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Beyond Phototips

Photography for the Serious Amateur.

Dear Reader, Who are you?October 29

Hi there,

Beyond Phototips has been around in it’s current avatar for almost a year now, and things have been wonderful. Thank you for making it such a happy place

Photo: Mystereys

However, I have a problem right now. There are so many things to write about, and I’m not quite sure what would be appropriate for you, the regular Beyond Phototips reader. Right now its a bit like having a one sided conversation.

To help the ‘conversations’ on the site itself happen with a bit more ease, I’ve installed a “Top Commentors” plugin. Hopefully that will help identify the regulars and encourage conversations amongst you.

To help me write more appropriate content for you, I’m asking 7 quick questions. The poll is completely anonymous, but will help improve the quality of content you see here.

BTW, I know these “call to action” posts don’t usually do very well, but think of it as a small investment in your reading habits. It should take you no more than 30 seconds to finish off. I

Tiny Tips 16: Always Use a UV FilterOctober 26

A UV Filter is an important part of every photographer’s kit. This may seem like a no-brainer to any sufficiently advanced photographer reading this post, but to the beginners: take note: this is a very important part of your equipment. Or should be.

Why Should you ‘Always’ use a Ultra Violet filter on your lens?

Because they protect your Photographs, your Lens, and your Investment in Photographic Equipment. UV filters primarily filter out the invisible UltraViolet light that causes ‘haze’ on film (and some dSLR sensors), but their broader list of purposes includes:

• Protecting your lens from dust and flying sand
• Protecting your lens from scratches (I’ve seen some bad scratches avoided because of this filter)
• Protecting your filter mount from getting bent
• Saving your lens by sacrificing itself (filters are housed in aluminium frames, these are soft and absorb impact well even though they’re not meant for this purpose)
• Preventing Sea Spray (and salt) from getting into the lens (for this purpose alone, buy a UV filter)

Some people say that a UV filter reduces the quality of the image that you take. They’re referring to an extremely high level of quality that is not required by most people on this planet. If you want to ensure that your image quality does not deteriorate, simply get a good quality filter and keep it clean.

Remember to get one for each lens that you have. When yo

Humidity, Fungus and Cameras - Problems & SolutionsOctober 19

Camera equipment is sensitive to moisture, and dust. I’m going to deal with a couple of ways in which you can keep your equipment safe from high levels of humidity that could damage your lenses and certain parts of your camera body. We’ll deal with dust in a subsequent post.

Photo: ~jjjohn~

Why High Humidity is bad for your equipment

Fungus grows in between lens elements and under the lens coatings. Once it gets started, it is a pain to get rid of, and causes soft spots in your photographs, being the equivalent of having a fingerprint on your lens. This is one case in which the ‘prevention’ keeps the lens doctors away.

Fungus or Mould thrive in dark, humid places where there is little, or no movement of air (sound familiar? look at where you store your camera equipment). Very often camera equipment ends up in drawers, cupboards, or basements; all of which are dubious places to store them. Remember that keeping your camera in storage for too long is also a recipe for fungal (and mechanical) disaster. Lenses and cam

Amazon’s top Digital SLR Cameras, Lenses & BooksOctober 4

Amazon.com is one of the internet’s most popular stores. Their comprehensive collection of just about anything you could want coupled with a great website, and their algorithm based display of items that you could be interested in make it a wonderful place to shop online, and a place to discover things you never knew existed (well … maybe).

Here’s their list of “Most Wished for” Digital SLR Cameras, Lenses & Photography Books

Pinhole Camera in Your PocketSeptember 30

Photo: Matt Callow

Most serious or semi-serious photographers have wanted to use a pinhole camera, but thought that it would be too complicated to make one themselves, or possibly just didn’t know how.

Now, if you’re interested, you could make one yourself, out of a matchbox, a tin can, curled binder plastic and a whole lot of tape.

MatchboxPinhole.com brings you a full-fledged tutorial in 9 simple steps:

• What you’ll need
• The Box
• The Pinhole
• Shutter
• Clicker
• Loading
• Light-Proofing
• Winder
• Using

That’s it, and you’re on your way to taking photographs such as these: