Taking Good Pictures. Part 2

Shooting in a moving transport

Attentively analyze the route of your travel and put marks on especially interesting places which you would like to embody on the film and the photos out into a picture album.

When you get to a highway keep the camera in readiness since at this stage it is possible to catch very interesting pictures.

Image by Gary Scott (www.garyslens.ca)

 

Here some advises how to take pictures from a window of the moving car:

• To reduce patches of light of the reflected light from glass hold the camera as  close as it is possible to the window, but not closer then 3-5 centimeters. However do not press the objective of the camera to the window: body vibration can destroy images.
• Disconnect flash or cover it with your hand to eliminate patches of light of the reflected light of flash from a car window.
• If the sun shines directly to the window cover the objective of the camera with a newspaper or a magazine to prevent occurrence of patches of light on photos.
• At movement on highways with great speed you need to choose far enough subjects as objects of shooting. Watch carefully that when you are pressing the trigger button there is no a cable column or an advertisement board or a van moving by in the view-finder. The objects, which are located close to the road, are so quickly carried by that on the photo they always turn out to be fuzzy.
• Look at the window of the back view and seek for new possibilities for photographing. It quite often happens that opening view through the window of the back view gives the only chance to take pictures of the city outlines, bridges and mountain chains to the photographer.
• Shoot even if you are not assured that the picture will turn out good. Modern cameras and films have big photographic width so it allows to get good pictures even in very bad conditions of shooting. Besides of that if you do not photograph an interesting plot then possibilities to take a picture of that another time just would not come.
• Take pictures more often than you think you should. Try to shoot objects at different corners, to change a shot format (vertical or horizontal) and exposition parameters. Give photos to friends and fellow travelers if you meet or just to keep memories.
• If you travel as a part of a group do not forget to photograph participants of your group. Take pictures of them while they sleep or when they are pointing a finger at interesting sights and in general just having pleasure on the trip. Sometimes take group portraits.

After the arrival to the destination take the camera and go forward to a beach or a park of entertainments.

Here are some good advices:

• While taking pictures on a beach protect the camera from salty splashes and sand. A polyethylene sack is absolutely perfect for this purpose.
• While shooting pay attention to extraneous subjects of a background. Here are some examples of them – umbrellas, structures, telephone columns and wires, and also other people.
• Is it possible to get rid of the extraneous subjects getting into a shot? Use the earth, a water smooth surface or the sky as a background. Kneel and photograph an object from this position or rise on a bench and take a picture of an object with the earth as a background.
• Approach as close to objects of shooting as smiles of people become visible. Turn people aside from the sun so they would not screw up their eyes.
• Keep flash turned on even in a sunny days to lighting shades on faces of people who stay with their back to the sun.
• In cities try to choose the most interesting plots. Take pictures of your friends near to policemen or door-keepers at restaurants dressed in an exotic uniform.
• Do not forget to come to an object of shooting that close so in the view-finder it would be possible to see easily details of the face of the person.
• Try to shoot pictures at different corners. When you are shooting high objects turn the camera at vertical position.
• The same object can be photographed in different ways. Try to find such a foreshortening at which the picture would turn out the most interesting. Look for possibilities to take pictures of a building with use of elements of the foreground - branches of a tree, fencing lattice etc. It gives depth to the picture and makes it more interesting. While taking pictures of street plots make sure that indexes with names of streets are got into the sight. It helps to identify pictures. When you are traveling in new cities, make a trip on the second floor of the excursion bus. Such trips give fine possibility to take interesting photos of city sights and people on sidewalks.

Protection of your camera

If you do not use your camera for a long time keep it in a case. It will protect it from damages, moisture and dust. Most likely your camera during the travel most part of the time will be dangling on a thong. Jolting of the camera and a scratch on åðó objective can spoil your photos.

Always protect the camera from excessive heating and cooling, from sand and water. Do not store the camera and a film under the influence of the direct sunlight. It is not good to leave it in the car’s glove compartment. The heat can destroy the camera and spoil the image on the film. The best places for the camera in the car are side pockets of doors. In cold seasons it is better to keep the camera at warmth and under outerwear.

To have accurate and clear photos you always have to take care of cleanliness of the objective. Blow off dust from it. For this purpose it is possible to take advantage of a special brush. Then breathe on the objective and accurately wipe it with a pure soft slice of fabrics or with a piece of paper for cleaning objectives. Do not use a napkin for optics - they can damage the objective surface.