How to Balance Strobes with Sunlight in Photography

Posted on January 29, 2012 by Master Photographer

As photographers, we are always trying to capture photographs that pop. That is, images that combine depth and fine details. This short clip explains how to mix strobe lighting with ambient light to achieve just the right feel:

In this video tutorial, Jay P. Morgan demonstrates how to effectively use strobe lights to enhance the natural light of the sun. The lesson starts with a recap of essential exposure information, such as always working in manual mode to gain full control of the exposure settings. Morgan also suggests starting on an ISO of 160 and make needed adjustments as the sun sets. For this photo shoot, the aperture was set to f8 which was maintained throughout the day and a light meter was used to determine the proper shutter speed. In this case, the exposure time was set to 1/30th of a second, again adjustments were made as the natural light changed. One last piece of of equipment Morgan used was an iPhone app called Sun Secrets, which helps photographers determine the suns locations at any given point of the day, enabling them to shoot at times in which the natural light is at its best.

Balancing Strobes with Daylight

After a the brief rundown of exposure details, Morgan explains to viewers the strobe light setup he used, detailing the location of each strobe and the effect it gave the photograph. His setup is as follows:

A single rim light, set at f8, was placed at camera left and aimed at the two subjects of this photograph. The purpose of the rim light is to outline the subjects and help separate them from the background.
A backlight, also at f8, was placed directly behind the subjects, just past the first rim rim light. This light was used to brighten the brick wall behind the subjects, creating depth.
Two strobe lights (f8) were used to light the broadside of the moving truck that is seen in the photographs to brighten it up and add interest. The light nearest the end of the truck not only lights the tailgate, but also serves as a brightener for the moving crate and the front side of the two subjects.
A second rim light (f8) was concealed on camera right from behind the truck to give the two subjects that last bit of pop from the background.
The last strobe used for this shoot was set on camera right and pointed at the building behind the subject to help brighten it and balance it with the rest of the image.

In summary, Morgans stresses the importance of using your aperture to control your strobe lighting and shutter speed to control the effects of the ambient light.

For Further Training on Supplemental Lighting in Photography:

These are the best books I have found; they contain extremely valuable information designed to help you learn and master the complicated art of adding artificial light to photography.

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Photographer for TIME Magazine’s Person of the Year: The Protester

Posted on January 28, 2012 by Master Photographer

In this nine minute documentary, the making of TIME magazines “The Protester” is chronicled. The Protester, which was included in TIME’s Person of The Year issue, is a series of photographers taken by TIME staff photographer, Peter Hapak, which showcases protesters involved with the Occupy movement across seven countries. You can see the film here:

Hapak briefly touches on techniques he used to capture the portraits, including a humorous account of bribing one particular subject with breakfast sausages. The behind the scenes look is narrated by the photographer himself and shows viewers clips of the photo shoots conducted throughout the course of the project.

time the protester

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Fine Art Photography

Posted on January 27, 2012 by Master Photographer

Photo captured by alihankamis (click image to see more from alihankamis)

How do you proceed to grow and develop as a fine art photographer? Basically, regular use of your camera with deliberate intent, while paying attention to the following, is what brings it about.

1. Pursue the Goal:

To make images that stir the viewer’s thinking and emotions.

2. Develop Your ‘Seeing’ Skills:

Its the first and most important skill that you need to learn.

‘Seeing’ exercises: Set aside 45 minutes from time to time around your home, with your camera and a subject that has your sustained interest. Relax for a few minutes then start taking pictures. Study part of your subject for a moment or two, then re-focus on another part of your subject and study it for a while. Become aware of colors and shapes. See how many details you can find. Then note the following:

Personal responses: You’re ‘tuning in’ to your feelings/thoughts to locate the subject matter, or portion of it, with most personal interest for you.
Impression: look at your chosen subject matter, or any part of it, and see it simply as a geometric shape or an arrangement of geometric shapes. Note the position where things look most graphically appealing.
Expression: What does the subject matter seem to express in the way of: Sensation; rough/smooth? hot/cold? sharp/dull? hard/soft? moving/still? Etc. And Emotion & Mood: love/hate? joy/sadness? anger/delight? peace/turmoil? Tranquility/disturbance? Respond with your perceptions of sensation and emotion.
Meaning: What ideas does the subject matter seem to suggest? Respond with your intellect.
Subject Theme: In view of your personal responses, the graphic impression, what is expressed and seems to be said, decide upon a subject theme, the main idea/feeling you wish to convey to the picture-viewer.

3. Develop new Fresh Ways of ‘Seeing’:

You can get into a visual rut of looking for the same old subject matter and then photographing it in the same old way, producing yet again the same old kind of pictures, etc. You become bored, and find yourself in the doldrums. When this happens, or better yet, before it happens, you need to know what to do about it.

A good way to break habitual ‘seeing’ rules that gain unwanted control over your picture-making is to, first of all, write them down. Next, with list in hand, make about 40 pictures while deliberately contradicting your visual ‘habit’ rules.

"A.L.O.N.E" captured by Donald Jusa (Click Image to See More From Donald Jusa)

When you examine the resulting images keep an open mind. Remember, you’re looking for new ideas so look for either images you strongly like or dislike. Then take some time to figure out in each case what makes you feel that way, and how you might go about making more similar-but-improved pictures. Bear in mind, you want to be sensitive, and open, to chance.

Finally, be sure to apply the new things you learn as soon as possible. And remember that the exercise above, for thinking and ‘seeing’ in new ways, can be done almost any time and anywhere, not just when you’re taking pictures. Performing this exercise from time to time will keep you out of a rut in your fine art photography and also help you find new ways of ‘seeing’ and making fine art photographs.

4. Develop Your Imagination:

Making fine art photographs involves the use of free imagination; Enrich your imagination by going to art galleries and studying art in various media, and noting your Personal Responses, the Graphic Impression, Expression and Meaning. Practice pre-visualizing before going out to take pictures; imagine yourself taking pictures, see the resulting pictures, fantasize photo-adventures, etc. Start a train of photo thought just before going to sleep and then ‘sleep on it’. In these ways you can develop your imagination.

5. Practice Isolating and Choosing:

Making fine art photographs also involves:

Isolating – separating the various parts of the subject matter from the whole; looking at a subject and noting: 1) what evokes your ‘personal responses’ 2) what constitutes the elements of ‘impression’, ‘expression’, and ‘meaning’. You can, and should, try to improve in your abilities to isolate by means of practice, and you can practice almost anywhere, anytime.

"Inception" captured by Stephan Chee (Click Image to See More From Stephan Chee)

Choosing – picking out the essential subject matter elements from everything else, in order to bring about the most effective arrangement within the picture, through camera position, focal length, depth of field, shutter speed, over/right-on/under-exposure, etc

6. Incorporate ‘Expression’ and ‘Meaning’:

With regard to your subject matter’s inherent ‘expression’ and ‘meaning’, it comes about through symbolism. You need to become acutely aware of the symbolism(s) inherent in any subject matter. Such are called ‘symbols of content. ‘You also need to become aware of those symbolisms that can arise within your picture because of the way you choose to photograph the subject matter, ‘symbols of style’. The symbols of ‘content’ and ‘style’ have to work together. An analogy; the words of a marriage proposal (content) and the tone/inflection of voice used (style) must go well together, being ear-pleasing (‘impression’), having appropriate feeling (‘expression’), and clearly expressed thoughts (‘meaning’), for effective communication of a main, central idea – ‘will you marry me?’ (‘subject theme’).

Expression: Bear in mind that people in general respond with different sensations/emotions to different shapes, textures, lines, tones, colours, patterns, etc on the basis of qualities they perceive in them. Thus, a picture of snow can express the sensation of cold or the emotion of sadness. There is something inherent in the snow’s shapes or color that evokes a sense of coldness, or sadness. Through color and shape, etc we recognize the expression of sensations and feelings or moods. Whenever something draws your interest, try to notice first the inherent expression. Respond to your subject matter with your perception of sensations, emotions and moods.

Meaning: Not only do people respond with perception of different sensations/emotions to the visual elements in subject matter, but they also respond with perception of different ideas about them. Thus, a picture of a mountain may suggest ideas such as majesty, permanence or isolation. So, try to notice inherent meaning in your chosen subject matter. Respond mainly with your intellect to this aspect of the subject matter.

7. Exercise Control by Awareness of Photography’s Unique Properties:

There are a number of fundamental characteristics of photography that distinguish it from other visual media, and you need to be aware of them when making pictures:7.

Photo captured by Abhishek Srivastava (Click Image to See More From Abhishek Srivastava)

An existing object always in front of the camera.
Ability to precisely render detail.
Choice of the moment of picture taking.
The speed of exposure.
Can take advantage of fortuitous events.
Complete dependance on light
Camera sees some objects differently from the human eye, because we mentally correct distortions while the camera does not.
Different camera lenses see space in different ways.

As a fine art photographer you must examine the picture carefully through the viewfinder in order to preview what the camera will record and be sensitive to any elements that will not be recorded as the eye perceives them. Then you can consider whether or not they need to be corrected and, if they do, how to go about doing it.

8. Employ the Basics of Good Compositions:

The fine art photographer’s thinking and efforts to visually arrange a picture’s various elements within the camera’s view-finder, according to the principles of visual design to effectively communicate what he sees, feels, and thinks, in connection with the subject matter, doing so simply, freshly, and to as many as possible.

Elements: The graphic components, basic visual things, that make up a picture. Keep in mind that each of these elements not only contributes to the ‘impression’ of a picture but also to the ‘expression’ and ‘meaning’ as well. The components are: Lines, Shapes, Tones, Colors, Mass, Space, Texture, Perspective

Principles: The basic guidelines that need to be applied in making a fine picture:

Subject Theme: The paramount principle. At the very outset of making fine art photographs the selection of an appropriate ‘subject theme’ is essential. It is a thematic idea which can readily underlie the subject matter, and is developed or elaborated upon in a picture of the subject matter. Making an extended,detailed, and specific word description of things is the quickest, most helpful, and practical means of deriving an appropriate subject theme.

