September 2nd 2010
Posted under Misc
Arizona Political License Plate Bumper Sticker from Zazzle.com. I am working on many states, first Arizona , then on to Colorado, and many more!
September 2nd 2010
Posted under Making Money in Photography
Upload Once Sell Everywhere, iSyndica is a new service that allows you to manage your stock photos, and not only do they have storage, but this service allows you to submit your images to a multitude of stock photo sites all from one handy spot!
September 2nd 2010
Posted under MobileMe & iPhone Apps
Apple has just launched its MobileMe Gallery App for the iPhone and iPod Touch.
Easily view your movies and photos in your MobileMe account on your iPhone or iPod Touch with the click of a button. Simply enter your name and password and you’ve got instant access to your published albums and movies
The MobileMe Gallery App remembers which images you’ve viewed in the past, so you can view them again – without an internet connection. A nice time saver when you’re anxious to show your buddy the footage of the trip to Aspen while you’re kicking back at the bar with no WiFi.
Flick right or left to view the next or previous image, pinch to zoom, and turn sideways for landscape view.
Instantly view your friends’ public MobileMe Galleries by selecting them from your address book or entering their user name.
FEATURES
- View your entire gallery, even password protected and hidden items
- See your friends’ galleries
- See previously viewed images without going online
- Easily share albums and images with friends directly from your iPhone
To install, make sure you’re running OS 3.0.1 and download the app from the iTunes Store.
September 2nd 2010
Posted under iPhone Apps
The Gorillacam App for the iPhone will elevate your picture-taking abilities to the next level, allowing you to do things you never dreamt of doing with your iPhone (well, maybe you did but were frustrated that you couldn’t.)
Before I delve into all the fabulous things you can do this app, I will say that in order for these features to work the best, I recommend getting the Gorillamobile, a tripod with bendable legs which attaches to your iPhone. This allows hands-free photography, as well as a sturdy and safe place to station the IPhone, a must in low-light, group photos (where you’re in that group photo), and time lapse photography.
Here are some of the Gorillacam’s amazing features:
SELF-TIMER: You can set a custom delay time in the self-timer mode. Perfect for group photos. There is also an audible countdown option.
CONTINUOUS RAPID FIRE: Shoot as many continuous, rapid fire shots as you want at 1.6 frames per second (that’s really fast). Hold down the shutter as long as you want, and it’ll keep shooting and you won’t miss the action.
TIME LAPSE: Whoo hoo! This is my favorite features. Set the camera to take one picture every second up to one image every two minutes.
AUTO SAVE: No need to stop after each image and save it. – Gorillacam saves each and every image automatically, so you don’t have to stop shooting.
3-SHOT BURST: At the click of a button, take three photos in rapid succession.
GRID OVERLAY: A Rule of Thirds Grid is placed over the screen, helping you to improve your composition. It’s also great for lining up structures and the horizon.
BUBBLE LEVEL: Yes, it even comes with a level, which works in both vertical and horizontal shooting modes.
PRESS ANYWHERE SHUTTER: The entire screen is the shutter release, so you can press anywhere on the screen to take the picture.
SHARE: Easily share and upload your images directly from the app.
Now go out there and create something wonderful!
September 2nd 2010
Posted under Camera Reviews & Casio
Casio Exilim
This has got to be one of the coolest cameras I have seen yet! It is very exciting to see where digital photography is taking us! This camera shoots stills, but also shoots video, and while I typically tend to stick with stills, what you can do with the video could add a little pizazz to your portfolio! It is really difficult to explain, but it is sort of a stop motion, slow motion effect, here is a link to a photographer that has devised a technique for this http://www.stuckincustoms.com/stuckinmotion/.
Check it out there are some unbelievable videos on that site!
Casio Exilim EX-FH20 9.1 MP Digital Camera with 20x Optical Zoom and 3-Inch LCD (Black)
Below is a podcast that shows some info about this camera:
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?i=64095998&id;=110660001
Technical Details
- 9.1-megapixel high-speed CMOS sensor; shoot up to 40fps
- 20x optical zoom; High Speed Anti Shake with CMOS Shift Stabilization
- 3.0-inch Super Clear LCD
- High-speed movie capability; up to 1000 fps
- 31.9 MB built-in memory; capture images to SD/SDHC memory cards (not included)
Product Details
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Product Description
From the Manufacturer
From the Manufacturer With the Casio EX-FH20 you can capture an amazing 40 high resolution, 9.1-megapixel images in one second providing more images to choose from than a DSLR. Get close to the action with the 20 time optical zoom starting at 26mm wide-angle. A push of a button enables you to shoot high definition 720p video and switch to high speed slow motion video. You can capture in 30-210fps, 420fps, and 1,000fps. At 1,000fps you can catch movement that you cannot see with the naked eye.
Casio Exilim FH-20 Highlights
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| Select the continuous shutter speed of 1,3,5,10,15,30 or 40 images per second |
High Speed Burst Mode
Up to 40 fps at full resolution
The EX-FH20 can shoot at an amazing 40 frames per second in High Speed Burst mode. This allows you to capture up to 40 images with a single press of the button. After the images have been taken you simply save one, two or all of the images to capture the perfect moment.
High Speed Movies
Video Capture at up to 1,000 fps
The 1,000 frame-per-second High Speed Movie capabilities of the EX-FH20 is the next evolution of digital imaging. This feature allows you to easily shoot ultra slow-motion movies at speeds that have until now been available only on professional level cameras. Imagine capturing dramatic moments that cannot be seen by the naked eye, making the invisible visible. Settings for 210fps, 420fps and variable 30-210fps are also included with the camera. While 30-210fps is selected, you can toggle the movie recording speed between 30fps and 210fps, giving you the versatility to match recording speed to the action.
High-Definition Movies
DVD-quality video
The EX-FH20 lets you shoot beautiful 1280 x 720-pixel HD movies at a rate of 30 frames per second. After your video is recorded you can view it by connecting your camera directly to a Full HD TV for big screen viewing. The EX-FH20 also comes with USB cables and software that allows you to view your HD films on your computer or to burn them to a DVD.
Flash Continuous Shooting
Continuous shutter even where lighting is dim
Flash Continuous Shooting lets you shoot up to 10 continuous shots at a speed of up to 5fps, so even in low light you won’t miss the action.
20x Optical Zoom
Incredible zoom with digital stabilization
20x optical zoom combines with a CMOS shift stabilization for beautiful images even at high zoom factors where images are prone to blurring.
September 2nd 2010
Posted under Accessories & Storage and Backup
Drobo
Data Robotics Drobo 4-Bay USB 2.0/FireWire 800 SATA Storage Array DR04DD10
I just purchased a Drobo for my storage needs, and I must tell you it rocks! This little device will work on Mac and PC. Unlike some storage options, it allows for mix and match of hard drive sizes, only thing is they must be eSATA drives. I loaded mine with 4 -1 terabyte drives ( which are dirt cheap now!) This gives 3 Terabytes of storage, since a portion of that is dedicated to redundancy.
What I really like about this unit is it is expandable to 16TB ! If you compare prices to other storage options like a NAS it is priced very low in comparison.
Droboshare, Network Attached Companion for Drobo
Currently I am using it with my Mac and using the Firewire interface, but I also have the option to use USB, or with an extra Droboshare unit, I can add networking via Ethernet.
Drobo Bundle Deal! Drobo 4bay FireWire 800 & USB 2.0 Storage Enclosure & DroboShare NAS
Technical Details
- FireWire 800 (FireWire 400 compatible)
- Enhanced USB 2.0 performance
- Redundant data protection
- Hot expandable up to 16TB
- Mix n match drive capacities
Product Description
The safe, expandable Drobo storage solution protects your data against a hard drive crash, yet can expand dynamically at any time in just seconds. With nothing to configure or manage, Drobo is now the ideal solution for primary storage as well as backup.
September 1st 2010
Posted under iPhone Apps
In the words of the Hipstamatic itself, “Digital photography never looked so analog.”
And it’s true. The Hipstamatic iPhone app brings back the look and feel of those great, plastic film cameras of the good ol’ days.
If you don’t know an instamatic camera is or even how to load film into a camera, that’s okay. This app is still cool. For those of us who do remember, it’s even cooler. With the high film prices and even harder to find film types, the Hipstamatic is a great remedy for the film camera blues.
Here’s a run down of this baby can do:
Change your lens, flash, and film. With a little swipe of your finger, mix and match lenses, flashes, and film types.
Share your creations with your hip friends. Email prints or share your images right from the application on Facebook and Flickr.
Mod out your camera. Browse the HipstaMart and mod out your camera with new lenses, flashes, and film.
Standard equipment. The Hipstamatic comes with the John S Lens, the Jimmy Lens, the Kaimal Mark II Lens, the Standard Flash, the Dreampop Flash, Ina’s 1969 Film, and Kodot Verichrome Film.
Enter the Hipsta show. Every month, sometimes more, a contest is held for the best HipstaPrint. Win cool prizes, such as an iTunes gift card.
The Hipstamatic iPhone app is available on iTunes for $1.99, less than a roll of film!
September 1st 2010
Posted under iPhone Apps
If you’re on a budget and can only buy one iPhone photography application (or if your wife has put you on a budget and will only allow you to buy one photo app for your iPhone), this is the one to buy.
The Camera Plus Pro ($1.99) is an all-in-one photo and video app. Does both video and photography. Capture, edit, organize, share, and tweak your images from one, simple application.
This very functional, user-friendly application holds the tools both amateurs and enthusiasts need to produce high quality images. Aside from the basic crop and rotate features, you can Geo-tag your images, as well as adjust the brightness, contrast, curves, colors, and levels. Amongst other things, images can be dated, copyrighted, and even password protected.
Unlike other iPhone photography apps, Camera Plus Pro lets you capture an image at various resolutions:
Resolution settings for an iPhone 3GS:
Original: 2048 x 1536
Medium: 1024 x 768
Low: 512 x 384
Resolution settings for an iPhone 3G:
Original: 1600 x 1200
Medium: 800 x 6
00
Low: 400 x 300
FEATURES
- Record Video
- Geo-tag images
- Save images automatically
- Tap the display to focus
- Full-screen slide show
- Self-timer
- Anti-shake
- Grid lines
- Flash
- Crop
- Adjust
- Rotate
- Password protection
- Copyright
- Date images
September 1st 2010
Posted under iPhone Apps
There are hundreds of iPhone apps for photography and photographers. Some are really cool and others are just plain stupid. Sifting through it all, here are 10 free iPhone photography apps worth getting – and what have you got to lose, they’re all free.
1. GORILLA CAM
This app is amazing! With the help of the Gorilla Mobile (legs which attach to the iPhone which allow you to wrap your iPhone around objects), you can now do hands-free tasks which you could never do before!
FEATURES
- Self-timer
- Time lapse
- Unlimited Rapid Fire
- 3-Shot Bursts
- Grid Overlay
- Auto Save
- Press Anywhere Shutter Button
- Bubble Level
2. SPLASH OF COLOR
This iPhone application turns your photos into black and white images while keeping a selected object in color.
This application has a very simple user interface. It’s intuitive and easy to navigate making it a cinch to spice up your photos.
Choose any image in your camera roll. Splash of Color automatically changes the image into black and white. Paint in color with your finger on the objects you want. Don’t worry about mistakes, as there are unlimited undos, keeping track of all the things you did to the image from the moment you started.
