All Things Photogenic

Moore Tips - The Five Step Plan

2010-12-18T18:17:00.000-08:00

Five Simple Steps to Better Photography

1) In order to ensure your images are sharp, make sure you know how to focus your camera. Digital cameras with auto focus are often difficult to focus precisely, especially when shooting small objects. Read your owner's manual and be sure you understand how your camera's auto focus operates. Most digital cameras are designed to easily focus on large objects but have difficulty on small subjects. It is often useful to put your camera in spot focus mode. Spot focus will give you more control over what part of a scene the camera is actually focusing on.

2) Use a tripod, even the slightest movement while taking a picture will cause motion blur. The closer you get to an object the more obvious the motion blur becomes. Even an inexpensive tripod will make a big difference in the sharpness of your images. For really sharp images it makes sense to invest in a good, sturdy tripod. If your camera has a remote shutter release then use it, if not then use the camera's built-in timer to minimize camera shake.

3) To get the largest area of your subject in focus put your camera in aperture priority mode and set the aperture to the highest number possible. The closer you get to your subject the more important this becomes.

4) Use soft lighting. Your camera's built-in flash will rarely give good results for product photography. For soft lighting either shoot outside on an overcast day or use a light tent like the EZcube®, or use a soft box.

5) Use image editing software. Even inexpensive software like Photoshop Elements™ can make your product photography much easier. It may seem like it's faster to use an image exactly as it was shot. But in reality, it is difficult to shoot an image precisely how you would like it to appear in it's final form. Image editing software allows you to crop an image, adjust it's exposure, sharpen the image and then resize it, often in less than 60 seconds.

Moore 52 Week Projects - Focal Distance Project (Week 36)

2010-09-28T20:58:00.000-07:00

If you want to get everything in your photograph focused perfectly sharp, try the following:

Set your camera on a tripod, and with Aperture Priority, put your aperture to the highest 'f' number possible (usually f-22 or f-32).

Compose your photograph and lock the tripod head so the camera can't move. Set your camera lens to focus manually.

Now, look at the scene in front of you, and locate the object that is closest to you, and the object that is farthest in the distance. In my example photo, the closest object is the dark green cactus with thick leaves, and the furthest object is the green plant with long thin leaves.

At this point, you will need to mentally divide up the distance into 'thirds'. Locate the object that is one-third distance away from the camera (round prickly cactus in the middle of the frame), and manually focus your lens on that object.

You are now ready to take your photograph, and the image will have the maximum possible sharpness throughout the frame.

Extra hint: wide-angle lenses will always offer more depth-of-field than telephoto zoom lenses.

Remember:

Share your photographs
Critiques should be well received and given to others
Provide one or two sentences about your photograph
Give some technical data: Camera Type, Lens Type, ISO, Time and Exposure settings, Lighting and if Tripod was used

Moore 52 Week Projects - Exposure Project (Week 35)

2010-09-21T20:53:00.000-07:00

When confronted with a dark background, and a smaller, bright human subject, train your mind to quickly underexpose the camera. The amount of underexposure is dependent on the deepness of the darks, and brightness of the subject. Try underexposing the photograph by 1 or 2 stops. The easiest and quickest way to accomplish this while doing street photography is to:

1. Put your camera in Aperture Priority mode.

2. As a default, keep your aperture at its lowest f-number (you can adjust this at will)

3. Become familiar with your Exposure Compensation button or dial.

4. Learn to adjust this variable quickly and intuitively; if you are confronted with a scene like the above attached photo, underexpose by going to the minus sign.

5. Quickly check your screen, and to make the photo even darker (if necessary), move the exposure dial or button to the minus side even more.

This exposure technique works equally well in an inverted fashion. If you have a darker toned subject in front of a bright background (person skiing wearing a dark ski suit), simply adjust your exposure compensation towards the Plus sign. This will make the snow clean and bright, and will give appropriate exposure to the subject.

Remember:

Share your photographs
Critiques should be well received and given to others
Provide one or two sentences about your photograph
Give some technical data: Camera Type, Lens Type, ISO, Time and Exposure settings, Lighting and if Tripod was used

Moore 52 Week Projects - Color Wash Project (Week 34)

2010-09-14T20:44:00.000-07:00

If you have ever wondered how nature photographers get that nice 'color wash' in their nature photos, here is how it is done:

Make sure your f-number (aperture) is the lowest possible for your particular lens. Then crawl around in the grass until you find the right scene, and then place foreground flowers DIRECTLY ON YOUR LENS. Don't be afraid if the flowers actually touch the glass.

Experimentation is very important; sometimes the technique works, and other times it doesn't. The soft color cast is dependent on how much of the grass or flowers touch the lens, and what color the flowers are. Try a few different positions

Remember:

Share your photographs
Critiques should be well received and given to others
Provide one or two sentences about your photograph
Give some technical data: Camera Type, Lens Type, ISO, Time and Exposure settings, Lighting and if Tripod was used

Moore Tips - Photographing Outdoor Sculpture

2010-09-09T20:13:00.000-07:00

1. Wait out the weather – Overcast skies are the best: no camera can cope with the extreme contrasts of light and shadow that the sun makes on polished bronze or bright white marble. [See photos of the Washington Arch and Ericsson at Battery Park.] If it’s a sunny day, try looking for a sculpture that’s completely in shadow, not merely dappled shade. That may mean shooting in the afternoon rather than the morning, or vice versa, or waiting until a neighboring building conveniently casts a shadow over the sculpture.

2. Look first - Getting a good angle on a sculptured face is just as important as getting a good angle when taking a formal portrait of a live person. Walk all around the sculpture and figure out the most interesting angles before you look through the viewfinder and get side-tracked by apertures and exposures. Usually the most interesting angle for a face will be a profile view or a 3/4 view, rather than a full-frontal mug shot. But perhaps you’ll find you want to look at a skyscraper over the sculpture’s shoulder, or focus on one detail.

3. Zoom – Many sculptures are on pedestals, so if you stand close to them to shoot, your photo will be filled with legs and feet. To compensate, back up as much as you can (without backing into the street!) and use your optical zoom to fill the frame. If possible, stand on a bench or a slight hill – anything that brings your eye level closer to that of the sculpture.

4. Background Check – Look methodically for distractions. In New York, the most frequent offenders are street signs, pigeons, and tree branches. [See William Earl Dodge in Bryant Park.] Consider the texture as well as the shape and color of objects behind the sculptures: a shiny face may disappear against a mirrored background. [See Jackie Gleason / Ralph Kramden.] Shift your position to remove as many distractions as possible.

5. Spot metering (Center-weighted metering) – Once you’ve found a good angle and distance, set your camera to meter the light only at the center of the frame. Aim the center mark on your viewfinder at a big, sold chunk of statue such as the torso; the sky behind the statue may fade almost to white. Press the shutter halfway down to hold the setting and shift your camera back to pointing at the treeless, pigeonless, signless image you composed before. If this doesn’t get you an image with good detail, trying using the exposure bracketing function (still center-weighted), if your camera has one.

6. Simplify, simplify, simplify - If there are too many distractions around a particular sculpture, you may have to settle for several close-up shots rather than one photo of the whole sculpture. Try a different view of the face, face and torso, hands, or supporting elements. Also experiment with shooting in B&W or sepia tone: a “no parking” sign is often less offensive if it’s not red.

Moore Tips - Newborn Photography Notes

2010-09-08T20:02:00.000-07:00

1. It can be exciting photographing a newborn so compose a list of shots you want to take before you pick up the camera. Grab these ‘safe shots’ first and once you have this selection in the bag, start to get creative with new angles and ideas.

2. The best lens to use when photographing any type of portrait is a fast 50/85mm prime lens. Operating at wide apertures (small f number) will allow you to work in darker environments and capture stills with the focus on your subject and a blurred backdrop to remove distraction.

3. If you’re uncomfortable operating in manual mode then plump for Aperture Priority and opt for a wide aperture of f4 or f5.6. Focus on your subject’s face and include a section of the backdrop into the frame. This is where an interesting or colourful background can make the scene more dynamic. Alternatively position yourself at the end of the child and focus on the feet – throwing the rest of his/her frame into a creatively blur.

4. Attach a zoom lens to vary the composition of your shots; catering for up close cute pictures of feet, hands, nose or ears for example and then span out wide to grab contextual portraits or ones that reveal the entire length of the child.

5. As with any portrait pictures you’ll want to use even light. Avoid flash at all costs – not only is this disruptive to the calm atmosphere you want to create but it can rob the image of texture and tone. Position the cot or child near a window (using a white sheet or curtain to diffuse if it is a particularly bright day. Remember to exposure for the face.

6. Declutter the scene of distracting items such as nappies or bottles and incorporate soft blankets for interesting colours and texture. Consider placing props such as a loved toy or teddy to emphasis size.

7. Black and white images can carry more emotion that their colourful counterparts so experiment when photographing or editing images post shoot. Some cameras offer this as a menu choice but so you don’t restrict yourself it is advisable to shoot in colour and desaturate or select a B&W option in an editing program later. Play around with curves in Photoshop or the Presets in Lightroom to control contrast and brightness of the shadows, midtones and highlights.

8. As newborns grow at such a daunting pace, many proud parents choose to photograph their tots at periodical intervals to chart the change. A collection of these images printed in a photobook can make a wonderful gift for a family member.

9. To emphasis the petite proportions of your newborn try taking images with the parent. For example – baby’s hand on mum and dad’s hand, or the baby’s feet in between the fathers. Use a wide aperture and ramp up ISO if shooting in low light environments.

10. The best time to shoot an infant is arguably after he/she has had a feed and has been put down for a nap. The noise of the shutter shouldn’t disturb them and means you can move their little hands and feet delicately without resistance or movement.

Moore 52 Week Projects - Star Trails Project (Week 33)

2010-09-07T20:30:00.000-07:00

STEP 1. Use a 50mm lens or a zoom lens set to approximately 50mm. Set the camera on the tripod, and set the focus to infinity (manual focus, as it will be too dark to operate auto focus)

STEP 2. Compose your photo so that a foreground object is in the image, such as a tree or building. Make sure it is a fair distance away, and that it does not fill the frame entirely.

STEP 3. Set your aperture (f-stop) to the lowest number (ex. f2.8, or f4.5, etc.). Your shutter speed should be set on the Bulb or Time setting "B" or "T"

STEP 4. With a cable release attached to the shutter, take the picture. The shutter will now be open for as long as you desire. For the first shot, try 10 minutes, then 15 minutes, and if you feel adventurous, a few hours. The longer you keep the shutter open, the longer and more dramatic the star trails become.

STEP 5. When you are finished close the shutter via the cable release. Now go to bed.

An added benefit to waking up before dawn is that your long exposure may pick up some early morning pink and red pre-sunrise light. In this photo I was fortunate enough to have the sky dark with shooting stars, but the bottom part warming up with reddish light. You will need to experiment with sunrise times; start your long exposure well before you see any hint of morning light.