Order: Organization of the picture to bring about simplicity and clarity to the overall impression,expression, meaning and subject theme.

Dynamics: contrasts of any sort produce tension, and bring dynamics into a picture; a sense of force,vitality, life, etc; much of it is already present in the the subject matter with all of it’s inherent contrasts (inlines, shapes, tones, colours, etc) – the challenge is simply to control, direct and organize them.

Dominance: some aspect of the composition influences it more strongly than all other aspects. The dominant part of a photograph is often called the centre of interest.

Balance: there are two kinds of balance; symmetrical(formal) – conveys regimented formality, stiffness, staticness, etc, and asymmetrical(informal) – is more dynamic, with tension between objects of different size, colour, shape, etc. Balance may be achieved either through the ‘impression’ of objects in the picture,or through their ‘expression’ and ‘meaning’ in the picture.

Proportion: has to do with the relative size of objects in the picture space. The proportion of space allocated to a major object in relation to that given a minor one

Pattern/Rhythm: are closely related. A pattern is a specific configuration of visual elements – a design. Rhythm involves repetitions of a pattern, at regular intervals. It brings both order and a sense of the dynamic to a picture

Deformation: the deforming (altering the overall shape) of visual elements which makes them unstable,creating tension. It can also create perspective (the impression of depth) in the picture or subject matter.Both camera position and lens choice affect deformation strongly.

"265 of 365 – Sparkling Seedhead" captured by Linda L (Click Image to See More From Linda L)

9. Use Various Approaches, Types and Avoid the Pitfalls of Formulas:

Picture Approaches: there are three basic approaches to composing fine art photographs:

- The Introspective approach: in which primarily your personal feelings and ideas for the subject matter determine the picture’s design and composition.

- The Extrospective approach: in which, regardless of your natural response to the subject matter, you’re guided solely by the subject matter’s inherent visual characteristics in determining picture composition.

- The Ambispective Approach: an approach which is some combination of the two foregoing approaches. It is the best approach and the one to use most often.

Picture Types: A fine art photograph may be one of the following types as determined by the artist:

- Documentary; the picture’s emphasis is on simply portraying the subject matter, transmitting visual information about it as accurately as possible.

- Interpretive; the picture’s emphasis is on conveying the artist’s feelings and thoughts about the subject matter, which can result in a very impressionistic image.

- A Combination; picture emphasis is some combination of interpretive and documentary

Picture Formulas: Do not turn your fine art photography into a set of technique formulas. It will stifle intuition, and emotional input, and put technique ahead of ‘expression’ and ‘meaning’.

10. Watch for the Interesting and Practice Composition:

Always watch for things that excite your interest. When something does so, examine it closely and begin verbalizing, ‘What is it that attracted me?’ Visually explore the subject matter and give thought to the subject matter’s impression, expression, and meaning, etc, all the while verbalizing to yourself as you do so. Decide on a picture-making approach and a particular picture-type.

"On The Fence" captured by Tony Taffinder (Click Image to See More From Tony Taffinder)

With the ambispective approach you will proceed by crystallizing and condensing:

your personal thoughts and feelings about the subject matter;
what is the most graphically appealing aspect of the subject matter;
what the subject matter inherently expresses; and
what the subject matter inherently says, into a concisely worded subject theme, while seeing in your mind’s eye a final picture which nicely and effectively conveys it. Your chosen subject theme serves as your primary guidance for all of the compositional efforts that follow.

11. Continually make Pictures:

The most important thing you can do with your camera is use it. By shooting a few minutes every day, you’ll develop your skills and abilities as a fine art photographer, and soon have an extensive collection of fine art photographs. Otherwise, you will lose your skills and ability. To have the joy of doing good work, and growing as a fine art photographer, you have to continually make pictures!

About the Author:
John Maxymuik authored this article for those photographers who want to transition into fine art photography. To see examples of John’s art photography go to his art photography website at: http://ambienceimages.net.

For Printing Special Photos on Canvas, PictureCorrect Suggests:

Canvas People is offering a free 8×10 canvas print of any photo you choose as a way to try out their service. You can get the free 8×10 or receive $55 off a larger print – your choice. If you have ever wanted to try printing one of your favorite photos on canvas, this is a very good opportunity, not sure how long this offer will last. The only cost is shipping and handling (which was $14.95 for my order shipped to California). The Canvas Print Offer Can Be Found Here

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Manhattan, New York Time-lapse Photography

Posted on January 26, 2012 by Master Photographer

With the help of a Canon 5D MKII, two Canon 7D‘s, a 16-35mm 2.8L lens, and the 24mm TS lens – Rochester, New York based photographer, Josh Owens edited together a four minute time lapse of New York City. Owens was able to secure prime vantage points at 12 hotels and various other Manhattan locations to create the film.

He used the Dynamic Perception dolly rig, opting to upgrade from the standard MX2 intervalometer to The Little Bramper to control exposures. Owens speaks highly of The Little Bramper’s ability to make smooth exposure transitions when shooting during both day and night.