Choose brush sizes and paint in color or black and white to further control the effect you want.
FEATURES
- Simple, yet refined user interface
- Undo (saves your every move from the very beginning)
- Paint in color Paint in black & white (to erase)
- Choose brush size
3. PHOTO2CONTACT
Hey, could you send me those photos?
Went to a party and took 50 awesome photos. 20 friends want them. One click and violå!
With Photo2Contacts, forget about emailing or posting photos to those who want copies from the wine tasting party. Simply hit SHARE and you’re done.
Photo2Contact automatically creates zip files containing the photos, posts them on a safe location and spread the word to your friends so they can download them.
They don’t have to belong to a specific social media network. Photo2Contact is the fastest and simplest way to share photos with friends and colleagues.
4. A+ CAMERA ZOOM
A+ Camera Zoom is a must. It’s both a functional and fun iPhone app which gives your iPhone camera zoom capabilities.
FEATURES
- 4X digital zoom
- Harp and clear image with anti hand shaking
- Independently control horizontal and vertical zoom capabilities, allowing for funny and Wacky experimentation
5. PHOTO SKETCH LITE
Photo sketch lite takes your images and turns them into realistic, high-quality sketches.
FEATURES
- Turn a low resolution image into a high quality print.
- Images look like hand-drawn sketches
- Choose from various drawing tools and surfaces, such as pencils, chalk, canvas, and graph
6. CROP FOR FREE
Crop for Free lets you easily crop your images.
FEATURES
- Crop your photos
- Retains image quality
- Rotate your photos
- Ability to crop multiple times before saving
7. GHOST CAPTURE
Do ghosts really exist? With Ghost Capture, you can insert a phantom into your picture and fool your friends.
Create realistic paranormal photos right on your iPhone. Choose an image from your album or take a new one right from Ghost Capture. Choose from creepy Victorian children, Civil War soldiers, faceless souls, and more. Submit them to a user gallery and enjoy the ghost hunt.
8. NIKON LEARN AND EXPLORE
Learn how to take better images with Nikon Learn and Explore: Photos tips, techniques, and terms.
FEATURES
- Browse video tutorials to both educate and inspire
- Learn the basics, get advice from the experts, and improve your photo skills
- Access to Nikon World, Nikon’s quarterly publication. Interviews, tips, and audio sideshows from the world’s top photographers
- Photography glossary
9. HP iPRINT PHOTO 2.0
Capture, edit and print your images all in one app! With HP iPrint Photo 2.0 you can send your images wirelessly to any HP printer with built in Wi-Fi network.
FEATURES
- Print high quality photos
- Super simple to use
- Automatic printer set up
- Print multiple sized images
10. GREEN SCREEN LITE
Just like a Hollywood green screen, with Green Screen Lite you can manually add any background image you want without a green screen.
FEATURES
- Automatically change backgrounds
- Apply backgrounds manually using a selection of tools
- Zoom in and out when editing your photo
- Choose backgrounds from your camera or from an image library
September 1st 2010
Posted under Digital Camera Tips
Make sure to get the full view –
Make sure to get in a way where you can get a full view of the sunset. One good way to do this would be to position yourself on a high point. Or another good tip is to take the shot of the sun reflecting off of the water, as it is going down. Try to catch the sunset in different, creative ways.
Take multiple shots –
Another great tip is, don’t stop shooting. Take multiple shots. This will enable you to get the most results out of that shot. You never know what you might just get!
Don’t forget about the clouds –
Clouds add a variety of things to sunset pics. They add color, dimension and make the picture just pop!
Off Center Shots –
Don’t think that all sunset pics need to be centered. Shot off center or take from a different angle. This will make for creating different effects.
Multiple Exposure Settings -
Try shooting the same pictures at different exposures. This way you can adjust it if it is under or overexposed.
Zoom In-
Take along a telephoto lens when shooting sunsets in order to make the sun larger and your pictures more stunning.
