Capital Photography Center Blog

March 29, 2018

10 Tips For Photographing Cherry Blossoms

Marie Joabar

We’re all eager to get outdoors with our cameras again and the Cherry Blossoms give us the first opportunity to capture the beauty of spring. It’s late to arrive here in the DC area, we just have to be patient, soon the Cherry Blossoms will present their spectacular display!

It’s hard to not take a good photo of these lovely flowers but we wanted to share these 10 tips so when they are in peak bloom, we’ll all be ready.

January 25, 2018

Camera Repair Considerations

Marie Joabar

Mechanical cameras of yesteryear seemed to last forever; there were few if any moving parts and camera computer components didn’t exist yet. The most common repairs were for broken film door latches or stuck shutter blades. Fast forward to today and we find the complete opposite; many moving parts and buttons, and tiny circuit boards under the hood presenting a variety of things that can fail.

Consider if you really need a camera repair, and if so, decide where to take or send it. Also, consider whether buying a new one might be a smarter option.

January 1, 2018

8 Tips To Help You Grow Your Photography

Marie Joabar

With a blank slate in front of us, 2018 is ours to shape and color. This is the perfect time to access where you are now and set some goals to grow your photography. Here are 8 tips we hope will help.

November 9, 2017

How To Capture Black Backgrounds

Marie Joabar

Capturing your subject set off against a dark background can create a striking image and provide a little mystery and drama as well.

It’s not hard to do and you don’t even need a lot of fancy gear to do it. Let’s look at two of the easiest ways to achieve this; one is using natural light the other is using an external flash.

October 19, 2017

The Right Lens For The Job

Marie Joabar

As your photography grows, you may find you need different or better lenses to give you more flexibility with exposure and composition.

Which lenses to use depends on what you photograph and there’s nothing better than having the right tool for the job! We hope this list based on the different types of photography will help you determine which new lens you might consider

September 29, 2017

Correct Exposures VS Creatively Correct Exposures by Bryan Peterson

Admin

Did you know that most picture taking situations have at least six possible combinations of f/sops and shutters speeds that will ALL result in the ‘same’ correct exposure? Furthermore, did you also know that despite having six possible correct exposures only one, maybe two, would be the ‘creatively’ correct exposure?

August 7, 2017

Drawing The Viewer In - Characteristics of Great Photos

Marie Joabar

When you look at a really good photograph, whether it's a nice portrait shot or a beautiful landscape, something inside you gets excited and you almost intuitively know it's great. But have you ever wondered how we know? Why do we like some photos and are unimpressed by others?

When it comes to great photographs, there are a few things in common whether you consciously realize it or not. So what are the common threads between these photos? And how can you incorporate these ideas into your own work? Here is a short list of what elevates a photograph from being just ‘okay’ to something that inspires and moves your viewer.

July 5, 2017

Summer Camera Care

Marie Joabar

It’s summertime and we all want to photograph our family playtime, our vacations and our gatherings with friends.

Here are a few tips to keep your camera working well capturing all the fun throughout the season.

June 15, 2017

An 8 Step Photo Workflow

Marie Joabar and Christina Ascani

In terms of photography, a workflow is a way of working which encompasses setting up your camera, taking photos, downloading and saving them in a safe place, editing and exporting them for their final use. The idea behind a workflow is creating a simple and standardized way to work to minimize mistakes and utilize your time better.

This 8 step workflow list can help you create or improve your own workflow.

May 25, 2017

Seeing in Black and White

Greg Holden

With digital cameras everywhere today, it is easy to capture vivid color images, yet black and white images are stil relevant in our color world. When you remove color from an image, the viewer is forced to focus on the shapes, lines and lighting in the image.

When I am out photographing, I like to look for interesting shadows, textures and patterns that would make great B&W photos. When you start to train your eyes to look past the color of things and instead focus on their shape, you’ll be on your way to “seeing in B&W.” You will discover that subjects that you would normally pass over due to their unpleasing or distracting colors can make an effective B&W image.

May 3, 2017

Swipes, Swirls and Zooms For Creative Captures

Marie Joabar

I don’t remember exactly who I learned the technique of swipes and zooms from but I’ll never forget how much fun it was when I first tried it! To this day I still look for ways to use this technique to mix things up and to exercise the creative side of my brain.

In a nutshell, you use a long exposure and move your camera or lens while exposing for a very creative and abstract looking image. Read on for all the details.

April 12, 2017

Instructor’s Favorites For Spring Shooting

Marie Joabar

Whether it’s people, wildlife, flowers, landscapes or cityscapes, nothing beats photographing on a beautiful spring day! Read what our instructors like most about spring shooting then dust off your camera and get shooting!

March 23, 2017

Tips For Shooting Sports

Marie Joabar

Capturing the fast action of sports is fun and exciting. With the spring season here we’ll find soccer, lacrosse, field hockey and other sports on the field so it’s the perfect time to grab your camera and head to a nearby practice or game.

For the most compelling sports images we need to control the brightness with our exposure settings, control the sharpness with our focusing settings and frame the action with exciting compositions.

Here are a few tips that we hope will help.

March 1, 2017

Better Photographs Are Made By YOU

Tim Cooper

If you’ve ever been shooting in the field with a good instructor, you’ve probably heard them ask “why are you making this photograph”. This question begs an answer more substantial than a simple description of what’s in front of your camera.  Answering is a good way to get you thinking more about the intention of the image rather than just the subject matter. Capturing your intention is the key to making better photographs.

February 8, 2017

Waterfowl In Winter

Emily Carter Mitchell

The tundra swans on the Chesapeake Bay are one of those winter marvels that fascinate me. In fact, wintertime is my favorite time for birding and bird photography. The birds are plentiful and are larger than the tiny warblers that migrate through in spring time.

While I await for the bird migration season to begin and in particular, the thousands of Snow geese that arrive at Middle Creek, Pennsylvania, I decided to see what I could find closer to home.