Remember:

Share your photographs
Critiques should be well received and given to others
Provide one or two sentences about your photograph
Give some technical data: Camera Type, Lens Type, ISO, Time and Exposure settings, Lighting and if Tripod was used

Moore Tips - Creative Commons Licensing for Your Photographs

2010-09-05T15:51:00.000-07:00

What is Creative Commons?

Creative Commons is a set of free and easy to use tools that allow you to define what level of access people have to your photographs. There is no single “Creative Commons” license… instead, Creative Commons provides for an entire spectrum of licensing options and it is up to you to decide what parts of CC you wish to apply to your images.

If I use a Creative Commons license am I giving up all control of my images?
Not at all! This seems to be the most prevalent misconception about how CC works. While you are certainly capable of licensing your work as public domain under Creative Commons, this is only one option among many available to you. For example, most of my work is licensed under the “Noncommercial, No Derivative Works” Creative Commons license. People are free to share my images as long as credit is given, but the photos can’t be altered or used for commercial works without my express permission.
It is entirely up to you how restrictive or open your licensing is. Creative Commons is simply a framework of tools to work with.

But aren’t you afraid someone will steal your images?

Honestly, I don’t believe any licensing mechanism will keep people from stealing your images. If a photo is available to view on the internet, someone may use it regardless of whether you reserve all rights on the photo or not. Licensing your works under Creative Commons does not make it any easier or harder to infringe on your copyright.

What is the benefit of using Creative Commons?

As a photographer, I want my images to be seen by as wide an audience as possible. That, beyond all else, is my ultimate goal. Creative Commons helps me achieve that goal in ways that “All Rights Reserved” doesn’t. My particular use of CC licensing encourages other people to share my image with credit (and usually a link) back to me. When I started licensing my images with under Creative Commons, I saw a huge increase in the number of sites showing and linking back to my images. There are many tools and search engines available to find CC works and I want my photos to be available to them.

What about getting paid?

Creative Commons doesn’t get in the way of you being paid for your work. Once again, you can set the level of licensing to as much or as little as you want. If you choose to reserve the right to have your image published commercially, you can do so. Regardless of my licensing, I still have photos shown in galleries and still sell prints and books containing my images. In actuality, I credit much of my success in photography to Creative Commons as it has increased my exposure and thus brought in new viewers and potential clients. I genuinely believe that if you do good work and your work is seen by enough people, the opportunities to make money will follow.

Whether or not you choose to apply some form of Creative Commons licensing to your work will ultimately come down to your personal goals and desires for how your photography is seen. If you want to have absolute and total control over your photos and make sure nobody uses them in a manner you don’t approve of, Creative Commons may not be a good fit for you. Also, if you are that concerned about controlling your photos, you probably shouldn’t be posting your images on the internet to begin with. However, if you believe (as I do) that your work should be seen by as many people as possible, the open nature of Creative Commons will help you achieve that goal.

Moore Tips - So You Want To Be A Professional Photographer Part One

2010-09-04T15:37:00.000-07:00

As lovers of photography – we can all admit to dreaming of chucking in the day job and setting up shop as a professional photographer, but for many of us it can remain just that – a dream. But for those with the talent, support system and drive, becoming a freelance photographer can be realized! So what’s stopping you? To help you negotiate your way from using photography as a hobby to making a living from your work we have outlined a few helpful hints below. Obviously not everyone has the luxury of jacking in the job right away but with a little patience and preparation anything is possible!

Financing

Your first consideration has to be monetary. Can you afford to quit tomorrow? For most people this is probably unlikely. Most pros who give up a reliable stream of income to become self-employed suggest saving two to three months salary before even considering what they will write in their resignation.
Perhaps your spouse can afford to support you for a while or perhaps you already have some money invested in savings that can be used to pay the mortgage and bills before work starts to come in – everyone’s situation will be different. Whatever your own personal situation, it is worth sitting down and planning your income and expenditure for the first few months of being self-employed and work out how much you will need to sustain yourself and your family. It is also worth investigating whether you can secure a grant from your local authority, a charity, organisation or even the government.
Finally – there is of course the option of taking out a bank loan to get started, but this should be given a lot of thought before a commitment is made.

Location

Next decided where you want to ‘base’ yourself. Working from home has many obvious benefits but can become quite isolating if you live alone and depending on your strength of will – can also become quite distracting. Also if you are working from home, bear in mind that this may not be possible in some rented accommodation – so check with your landlord. What is more, regardless of whether you are a home owner or are renting – try to avoid dedicating one room solely to your business – for example a study or a home studio – if you do you could be asked to pay business rates.

Working in a collective studio with other photographers is a great way to bounce ideas of people, whilst making and maintaining friendships – however there will be another cost involved. Setting up a shop or your own studio is another option, but again if you start off with limited finance this may be something you can aspire to over time.

Equipment

Sure you have a camera but do you have all the other necessary bits and bobs that a professional could require such as: flash guns, reflectors, filters, shutter release, battery packs, a wealth of lens, tripod, memory cards etc? This will ultimately depend on what genre of photography you enter and so you may not need every accessory under the sun – just be prepared for what you will need. Furthermore just because you are turning pro – doesn’t mean you need ‘professional’ kit! It’s how you use it that counts.
Look online for second hand deals, visit camera exchange stores for bargains, and never forget January welcomes a month of sales!

In some countries, self-employed individuals can claim back certain ‘capital’ costs against their tax bill, so ensure you keep all receipts of new items. Also if you have remembered to keep the receipts of items you are ‘bringing into the business’ i.e. kit that you already own, you may also be able to claim back some of the value of these items back against your tax bill (more on this in part 2). Talk to your account or a tax advisor to discuss these matters further.

Work ethic

Once you have your business in place, equipment at the ready and a brand built, the next key element to put into place is your working style. It goes without saying that to succeed you will need to be reliable and efficient and always meet deadlines, but how will you operate and how will divide your working day? The benefit of being self-employed is being your own boss and thus you can set your own hours, however this could also mean working late or weekends to compensate. A disciplined and motivated approach will ultimately reap the most dividends, but be sure to factor in time to relax and recoup creative energy too. For those less disciplined, create a schedule carved into twenty-four hour portions; colour eight slices to represent sleep and eight or so hours dedicated to work. The remaining hours can then be labelled for relaxation, activities, personal photography projects, housework or non-business related errands. With time, this segmentation will flow more naturally but is a great boon to those who are easily distracted. But be honest with clients and decide a reasonable date when you can realistically deliver on your promises.
In this four part series we will explore everything you need to know from getting started to finding work. In the second part, posted in the next week, we will outline the legal concerns with getting your business up and running.

Moore Tips - Speed Photography

2010-09-03T09:30:00.000-07:00

What you need:

External Flash
Flash Trigger

Shutter Speed Myth

Most people believe that speed photography is done through very fast shutter speeds, like 1/1000 or faster. However, this is not true. Flash duration is the primary component for capturing motion. The duration of flash units range from 1/1000 of a second to almost 1/30,000 of a second. So as long as your subject is very dark, the only light your camera sensor will see is the light coming from the flash for that very short duration.

Flash Triggering

So now that you know that flash duration is more important than shutter speed, you need to have a way to fire the flash when the action happens. This is done by using a flash trigger. There are three main types: sound, light, and mechanical. Sound triggers will fire the flash when a loud sound is heard, and mechanical triggers fire when something comes in contract with the trigger. Light triggers create a beam of invisible light between two points, and fire the flash when the beam is broken (commonly used for water drop photos).
The sound trigger I use was a home-built job with parts from Hiviz. They kits are cheap ($7), but require a little electrical expertise. If you have an electronics background, they are super-easy to build. If you would like a fancy pre-built model, you can get one for about $170 here.

The Photo Shoot

Turn off or dim the lights
Open the shutter
Perform Action (I like shooting pellets at stuff)

Moore Tips - Portable Portrait Studio

2010-09-02T09:21:00.000-07:00

All you need to begin creating classic portraits anywhere is a single light. Although various light sources will produce different effects, the type of light source is not as important as the position of the light in relation to the subject. Any light will do, even a household lamp.
In this tutorial, I’m going to show you how to create this classic look with a dedicated flash unit on a simple, very portable, lighting rig

Portable Flash Setup
You can use two of these lighting rigs, with shoot-thru umbrella modifiers, for versatility. However, for a classic portrait, I’ll usually use just one. Keep in mind there are several ways to get a flash on a stand, with or without an umbrella modifier. This is an example of what you might want to try, but there are other products at various price points that have more or less the same basic elements to mix and match.
Items Used:

Light Stand
Umbrella Adapter (Swivel Bracket), Item #0041 From FlashZebra.com
Brass Stud/Spigot with 1/4”-20 thread screw, included with Umbrella Adapter
Flash Shoe Adapter with 1/4”-20 thread hole, Item #0068 From FlashZebra.com
Hotshoe to PocketWizard Adapter Cable, Item #0138 From FlashZebra.com
PocketWizard Transceiver Unit
Umbrella (I use the shoot-through technique)

Components of the flash-on-a-stand setup.

1) Attach an umbrella adapter (swivel bracket) as shown. The end with the hole for the umbrella is on top. Some of these have a flash shoe adapter already attached, but mine does not. I attach one myself (see next steps).

2) You’ll want to tightly screw the stud/spigot into the flash shoe adapter next. Then place that into the top hole of the umbrella adapter and secure it.

3) Finally, attach the hotshoe to PocketWizard adapter (0138 unit) securely to the flash shoe adapter. Note: You could just bypass the previous shoe adapter step, and screw the stud directly to the 0138, but I prefer not to. Also, I’m not sure it’s entirely necessary, but I like to place a small piece of electrical tape over the four little contact points on the 0138 where they would otherwise come into direct contact with the ones on the flash unit itself. Call me paranoid, but I don’t want anything screwing up the circuitry in my flash. The main (center) contact point remains bare so as to allow the flash to be triggered.

Fully assembled flash-on-a-stand: 42\

As shown in the picture, make sure the angle adjusting knob/lever of the umbrella adapter is on the RIGHT hand side as the flash is pointed away from you. The angle of the hole that holds the umbrella in place is setup so that it only works properly this way. Your flash will not be angled correctly into the umbrella otherwise.
Attach your flash, plug in your PocketWizard unit, slip in the umbrella, and you’re ready to start making portraits!

Setting Up The Shot
In the diagram below, our single light source (A) is positioned about 3ft from our subject and in the 45/45 position. Roughly, this means the light is 45 degrees to one side of the subject, pointed down at a 45 degree angle from above the subject. This is only a starting point, and you can experiment to find the angle you like best. It’s hard to go wrong with this. The background should be simple and free of distracting colors or patterns. Solid dark colors and classic mottled backdrops work well.