In Conclusion -
Sunset photos are a great to take. However, they can be challenging as well. Use the above tips, and you’ll be sure to get great results.
September 1st 2010
Posted under iPhone Apps
To date, I think The Photographer’s Ephemeris ($8.99) is the coolest and most useful photography application I’ve seen.
Before I delve into how fab this app really is, let us turn to the dictionary.
I had no idea what ephemeris meant, but once I did, I realized the power of this application.
e·phem·er·is [ih-fem-er-is]
1. a table showing the positions of a heavenly body on a number of dates in a regular sequence.
The Photographer’s Ephemeris tracks the sun and the moon through the sky. Using the latest astronomic algorithms, it can pinpoint exactly where the sun and moon will be at any given time, night or day, on any location on earth. In simpler terms, this app will show you where the light will be coming from, the angle of the light, and the intensity of the light on any location on the planet. Incredibly useful for photographer, professional and amateur a like, who shoot outdoors.
This app will help you plan your outdoor shoot, be it a landscape, cityscape, or location shoot.
The map-based approach means you are not limited to a list of pre-defined locations.
Search by location name, address, or move the pin on the map to your desired location.
Advanced features of this app provide automatic time zone and elevation adjustment, atmospheric refraction, and height above the horizon.
FEATURES
- Time and direction of sunrise and sunset
- Time and direction of moonrise and moonset
- Phase of the moon and percent illumination
- Times of civil, nautical and astronomical twilight
- Graphical display on a map
- Save any location you want – no fixed lists
- Automatic time zone detection for any location on earth
- Determines elevation above sea level
- View azimuth and altitude of sun/moon for any time of day/night
- Distance, bearing and elevation angle between any two points
- Find when the sun/moon will appear from behind a hill
- Compensation for atmospheric refraction
- Compensation for elevation above the horizon
- Does not require network connection for rise/set times and azimuths. (Note: maps and elevation do require a data connection)
By visiting the manufacture’s website, you can download the Photographer’s Ephemeris to use on your computer for free. This allows you to take it for a test drive before buying the iPhone version.
September 1st 2010
Posted under iPhone Apps
The AutoStitch Panorama iPhone App is a fully automatic image stitching program for the iPhone. It lets you shoot high-quality, wide angle, and panoramic images with your iPhone Camera. With the iPhone 3GS, you can create 20 megapixel images, and 5 megapixel images on earlier models. AutoStitch turns your iPhone camera into a wide angle, panoramic camera.
The AutoStitch Panorama is the only iPhone App which allows you to stitch together images shot in any order and in any orientation (vertical or horizontal) or a combination of both.
AutoStitch Panorama uses state-of-the-art technology to detect the parts of the images which overlap to generate the panoramic image.
When shooting images you want to use to create a wide angle or panoramic shot, be sure that some portion of every shot is overlapping with another, since this is the reference the application uses to piece together your images.
To stitch your images together:
- Select the photo album
- Choose the images you want stitched
- AutoStitch automatically begins to stitch the image together
- Save and Crop the image
FEATURES
- easy to use interface
- stitch together images taken from the same location, even if the orientation is different
- use 2 to 20+ images to create a single stitched shot
- crop final image
- create and view images at a high resolution
- works with any iPhone model (but not the iPhone Touch – sorry)
USER REVIEWS
User reviews of this app have been 95% positive. Most agree that it is very simple to use and the results are stunning. Some of the comments are:
“Outstanding!”
“…does not impose any saving restrictions. You can save the images as you want.”
“Excellent. Perfect in every way. Gives you the freedom to go out and stitch the world.”