“This is a device that slowly ramps the shutter speed up or down over time while the camera is in bulb mode.” Owens used the 6-foot rail that comes with the dolly in addition to a 9-foot rail, which Owens says “was originally 12-feet but, I had to trim it in order to fit it into cabs/elevators etc.”

Manhattan Time-lapse

Only a short segment of the footage was captured on the 7D, with over 95% of the time lapse film done on the Canon 5D MKII. Owens says he was able to achieve the motion blur during daylight hours, “using Neutral Density filters which limit the amount of light that hits the sensor allowing you to use longer shutter speeds.” All of the editing was done in Adobe Lightroom and Adobe Affter Effects, taking over two hours to render the footage at 1080.

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Portrait Photography Basics

Posted on January 25, 2012 by Master Photographer

"sssttt…." captured by Tonny (Click Image to See More From Tonny)

Are you looking for portrait photography tips so that you can improve your picture taking skills?

At first thought, portrait photography would seem easy, yet the results are often disappointing.

Many of our pictures often include people, and whether you are photographing a model, taking a family photo, or capturing some candid shots while on vacation, you have probably discovered that great photography is a little more than just pointing a camera and pushing a button.

In fact, a really good photo should convey the subject’s character and personality, and communicate something distinct or identifiable about who they are as a person. Following a few key tips will help you learn how to take great portraits so you will never be disappointed again.

1. Choose the appropriate setting

The first step in taking portraits is to find out what the subject or family wants.

What is the model’s personality or the attitude of the family? Are they outgoing, serious, or funny? What are they trying to create with the photo? What mood are they wanting to convey? Or, what are the reasons for having the photos taken?

When you answer these questions, you will be able to choose an appropriate setting accordingly. Settings can vary from a formal indoor environment, to a more casual outdoor location, a family home, a studio, or even a subject’s workplace.

Also, when considering backgrounds, remember that the focus should always be on the subject, so choose a setting that is passive or complements and enhances the theme and mood of the photograph.

2. Consider lighting

Lighting can change the mood and effect of any photograph, and when taking portraits, natural lighting is best, so whenever possible, take these pictures outdoors or by a window.

It is important to be aware of lighting and shadows as you want to flatter your subjects, not draw attention to wrinkles or imperfections. Also, keep in mind that flash lighting can cause red eye and may also produce boring, clinical photographs.

Photo captured by Thomas Jeppesen (Click Image to See More From Thomas Jeppesen)

Rather than looking like the typical, uninteresting school pictures, you want your photos to be creative and intriguing so they capture people’s attention and express the subject’s personality. Experiment with lighting by trying some silhouetting, use soft lighting for a more romantic mood, or schedule a sunrise photo shoot.

3. Pose subjects well

When taking portraits, it is important to give your models clear instructions. Sometimes the best positioning may feel a little awkward or unnatural, so if you need your subject to tilt their head to the left or drop their shoulder down a little, you must communicate exactly what you want.

Positioning the head and body at different angles will give you some variety in your shots and make your photos more interesting. It is important that you make the subjects feel comfortable, so take a few minutes to get to know them and put them at ease.

If you can understand a little of their personality, you may get a better idea on how to pose them. Pay attention to expressions, body language, and other traits and try to pose the models so you can capture some of these identifiable features. Also, you should ask your clients what type of pictures they are hoping for because this may help you determine different poses that will add to the creativity and mood of the photos.

4. Use the right camera settings and lenses

For portraits, it is best to use an optical zoom and the widest possible aperture. By changing the shutter speeds and aperture values you can vary the images by having the entire frame in focus, making subjects appear sharper, or blurring backgrounds.

Photo captured by Jan Michael Vincent V Castillo (Click Image to See More From Jan Michael Vincent V Castillo)

Use a tele lens to soften backgrounds, create distortions, or take pictures from a distance. Making the right equipment choices will help improve the quality and variety of your portraits.

5. Vary viewpoint or perspective

As a photographer you must learn how to think outside the box. With the resources available today, boring, posed photos will not make much of an impression. Creativity it the key! Most pictures are taken at eye level, but by changing the angle you can make your images much more powerful.

Take photos from above or below, have the subject lay on the floor, or climb a tree or ladder. If you are taking a group photo, vary the level or positions of the individuals, and experiment with framing by having subjects off to the side or on an angle rather than centered. Play with eye contact by having models look away from the camera or asking subjects to look at each other or objects within the photo. If the situation allows, have fun! You may just discover something both beautiful and unique that captures personality and displays quality.

6. Be prepared

One of the best tips to taking great portraits is to be prepared. Being professional, organized, and confident puts people at ease and will make the photo sessions run smoothly and efficiently.

Whether you are a professional photographer or an amateur just wanting to capture some memories of family vacations and special events, many of your photos will likely include people. By following these few portrait photography tips, you can learn to take great pictures that will be beautiful, natural, and studio quality.

"Asya All" captured by Alexei Jurchenko (Click Image to See More From Alexei Jurchenko)

About the Author:
Mia Rose is a photographer and the creator of Basic-Photography-Tips.com and has been creating stunning photo art for the past ten years. Get more creative portrait photography tips and tricks from her Web site.

