.canon-europe.com/store for a complete overview. Good luck!

Discover the photographer in you with Canon

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