Bus Photography - Tips & Techniques
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Here's my advice.
1. Look for interesting subjects. This includes the foreground, the subject and the background. Don't simply take photos of the bus and "the bus only" as these shots are boring. Photos showing street scenes will be smiled upon in the future!
2. Don't be afraid to break all the rules of photography. Take photos at unusual angles. Experiment with perspective/point-of-view. Who said the horizon needs to be horizontal? Who said wide-angle lenses should only be used for landscapes? Who said telephoto lenses should only be used for portraits and wildlife?
3. Know you camera and its limitations. If you have a compact "point-and-shoot" camera, learn to anticipate focus so that you don't 'miss the bus'. If you have an SLR, learn about photographic concepts (e.g. aperture, shutter speed) and use these concepts to your advantage in obtaining the effect that you desire.
4.And my biggest piece of advice yet, don't be afraid of anything. Just go out there and take photographs. The best way to learn how to photograph transport vehicles is by going out there and photographic them!
Regards,
Dave -
Originally posted by Powered_By_CNG:
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Originally posted by TIB958U:
Thanks =) can share some tips & tatics on getting a nice white balance for night shots? By experience if use I normal tungsten, can be quite yellow. My camera actually has this thingy to adjust colour balance manually, wonder if anyone here uses such a feature.
You got to try your luck for colour balance that you want. That's how I have tried. But not always you can get a nice colour balance. Depends on luck also. -
Sometimes take photo of bus a bit embarrassing, as the bus driver and other ppl might be staring at you and thinking "what is this guy doing?"
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Originally posted by jcqh:
Sometimes take photo of bus a bit embarrassing, as the bus driver and other ppl might be staring at you and thinking "what is this guy doing?"
one word to follow: ignore
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Originally posted by Powered_By_CNG:
Here's my advice.
1. Look for interesting subjects. This includes the foreground, the subject and the background. Don't simply take photos of the bus and "the bus only" as these shots are boring. Photos showing street scenes will be smiled upon in the future!
2. Don't be afraid to break all the rules of photography. Take photos at unusual angles. Experiment with perspective/point-of-view. Who said the horizon needs to be horizontal? Who said wide-angle lenses should only be used for landscapes? Who said telephoto lenses should only be used for portraits and wildlife?
3. Know you camera and its limitations. If you have a compact "point-and-shoot" camera, learn to anticipate focus so that you don't 'miss the bus'. If you have an SLR, learn about photographic concepts (e.g. aperture, shutter speed) and use these concepts to your advantage in obtaining the effect that you desire.
4.And my biggest piece of advice yet, don't be afraid of anything. Just go out there and take photographs. The best way to learn how to photograph transport vehicles is by going out there and photographic them!
Regards,
DaveGreat tips. Digital camera means there's neligible cost per shot, so go ahead and try that shot. Set your camera to take multiple shots every time you press the shutter, if possible.
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Originally posted by sgbuses:
Great tips. Digital camera means there's neligible cost per shot, so go ahead and try that shot. Set your camera to take multiple shots every time you press the shutter, if possible.
At the same time can collate all the multiple shots pictures and make a small animation with the pics in sequence :D -
Originally posted by sgbuses:
Great tips. Digital camera means there's neligible cost per shot, so go ahead and try that shot. Set your camera to take multiple shots every time you press the shutter, if possible.
thats what i do
increases the possibility of getting a better shot while decreasing the possibility of all shots failed 
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bump in case anyone got more tips to share
Reminder
If a picture is overexposed, turn down the exposure. Particularly when photographing in bright sunlight/sunset.
Overexposed on the side. Exposure was set at default +0.0
Turning down the exposure can produce a nice effect :D
But too much underexposure can make it go abit too dark
So there's a need to test the exposure before shooting a picture.
And using the experiences im planning to venture out to other areas of photography. -
Originally posted by TIB537B:
bump in case anyone got more tips to share
Reminder
If a picture is overexposed, turn down the exposure. Particularly when photographing in bright sunlight/sunset.
Overexposed on the side. Exposure was set at default +0.0
Turning down the exposure can produce a nice effect :D
But too much underexposure can make it go abit too dark
So there's a need to test the exposure before shooting a picture.
And using the experiences im planning to
venture out to other areas of photography.For the picture of 1984E you can pre-focus and meter (taking exposure level) using the road. Note that the road is similarly over-exposed, but slightly lesser than the side of the bus. Pre-focus is another fun way to ensure that you get the subject clear.
Buildings are always good to shoot, almost anytime in the year...
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Originally posted by TIB537B:
It looks like it has just snowed on the bus!
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Originally posted by TIB537B:
bump in case anyone got more tips to share
Reminder
If a picture is overexposed, turn down the exposure. Particularly when photographing in bright sunlight/sunset.
