If you want to take really quick & sneaky photographs on the street without putting your eye to the viewfinder, here’s a sneaky trick.

Setting your lens in manual focus mode, and setting it at its Hyperfocal distance will allow you to take photographs with a great deal of flexibility, often allowing you to shoot from your hip, or while supporting the camera on a steady surface. Very un-obtrusive.

Remember that Hyperfocal distance works best when you’re using a rather small f-stop, like f/16 or f/22, so set your camera in aperture priority mode and shoot on a relatively sunny day, and you’ll find nearly everything in focus. Of course, this works best if you’re using a wide-angle or normal lens.

I’ve managed to get everything from infinity to objects around 4 feet away in good focus while trying this technique recently, with my Nikon F3 and a 50mm lens. It worked great!

Do try it out and let us know how it worked for you, or if you’ve got some other tips involving Hyperfocal Distance or Street Photography, do share them with us in the comments.

The first rule of holding your camera is that it should be steady. This will ensure that you get sharper pictures in lower lighting situations, and that your pictures are sharper in general.

If you’re using a dSLR, put your left hand below, supporting the base of the camera, with the index finger and thumb positioned to adjust focus/zoom. Support your left elbow with your chest and grip the camera body firmly with your right hand, positioning your right index finger above the shutter release.

Posture is important too. Stand firm and erect with your feet spread apart a bit. Do not lean forward, this will make your stance unsteady. Standing straight and with good posture will also reduce strain on your back, especially if you’re carrying a lot of gear.

Do you have other tips on how to hold your camera? Drop ‘em in the comments.

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If you know what you like to shoot and what you are really good at Photographing, you also have to know the kind of photography in which you can make money. Identify branches of photography where you need to develop your Photographic talent to enable you to make money to sustain a career in photography.

The area where you make money, may not be the branch of photography dearest to your heart! When you make enough money … you can shoot to your hearts desire!

Happy Shooting…

You are a photographer, so remember that you have a powerful tool of creativity in your hands… the camera! Try to create a masterpiece every time you click. Take the composition and balance in your photographs seriously. Follow the Great Masters of painting Rembrandt… Renoir… Rubens… Da Vinci (every painting was carefully composed in sketches, and thought out a great deal.)  and I’m sure you will turn out masterpieces as well.

Happy Shooting!

If you want the sharpest pictures that your lens can give you, remember not to use its largest and smallest apertures. Most lenses are optimised to be used in the f/5.6 - f/11 aperture range and give their best performance when stopped down a couple of f-stops from the widest aperture or opened up from the smallest aperture.

The problem with using small aperture sizes is that light waves are affected due to diffraction and though you have great depth of field, you lose out on sharpness.

Large apertures are great for low-light, but unless you have an exceptional, lens its just too difficult to produce lenses that are razor sharp at it’s widest aperture.

There are always exceptions and some lenses made by Carl-Zeiss and Leica are just as sharp at f/2.8 (or f/1.8 as the case may be), as they are at f/5.6.

Marvels of science, that’s what they are.

If you want the sharpest pictures that your lens can give you, remember not to use its largest and smallest apertures. Most lenses are optimised to be used in the f/5.6 - f/11 aperture range and give their best performance when stopped down a couple of f-stops from the widest aperture or opened up from the smallest aperture.

The problem with using small aperture sizes is that light waves are affected due to diffraction and though you have great depth of field, you lose out on sharpness.

Large apertures are great for low-light, but unless you have an exceptional, lens its just too difficult to produce lenses that are razor sharp at it’s widest aperture.

There are always exceptions and some lenses made by Carl-Zeiss and Leica are just as sharp at f/2.8 (or f/1.8 as the case may be), as they are at f/5.6.

Marvels of science, that’s what they are.

Flare is a kind of haze often caused by light falling directly on the lens from behind or around the subject. This light may be direct or deflected. Flare may also be caused by light deflecting off fog, smog or dust in the atmosphere. It is more pronounced if it is caused by the position of the main light source. Unless this haze is intentional you may want to recognize and eliminate Flare!

Happy Shooting!

Remember to be aware of and study the main source of light. The main source of light may be a direct source of light, sunlight deflecting from a wall or sunlight diffused by clouds. If the key light is directly behind, or not more than 55 degrees to the right or left of the camera, the image and colours will be clearer. Also, do not forget that ‘Head on’ lighting is flat and uninteresting! Light at 45 degrees to the subject would be more interesting in most cases!

Happy Shooting!