If you like, you can add a spot of light to the background using another flash unit (B). Putting this on the opposite side of the main light can help add depth and separation between subject and background.
Finally, with or without the background light, you can always add a little fill if you’re not happy with the contrast you’re getting off the one light. A reflector (C) made of foam core, a wall, or other white surface, can do this for you.

An example of extending a one-light portraiture setup. All that is really needed for great portrait, however, is the single light (A). Flash unit power setting and f-stop are my typical settings.

Moore Tips - Sunny Photographs

2010-09-01T11:53:00.000-07:00

Canon Settings for a Sunny Day; Subject is NOT MOVING

ISO 100 or less
Mode set to AV
F-Stop set to F8
RAW and Auto White Balancing
Lens - Variable

Moore Tips - Shallow Depth of Field

2010-08-31T09:13:00.000-07:00

Positioning of Subject

One of the easiest things you can do is position the subject you’re wanting to photograph as far away from any objects behind them as possible. If they are standing right in front of a wall you’ll probably end up with it in focus no matter what else you do – but if they’re standing 100 meters in front of that same wall it’s going to be a lot more blurry. Of course this will only get you so far – you’ll need to do some of what’s coming next as well.

Portrait Mode

The Canon EOS camera's has a little wheel on top of it (on the left) with lots of little icons on it. One of those icons is a little head. This icon is the symbol for portrait mode and if you’re not confident with changing apertures (we’ll discuss this below) it’s a good mode to switch to as it will do some of the work for you. Portrait mode chooses a large aperture (a small ‘f’ number) which will make the depth of field (the amount of your shot in focus) smaller.

Aperture Priority Mode

If you’re feeling a little more adventurous switch the wheel to ‘A’ which is Aperture Priority Mode (go on, you can do it). I’ve written on this mode before but to recap – this mode lets you choose the Aperture (the size of the hole in your lens) and tells the camera to choose all the other settings. This semi-auto mode is a great way to control depth of field as it will ensure your images are well exposed. For shallow depth of field and nice blurry backgrounds choose a large Aperture (the smaller the number the larger the aperture). Try taking a few shots at different apertures and see how it affects the background of your shots – this is the best way to learn how to get more creative control in your shots.

Zoom Lenses

I’m not sure what lens you have on your camera, but if you’re like most people these days it will be a zoom lens with different focal lengths. Many zooms will have different maximum apertures at different points along the focal length spectrum. For example if it’s an 18-55mm kit lens it will have a maximum aperture of f3.5 at 18mm and a maximum aperture of f5.6 at 55mm. Many see the bigger aperture at the 18mm end of the range and think that that would be the best focal length for blurry backgrounds. The problem with this is that 18mm is a very wide angle and for portraits it can mean you need to get in really close to your subject and it could distort their facial features (not really desirable).

Instead I find that shooting at the 55mm end of the lens is best. This means you can stand further back (making your subject more at ease and pushing your background even further away from your camera). You’ll probably still get nice blurry backgrounds if you use the fastest aperture available.
The other good thing about zooms is that they enable you to really fill up your frame with your subject which can give it more prominence and your background less.

Get a New Lens

This is an ‘easy’ solution in some ways, but hard if you don’t have the budget. Different lenses have different maximum apertures. Those with larger ones are called ‘faster’ and one of the impacts of having a fast lens is that you can make your depth of field smaller (another is that you can shoot in lower light situations without needing the flash). A good option for Canon DSLRs is the Canon 50mm f/1.8 lens. It’s very fast, it’s a good focal length for portraits and it is one of the most affordable lenses Canon make.

Moore Tips - Children Photography

2010-08-30T09:07:00.000-07:00

A fast lens is one that lets a lot of light in (ie. has a large maximum aperture). The larger the aperture, (the smaller the f number), the shorter the shutter speeds required to make the exposure.

(1) Use window light (a) to emphasize the fullness of the child’s face by allowing soft shadows for definition and (b) to give the child room to move.

Because fast lenses can let in more light when used at or near their maximum aperture, they are great in low light conditions.

Often, you can use natural, directional window light, without needing to supplement with an artificial lighting system. Using a large area light source is a beneficial when working with toddlers, who can be difficult to keep in a fixed position or direction. (Use a reflector to bounce some light onto the shadowed side of the subject’s face, if it’s too dark.)

(2) Sharp focus on the eyes in facial close ups. When the eyes are the only thing in focus, the photograph can be extraordinary. When shooting wide open, f 1.8 for example, you’ll have a very narrow depth of field. Since the eyes are the first thing people will look at, they should be in focus. Of course, there are exceptions to this suggestion.

(3) Draw the focus to an unexpected body part. Because of the narrow depth of field, attention can be drawn to one part of the child’s body while maintaining a pleasing composition of the full body. This is a great alternative to photographing just the child’s hand, foot, etc.

(4) Make an unexpected but memorable photo, by waiting patiently and let the subject’s personality may shine through. With the fast shutter speeds available at large apertures, you can catch even fleeting expressions, and with the narrow depth of field, you can tell more of the story by selectively focusing on the primary subject.

(5) Bring the focus to your child in this big busy world by blurring out the background elements. By shooting at low apertures, if not wide open, you can keep your child fully in focus while achieving a nicely blurred background. This is great for playgrounds, museums, beaches, or anywhere that is busy or crowded.

(6) Some fast prime lenses are more convenient to carry, since they can be quite small and light in weight. as compared to other lenses. When mounted on your DSLR, they fit into relatively small camera bags that can be tucked into a diaper bag, large purse, or even under a small stroller. The lighter weight and compact size are especially noticeable when wearing the DSLR, with the fast lens attached, around your neck. With your camera always ready, you’re more likely to catch those priceless moments in your children’s lives.

Moore Tips - In Camera Flash

2010-08-29T09:38:00.000-07:00

My preference with flash photography is to have dedicated flash that is either on a hotshoe, flash bracket or off camera – however there are plenty of times when all you’ve got at your disposal is the in camera flash. 99% of all cameras have them – so perhaps it’s time we thought about how to get the best results from them.
Here are a few tips:

1. Get In Close

The main limitation of built in flash units is their power. Whereas external flash units have their own dedicated power source and can be quite large – a built in flash shares it’s power with your camera’s other components and it’s generally quite a bit smaller.

Knowing this should drive you to get in close enough to your subject for the flash to have some impact (usually within 2-3 meters). If you can’t get in close (for example if you’re at a rock concert and are sitting in the back row) you’ll probably achieve better results by turning your flash off and bumping up the ISO setting.

2. Try Slow Sync Flash

Another limitation with in built flash units is that they can produce quite harsh results that mean any other ambient light in a scene is lost. This is partly because the light they produce is unable to be directed/bounced indirectly onto your subject.
One way around this is to use Slow Sync Flash, in short it involves choosing a slower shutter speed and firing the flash while the shutter is open.

3. Diffuse or Direct Your Flash DIY style

I’ve already alluded to the problem of not being able to diffuse the light produced by a fixed flash unit – however one technique that some inventive photographers use is to take a Do It Yourself approach and create their own diffusers.

Some photographers I know always have a roll of semi-opaque adhesive tape in their camera bag to put over their flash. This doesn’t stop the flash’s light but diffuses it.

Other friends take a little piece of white card with them which they put in front of their flash to bounce it up or sideways.

Using these techniques might mean you need to play with exposure compensation (you’ll probably want to increase exposure by a stop or two) as your camera won’t be aware that you’re taking some of the power out of it’s light.

4. Fill-in Flash

Don’t just use your flash when it’s dark. Often when shooting outdoors a flash can really lift an image up a notch – particularly when photographing a subject with strong backlighting or one with harsh downward light.
A fill in flash lights up shadowy areas

Moore Tips - 50mm Normal Lens

2010-08-29T08:58:00.000-07:00

The 50mm f/1.8 is the least expensive lens at this focal range. And this, dear readers, is a marvel. I’ll keep it very simple why the 50mm is a must:

At under $100 starting, it is very very cheap, and an easy buy for the hobbyist with a budget.
Don’t let the price fool you. The optical quality of even the cheapest 50mm is amazing to say the least, owing to its rather simple design. Much better than many expensive zooms even, this lens is loved mostly for its sharpness and bokeh.
The nifty fifty is light, small and so very convenient to carry around, whether in your bag, or on your camera.
Primes in general, and the 50mm especially, are fast lenses i.e. they have bigger apertures that allow you to shoot at high shutter speeds even in low light – one major aspect where most zooms lack. The fastest telephoto I’ve heard of has a max aperture of f/2.8, and the fastest prime I’ve heard of is a 50mm f/0.95!
Perhaps the most important attribute of all primes, after their optics, is the learning they offer. With a fixed frame of view, the only zoom you have at your disposal is your feet. With this ‘restriction’ one ends up being very careful, and also very creative, with their compositions, and also more involved in the whole photographic process. With time you’ll find that even with zooms, you’ll end up getting more ‘keepers’ because of this. In essence, primes are great exercise for your composition muscles.

Last but not the least, we bust the myth that the 50 mil is used only for portraits and street photography. Mentioned below are some points that show just how versatile this little wonder is:

Shooting in low light: As mentioned above, the wide aperture lets in more light, allowing you to shoot without flash in low light. This lens is great for shooting indoors where a flash sort of ruins the feel. Of course the wide aperture also means that you’ll have a very shallow depth of field, and hence you need to compose your shot such that you get the subject completely in focus.
The Reversed Macro: Not all of us can afford a dedicated macro lens. And the good news is that you can use this 50mm as a macro lens by reversing it. You’ll need a reversal ring for that. You lose autofocus, but that’s not all that bad when you’re getting a macro lens at this price. For more on reversing the 50mm for macro.
The Wide effect: If you don’t have a dedicated wide angle lens, don’t fret. You might not get as wide an angle as with a dedicated lens, but you can still get a wide angle look by moving farther from your subject, and using a smaller aperture (larger f number). This covers a wider area and gives a larger zone of sharpness, just like a wide angle lens.
The Telephoto effect: Just like above, you can also simulate a telephoto effect by getting close to your subject and opening up the aperture. This gives a nicely blurred background which is a characteristic of telephotos.
Candid Camera: The fact that this lens offers a field of view just like that of the human eye* i.e. you get what you see, plus the lens’s small size make it a great lens for getting candid shots without getting noticed. In fact, since it sees what you see, you can even shoot without using the viewfinder. Simply point your camera in the direction you’re looking, and click!
DOF: The large aperture offers extremely shallow depth of field which is another creativity stimulator. One can get some very nice looking photos with imaginative use of the shallow DOF.
Portraits and Streets: This lens is by far most used for portraiture and street photography and gives some great results in both fields.

*The 50mm replicates the human eye field of view on 35mm film cameras or full frame dSLRs like the Canon 5D and Nikon D3. To get the same field of view on an APS-C camera like the Rebel XSi (450D) or Nikon D90, you’ll need to get a 35mm lens. But even then, the field of view of 50mm lenses on cropped sensors is very good to work with.

