Photography 101
Gain a better understanding of photography and the
factors that bring together a stunning image.
Low Light
Capturing images in low light is not easy. Here are the factors that can improve your low light photography.
Aperture length (f-number)
Is the opening in the lens that controls the amount of light captured.
The lower the number the wider the aperture, meaning clearer low
light shots.
ISO
Is the sensor’s sensitivity to light. Turn the ISO up for
better clarity in the dark.
Shutter Speed
This refers to how long the shutters opens and captures light.
The longer it is opened the brighter the shot.
The Galaxy advantage
The Galaxy J Series smartphone camera has a low f-number allowing for better low light shots.
You can manually adjust the ISO and more in the Galaxy camera’s Pro mode.
Photographer Perspective
Series 1
by Kamal Tung
For Kamal, he is drawn by capturing images as night falls. He is inspired by how points of attraction transform and come alive during the night. Here are some of his tips for taking brilliant shots at night.
Scout location beforehand
Look for the location where you plan to shoot beforehand. You can even do your research online and get inspiration from the work of other photography enthusiasts.
Bring a tripod
Due to low light situations, keeping steady is incredibly important. You can achieve this by simply bringing around a small tripod for your phone as it will help reduce blurriness.
Use neon or ambient light
Store signs and other ambient lights are ideal for creating interesting moods for your photography.
Reflections
Add another dimension to your low light photography with reflections. Reflections act as mirrors that give a unique effect to your photos, combine it with lights and the results are stunning.
Experiment
Never stop yourself from experimenting. Go out and define your own style, because ultimately, photography is a depiction of how you view things.
Background Blur
Creating a background blur can lead to many stunning effects that highlight the focus point of the image.
Number of camera lenses
With two cameras, a primary camera captures the image while the secondary adds clarity and records depth information, allowing for a background blur effect, better zoom capability and more.
Focus
This is the part of the image that is the sharpest in comparison with the entire scene.
Selfie Focus
A camera feature available on the Galaxy J Series front camera allowing you to blur the background and put the focus on your face when taking selfies.
Live Focus
A camera feature that makes it easy to take background blur photography. On the Galaxy J7+ you can even edit the point of focus after taking the photo.
The Galaxy advantage
The Galaxy J7+ features rear dual cameras, that allow you to take excellent Live Focus shots easily. Other J Series phones also include a Selfie Focus feature in the front camera that allows you to take Selfie Focus shots.
IMAGE RESOLUTION
A sharp and well defined picture tells a more compelling story.
Megapixel count
Image sensors that are divided into numerous tiny pixels. More pixels mean a higher resolution photo. Beyond a certain threshold, the advantage of more megapixels becomes less significant.
Dynamic range
Represents a range of colours a camera can capture without losing details such as photos that are taking in overly lit or low light conditions.
The Galaxy advantage
There is a HDR mode in most Galaxy phone cameras which allows for unrivalled balance and contrast when capturing images.
The Galaxy J7 Pro features a 13MP front and rear camera, while the Galaxy J7+ has a 13MP front and 16MP rear camera, producing high resolution photographs.
COMPOSITION
Identify what captures the eye with these pointers on photo composition.
The rule of thirds
A format for composing picture by dividing your photo into 3x3 boxes with the focal point falling within the boxes.
Focal length
How much you can see from a fixed point. Short focal length = wide angle. Long focal length = narrow angle.
High quality video
Resolution and Frames Per Second (FPS) determine the quality of video recordings. Phone cameras today can shoot HD videos (1080P).
The Galaxy advantage
When taking a group photo, use the Wide Selfie feature to include more of your friends in the picture.
You can turn on the grid under settings to help compose your shots based on the rule of thirds.
Photographer Perspective
Series 2
by Kamal Tung
There’s nothing that inspires the inner photographer like travel. Kamal shares his top travel photography tips when exploring new grounds.
Stay out late
With a low f-number of f/1.7, the Galaxy J Series is perfect for low light situations. As the sun goes down and the city lights up, it’s an opportune time to go take pictures.
Have a human subject
Photos of architecture and still subjects can sometimes appear flat. Have a friend or travel partner stand in and add life to the image. Hold down on the shutter button for a burst effect and pick your favourites later.
Perspective
Play around with angles, you’ll be surprised how a few different tilts and centimetres can change the aesthetics of a photograph.
Patience
When travelling, there’s always the habit of wanting to move on to the next location as quickly as possible. Take a moment to compose your shots. Time is often a factor that determines beautiful shots. Like shadows, or the sunset for example.