September 1st 2010
Posted under Tips
September 1st 2010
Posted under Call for Images
September 1st 2010
Posted under iPhone Apps
FX PHOTO STUDIO
FX Photo Studio offers the most high-quality array of photo effects of any other iPhone Photography App to date. Sporting 125 photo effects including, Vintage, Black and White, Night Vision, Pencil Paint, False Mirror, Ghost, Neon Light, Hue Green, Ripped Glass, Rainbow Palette, Scary Face, Ancient Canvas, Steamy Window, Stardust Frame, Mosaic, Burnt Paper, Explosion, and Old Film Frame. You can mix and match and apply multiple effects, creating an unlimited number of possibilities.
You can also add frames around your images, such as flowers and butterflies or create a custom frame of your own.
With such a vast array of filters and effects, it really is the all-in-one photo-effect app.
FX Photo Studio has a simple, easy to use interface. Aside from the photo effects, you can also apply basic image editing adjustments such as cropping, brightness, saturation, and rotation.
- 125 Photo Effects
- 14 Different Categories
- Multistep undo
- Crop image
- Crop area rotation
- Rotate and flip image
- Brightness adjustments
- Filters previews
- Random filter selection feature
- You can add any filter to favorites
- Compatibility with iPhone OS 3.0 and OS 3.1
- Take Instant Photo feature (for iPhones only)
- You can easily import pictures from Photo Albums on your device
- Automatic rotation of picture imported with wrong orientation
- Portrait and landscape modes supported
- All resulting images can be saved to “Camera Roll” or “Saved Photos”
- High resolution support up to 2048*1600 pixels
- Upload resulting images to Twitter and Facebook from the app
- E-Mail image from the app
- Copy Image to Clipboard from the app for later use in others apps
- You can easily combine all filters with each other, creating infinite numbers of your own unique effects
- Intuitive, easy to use user interface designed by usability professionals
September 1st 2010
Posted under Studio Shooting
Shooting Still Lifes By William Lulow
The first thing to keep in mind when shooting a still life
Once you have your subject set up, the next step is to place your camera
Let’s assume you want to photograph a still life consisting of a bowl of fruit. This is a classical type of subject, one that the great masters of painting have done over and over. Since most of the objects are round, they lend themselves well to the application of light of many types. If we begin with the photoflood as a main light, we will create many interesting shadows and highlights within the scene. If you arrive at a pleasing setup and your one light is enough to give you the details in your photograph that you seek, you can actually stop right there. Look at the image in your viewfinder or on your camera’s
If you wish, you could then add a couple of more lights which would serve as highlights or “accent lights” to make the image “pop” a bit more. Let’s go back to our bowl of fruit for example. Once you have the main light and the fill-in light placed to give information about your still life
Back to the bowl of fruit: one way to make this subject stand out is to place your accent lights to either side of the subject and from the rear. This will create a highlight which will photograph as white against both the subject and the background effectively giving the fruit a kind of white line around it. This serves to make it stand out and gives dimension to the photograph.
September 1st 2010
Posted under iPhone Apps
Pano ($2.99) is an award-winning app that lets you stitch up to sixteen images together to create one amazing 360º image.
No other software is required to piece together these images to create a single image. The transparent guide lets you easily line up the previous image, giving you a perfectly panoramic picture.
Pano only works on the iPhone (sorry, iPod Touch users, you’re out of luck). Guess you’ll just have to get an iPhone.
AWARDS
- Listed as one of Apple’s Best Apps of 2009
- Winner of best photography app in the Best App Ever awards
- Top pick in O’Reilley’s Best iPhone Apps
- Make iLounge’s list of Top 100 iPhone Apps
FEATURES
- easy interface
- take 360º images
- stitch up to 16 images
- align each shot perfectly with transparency guide
- advanced color-matching, alignment, and bending technology
- saves directly to the camera roll
- panoramic sequence can be paused and restarted
CUSTOMER REVIEWS
I tried very hard to find a complaint, and I couldn’t find one. Everyone loves this, and loves that, and wow it’s so much better after the latest update, amazing app…
Really, everyone loves it.