For Further Training on Portraiture, PictureCorrect Suggests:

Professional photographer Edward Verosky has released two eBooks designed to help photographers with advanced portrait photography concepts:

These eBooks are now available through Edward Verosky’s website:

They contain unique information on how to beyond the rules of conventional portraiture with creative ideas and guidelines for developing your own unique style.

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Self Portrait Every Day For 12 Years: Capturing a Journey Through Life

Posted on January 24, 2012 by Master Photographer

By the time you read this, Jeff Harris will have taken considerably more than 4748 self-portraits. For New Year 1999, rather than resolve, to write a diary for the year, Jeff set himself the task of taking a self-portrait every day. The result is an incredible record of his life through the ups and some very significant downs, not just for a year,but for the last 12 years:

In his own words, at first his shots were somewhat boring and repetitive, but using photography as a tool, he found increasingly interesting and creative ways to portray his life. The initial focus on the project was to attempt to show his life as not being a mundane 9-5 existence but to show him enjoying life to the full. As well as getting friends and family to take a shot, one of the more unique aspects to his visual diary is getting celebrities to take his picture. His creativity particularly shines through in some of these pictures, as he tries to convey the character of the celebrity through the portraits they have taken of him. In one particularly interesting series of shots, he poses as if to avoid being photographed. The photographer is Michael Moore, the renowned documentary filmmaker.

The fluidity of the story is another theme running through Jeff’s pictures. In one shot, he can be seen leaping high in the air on a rock band’s stage. In the next shot we see him the emergency room being treated for a fractured foot sustained during the leap. Further daily images show Jeff’s daily routine barely changing despite being on crutches.

Self Portrait Every Day for 12 Years

“It gives me something to strive for, if there’s a fence I’m going to climb it, if there’s a river I’m going to canoe down it, but I’m still going.” -Jeff Harris

In 2008 Jeff was diagnosed with cancer, yet throughout this incredibly traumatic time in his life, he continued his one a day self-portrait project, using it as a type of therapy, a constant in his life during a time of incredible changes. He even persuaded his doctor to take images during surgery and recorded his entire experience of treatment and recovery. The surgery has left Jeff permanently paralyzed in his left leg and he is now confined to crutches yet he continues his project, trying to convey the image of a fully able-bodied person he pushes himself to do things that many would think beyond his ability. Jeff’s incredible journey and dedication to recording it has become an inspiration to many people around the world.

For Further Training on Self-Portraiture:

There is an eBook available called The Art of Self-Portraiture: Discover how to Take Stunning Self Portraits by Anna Gay; designed to empower you to break your own creative and technical boundaries. This journey into self-portraiture will hone your practical skills while illuminating aspects of yourself. If you’re not satisfied that it is helping your photography within 60 days just let them know and they will refund your money in full.

It is currently available here: The Art of Self-Portraiture

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Moving Time-lapse Photography Tutorial

Posted on January 23, 2012 by Master Photographer

Time-lapse photography has always been a magic process where time is condensed and the familiar process of time experience is dramatically changed. Processes such as plants growing, a building being constructed, or an entire city changing through the cycle of a day and night, have become the subject of creative, expressive videos or films. Once you master time-lapses where the camera is stationary, you might wonder how professionals create sequences where the camera moves through a scene. These tutorial videos offer some helpful clues:

Many motion dollies are hitting the market now as time-lapses grow in popularity and these videos show how to use one such dolly called the Stage Zero and MX2 DollyEngine from Dynamic Perception, a portable system designed to assist photographers and videographers to create time lapse photos and videos that are smooth and glitch free. The video goes through the steps of using the rail system for movement.

At the start of the video, the machine is already partially assembled with components attached to the six foot rail. There is a different assembly video on the Dynamic Perception website that shows how to assemble the motor, cart and belt. These items are ready to go in the hands-on video, as it shows the photographer attaching the rail to the matched pair of tripods for support, using quick release plates commonly found on video heads.

Once the system was assembled, the video showed the steady, smooth motion provided by the engine and precise control via the digital controls. The photographer states the noise of the engine could be a factor in creating video. In every case it is best to set up your camera in manual mode or semi-manual mode so that the camera does not keep trying to focus or adjust the exposure during the time-lapse. Changes in focus and exposure can cause some unwanted effects and interrupt the smooth flow of the finished images.

In continuous motion mode, the motor moves the camera smoothly along the rail without stopping. The video outlines a method for calculating correct setting for the speed of the motor to get the effect you want. The resulting settings were achieved with the digital control system. The second video covers “shoot move shoot” mode (SMS). In the SMS mode the motor will move the camera, activate the shutter, then move the camera again; the length of the pause time can be set with the control.

This second hands-on video shows how to create Shoot Move Shoot (also known as Interleave) time-lapses using the same equipment. The demonstrator explained, “Shoot, move shoot is better for long exposures and long intervals while continuous mode will give better results with short exposures and short intervals.” He used the example of astronomical photography for SMS mode and 24 fps video in continuous mode.

