Night Photography: Low Light Tips and Techniques
Photography at night can be used to create mysterious and amazing photos. When I say photography at night I mean the hours from around sunset until when the stars are clearly visible. The long exposures associated with low light can create unique effects and unusually sharp photos. And when I say long exposures I mean exposures lasting from half a second up to even 30 seconds. An exposure that long would seem impossible to prevent shaking, so my technique that I use very often is to compose the photo like I would normally and then to set the self-timer so the camera takes the picture on its own and I don't even have to touch it.
-Equipment Options
For low light photos, a tripod (or some kind of substitute) is very necessary. I almost always keep a tripod in the trunk of my car or carry a miniature tripod around on trips. A miniature tripod can be very handy because it is typically small enough to fit in a pants pocket so it can be taken anywhere. Some photographers carry around a bean bag or something like it so that can set their camera down and tilt it in any way they like. Some of my best pictures I have taken simply by setting my camera down on a newspaper stand and setting the self-timer.
Many photographers are convinced that they need a cable release to take long exposures but the self-timer release option on just about all cameras works just as well. All you have to do is set the camera up, configure the self-timer, press the shutter button, and wait the specified amount of time (usually 10 seconds) and the camera will take the photo automatically. And you don't have to touch the camera so the photo won't be blurred from hand shaking.
-Night Photo Opportunities
Landscape Photos - My favorite kind of night photo usually includes a landscape with some kind of foreground element, some sort of framing element, and lots of lights throughout the scene. Adding some kind of foreground item to the frame helps to create a greater depth of field, this technique works for any kind of photo but I have found that it makes night landscape photos much better. Another tip you should keep in mind is that the main subject of a night photo should probably be the most well lit. Lots of light is good for a night exposure but there should still be some focus applied to the major objects in a scene.
Capturing Motion - A very popular kind of night photography includes a steady camera with some sort of fast moving object streaming through the frame. When cars are photographed at night with a long shutter speed, the headlights make a bright pathway of light and in most cases the car can't even be seen. Another option would be to set up your camera next to a lighted area with lots of people moving like a night club or an illuminated street. Just about any kind of motion captured with the camera steady produces a very interesting photo.
-Balancing Aperture and Shutter Speed
When taking photos at night you should keep aperture in mind as well as shutter speed. It is without question that you will need a long shutter speed, but the aperture that you choose will provide the depth of field. When I take night photos I usually have a very long shutter speed (5-15 seconds) and a very narrow aperture (high f-stop). This combination creates a huge depth of field and makes everything very crisp and in focus. Of course sometimes you will not desire a great depth of field and in those situations you should widen the aperture (small f-stop).
-Calculating the Exposure
Figuring out what exact shutter speed and aperture you should use can be very challenging in Manual Mode. I would recommend that you just try many different combinations for each scene and eventually you will refine the settings that you prefer. Another technique I use is Bracketing, if you bracket all your photos so the camera takes multiple exposures at different settings, you are more likely to end up with a photo that has a satisfactory brightness.
-Conclusion
There is no exact science to night photography; I hope some of these tips will guide you in the right direction. But the best night photographers are usually the people who experiment a lot when they are taking low light exposures and eventually they figure out the best scenes and best exposure settings to match. Just remember that you need a very long shutter speed setting, and that you need to keep the camera very steady.
Photo contests and tips
Night Photography: Low Light Tips and Techniques
How to Choose the Right Equipment for Playing Golf
By Peter Shine
Playing golf needs a lot of equipment and it is quite difficult to find out which types of equipment suit you. Sometimes, you may not even aware what kinds of equipment are really needed. Learning the ways and strategies to choose the right type of equipment which suits yourselves is one of the essential golf training aid which could not only save your money but also improve your golfing skill effectively.
Clubs
Clubs are sold in full set of 14 or in half set of 7 or by individual piece. For beginners, it is not suggested to buy a very high quality clubs in full set. Usually beginners are not skillful enough to bring it into full play. Besides, it may also cause damage to the clubs due to misusage. On the other hand, it is not recommended to buy only one or two individual piece of club because one could never play good golf with them. Therefore, beginner is suggested to buy a half set of medium quality clubs, i.e. 5 irons, a wood and a putter to start with. Talk with a professional player and get his advice on choosing the clubs which suit your height, weight and grip before you buy.
Golf Bags
A pro-style bag is very heavy which usually needs a trolley or a real strong shoulder to carry with. It is suggested to use a nylon lightweight bag for playing casual round. You could be much freer up in the long walk without adding extra weight. Besides, you could go anywhere on the course without the trolley and will not cause the slow play problem which is commonly seen in the fairway.
Golf Shoes
Traditional golf teaching tool indicates that a good swing starts from the feet up and therefore, it is very important to have a pair of good golf shoes. Besides, you have to walk a long distance up and down the hill, and sometimes you may also encounter a heavy rain during playing. A spiked golf shoes with water-repellant treated leader give you a firm and safe footing plus keeping your feet stay dry even in adverse rainy situation.
Golf Glove
Usually a single piece of glove is worn in the weaker hand to strengthen the grip. For instance, a right hand people will usually wear a left-hand glove. Ladies could wear the gloves in both hands to strengthen the grip and increase the strength. Therefore, you could choose to buy a single piece or in pair depending on your needs. Besides, it is suggested to buy those which could suit for both rainy and shiny days to have better flexibility in usage.
Golf Balls
For beginner or high handicap level, it is suggested to use the 4cm diameter and dimpled golf balls. Pond balls are of great value of money and it is not necessary to use those very high technology designed golf balls until you are in the very professional level. If you could play well and really want to choose, a medium price two-piece Surlyn-covered ball is recommended.
About the Author: Peter Shine has been the professional golf trainer for more than 10 years. He is now acting as a professional Consultant for the Sport Department in GeniusChoice.com. To find more golf training tips and respective information in golf products, please visit website: http://geniuschoice.com/golf-training-aid
Fishing Rods
Fishing rods are a classic tool for catching fish, dating back at least to ancient Egypt, and possibly even further back than that. They can be easily made from all sorts of different things, ranging from plants like bamboo to modern man-made materials.
While fishing rods were once essential for catching food, today nets tend to be used instead, with fishing rods being used more often as a hobby or for sports fishing. Although the specifics are different depending on the kind of fish that is being fished for, the general idea is to put some kind of bait on the end of the line, throw it into the water, and then use a wheel to pull the line up again once a fish has been hooked. More sophisticated lines can float in the water for hours on end, waiting for a fish to come by, without having to be thrown down and pulled up again.
A fishing rod has more parts than you would expect, including the rod itself (the 'stick' part), a grip (where you hold it), a line, guides (to hold the line in position), a wheel (to pull the line back in), and finally a hook (to hook the fish). When you add the bait to this, you can either use live bait (for example, worms), or artificial bait, which is designed to resemble a small fish that the other fish will want to eat.
Having a good quality rod is important, as poor quality ones may snap (either on the rod or the line) if they are used to catch a large or particularly aggressive fish. The best modern rods have been tested over and over again to find the precise configuration that will best catch the fish – although skill still plays a part, it is not too difficult to master modern fishing. Eager to make the sport more challenging, many fishers have turned to fly fishing or ultra-thin rods to make competitions a little more difficult.
John Gibb is the owner of fishing rod resources, For more information on fishing rods please check out http://www.fishingrod-sources.info