September 1st 2010
Posted under iPhone Apps
Swanko Lab ($1.99) takes me back, man. Back to the days of working with smelly chemicals, tongs, and that oh-so-wonderful sensation of working in the darkroom.
This iPhone app takes you to the digital darkroom, sans messy chemicals. Choose from a selection of presets or mix and match your own photo chemicals to create retro-looking images.
SwankoLab includes eight magical photo-altering chemicals, a formula book, an embossed development tray, and a super cool hand-engraved box to store your photo supplies and prints in.
The standard photo supplies it comes with:
- SwankoDev A19
- SwankoDev H1N
- Fantabra Magic Warm
- Noir
- Grizzle Fix
- Flamoz Fixer
- Zero
- Vinny’s BLO4
- Vinny’s BL95
Customer Reviews
This app got great reviews from customers. Common compliments are the affordable price for what it does, its coolness, and lots of combination’s available.
Common customer complaints are that it crashes a lot, but this problem should be fixed with the next update. Although, some have claimed never to have had the app crash on them, so it’s a little iffy if the app will crash on your iPhone or not.
FEATURES
- 8 photo-altering chemicals
- formula notebook
- awesome developing tray
- hand-engraved box to store your photos in
September 1st 2010
Posted under Digital Camera Tips
(I wanted to call this article “Flashing Like a Pro,” but people might get the wrong idea.)
In my opinion, one of the things which distinguishes an amateur photographer from a professional photographer is one’s ability to use a strobe light (professionals refer to all types of flashes – even the one built into the camera – as strobes).
A strobe light is not just for shooting in low-light situations. In many cases, the worst thing you could do is use a strobe in low-light situations.
Many people just put their camera on automatic and shoot away, letting the camera make all the choices for them. They have no idea why the flash is going off or why it’s not. Or why the image is all washed out or why it’s too dark. All of this stems from a lack of understanding of how to use the on-camera flash and strobes in general.
If you’ve ever used a professional-grade DSLR, you may have noticed that there is no built-in flash.
There is a reason for that: it’s rare that professionals want the light coming from that angle.
When the on-camera flash goes off, it illuminates the subject from the same point of view as your lens. The end result is a very flat and unflattering image. The light is stark and flattens the facial features and erases depth.
By not having the on-camera flash, professionals can use a separate strobe and place it any where they like, thus creating depth, drama, and a more interesting lighting setup.
The secret to getting striking, professional images with a strobe is one, have a mastery of shutter speed and aperture, two, knowing when to use a strobe light, and three, understanding the effects of light from different angles and the effects they have on the subject.
SHUTTER SPEED AND APERTURE
Shutter speed, aperture, ISO, and the law of reciprocity are terms you know like the back of your hand. If you’re not quite clear of what these terms are, how they influence exposure, or how to change them, I suggest an evening at the library. There are so many wonderful books about photography to fill you in. A college textbook for intro to photography is also a good resource.
Don’t just google it. Reading a page in Wikipedia isn’t going to cut it. It may define it, but it won’t give you a grasp of it.
WHEN TO USE A STROBE & THE EFFECTS ON THE IMAGE
I lumped these last two together because they have an effect on each other. And the learning process is very similar.
Knowing when to use a strobe light comes with time, experience, and looking at lots and lots of images (yours and the pro’s). Make it a habit to go to Borders or your favorite book store for a few hours every week. Look through magazines and photography books and see what the pros are doing. Some of my favorite publications are GQ, Vanity Fair, Clear, and American Photo because of their innovative photography.
There are a myriad of publications on flash photography. My favorite resource is Half.com. Make it a point to be actively reading and looking at new information on photography. Learn new skills and techniques. And for Heaven’s sakes, don’t put your camera on auto and expect your images to improve.
September 1st 2010
Posted under Lighting
Outdoor lighting is booth a blessing and a curse. I have developed a love/hate relationship with it. But in the end, love conquers hate.