Next, the video showed how to change the mode to SMS. There are two SMS (interleaved) modes available, fixed and calculated. Fixed is recommended for beginning users and the video walked though the steps required to set it up. Once in SMS mode the display main screen will not show speed, but reads distance in inches per shot. After a reminder about manual mode settings on the camera, the video gives detailed instructions on how to calculate the different settings required. This includes a useful technical explanation of setting exposure time to give your camera sufficient time to process and save each image on to the memory card, so shots are not missed during the time lapse.

Exposure Time + Exposure Delay + Motor Move = Movement Interval

How to avoid moving the camera during an exposure is the next topic: The formula of Exposure Time + Exposure Delay + Motor Move = Movement Interval is given and explained. The MX2 programming instructions to enter these first three values are very complete and the engine has been pre-programmed to set the minimum movement interval. The minimum movement interval calculates the input, then will only go to the minimum setting that will give a good result, but the photographer is free to set the interval to a longer time amount.

As time-lapse videos continue to capture the amazement of viewers, production efforts are growing. Adding motion has been a key element in the success of many popular artists such as Terje Sorgjerd who is currently traveling the world producing a nature series of landscape time-lapses.

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Photography Lessons Learned in 2011

Posted on January 22, 2012 by Master Photographer

2011 has come and gone and we enter 2012 hopefully wiser and more experienced on our digital photography journey. If you haven’t learnt any lessons from 2012 it’s time to sit down and do a quick evaluation. If you still haven’t then takee a look at the lessons I’ve learned and maybe you’ll learn something as well.

"Standing above the sea of clouds" captured by Lee Ann (Click Image to See More From Lee Ann)

1. Always carry your camera

This is the number one rule in photography. If you aren’t carrying your DSLR then carry a compact or at the very least, your camera phone. As you probably know it’s not the quality of the camera but the skill of the photographer. So it might not be of the highest quality but at least you’ll get the shot. The more opportunities you have to shoot, the more the chances of improving your skills and picking up those great photos.

2. Make more time for photography

To become a good photographer you have to allocate generous amounts of time to your hobby in order to reach a level of competence. As with any pastime it takes time and effort to perfect a craft and if you make this sacrifice the results will show in your images. I have found that even if I don’t take a photo, just sitting at a location and planning what I am going to shoot gets me into the groove. With any pastime you’ll find that time nurtures creativity and gets you into the frame of mind for taking a good photo. If you are rushed then the chances of your photos looking rushed will increase.

3. Take your time when composing your photo

Linked to making time for shooting is taking time while you are shooting. All of us need to be reminded of this one every now and then. You can never put too much thought into a composition. Okay, you can but better too much than too little especially when you are learning. A little thought goes a long way and it might just result in that once in a lifetime image. Remember that digital makes it too easy and too cheap which often ends in too many images and not enough quality. Before you press the shutter button, pause, think and then shoot the image.

4. Learn something new

Now, the first three points might actually be three new things you need to learn so think about them. Most of us have knowledge gaps in whatever pastime we enjoy and this is no less a challenge with photography. Whether you do a course online, buy a book or join a photography club, make sure that you make it your goal to fill one of those knowledge gaps and learn a new technique or perhaps a function on your camera. I remember how my photography blossomed when I learned how to use aperture compensation. Tiny learning increments can often result in huge quality outcomes so keep persevering.

5. Do a lot more research when buying something new

Before buying a new piece of photographic equipment ask yourself if it is necessary, do I need to spend that amount of money on it or will something else do the job? I love new gadgets or toys and half of them aren’t really necessary. On the other hand by not doing enough research you can buy something that won’t actually do the job you want it to do. Go online, speak to a friend or drop in at your local photography store and learn more about it before making the purchase.

6. Enjoy your photography more

This could be taking a day trip with a local photography club, a weekend away near a nature reserve or printing and framing some of your best images and hanging them in your home. These will help you build your passion and keep the enjoyment level high. We all go through dips in our hobbies and need to find ways keep the pot boiling. Forget about being too technical for a day and just shoot for the hang of it. Whatever rings your photography bell let it happen.

We all need to look back using our 20/20 vision and try new things, work at improving technique and just have some fun. If your photography isn’t fun then you need to ask yourself whether it’s the right hobby for you. Happy shooting as you learn to be more creative in your photography.

About the Author:
Wayne Turner has been teaching photography for 25 years and has written three books on photography.

Further Training for Beginner Photographers:

Turner has produced 21 Steps to Perfect Photos; a program of learner-based training using outcomes based education. You will immediately start taking photos and then evaluate your own progress using the principles that you learn as I coach you through the photography process.

It can be found here: 21 Steps to Perfect Photos

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Painting with Light: Intentional Camera Movement

Posted on January 21, 2012 by Master Photographer

"Camera Toss 87" Captured by Jeremy Jackson (Click Image to See More From Jeremy Jackson)

Ever since I started taking photographs about 30 years ago, capturing the sense of movement, creating abstract images has been a passion of mine and when I discovered ICM, a whole new world of photography opened up for me.

Intentional Camera Movement is the when the camera is moved in horizontal, vertical, diagonal or random directions while the shutter is open. The resulting image is deliberately blurred and often abstract.