Overexposed on the side. Exposure was set at default +0.0
It all depends on how you shoot and the sunlight direction. If you focus much on the side, the front will be very dark, too much at the front, side will be overexposed. If you're able to focus more of to the center of dark and bright, the front wouldn't be too dark and side wouldn't be too overexposed.
But I don't recommend this kinda shot, don't look very nice, I prefer those good sunlight direction shot
Past experience:
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Need some help on choosing sunlight directions, just bought a camera from Courts Megastore.
"Olympus Fe-20" if I am not wrong, not trying to show off.
really need some good places to take pics of buses.Orchard rd is not a good one right?
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Originally posted by SBS8033D:
Need some help on choosing sunlight directions, just bought a camera from Courts Megastore.
"Olympus Fe-20" if I am not wrong, not trying to show off.
really need some good places to take pics of buses.Orchard rd is not a good one right?
Orchard Road too many vehicles le bah ... ... most probably you will end up missing loads of buses because there are cars blocking.For me I basically recommend Boon Lay Int because the sunlight is rather good (Depends on what time you go also because the sunlight will fall on the wrong side if you go there on the wrong time!) but most other ints are fine (except those within near vicinity of police stations and WRI due to the basic structure of the int). As for roads you can perhaps try WL Ave 4 (my fav spot) although there is just one lone service there but I know there should be a lot more better spots that the others can tell you because I don't really get out of Woodlands for bus spotting. Most of the time the sunlight should be right at that area, and go for these 2 bus stops (which is just opposite each other) because I find the background is the best among all the bus stops along that road:
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Originally posted by SBS8033D:
Need some help on choosing sunlight directions, just bought a camera from Courts Megastore.
"Olympus Fe-20" if I am not wrong, not trying to show off.
really need some good places to take pics of buses.Orchard rd is not a good one right?
Let's just start of with the Area around the nearest Bus Interchange to your home. =P -
Originally posted by Destined2REIGN:
Let's just start of with the Area around the nearest Bus Interchange to your home. =P
why am i thinking of a certain someone here... :P -
Originally posted by TIB1049L:
Orchard Road too many vehicles le bah ... ... most probably you will end up missing loads of buses because there are cars blocking.
Oh.. Why not?\
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Originally posted by SBS8033D:
Need some help on choosing sunlight directions, just bought a camera from Courts Megastore.
"Olympus Fe-20" if I am not wrong, not trying to show off.
really need some good places to take pics of buses.Orchard rd is not a good one right?
always welcome along bishan st 22. -
Originally posted by Stage:
always welcome along bishan st 22.Advertising ar? You advertise for free meh? LOL
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play with lightroom.
one of the best software i have ever used, to touch up my over/underexpose photos. correcting back the colours. adjusting the white balance. removing dark areas. contrasting the photo. yadaa yadaaa...
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Want some comments on the following pic I have taken just now:
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Originally posted by jayh272416:
why am i thinking of a certain someone here... :Plah, duh, dun say who. It's neither ftjj nor Bus&Soccer l0v3r
Dun really like taking pictures at Tampines Int area, esp under the MRT Track, think it's not a good place. Would wanna try Boon Lay sometime later coz now is my exams.
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Originally posted by SBS8033D:
Want some comments on the following pic I have taken just now:
can be better.try not to have the bus as the biggest subject. it looks so dull, but no offence.
disclaimer:
all my views are from what i see through my own lenses(eyes). if you feel that im provoking your work, i got no intentions liddat.im not promoting tintinspartan's work here, but if you can see, his pictures are more outstanding as he made use of whatever is available, to fit both bus and background together. if you wanna flame me for being friends with him, please proceed on.
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Originally posted by Interception_7:
can be better.try not to have the bus as the biggest subject. it looks so dull, but no offence.
disclaimer:
all my views are from what i see through my own lenses(eyes). if you feel that im provoking your work, i got no intentions liddat.im not promoting tintinspartan's work here, but if you can see, his pictures are more outstanding as he made use of whatever is available, to fit both bus and background together. if you wanna flame me for being friends with him, please proceed on.
Haha, thanks for ur comments. Will improve my shots, coz the speed is quite slow, i would say..... so I can take this only.
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Originally posted by Interception_7:
can be better.try not to have the bus as the biggest subject. it looks so dull, but no offence.
disclaimer:
all my views are from what i see through my own lenses(eyes). if you feel that im provoking your work, i got no intentions liddat.im not promoting tintinspartan's work here, but if you can see, his pictures are more outstanding as he made use of whatever is available, to fit both bus and background together. if you wanna flame me for being friends with him, please proceed on.
Are you that sure that his pictures are more outstanding? His pictures are not original as they are heavily edited. Stop praising his works and wake up to your own ideas la. Go ahead and learn from him, trust me, you wouldnt get it right.
here is two pictures i took.