I’ve heard some people say that primes are made of cheap glass and are used only to take fancy pictures where half the objects in the frame are blurred. That is clearly the result of ignorance and lack of (correct) information. Agreed the 50 mm is affordable, but primes going up to 500 or even 600mm can be the most expensive lenses in your kit, if you can afford them!

Back in the old days, 50mm used to be the norm in lenses. Today, the zooms have gained mass popularity, and rightly too for the convenience offered. But even then, the 50mm remains a brilliant piece of optical engineering, and I recommend that you try it, especially if you’re a hobbyist or serious amateurs. It won’t cost you that much, and I guarantee that you’ll love it!

Moore 52 Week Projects - Silhouettes Project (Week 32)

2010-08-28T20:20:00.000-07:00

Pin up a white bed sheet so that it hangs from the ceiling or doorframe, and have the model on one side with the camera on the other. Use a continuous light source, and place the lights behind the subject. You will find that the level of the model’s sharpness changes depending on how close he or she is to the bed sheet, and how far away the model is from the lights. Luckily, you will be able to see the differences in real-time as you can ask the model to move closer to the sheet or further away. It may be helpful to have an assistant alter the location of the light source while you are behind the camera observing.

The next step is to place a clear plastic shower curtain (or similar material) between the camera and the bedsheet. This will create an out-of-focus, aged look to the image. The distance between the camera lens and the shower curtain can vary . . . it is best to try a few different placements.

Make sure that your camera's aperture (or f-stop) is at the lowest number. The easiest way to do this is via Aperture Priority, where you choose the f-number, and the camera chooses the shutter speed. If none of this makes sense to you, check your owners manual or ask a friend for help.

Remember:

Share your photographs
Critiques should be well received and given to others
Provide one or two sentences about your photograph
Give some technical data: Camera Type, Lens Type, ISO, Time and Exposure settings, Lighting and if Tripod was used

Moore Tips - Street Photography Part Two

2010-08-27T08:53:00.000-07:00

6. Ask for permission

Although many street photography purists say that the only true street photography is candid, I would highly disagree with them. Feel free to go up to strangers who you think look interesting, and ask to take a portrait of them. People love getting their photos taken, and as long as you act courteous and casual about it, most people will accept. Feel free to ask to take portraits of many mundane subjects of everyday life like the waitress at the diner, the bellboy of a hotel, or even a parking lot attendant.

7. Be respectful:

This is one of the tricky grey lines when it comes to street photography. I personally try my best not to take photos of homeless people when they look too down on their luck. Although I do agree that there are tasteful images taken of homeless people which call people into helping these people, there are also many images that look like pure exploitation. Think of the cliché shot of a homeless person crouched over on the street, begging for money. Before you take these images, think about what message you are trying to convey. Are you shooting for the reason of building awareness of the atrocious situations that many homeless people live in? Or are you merely taking a photo of a homeless person for the sake of taking their photo? Nobody can be the judge—only you can decide.

8. Look for juxtaposition:

I feel that this is what makes street photography so unique and fascinating when compared to other genres of photography. Street photographs are able to convey the humor, irony, and the beauty of everyday life, by juxtaposing people with others and the environment. Look for signs with interesting messages that seem to be contradictory to the people standing around it. Be on the lookout for human heads that seem to be displaced by street lamps. Look for two individuals that seem to be differing in height, complexion, or even weight. Capture an array of emotions from people, whether it be happiness, sadness, or curiosity.

9. Tell a story:

Imagine that you are a film director and that you are trying to make an interesting play. Who would you decide to play as your actors? What is your backdrop going to be. How are the actors going to be interacting with one another and the environment? What kind of emotion are you trying to convey—whimsical, curious, or gloomy? If a viewer looks at one of your photos, will they simply move on or will they take a minute or two and study your image, trying to figure out the intrinsic story? Does your image captivate the viewer and make them feel that they are a part of the scene? Ask yourself these questions the next time you are taking photos on the street.

10. Just do it:

This is the last but most quintessential point of all of becoming a street photographer. Reading all of these tips aren’t going to do you any good to become a street photographer. Photography is not done behind the computer screen, but on the streets with a camera in hand. Honestly when it comes down to it, all this obsession over cameras, lenses, and gear doesn’t matter. Grab your DSLR, point-and-shoot, iPhone, or whatever and hit the streets. The beauty of the world awaits you—don’t miss your chance.

Moore Tips - Street Photography Part One

2010-08-26T08:48:00.000-07:00

1. Ditch the zoom and use a wide-angle prime

Street photography is not like your 2nd grade science class. You don’t examine your subjects under a microscope. Rather, street photography is about experiencing life, up close and personal. When starting off street photography, you may be tempted to use your 70-200 zoom lens to feel less “awkward” from shooting in the streets. Rather, it will do much more harm than good.

First of all, you will look even more conspicuous in public holding a huge zoom lens. Secondly, if you use a zoom lens you have to point it directly at somebody, which makes the person you are trying to capture feel as if they have a gun pointed to their head. Rather, try using a wide-angle prime lens. This will solve two of the forementioned problems. One, prime wide-angle lenses are often quite small and look much less threatening than the typical telephoto lens. Furthermore, by using a wide-angle lens, you can still capture your subjects without necessarily pointing your camera directly at them. Which brings me on to my next point…

2. Get close

When I say close, I mean GET CLOSE. Get so close so that when you are taking photos of people on the street that you can see the perspiration dripping from their forehead or the texture of their skin. By using a wide-angle prime lens (as mentioned in the before point), you will be forced to get close to your subjects. The advantage of this is that the wide-angle lens will give you a perspective which makes the viewer of your images feel as if they are a part of the scene, rather than just a voyeur looking in. Not only that, but when you are taking photos really close to people, they often think that you are taking a photo of something behind them. I recommend using either a 24, 28, or 35mm on a full-frame or crop camera.

3. Always carry your camera with you

You have heard this a million times and you know that you should, but you always seem to find excuses or reasons NOT to always carry your camera with yourself. “It’s too heavy, it’s annoying, it’s a hassle, it’s frustrating.” I’ll tell you what’s frustrating. Missing the perfect photo opportunity (the decisive moment) and regretting it for the rest of your life. I have to admit that is a bit dramatic, but it is true. If you always carry your camera with you, you will never miss those “Kodak moments” which always seem to happen at the most unexpected times. I have taken some of my best images at the most unexpected moments—images that would have been impossible to take if I did not have my camera by my side.

4. Disregard what other people think of you

One of the things that people are worried about when starting street photography is worrying about being judged by other people as being a “creeper” or just being plain weird. Disregard these thoughts. When you are shooting on the streets, you will most likely be alone. That means that anyone who may be “judging” you is people that you do not know and will most likely never see again in your life. So why let them get in your way?

We may feel constricted by these “social rules” but remember, they can always be broken. There is no law out there which doesn’t allow photography in public places (regardless of what the police may tell you).
To prime yourself better for your street photographer “role,” try doing something unusual in public. Lay on the ground for a minute and see how other people react around you, get up, and simply walk away like nothing happened. Go to a busy intersection and stand like a statue and see how people react (trust me, nobody notices. I had to do this as an experiment for one of my sociology classes). When you go into an elevator, stand the opposite way. The social world is full of false rules that constrict us. Break them, and shooting in the streets should become quite natural.

5. Smile often:

It is funny how far a smile can go, especially when shooting in the streets. If you take a photo of somebody and they give you a weird look, simply tip your hat to them and show them two rows of your pearly white chompers. I would say that when smiling to strangers (even in the city of angels) I get over a 95% response rate. Even some of the most unapproachable people will smile back at you. By smiling often and to others, this will help you relax and lighten the atmosphere around yourself. People trust a street photographer who smiles, as they will simply disregard you as a hobbyist, rather than someone with malicious intent.

Moore Tips - General Post Processing Workflow

2010-08-25T08:08:00.000-07:00

1. Crop and Rotate

I used to do this more in my early days as I regularly took images that were not straight or framed well. I’ve since improved this by changing my in-camera technique – but it’s always worth a quick scan of the image to check that it’s straight, that I have my subject positioned well in the frame and that I don’t have a distraction in the background that could be removed with cropping.

2. Adjust Levels

Next I open the levels dialogue box and check the histogram of the image that I’m editing to see if it’s balanced. Looking to see the shape of the histogram can tell you a lot about an image. I pay particular attention to the edge of the histogram to see if there’s a full spectrum of tones in the shot.
Check and adjust if necessary:

White balance
Exposure
Fill Light
Contrast

3. Adjust the Color

The good thing about adjusting the levels first is that it can sometimes bring the colors in your image to life – however sometimes it can be necessary to make further adjustments. I usually try ‘Auto Colors’ first to see how Photoshop treats it – but if am not satisfied with it will undo it and tweak things manually.
Check and adjust if necessary:

Tone Curves
Vibrance
Determine if the photograph will make a good Black and White image

4. Remove Spots/Marks/Distractions

At this point I scan the image for any kind of distractions or marks. This may be something that was in the scene that can’t be removed by cropping or could be a speck of dust on your image sensor. I tend to keep things simple here and use the Cloning tool for most of these.
Check and adjust if necessary:

Gradient Filter
Local Adjustments

5. Sharpen

Once I’m satisfied with all of the above factors I then do sharpening. I used to think that this was the most important element and that I could fix poorly focused images – however I now know that you can only work with what you’ve got when it comes to sharpening.
Check and adjust if necessary:

Clarity
Vignetting

Summary:

Digital Image Editing Workflow

1. Transfer Your Photos (get images from your camera/card into your computer)

2. Edit Your Pictures (delete the bad ones, rename images etc)

3. Convert RAW Files (if you’ve shot in RAW convert them to a regular format after doing some basic editing of white balance, exposure, brightness, contrast, saturation etc)

4. Crop Your Images (get rid of parts of the images that are distracting)

5. Clean up and Enhance (clone out problems, manipulate the image in any way that changes elements of your shot)

6. Check Contrast (using Levels palette to get full range of tones)

7. Check Colr Balance (if needed use Levels, Colour Balance or Variations to tweak your color balance).

8. Save the Layers

9. Flatten and Sharpen Up (flatten layers into one and do final sharpening)

10. Save the Final Image (different options here depending upon what you’ll use it for)

Moore Tips - Travel Subjects 2

2010-08-24T07:41:00.000-07:00

Getting from here to there. Transportation. This Travel Photography Subject is easy because you will be directly involved, one way or the other, as you travel. From the planes that take you over vast oceans, to the trains, taxis, rickshaws, tuk-tuks, motorcycles, chicken buses, long boats, barges…..I think you get the picture. Transportation is the backbones of travel, and unless you’re hoofing it on foot, you’ll be using some form of transportation from the moment you leave your house.

