TLillie-Images

06/01/2026

FYI--Free ebook on composition

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1AgrBQ2q7G/

Demystify composition once and for all.

25/12/2025

Merry Christmas

23/12/2025

Are you like me and struggle with photographing birds?

Digital Photography School has offered great tips in this article

Want to capture amazing photos of birds? Master the art of bird photography with practical advice from experienced shooters.

14/12/2025

24/11/2025

From the Jon at Daily Photo Tips:

“The Reciprocal Rule, as it relates to photography, is something that can be used to calculate the approximate minimum exposure time that will reduce camera shake when shooting without a tripod or other mount.

It might sound a little complex but in practice, it is quite simple.

Its usefulness is profound because it works no matter what your focal length happens to be at the time.

The rule states that the slowest shutter speed which can be achieved handheld is “one” over your employed focal length.

This means that with a 50mm focal length the maximum shutter speed should not go longer than approximately 1/50th of a second.

When shooting at 85mm, the shutter speed shouldn’t run longer than 1/85th of a second.

At 14mm, a shutter speed of no more than 1/14th of a second should be used.

The focal lengths mentioned above are based on a full-frame camera. If you use an APS-C camera, you can adjust those numbers to match. For example 50mm on a crop-sensor (1.5x) is effectively 75mm, so your shutter speed needs to be at least 1/75th of a second. Like most other photographic principles this is one that also comes with its exceptions.

The most obvious is the unique steadiness (or unsteadiness) of your hands, followed closely by lens sharpness and camera type.

Still, this is one of the handiest practices that I have ever learned, and I am thoroughly confident that you will be just as well-served.”

12/11/2025

What do you love to photograph? I think I was about 10 years old when I discovered taking photographs of landscapes provided a true sense of connection to the world around me. It wasn’t long before I discovered that, “Prior planning prevents poor performance” or in this case poor photos

If you enjoy shooting landscapes, the good people at Digital Photography School have shared tips for planning a landscape photo adventure.

Looking to plan a landscape photography trip? Learn how to scout locations, how to think about the weather, how to pay attention to the sun, and more!

12/11/2025

Thank you Michigan Native Photography for sharing this guide. The current solar storm (November 11, 2025) is producing amazing auroras as far south as Indiana. The auroras were visible last night (11/11/25) and should continue tonight (11/12/25).

Here is my walk-through guide for photographing the Aurora with your smartphone or camera! Please share this to everyone and save this post so you don't forget!

*Tripod is recommended*

CAMERAS SETTINGS
- Find and select manual mode on your camera
- Shutter speed: Around 10 seconds is best if the auroras are far away and not moving fast. If the auroras are directly overhead and moving fast, 2 - 4 seconds is best.
- F stop: As low as it possibly goes for the lens that you are using. For example, my primary aurora lens goes down to F 2.8, and that's what I keep it at.
- ISO: This will depend on the quality of your camera. My ISO is normally between 800 - 1600 but you might have to go higher if your images are darker. Be aware that the higher your ISO is, the "grainier" your picture will look.
- RAW vs JPEG. I always use RAW if you are doing any real editing. JPEG is fine for those who don't plan on doing much to the photo.
- Turn off autofocus. Manually focus your lens to just below the crosshairs of infinity. This will give you better control to get sharp images.
- Unless you have a remote shutter, turn on a 2 second timer to avoid any camera shake.
That is the basic starting point for your cameras. From there, you can adjust the settings to get your images perfect.

IPHONE SETTINGS:
- Use Night mode (iPhone 11 and later) or manual mode (third-party apps).
- Set exposure: 3-10 seconds
- ISO: Start between 400 - 600 and adjust as needed
- Turn off flash
- Focus: Manual or Infinity
- Use a 3-second timer to avoid any camera shake
- Turn on RAW Max if it is available on your phone to get the best quality

ANDROID SETTINGS:
- Use Pro/Manual/Night mode
- Set exposure: 3 - 10 seconds.
- ISO: Start between 400 - 600 and adjust as needed
- Turn off flash
- Focus: Manual or Infinity
- Use a 3-second timer to avoid any camera shake
- Turn on RAW if it is available on your phone to get the best quality