ICM images are not what most people think of as traditional photographs because motion is captured and created in the image via the technique. I describe it to people as “painting with my camera” because my images are painterly and impressionistic. Others can be more abstract.

Each photographer finds their own process and develops their own style and signature – this is true for all photographers and for those who employ ICM in their work, thus, I offer these tips and techniques aware of our individual approaches to photography. As a photographer interested in ICM, you need to find your own way through the inspiration of others and develop your own style.

Tips and Techniques

Tripod

Using a tripod is the best way to introduce yourself to deliberate camera movement. It’s an invaluable tool to start with by employing long sweeps from right to left and left to right in 2-3 second exposures under low light conditions. You need to be under low light conditions or use neutral density filters to allow you to shoot in daylight. Study your EXIF data after you’ve discovered what you like in your work and it will give you important information about how to set your shutter speed and aperture to achieve the look you’re going for in your photographs.

Shutter Speed

Shutter speed is probably the most important element to control what you want in your photos. I prefer, for my own work, to work between 1/20 sec and 1/5 sec. In order to accomplish good results at these fairly fast slow shutter speeds, one needs to move the camera very quickly with a strong follow through and camera set on “continuous shoot”. In daylight, setting your camera at its lowest ISO and closing your aperture down will help you get the shutter speed that works for you. I prefer to use aperture priority on my camera to achieve the slower shutter speed because I’ve found that shutter speed will vary as the camera is moved particularly around light and dark areas in the subject matter.

"Camera Toss 96" captured by Jeremy Jackson (Click Image to See More From Jeremy Jackson)

Choosing Your Images

When it comes to choosing your best ICM images, it’s subjective, like all art. However, here are some guidelines to help you see beyond the initial photograph before you delete it!! When you choose your images, certain interrelationships within the image you’ll want and others you won’t.

For example, the balance of colours, gradations and tonality, lightness to darkness within the image will improve your photograph. Looking closely at your photo to find the image within the image is a great skill to develop because you can take an okay image and make it better through cropping – other images just cannot be improved. Interrelationships between light and dark, the “heaviness” in colour or darkness needs to be balanced in an image. You do not want an image that is too dark or heavy on one side but rather, is equally weighted visually.

Layers of colours and tones need to be balanced too. For example, a heavy layer at the top of an image that takes up 2/3 of the space with several smaller layers at the bottom of the image is not the best option because it’s not as pleasing to the eye. Cropping that layer to balance the bottom of the image is an option to consider.

Conclusion

Finally – experiment, experiment, experiment! Find inspiration in photographers you admire who take ICM images and have fun with it – play!! Experimenting with ICM will help you, as a photographer, find your own style, your own way of working with this approach to photography – you don’t want to copy another photographer but be inspired by them!

(Camera aloft in a spinning motion above various LEDs) captured by Jeremy Jackson – Click Image to See More From Jeremy Jackson

If ICM is for you, you will find that your passion for it will grow daily and you’ll need several memory cards because this technique takes up a lot of space!!

About the Author:
Hilary Anne Stephens – http://www.hilaryannestephensphotography.ca.

Some people have developed camera tossing techniques as a way to achieve amazing light painting effects, here is a helpful video on the topic:

If you do try tossing your camera, be very careful! Have fun, keep experimenting and soon you will be creating amazing images.

For Further Training on Light Painting, PictureCorrect Suggests:

Check out Trick Photography and Special Effects by Evan Sharboneau; a very popular instructional eBook that explains how to do most of the trick photos that often capture attention and amazement from viewers. It also teaches the basics that are essential before moving onto advanced techniques. With 300+ pages of information and 9 hours of video tutorials, it is very detailed and includes extensive explanations of many complicated methods that are very fun to learn.

It can be found here: Trick Photography and Special Effects

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Adobe Lightroom Tips

Posted on January 20, 2012 by Master Photographer

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom (Click to Find)

I have been using Lightroom for a couple of years now and it is a very powerful program, especially if you are a wedding photographer and you have a large quantity of photos to cull and edit. Not only is it great for organizing photos, but it is very good for editing. It is most advantageous when used to edit RAW images because, as we know, they keep every bit of information stored just as the image was shot. This is not to say that it is not good for editing JPEG, but you will not unleash the true power of Lightroom until you start editing your RAW files.

I’m going to share with you 5 tips about Lightroom that I feel you must know to improve your image workflow and also your editing capabilities. These are tips that I have accumulated over the couple of years that I have been using Lightroom and they help me tremendously. So, without further delay, let’s get to it!

1. Use Brightness Instead of Exposure

Okay, okay… so the header of this tip is a little misleading. I am in no way saying to use brightness over exposure all of the time. But, there are times when you will have more control over your image when using brightness, opposed to exposure. The difference between brightness and exposure is that exposure takes priority on shifting the highlight range of the image. Say you take a landscape picture and everything is a touch underexposed, except for the sky. If you bump the exposure up by using the exposure slider, then you will potentially blow out the highlights and this is because when using the exposure slider, it increases the highlight area more than it does the rest of the tonal range in the image. Now, if you use the brightness slider, you will shift the tonal range evenly. This has the same effect when darkening and image, or lowering the exposure. You will notice that the exposure slider takes priority of the highlights and lowers them more than the rest of the tonal range. Don’t believe me? Give it a shot and see what I mean. Take two of the same images, load them into Lightroom and look at the difference between brightness vs. exposure. By the way, +50 equals one stop of light on the brightness slider and +100 would be 2 stops of light, and so on and so forth.