The trick is to get creative with your photos of transportation. While standard, representation shots of the side of the bus you rode from Nairobi to Arusha will do, what’s another way to tell the story? Do you have shots of what it’s like inside, packed three to a seat? What about luggage storage or the exhaust billowing out the tailpipe? And along the way, do you make any stops and what’s the activity around the bus like? The driver and the money handler, what’s their part in the travels?

Take a look at not only the aesthetics of your mode of transportation, but also how it fits in with the overall culture. In some places taxis are everywhere and run by highly organized groups. Driver’s tend to know each other and may be more cooperative. In others locations it’s far more adversarial. You’ll get a flavor for the culture pretty quickly. Try to incorporate that into your representation of the mode you choose.
Some people also find a certain fascination with one particular mode, especially when it’s something new. If this is you, run with it! Maybe it’s rickshaws in Asia. For instance, you could collect shots of all the different decorations and colorings. Or document the different drivers you see. If your travels are centered in one country, maybe decsribe how the rickshaws change from town to town or region to region (if they do at all). Expanding out from there, how do the rickshaws in Vietnam compare to those in Nepal? Or Africa?

Also take a look at not just human transport, but the transportation of goods. In some areas, half the wheels on the ground are carrying commerce from here to there. Carts full of vegetables, fruit or TVs. Lories packed beyond capacity with cotton from the fields. Mules, oxen, yaks and horses packing rice, crates and climbers expedition gear to the Himalayas. It’s all fodder for the overall category of transportation.

Moore Tips - Travel Subjects 1

2010-08-23T07:35:00.000-07:00

The economy. It’s a hot topic whether it’s a boom year or a bust. Every country on the planet has many forms of commerce that power its society. To get a feel for the local economy you may need to do a bit of digging. You can take a multilevel approach to capturing how your travel destination exchanges money and goods. Start with where you are. If it’s a tourist area the pickings will be easy; street carts, souvenir shops, fast food restaurants, people peddling their wares. And if that’s where your comfort level ends, feel free to skip to one of the other travel photography subjects listed below.
If you’re feeling the need for more of the picture (pun intended), start expanding outwards beyond the area around your hotel. Look for fueling stations and grocery stores and note prices. Wander along busy streets get a feel for how much traffic is pedestrian and how much is commerce. Is there a well organized goods distribution system with trains, cargo ships and freight trucks or are things more haphazard in a one-off fashion? What kind of goods are being moved around the country? Are they made local or imported?
Not satisfied with just wandering around and observing? Find a local industrial area. This can be a fishing marina, steel mills, textiles or any number of other operations available in the local community that produce goods or services. It can also be the financial district of larger cities or technology, entertainment or dining enclaves. You may need to be cautious around certain industrial areas (power plants and very private companies come to mind).

These are just a few of the possibilities when looking to document the economy of an area you may be visiting. The list can go on and on, but the important aspect of this travel photography subject is to step outside your normal way of viewing a destination and scratch a little beneath the surface. From prosperous to poverty stricken, a country’s economy will likely have a unique feel, even while it may be similar to its neighbor. It may be subsisting upon mostly internal trade on scant natural resources, or it may be an exporting power house.

While you will most certainly have an active, if minor, role in the economy during your travels, take a step back and find a way to communicate with friends and family back home what drives your destination’s economy.

Moore Tips - When To Use A Tripod

2010-08-22T21:29:00.000-07:00

1. Sunset light

With the increasing darkness it is difficult to shoot with a handheld camera at sunset. Sunlight decreases fast in the last moments before sunset and looking to your LCD at your results will prove that sharpness will no longer be achieved without a tripod. As these last minutes before and after the sun goes down are the most beautiful it is such a pity to see them and to know you’ve got no way to keep your camera still.
You can try boosting the ISO-level over 800 to give you a little more latitude – but in doing so you’ll lose image quality as the noise at high ISO rates becomes more noticeable.

2. Difficult Lighting

If you would go out shooting with 100 photographers on a sunny afternoon my guess would be that only 10 would shoot with a tripod.
Why?
The reason is that we believe that in bright light we’ll not get any camera shake – even at small apertures. While this is true in many cases I can also say from my own experience that it can sometimes be a false conclusion to think this way.
Tripods are not only good for stopping camera shake.
In bright light the most important parts in landscapes are fully illuminated. However the brighter the light the more intense shadows can become and the more difficult it is to take a show that captures the detail in those areas of the shot.
One way around this is to consider taking mulitple exposures to get the best results of all the important parts. You can then combine your images later on your computer to get a great shot. Some cameras have this setting in their menu for you to make it easy – however never do it handheld as you’ll end up with multiple images that don’t align well.
Take a tripod – even at 2 pm and burning sun.

3. Night photography

Some believe that you can shoot at 11pm with ISO boosted up to 3200 and aperture at f/2.8 and still shoot handheld. I have tried it and the outcome was perfectly (ugly).
Sure you can achieve an ‘artistic’ effect with this approach – but if you want to take some serious landscape photographs at night you can’t skip using a tripod.
The same thing applies when shooting long exposures of star trails, waterfalls etc. Sure you can balance your camera on a solid object – but in doing so you run the risk of dropping it or getting crooked images.

4. Shooting with neutral density filters

With an ND filter you are able to balance daylight and blur everything that is moving (water, clouds, flags etc.).
Depending upon the level of the added density and the lighting situation you will be forced to shoot longer exposures when using an ND filter.
Handheld ? No way. Shoot an image and look after that on your LCD – I promise you’ll crave for a tripod like never before. You know, ND filters and tripods are married. The filter is always faithful to the tripod – but the tripod sometimes goes shooting without the filter ;) .

5. Shooting with a telephoto

Shooting with a telephoto… can be dancing with the fire, because these lenses need a shorter shutter speed.
Without a tripod you are spoilt for choice : High-ISO merits (more noise) or a wider aperture (less depth of field).
The average aperture in landscape photographs is from f/8-11 so a tripod is the best thing you can choose when you’re shooting with a telephoto.

6. Architecture – interior

I just wanted to add this last point – because many landscape photographers love to shoot architecture too.
When you’re standing in an interesting architectural structure filled with lots of interesting lines and features to shoot you’ll generally not have any trouble ’seeing’ – however when it comes to ’shooting’ with your camera the light is generally not enough (unless it’s incredibly bright outside or there is some strong artificial light).
Once again – a tripod is what is needed to allow you to slow down your shutter speed, keep your aperture small enough to get good depth of field and not have to boost your ISO into noisy levels.

Moore 52 Week Projects - Interior Architecture Project (Week 31)

2010-08-21T20:10:00.000-07:00

1. Always use a tripod.
2. Compose the photo so that you are exactly in the middle of the room.
3. If possible make sure your camera is positioned at the same distance between the ground and the ceiling (half-way up the room). You may need a ladder to do this, and a measuring tape.
4. Step away from the camera and make sure that the lens is pointing exactly 90 degrees away from the floor. In other words, the lens direction has to be completely parallel to the floor.
5. Set the lens aperture of f8 or f11.
6. Use a cable shutter release or 10 second timer so you aren't touching the camera while the shutter is released.
7. Take the photo!

Remember:

Share your photographs
Critiques should be well received and given to others
Provide one or two sentences about your photograph
Give some technical data: Camera Type, Lens Type, ISO, Time and Exposure settings, Lighting and if Tripod was used

Moore Tips - Mono Pod Use

2010-08-20T21:26:00.000-07:00

Advantages of Monopods:

Weight and Size: The portability that monopods offer is probably their best feature (coming from someone who hauled a massive tripod around for years). They are lighter and smaller and can often be thrown in a backback or camera bag (or hung off one) without too much trouble.
Quick to Set up: Instead of having to pull out and secure three legs you only have to do it with one. This means when the moment comes to take a shot you can be set up within seconds.
Flexibility: When using a monopod you are almost in between tripod and hand held shooting in that you have extra support to cut back camera shake but you are also less tied down and have more flexibility to move around.
Less Real Estate – shooting with a tripod in a crowded situation can be a nightmare as your tripod has a larger footprint and takes up quite a bit of room. If space is an issue a monopod is ideal as it takes up virtually no space.

Disadvantages of Monopods:

Camera Shake – Monopods won’t eliminate camera shake. They do give more stability than hand holding a camera but at best they’ll probably only buy you a stop or three. For full elimination of camera shake you can’t go past a tripod.
Flexibility – there are some shooting situations that shooting with a monopod can be difficult. For example shooting in vertical mode instead of horizontal is hard (unless you go for a swivel or ball head.

If you’re not going to be shooting at extra slow speeds then a monopod is definitely a worthwhile option to consider.
For extra stability when shooting with a monopod find a solid object like a wall or tree to lean against. This will further eliminate camera shake.

Moore Tips - Indoor Sport Photography

2010-08-19T21:15:00.000-07:00

Here are some things to consider when photographing sports indoors:

Watch for action and movement. Sports like Basketball and Volleyball are consistently fast paced. Your job is not simply to capture the event, but also the connection between players. This takes some skill and anticipation.
Set your camera to a high ISO setting. Most recent SLR cameras will now allow you to shoot on 1000 ISO or even 1250 ISO. These options will reduce your concern for noticeable film grain (from ISO 1600). At the same time, your camera’s sensor will be more sensitive to what little available light you have.
Shoot with a fast shutter speed – at least TV/200 if you can. Once again, because you need to capture movement, a fast shutter speed will freeze the motion of the athletes, giving you a clear photo. [And if it comes down to it, settle for an underexposed image in camera. You can always adjust a sharp photo later].
Use a lens with the lowest aperture possible, say f4.0 to f2.8. Because you don’t have much available light, and you are working with a faster shutter speed, a wide aperture is your best friend in this setting. A wider aperture will increase the intensity of the light hitting your sensor, maximizing the available light.
Look for expression. Anger. Aggression. Rivalry. Teamwork. Excitement. Victory. You cannot successfully shoot any sport without watching, waiting, and capturing the emotions and relationships of the game. You will win at the end of the day if you have an emotional picture that isn’t completely sharp.
Shoot in RAW. The likelihood that you will achieve perfect coloring in camera is slim. Gym lighting is as notorious for green tinted lighting as it is for low lighting in general. Shooting in RAW will enable you to fix the colors in your post processing.

Moore Tips - Portrait Mode or Not

2010-08-18T21:07:00.000-07:00

Switch to Aperture Priority Mode

When I’m photographing portraits I generally switch my camera away from any of the Auto modes into Aperture Priority Mode. This enables the photographer to choose the aperture that they want to shoot at while still allowing the camera to make decisions about shutter speed (to ensure well exposed images). If you’re a more experienced photographer you might want to try out full manual mode – but Aperture Priority mode will probably do for most of us.

