Cameras-n- Stuff

The EOS Rebel T3i is a great close-up photography instrument. Many new photographers really want to learn more about how to take those awesome macro photos, but for one reason or another, we put it off. Perhaps this is your time and your “sign” (if you are waiting for a sign, this is it). With your T3i, it is ever so easy.

You may have a dedicated macro lens – marvelous. However, if you don’t possess one of those pricey lenses that is especially created for close-up work, don’t worry, extension tubes are here! Just about any lens can become a macro lens if you have an inexpensive set of extension tubes. Basically, they extend the distance from the lens to the sensor so you, can position your camera closer to the subject of your picture.

One of the best things about taking extremely close pictures of objects is the detail that is revealed. There are facets of nearly every subject that are not normally noticed by people at a casual glance. But take a close up shot and you will experience many OMG moments.

It was on my first digital camera that one of those amazing, eye-opening moments happened to yours truly. As nearly everyone else who makes this discovery, I took pictures of every bug and flower that I could. It didn’t occur to me that there were other interesting small objects that I could shoot as well. There are buttons, zippers, door knobs, human eyes, animal eyes, and the list is infinite. There really is no limit to what can be photographed.

Now that you are convinced to get started, here are a few hints:

-> Don’t delay. This seems quite apparent, but lots of us tend to get bogged down with the learning process. Yes, there are many classes and tutorials available online and off line, but just go out and take some pictures. Training as the need arises is a great way to learn. Actually, “on the job” training works really well in photography.

-> Allow yourself to make mistakes. This sort of goes “hand-in-hand” with hint #1. Mistakes are an important part of the learning process. They may actually lead to some amazing surprises. Some of your best shots will come as a result of something you did “wrong.”

-> Use a tripod. As you get closer to an object, the chances for blur increase exponentially. In addition to the tripod, you can benefit from using the shutter release timer on your T3i, or you can get an inexpensive remote shutter release.

-> Set your lens on manual focus and activate Live View. There is a fantastic feature that makes Rebel T3i macro photography so much easier than most other cameras. When in Live View, you can use digital zoom. The way it works for this kind of photo is to set your lens on manual focus, then use the digital zoom at 5x or 10x so that you can fine tune your focus. Personally, this is the feature that made me a believer in the Canon Rebel T3i.

OK – It’s not rocket science. These tips are meant to get you out and shooting, so get going!

Street Photography With A Canon Rebel T3i

It is not hard to learn street photography. And, actually, street photography is one way to use your Canon Rebel T3i camera like the creative tool it is capable of being. But the camera is not all you need for street photography success. In addition, you need a quality Canon Rebel lens, and one of the 50mm models will meet the criteria for that component. There are three possibilities, those being the f/1.8, the f/1.4, and the f/1.2.

Your choice among these lenses isn’t as critical as it might seem, considering the difference in price. The f/1.8 is the cheapest deal at about $100. And the rates rise to around $350 for the f/1.4 and over $1000 for the f/1.2. Of course, the quality of build is definitely different, however the quality of photography can be quite close with all three.

There’s one more hurdle along with obtaining proper equipment. If you aren’t comfortable talking with strangers, this might be a struggle for you to talk to a complete stranger to ask authorization to take their image, nevertheless, when you have tried it a few times, the idea is easier. This will be very true once you see the amazing results. Street images are much more interesting than your standard family picture. That is, except if your Granddad Ralph or Aunt Claire is just as colorful as many of the street inhabitants you will come across in the downtown locations and shopping malls.

There are 5 things that you might apply to make street photography easier for you so that you will be ready to get those awesome images (after you work through the issue of paralyzing fear).

1. Take your Canon Rebel with you.. ALL the time. We all do it, yet it’s a good idea to continue reminding oneself that you should never leave the house without one. After a few weeks of taking the digital camera every time you leave home or office, and it is going to become second nature. Absolutely nothing (well, practically nothing) worse than coming at a fantastic photo op out on the street when you do not have the photography resources in hand. And this does not necessarily mean you need to tote the complete camera travel bag with you. You simply need your Rebel and reliable Canon Rebel lens.

2. Keep the Canon 50mm lens on the dslr camera. You will find a couple advantages of making use of this lens instead of one of the alternative options. First, the 50mm is a nearly ideal portrait lens due to the high quality and great aperture. And next, it really is smaller and light. It does not wear you out carrying it for a number of hours. Plus, many people will be put off by a large, flashy piece of glass.

3. Avoid the use of your flash. You will definitely get natural photographs with no flash, and also on the street, this is especially true. You can make use of the large aperture of the 50mm lens to obtain a good fast shutter speed, in case the lighting is really low, just increase the ISO of the Canon Rebel to speed up the shutter.

4. Be ready before you ask permission. Make sure all your dslr camera settings are correct prior to walking towards your prospect. It could actually ruin your possibilities if you need to stop and set fool with your camera whilst the individual is waiting for you.

5. Have your model release forms available. If you’re going to use your pictures in some community place, you must obtain a release from your subject. The good news is there’s currently an app for your iPad and the iPhone for this. It is possible to go paperless!

That’s all. You, too, can be quite a street photographer. Now grab your Canon Rebel and go out and shoot!