2. Control Your Use of the Clarity Slider

The clarity slider can really make the details in an image stand out and also help out with inherent blur from the camera. What the clarity slider does is look for contrast in the middle of the tonal range and boost the contrast. In images with a lot of detail this can really make a huge difference. I usually set mine to +30 for starters and then gauge it from there. Now, there are times when you will not want to bump the clarity slider up because it can counterproductive. If you are editing a portrait, you will more than likely not want to bump your clarity slider up. As we know, every person has pores and those pores just happen to be in the middle to upper tonal range, which the clarity slider affects. When you are trying to get nice, smooth skin, you should try backing off of the clarity slider and seeing what it does to the skin. I usually start with -15 and make changes from there. The good thing is that you will not lose detail overall in the image, unless you make a dramatic adjustment, but you will start to see the skin smooth out quite nicely. With a few more adjustments, you will have some really smooth skin that look very pleasing. This brings us to our next tip…

3. Use the Adjustment Brush for Smoothing Skin

This is a feature of Lightroom’s that I think is far better than anything Photoshop can accomplish, and it is much faster too. When trying to smooth the skin of a nice portrait, just grab the adjustment brush by pressing K and then click on the little arrows (one pointing up and one pointing down) to the right of “Effect:”, and click on “Soften Skin”. This will change the settings of the brush to lower the clarity and also lower the sharpness. I paint over the subject’s face, being careful not to paint over the eyes, eyebrows, lips, or hair. Don’t worry, if you do paint over one of these features, you can hold the “alt” on PC, “option” on Mac, to erase your brush strokes. Another quick tip is to press “o”, for overlay, to see where you are painting. This will show the red mask of the areas that are painted. Once you paint where you want, turn the overlay mask off by pressing “o” again, and then adjust your clarity and sharpness sliders for your brush to get the overall intended result. Remember, don’t overdo it. You do not want your subject to look fake.

4. HSL Works Magic for Skin Tones

As a wedding photographer, my goal is to always give my subjects pleasing skin tones. If I happen to have to correct the exposure of an image, chances are that my skin tones are going to need to be adjusted further than just white balancing. Of course, we all want to shoot a perfect exposure every shot that we take, but unfortunately, this just doesn’t happen, or at least not for me. So, when I have to adjust the skin tones, I head to the HSL panel for the rescue. With an underexposed image, I start off by de-saturating the skin tones just a bit. Not too much or you’re your subject will look like they have grey skin and we don’t want that and I’m sure your subject doesn’t either. The best way to do this is to grab the target selector tool, which looks like a target and is in the top left side of the HSL panel. Grab on the subjects skin and drag down. This will target only the colors that you grab with the target selector. Once you have lowered the saturation a bit and got it looking decent, I move to my luminance and brighten things up a bit. This will really make your subjects skin glow. (And it will glow a LOT if you are not careful.) This takes a bit of practice but you will get the hang of it by trial and error. This is probably the most complicated tip and takes some getting used to, but it will really help your workflow once you get the hang of it.

5. Post-Crop Vignetting

I absolutely love Lightrooms Post-Crop Vignetting tool. In my opinion, it applies the most natural looking vignettes of any method that I have tried, and I have tried a few. There is something about a good vignette that helps make and image complete. It takes your eyes and pushes them to the center area of the image and keeps them from going outside of the photo. This is another feature that I believe is better than anything Photoshop has to offer, because it looks so great and you can add one in about 5 seconds. I will give you a recipe that I often use. Once you are through editing your photo, scroll down to the “Effects” panel and use there settings for your vignette. Amount = -52, Midpoint = 67, Roundness = +20, Feather = 50, Highlights = 0. This should darken the corners just a little without interfering with the rest of the image.

About the Author:
Those are my 5 Lightroom tips that I believe every photographer should know, especially wedding photographers. Please e-mail me and let me know what you think. I would love to hear your feedback and I would be more than happy to answer any questions you may have. Until next time, happy shooting! Deric Cain Photography is a professional portrait and wedding photographer providing maternity and newborn photography, engagement photography, wedding photography, high school senior portraits, children and family portraits located in Pensacola, Florida. You can also subscribe to our Pensacola Wedding Photographers blog!

For further training on editing photos in Lightroom:

The video below will take you on a journey from start to finish of fully tweaking a RAW file from out of the camera to finished product. You may need to watch this video a few times to really pick up on all of the tricks that the instructor is using here.

As you can tell there is a huge difference between the unedited RAW file and the fully edited RAW file. Look at how the image pops off the screen and almost looks 3D.

Adobe Lightroom Lowest Price:

It can be found here: Adobe Lightroom Currently On Sale at Amazon

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