Choose a Large Aperture for Nice Blurry Backgrounds

The actual aperture setting that you choose when in Aperture Priority Mode will vary from situation to situation and between camera/lens setups – but in most cases you’ll probably want to start with a fairly large aperture as this will decrease the depth of field in your shots (this is what portrait mode generally does). This will help to ensure you have a nice blurry background. The beauty of this type of setting is that it leaves your subject as the only element in focus – highlighting them as the main focal point and removing any other distracting elements

Keep in mind that if you have a very fast lens that choosing the maximum aperture available can decrease the depth of field to a point where some parts of the face of your subject are in focus while others are not. Also the very maximum aperture might mean you are not shooting in your lenses sweet spot. Pull it back a stop or two and you might get a slightly sharper image – the key is to do some experimenting if you have the time to do so.

Select a Low ISO for Smooth Shots

The ISO setting that you use will vary depending upon the lighting situation that you’re faced with – but in most cases you’ll want to decrease the amount of grain or noise in your shot by selecting a low ISO (I try to stick to the 100-200 range). The main thing to watch when selecting an ISO setting is what impact it has on your shutter speed. Sometimes choosing a very low ISO will mean your shutter speed is just too slow for sharp images (I’ll talk about this below). If the shutter speed is too slow at the ISO you’ve selected you’ll either need a larger Aperture or a higher ISO.

Shutter Speed

If you’re shooting in Aperture Priority mode as we’re suggesting above, the shutter speed will be selected by the camera automatically once you’ve selected the aperture and ISO settings that you want. However – if you choose to shoot in full manual mode you’ll need to pay attention to shutter speed. Because your subject is a moving one (even if they are trying to stay still) you’ll probably want to keep your shutter speed at least to 1/60 second or faster (1/125 is probably better, especially if you’re not using a tripod).

White Balance

The white balance that you will need to select when taking portraits will again vary upon the lighting conditions that you’re shooting in.

Focussing Mode

Many digital cameras allow the photographer to choose between a number of focusing modes. At one end of the spectrum the ‘Auto Focussing’ setting on most cameras will use multiple focussing points to determine where to focus. At the other end of things is a manual focussing mode where the photographer has complete control. In the middle is often the option to focus the camera on a single point in the frame.

While the multi point AF setting will generally get things pretty right in most normal shooting conditions, in some situations it is helpful to be able to use either manual focusing or the single focussing point options (particularly in lower light). I personally prefer the single point setting as it allows me to pinpoint the exact part of the face that I want in focus (almost always the eyes).

Metering Modes

In a similar way, many cameras allow a number of different metering modes. Once again, on many cameras this ranges from a multi point system where the whole frame is taken into consideration when working out exposure levels through to a single point metering system (spot metering) where the photographer can pin point one small part of the image that they want the exposure to be base upon. Again, I often choose a spot metering mode when shooting portraits – particularly when the subject is backlit or where there are bright or dark parts of the image that could skew the results.

Moore Tips - Sports Photography Part Two

2010-08-17T21:02:00.000-07:00

5) Note The Time of Day

Soccer games usually run in the morning so if you’re aiming to sell prints after the game of the individual players be sure to spread out the range of players shot. There are certain players who like to step back more than others but it’s your responsibility as the photographer to record everyone and to maximise your profits. Take note of where the sun is and make sure the sun is to your back when shooting. This will ensure you have your shutter speed on it’s maximum without having to worry about exposing for the faces of the players if you were shooting into the sun. I am willing to sacrifice a little squinting and panda eyes from the players to ensure

I get the right exposure. After all if you don’t nail that exposure no one is going to care about panda eyes because there won’t be a shot.

Concentrate on shooting one team for the first half as they will be in the right position with the sun illuminating their fronts/faces. Then when half time is over aim to shoot all the players on the other team as they would have switched sides on the field.

6) No Eyes! No Shot!

When photographing sports, the key rule is to include the eyes of the subject and you can never fail. If you’re shooting the back of a player, STOP! ..Wait for them to turn around (or turn to another player on the field) ..and shoot when you have their eyes in the shot. The best shots in soccer are the headers and knee shots, as their eye level will typically be above parallel to the ground which is what we want. Whatever you do, don’t forget to photograph the goal keeper! He/she doesn’t have much interaction with the entire game, but the anticipation shots in between can still make great shots.

7) Include The Ball!

The eyes and the ball are two of the most important compositional elements in a shot. Then to add to the shot is the expression in the players face.
Although it can be difficult to capture, parents of the players are more likely to buy a picture that includes the game ball in it.

8) Wear an Official Photographer Vest!

Make sure you wear a big yellow/orange vest to indicate to people you are the official sports photographer. A photographer in Wollongong, NSW taped a sign on his back saying ‘Request A Shot!’ and at least that indicates to them that they are welcome to pull you aside. If you are more open to people nagging you, (yes it will be a little annoying having to be pulled aside with parents saying ‘look out for my son, number 12!’) the more sales you will make from prints.

Moore Tips - Sports Photography Part One

2010-08-16T20:59:00.000-07:00

1) Camera Settings – Burst mode, Focal Points & Aperture Priority

When shooting any sports, make sure your camera is set to burst/continuous mode to keep up with movements of the players. This will save you having to press the button manually for every shot. Have your camera’s focus mode to AI servo mode which is made to shoot continuous movement & for panning. Also ensuring all your focal points are active will make sure you have optimum chance of focusing on the player with the ball. When shooting sports it is ok to have the camera in Aperture Priority mode as we’re dealing with a really fast game and you need to be on the ball with exposure rather than having to always toggle the shutter speed manually.

2) Camera Settings – Shoot in JPG!

I personally shoot in jpg as opposed to RAW. When you’re taking so many continuous shots you’re going to want a maximum buffer speed. You’ll find when shooting soccer / netball tournaments, the parents buying the shots aren’t going to be too fussed on quality of the image as long as you captured something at the right time. A sporting tournament can get quite messy when you’re coming out and back off the field to download CF cards and you’re having to wait for the raw files to download.

3) Lens settings – 2.8 Is Almost An Essential!

You’re going to need a fast telephoto zoom lens when photographing sports. I shoot with a Canon 70-200 f/4 IS USM and I love it! Although indoor sports photography like bowling may require a 2.8 lens as you get another full stop of light in.

4) Lens settings – Image Stabilizer & Focus Mode

An absolute MUST when photographing sports photography is to have IS on your lens. You want to set your lens to Image Stabilizer Mode 2. Mode 1 is only made for still subjects & portraiture and won’t perform as well as the panning mode 2 in sporting situations.
Have your focusing distance range set to 3m to Infinity mode instead of 1.2m to Infinity. This will make sure you have the fastest focusing possible.

Moore Tips - Live Concert Photography Part Two

2010-08-15T20:01:00.000-07:00

4. Which Mode and Settings Should I shoot with?

In my opinion this is an individual preference and you should try what fits to your style. I always shoot in Aperture priority mode and at my lowest aperture setting (e.g 1.8; 2.8, depending on the lens you are using).
Some people also use manual mode, but I feel rather comfortable that my camera sets the right exposure and I don’t have to think about it.
I always use spot metering, because the stage lights are changing rapidly and you’ll never know if the lights will hit the artists face in the next second or not.
Use multi shot mode. Do not only shoot 1 picture but 3 or 4 to have a higher yield of pictures that you can use.

Finally: Always shoot in RAW format. Sure, you’ll need more storage space, but it is absolutely worth it to have the ability to change all the parameter like white balance and exposure afterwards in post processing.

5. What about Shooting in Big venues?

Welcome to the world of rock stardom! Are you ready to get close to your idols? Thousands of screaming people, squeezed in between the trench and the people behind, create a sheer unsurmountable barrier whereas you enter easily from the side of the stage, sipping coke and walk to the stage in front of the security guards.

You realize all the fancy equipment on the stage that you just used to know from videowalls – and then, suddenly the lights go dark. The band enters the stage, some people scream, others faint but you are just anxious and think: “am i dreaming or is this real” Then it hits you again, damn, it’s real and I am better back to reality again and take some great pics!
This is how it feels like standing in front of a big stage (at least this is the case for me).

You’ll think now: “Great, sounds good, I would like to do this, but how? Tell me, tell me, tell me!!!” The answer: You need a press accreditation. “Oh my gosh, what’s this?”
Don’t be afraid, it’s easier than you think. I started to work for a small internet magazine for students. These small magazines and online platforms will give you the opportunity to get to bigger concerts. Maybe you won’t get tickets for Woodstock 2011, but it should be possible for smaller festivals.
Try to get in touch with people, ask other photographers, talk to other students, maybe one of them is running a magazine. Try your luck at a local newspaper.

I am sure, if you really want to become a concert photographer, there are many ways to achieve your goal.
Once you got your press accreditation, the fun begins. You have to go to the press/VIP ticket counter to get your press ticket.

Most likely, depending on the artist, you are allowed to take pictures of the first 3 songs without flash. Not more. These are the rules and everybody has to stick to it. Leonard Cohen allowed just 1 song. Fortunately it was a long one, 6min time, 300 pictures! Exhausted and happy to get a good one for the newspaper!
Face the truth: you’ll delete most of your pictures and end up with just a few really good ones. As Chase Jarvis is saying just take more pictures to get THE shot you are waiting for.

6. I am standing in front of the stage with my 50mm lens. Why do the others have all this big ones (do they try to compensate for anything)?

Ok, this is the deal. Bigger Venues need bigger lenses and mostly high ISO too!
If you are looking around professional concert photographers they most likely have a full format sensor camera (yep, because of the high ISO capability) and a 24-70 2.8 or 70-200 2.8 or both – or even an ultrawide angle/fisheye lens.

Sure, you can also try your luck with your 50mm but on big stages you definitely need a telephoto lens. The zoom ability is also crucial in my opinion, because you can not move forward, so you have to compose from your point of view.

Sometimes the artist will permanently move so it’s easier to follow him/her with your lens. For instance, Jamiroquai was jumping around for 10 minutes. The other advantage of this back-breaking lenses is that other photographers will take you more seriously and get afraid that you might take better pictures than them.

I hope I could convince you that being a concert photographer is much fun even though you have to spend a lot of time and money for it. But believe me, if you see your pics after the concert of your favourite band on your LCD display on the back of your camera, the efforts it took are forgotten in a second.

Summary:

start in small venues
use a lens with a small aperture (e.g. 50mm 1.8)
use high ISO settings
try to get in contact with magazines and internet platforms to get your press accreditation
save your money for a full frame camera and fast zoom lenses: 24-70mm 2.8, 70-200mm 2.8, ultrawide/fisheye lens
Enjoy your new life as a concert photographer

Moore 52 Week Projects - Single Light Source Project (Week 30)

2010-08-14T19:58:00.000-07:00

If you don't have access to a photo studio with strobe lights, but you do have an external flash with a long sync chord, try the following set-up:

1. Hang a piece of black velvet fabric on a wall, in a fairly dark room. Pin a flower onto the fabric. Roses work well.
2. Place your camera on a tripod, and focus on the flower.
3. You will need to find a way to hang a white bed sheet directly behind you.
4. Attached to a flash synch chord (available at camera stores) to your external flash, and place the flash about 2 or 3 feet behind the white bed sheet. The easiest way to have the flash unit secure is to place it on a second tripod, or get a friend to hold it.