The hate comes the fact that you can’t control outdoor lighting in the same way you can control studio lighting. I can’t control whether it’s going to be sunny or overcast, for example, but I can learn how to shoot in these capricious weather conditions.
CLEAR SKIES AND SUNNY
Most amateur photographers have the misconception that the best day to do portraits is when is the sun is out, shining full blast, in the middle of the day. How do I put this lightly? Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.
The worst possible condition for shooting portraits is in the middle of day when the sun is at its strongest. This is because:
1.The bright sun creates harsh, unflattering shadows on the subject(s). These shadows are the worst under the eyes and nose. This makes the eyes look hallow and your subject look like a character from a B horror film.
2.This same harsh lighting causes the subject to squint, make funny faces, and feel uptight. Everything you don’t want. Your subject will feel uncomfortable and awkward.
These issues cannot not be resolved. You can’t just fix it later in Photoshop, nor can your just whip out a fill flash or bounce card.
When the sun is directly overhead, there is little you can do.
If you’re shooting mid-morning, you may be able to work around the bright sun by moving yourself or your model around to see how the light and shadows fall on the subject.
But, you don’t always have the luxury of shooting in the early morning or early evening, or postponing the shoot until tomorrow. If you are shooting in full sun, here are some ideas of things to try to make it work.
1.Set up the shot so the person’s face isn’t the focal point, such as the subject laying on her stomach at the beach, hair falling forward. She is parallel to the camera, so the interest is in her entire body, the sun bouncing off her skin, her bright bikini. Since her hair is falling forward, it doesn’t really matter that her face has weird shadows on it.
2.Don’t photograph the face at all. By having the person turn around the their back is in full sun, you can capture the lines of her shoulder blades or a big chunky necklace.
SUNRISE, SUNSET
When shooting outdoors, it’s best to shoot either at sunrise or sunset. The simple reason for this is that the light produced by the sun at these times is much more flattering.
By taking advantage of the low position of the sun, you get a direct, even light with no harsh shadows. It also allows you to get that wonderful Rembrandt lighting by turning your model so light hits them at a 45º angle.
Side lighting is a wonderful way of creating a dramatic portrait, with half of the model’s face in the shadows. Something to keep in mind when using side light is to be aware of the shadows cast on the face. For example, a long strand of hair could be casting an ugly shadow against the subject’s face.
Take advantage of back-lighting your subject. By placing the subject between you and the sun, a wonderful golden rim of light will surround your model.
OVERCAST, CHANCE OF SHOWERS
An overcast sky is my favorite type of lighting for doing portraits because the clouds act like a giant lightbox, creating even, soft lighting. This diffused lighting casts no shadows on the model’s face and bathes everything in flattering, low contrast bath of light.
One thing you shouldn’t do is shoot the subject in the shade with a sunny background. This will underexpose the subject, and overexpose the background.
THE BACKGROUND
The background of an image is just as important as the subject matter. It should complement your image, not distract from it.
Just as you took the time to plan and arrange how to photograph your subject, the same needs to be done for the background. If a lot is going on behind your subject, it will be distracting and ruin the shot.
When looking at the background, you should ask pay attention to shapes, lines, colors, lighting, and objects. Ask yourself, What are the shapes doing? Are the colors harmonious with my subject or distracting? How are the lines leading the eyes through the image? It is important that you begin to training your eye to pick up on the things going on in the background. The obvious things to look for are lines (such as poles) intersecting with the subject in a distracting way, such as a branch which appears to be sticking out of the person’s head.
Colors do the same thing. A splotch of red in the background when everything else is neutral will stand out like a sore thumb.
Adjusting the depth of field is also something you should be aware of. Leaving the camera on Automatic mode gives all the decision making control to the camera, which you don’t want. Make some decisions about the background – how much of the background do you want in focus (depth of field, controlled by aperture) – and then put the camera on Aperture Priority. It’s important to keep in mind, also, that having a narrow depth of field does not mean you can ignore the background.