To summarize the set-up:
Black velvet hanging on a wall with flower pinned to it
Camera
Photographer
White bed sheet behind photographer
Flash unit a few feet behind bed sheet

The flash unit should be directed so that the light is hitting the back of the photographer (albeit through the bed sheet). The goal is to only allow perimeter light to hit the subject. Your own body acts as a light blocker, keeping the strongest light away from the subject. Place the flash unit on its fullest output setting, and take some test shots. You should end up with a nice softly-lit image, as it is only the softer light that comes from around your upper body that will illuminate the flower.

Remember:

Share your photographs
Critiques should be well received and given to others
Provide one or two sentences about your photograph
Give some technical data: Camera Type, Lens Type, ISO, Time and Exposure settings, Lighting and if Tripod was used

Moore Tips - Live Concert Photography Part One

2010-08-13T19:59:00.000-07:00

1. Getting started! Prepare yourself to become a concert photographer

What is the best way to start? The easiest way to build your career is to begin in small clubs. In these venues it’s more likely that you can enter with your camera equipment without any special press accreditation. Therefore this is the perfect playground for you to change your camera settings and getting used to be in front of a stage. Why not ask some friends who play in a band and offer them your skills next time? For sure they would be more than happy to have pictures of their next concert.

But all beginnings are difficult and so is concert photography.
The problem in these small venues is in the lack of stage light! Most of the concerts I was starting with had only a blue and a red spotlight on stage. Beside the fact that the musicians look like creatures from another galaxy the light is so low that you hardly get sharp pictures when not using proper equipment.
What is the solution for this dilemma?

2. Buy a fast cheap prime lens, now!

Talking about lenses for concert photography always ends up with the same conclusion: use fast lenses! Most of the time the stage light is very low so your only chance to get sharp images is to use a fast lens.
As a beginner I would recommend the cheap 50mm 1.8, because of its ability to shoot in low light at its lowest aperture setting. This lens saved me a couple of times when the light technician seemed to sleep and the stage was almost pitch black. For small stages a 50mm lens is a good compromise to get a head shot of the lead singer and a full length shot of the drummer (depending how big the stage actually is).
How to get rid of the red creature from another galaxy-look? Convert your pictures into black and white and the musicians will look way more natural again.

3. What was this noise all about?

One important setting on your camera is the ISO value. A good setting for your camera’s ISO value is crucial for concert photography. Most of the time you’ll find yourself dialing your ISO setting up to 1600 or higher to get a decent shutter speed.

You may be thinking: “What?! I am using a lens with an aperture of 1.8 and an ISO setting of 1600 and I still not get the shot I want?”

Unfortunately the answer is: Yes, at least most of the time.
Using such high ISO settings at a digital SLRs with a crop sensor will generate a lot of noise. Therefore I recommend to use noise reduction software in your post processing workflow. Or, even better (but more expensive): Buy a full frame camera.

Moore Tips - Photographing Landscapes Part Two

2010-08-12T19:51:00.000-07:00

Step 4: The ideal set up

Adjust your tripod to a height that offers the best perspective: too low and the scene can look flat, too high and the perspective on any foreground interest may become skewed. Attaching a carrier bag of rocks or even your backpack to the centre column is a good way of increasing rigidity in the likelihood that a sudden gust of wind may disturb your capture. If your tripod has a split level use this to ensure the composition is straight and secure the DSLR as tightly as possible.

Turn off your lens’ vibration reduction technology and set the camera’s ISO low to 100 or 200 for example. If you are confident shooting in manual consider using longer exposures, especially at dawn or dusk when the light is deemed. These lengthy exposures will blur the ebb and flow of the sea or trace the movement of a cloud in the sky, cultivating in an eerily ethereal or delicately moody frame. If the light is stronger or you are shooting in the middle of the day, you may want to consider using filters to cut down the light entering your lens to achieve these longer exposures.

Using Aperture Priority will lend the opportunity to play with depth of field; and for a crisp capture with a wide scope of the scene in focus use an aperture of between f11 to f22. If you fancy getting creative why not employ a wider aperture and create a shallower depth of field, concentrating on the foreground interest in particular? Revise captures using Playback by zooming in to ensure details crisp, colors are accurate and study the histogram to approve the exposure. It’s advisable to shoot in RAW if your device allows it and your memory card can accommodate it.

Later in the editing suite you’ll have a greater control over contrast, color and exposure to perfect your landscape and reach your potential as a landscape photograph.

Moore Tips - Photographing Landscapes Part One

2010-08-11T19:46:00.000-07:00

Step 1: Finding the perfect spot

To minimze gas costs scouting out that prized location, do a little preparation work before you head off. Research nearby or far-flung locations online, in the library or at your local tourist information office to discover what has been captured and decide how you can better it. There is no shame in looking at the work of photographers who you admire or who inspire you, and attempting to learn from the work they’ve achieved.

You could also try looking under resources for hiking, camping, mountain climbing, biking and canal boating, as well as many other outdoor pursuits, as these are likely to highlight scenic areas of interest. Talk to other photographers in person or on forums for their advice about where to try and where to avoid. Once you’ve created a shortlist of must-see locations, take a trip out to judge its potential in the flesh.

Step 2: Getting the right light

A landscape can be transformed with the right light and depending on the size of your scene it’s likely you’ll be dependent on the one obvious light source: the sun. Many landscape photographers believe the best light comes with the early morning light; a window that lasts an hour so before and after sunrise. Others argue that sunset provides more vivacious coloring, whereas some declare winter sun to be the best for shooting during the middle hours of the day.

Whatever your preference, photograph with the light behind or to the side of you and be prepared to get their ahead of the ‘window’ to find the best position, program settings and wait for the show to start. With that in mind – pack a comfortable chair, flask of warm beverage and warm clothing. Revising sunrise and sunset times for that particular location can be of great benefit, particular if you have a great distance to travel.

Step 3: Creative compositions

A solitary field lacking compositional elements will arguably be a dull scene so compose your landscape as you would with any other subject; think about what is interesting to the viewer. Walk around the location to pick out points of interest and employ tactics such as the rule of thirds, symmetry or the golden ratio to compose your scene.

Pay attention to the geographical elements before you and how they intersect with each other, for example; the line of the horizon, the shape of a mountain or a lake, consider how much space lies before you before it intersects with the nearest line or shape, and determine where these elements should be positioned for maximum interest. Are there shadows, or reflections that you can exploit as main areas of interest? Consider some foreground interest to draw the viewer in, or incorporate a leading line; such as a path, river or railway track to guide the eye into the frame.

Before you shoot say to yourself ‘what interests me within this image?’, ‘Does this composition do anything for me?’ and ‘what are the main areas of interest here, and am I showing these at their best?’ Be objective if possible, just because you find something in the scene interesting, will someone else be able to relate to it enough to find it interesting? Finally, just because you are shooting a landscape, it doesn’t mean you are restricted to a landscape orientation – experiment!

Moore Tips - Everyday Photographs

2010-08-10T11:01:00.000-07:00

1. In the Kitchen

Don’t laugh or discard this idea before trying it. I was standing in front of the sink the other day and realised a great photo opportunity was staring me in the face. There in two large jars was a variety of kitchen utensils just waiting to have their photo taken. Full of holes, texture, pattern and all shiny and bright with great reflective surfaces. The draws are full knives, forks and spoons. How much more could you ask for. If you have a macro lens, macro feature on your lens or compact camera then this is for you. Try it and see just how rewarding it can be. The kitchen is a great place to learn digital photography and the weather will never affect it. Just watch out for the water sprayer. But don’t just limit yourself to the kitchen, try the bathroom (not toilet) and other parts of the house.

2. The Garden

One step away from the front door is the garden. And, I’m not just talking flowers and insects here. Look around and see what there is. Get down low and explore the ground and you’ll be surprised what you see. The cracked pathway, a coiled hosepipe or a rusty hand trowel standing in a flower bed. Metal buckets, watering cans or wheelbarrows all have photo potential. Just be prepared to look and start seeing with a photographer’s eye. You will surprise yourself. Again, a macro lens will be great but you won’t necessarily need a macro feature.

3. The Driveway or Garage

Yes, still close to home and many opportunities. The family car if you have one, or, perhaps the neighbour’s motorcycle if you don’t, makes a great subject. Getting in close on the most boring car can give you images that you never thought were possible. Key here is to experiment with angles and get in as close as your lens will allow. Focus on colour, reflection and lines. Lie down on your back and shoot up. If the car is old then focus on damaged parts like rust. There are just so many little things you can shoot and when viewed up really close can give an amazingly abstract image.

4. The Park or Public Gardens

Around the corner for many of us is a park, public garden or kids play park just waiting to be photographed. Here you’ll find all sorts of objects from sculptures to water fountains, play equipment to stone walls.
When you get there just sit and observe and try to see the potential photo opportunities. Allow yourself to start seeing rather than just looking around.

5. The Local flea or Street Market

Street photography is a real hot photo topic at the moment. Going into a flea market and shooting just anything, from people to colour to antiques and art are just some of the ideas. Be sensitive to people and when shooting close up ask their permission. You’ll find so much atmosphere and activity that will stimulate you to shoot many interesting subjects. This is a great place to learn digital photography because the opportunities and ideas are so diverse.

These five photo ideas close to home will hopefully inspire you as you learn digital photography and add skills to your photography journey. Shoot regularly and don’t allow a few obstacles to stop you taking great images.

Moore Tips -Framing

2010-08-09T10:56:00.000-07:00

One way of adding interest to an image and to draw attention to the main point of interest that you’re attempting to highlight is to incorporate an internal frame into your composition.
A frame serves numerous purposes:
1. It gives the image depth and helps to give the perception to viewers of it that they’re looking at something that is more than 2 dimensions.

2. Use correctly, framing can draw the eye of the viewer of an interest to a particular part of the scene.

3. Framing can bring a sense of organization or containment to an image. This won’t work with every shot – but if you’re after a more ordered or formal feel it can be useful.

4. Framing can add context to a shot. A photo of the woman in the first shot (left) without the window frame would tell you less than the shot you see with the rustic looking window frame around her.

Frames can take many forms – from an overhanging tree, a window, a bridge, arch or even part of another person etc. When using this technique – look for a frame that has a similar shape to the main subject that you’re framing.

Frames can also be in the foreground or background of images (although more often than not they’re in the foreground).

Moore Tips - Birds

2010-08-08T21:19:00.000-07:00

Equipment

It’s not necessary to have an expensive camera of lens, however the proper equipment lets to take bird photos easier.

Lens
Most birds are quite shy, so you need at least 200mm (300mm is better) to take pictures of them. Longer focal length not only lets to photograph birds from larger distance, it also gives more blurred background. However more millimeters (or larger aperture) means more expensive, larger and heavier lens. Knowing all that, I think that 400mm f/5.6 lens is the best, if you want to have as much millimeters as possible, not too small aperture and still want to be mobile. Of course, you can make magnificent bird images with 100mm or less, just you should find more courageous birds or compose them to landscape.

Camera
In bird photography, almost all DSLR’s will make a good job. However, if you’re planning to photograph birds in flight, pay attention to fps (frames per second), high ISO results and AF (autofocus) system’s accuracy. If you don’t have a DSLR camera, then bird photography becomes a bit more difficult (especially due to slow AF), but don’t give up – a good photographer, I believe, will make better bird photos with mobile phone than a poor one with the most expensive equipment.
Tripod, monopod, flash, even remote control sometimes help much, but usually aren’t necessary.

Camera settings

It’s very important to know what settings to choose in certain situation to get most from your camera.

Exposure
In bird photography lens with long focal length are usually used, so it’s very important to set not too long exposure, if you don’t want that camera shake would cause blurry pictures. The rule is to set expose not longer than focal length of your lens. For example, if your lens focal length is 400mm, you need to set at least 1/400 exposure to get sharp images. However, it is valid only if you have a full-frame camera. If your have a DSLR with smaller sensor (e.g. APS-C DSLR – with 1.6 crop factor), you need to multiply millimeters of your lens from the crop factor. This time that would be (400 x 1.6 = 640) 1/640 exposure. If you don’t have a DSLR, you usually won’t need to multiply anything – the focal length, written on your camera lens, usually already is multiplied (actually it’s 35mm equivalent). Today, most lens or cameras have image stabilization (IS, VR…), and that helps much in low light conditions. Using it, you can set as many steps longer exposure, as you find in your lens/camera specifications, and get sharp images. For instance, if there is a 2 steps 400mm lens stabilizer, you can set 2 steps longer exposure (1/400-1/200-1/100, with APS-C camera: 1/640-1/320-1/160). When using tripod, of course, these rules to minimize camera shake are not so important.
If you want so freeze action, set 1/1000 or shorter exposure, if you would like to show movement, use 1/60 or longer.

Aperture
As you may already knew, aperture controls DOF (depth of field). That means, if you want a more blurred background, set the largest aperture (the smallest number). However, when using telephoto lens, some parts of bird’s body may appear out of focus, so pay attention where exactly you are focusing (that usually is the bird’s eye). If necessary, close aperture a bit.

ISO
In bird photography, as in anywhere else, the lower ISO speed, the better. However, it’s much better to set ISO 800 or 1600 and get a sharp picture, than ISO 200, and get the blurry one.

Some other notes
When photographing birds, three modes work the best. If you want to control aperture (depth of field), choose Av (aperture priority) mode. For shutter speed controlling (especially useful when photographing birds in flight) use Tv (shutter priority) mode. If you exactly know what settings you need, choose M (manual) mode.
If you photograph dark bird in light background or want to get more details from dark areas, set the positive exposure compensation value, if you want to avoid overexposed areas, set the negative one.
I recommend you to always shoot in RAW, if possible, because later you can easily fix such things as WB (white balance) with computer.

Ways to photograph birds

The next step is to learn, how to get to the birds closer, so then you will be able to take quality pictures of them.
So you can:

Don’t do anything exceptional
Some birds are courageous and let you to come close enough.

Move carefully
Many birds let you to come close enough if you simply don’t make any sudden movements.

Stalk
Sometimes this really works, just make sure that bird doesn’t see you when you are getting close and then, very carefully, take picture.

Lie without any movements
Birds sometimes come surprisingly close, when you lie. Just find a good place or put some food and be patient!

Hide
When photographing a shy bird or wanting a small bird to come very close for a quality photo this is the best technique. You can hide using hunting blind, camouflage net or the blind you made yourself from surrounding materials. The lower is blind, the more courageous birds feel. If you use surrounding materials to camouflage the blind or to hide yourself, that is another advantage. You can hide near various objects, which attracts birds. Also, you can put some food where you want for birds to come. Sunflower’s seeds are the best food in most cases. If you want that bird would sit on the twig or something similar before taking food, put that twig above the food.

It doesn’t matter which way you choose, be patient. Don’t wander from one bird (birds) to other (others), if you didn’t succeeded from the first time. Sometimes it’s a good idea to go back next day and try again.

The Image

Now, lets talk about the image itself. We know what equipment we need, what camera settings to choose, how to get to the bird closer, now it’s time to find out how to make the image of the bird look attractive.

The light
Everything starts with a good light. The best time for photography is morning or evening because the light is soft and has a pleasant hue, shadows are not so distinct, it’s easier to get details from very bright and dark areas.

Composition
It is usual to leave some space in the direction the bird is looking or flying. Rule of thirds sometimes helps too. Simply try some different framing to see when you get the best result. In addition, try to avoid any distracting elements, when you are taking the picture. And one more thing to mention: when you are taking the photo of the bird, try to be in it’s eye level.

The bird’s sitting place and the background
It’s the best, when the place, where the bird sits, shows bird’s natural habitat. It can be almost anything because birds live in very different habitats. The background shouldn’t be distracting and usually it looks better when it isn’t the sky (but not always!).

Ethics of bird photography

Birds are wonderful creatures. When you are taking photos, don’t harm them. I strongly advice you not to photograph birds near nests (except when the distance is large and bird isn’t sensitive to disturbance – there are only very few such species). Even if you don’t harm birds, you can show the place of the nest for predators. The life of bird is more important than a photo.

Moore 52 Week Projects - Textured Background Project (Week 29)

2010-08-07T19:47:00.000-07:00

When planning a photo shoot that has a textured background, look for the following qualities:

1. The texture should be rough, but somewhat uniform, and consistent.
2. Different paint colors will have different emotive characteristics.
3. Aged and worn backgrounds usually have more soul.
4. Direct sun will show more texture, but makes portraits more difficult.
5. instead of using a low f-number, try using a tripod and a higher f-number for greater background and foreground sharpness.

Remember:

Share your photographs
Critiques should be well received and given to others
Provide one or two sentences about your photograph
Give some technical data: Camera Type, Lens Type, ISO, Time and Exposure settings, Lighting and if Tripod was used

Moore Tips - Create Active Space

2010-08-06T17:14:00.000-07:00

Some call the space in front of a moving subject the ‘active space‘ in a photograph. Alternatively the space behind your subject is often called ‘dead space’.

The reason that this compositional technique is used is that when someone views an image and spots that your subject is moving in a direction – their eye naturally moves in that direction too. It’s quite instinctive.
Working with the way your viewer will instinctively view your image helps to create balance, drama and anticipation in your shot.

This technique of creating active spaces in action shots can be applied in many types of photography including sports (cars, bikes, people etc), wildlife (photographing a running animal) or virtually any other subject matter that is moving.

Eggs In Hands

2010-08-05T13:00:00.000-07:00

<--The Photograph:

The Story: My mother and I were about to have breakfast, one morning in Nagshead, North Carolina and I asked her to hold one egg for each child in the family.

The Camera: Canon 5d

The Lens: EF28-135mm, ISO 400, 1/320, f10

Lightroom Preset: Nagshead Morning

Moore Tips - Still Life

2010-08-04T21:15:00.000-07:00

Lighting is the single most important element of “Still Life” photography. The way a photographer uses light for still life will add mood, give context, provide interest, and ultimately, create a dynamic still life photograph. Lighting for still life is not complicated. In fact, stick to these 5 tips, and you will nail your still life shots every time.
1. Use an simple backdrop: Wrinkles and ridges in a still life photograph – unless a part of the setting – will be distracting to your main subject. Be vigilant about keeping your backdrops smooth and simple.

2. Make your lighting contrasty: Whether you are using strobes, speedlights, or LED’s, it’s important that your “ratio” from one light to the next is varied. The main light should be strongest, and the second light should simply provide a nice fill.

3. Light directionally: Side light is always most effective for bringing out texture and creating dynamic variation between the highlights and shadows. Whether rings, or florals, side light will enable you to give dimension and depth to your still life imagery.

4. Pay attention to your angles: Two things to think about when faced with a studio lighting scenario. a). The position of the lights to your subject and b). the position of your subject to the camera. Side light will give dimension, but so also will the angle at which you take your shot [ie. side, above, below, etc.]. Don’t be afraid to experiment and change up angles. A photo is most interesting when you give a new perspective to something that is ordinary.

5. Light for shape: We see life 3 dimensionally. For this reason, the most dynamic photographs are the ones in which the audience could walk into the scene, or reach out and touch the subject. Lighting for shape will be most emphasized by side light, when your highlights spread along the edge of your subject and add that 3rd dimension.
Whether or not commercial Still Life is an area you want to enter professionally, practicing in a still life context will give you a better understanding of directing light for maximum photographic impact.

Moore Tips - LED Photography

2010-08-03T21:11:00.000-07:00

There will be times in your on location portraiture sessions when the available light is just too dim or weak to create an even portrait. Getting rid of shadows and adding catch-lights in this scenario is impossible unless you bring in another light source. An LED is a quick and non-imposing way of adding just enough light to create an artistic flair to your portrait.

1. Position your subject near the primary light source. In this case, window light is my main light and illuminates my subject. I turn my subject into the light until her skin is appears soft and luminous.

2. Add the LED. Rather than the LED acting as my main light, I use it to soften the transfer edges of the highlights and shadows along my subjects face. I am able to maintain shape and depth along her face without having harsh and distracting shadows.

3. Pull the LED away from your subject: If the LED is too close to your subject, the lighting will become flat – especially if we are using the LED as a fill light. Move the LED away from your subject as much as possible while still filling in and softening the shadows just a bit.

If you don’t own strobes or speed lights, you may not be as limited with off camera lighting as you think. LED’s can help you create extremely artistic portraits without a lot of financial investment. Here’s a look at using the LED for a studio like portrait.
1. Place your subject away from your backdrop. If the area behind your subject is dark, you’ll create a nice, black backdrop – no matter where you are. For this portrait. my subject is 5 feet in front of a dark hallway wall.

2. Get rid of all other light. To create a contrasty portrait, eliminate other light sources. Though you are using a single LED, the light will be more even and controlled without other competing light sources.

3. Position your LED. For a close up portrait with no other light sources, you will want to position the LED, 1 foot above and 2 feet away from your subject. This distance will enable you to cast light evenly along the face, and you won’t have to worry about distracting shadows falling under the eyes or the edge of the nose.

Moore Tips - Butterfly Lighting

2010-08-02T21:08:00.000-07:00

Here’s a step by step guide of how to achieve perfect butterfly lighting:
1. Face your subject at 7.8 view: Start by facing your subject directly to the camera, then turn the head just to hide the far ear. This view of the face is most flattering as it minimizes the face.

2. Hold your off camera flash 1′ above your subject, and 3′ toward the front to eliminate any possible shadowing on the face. You will also create a shadow beneath the chin, thus hiding any excess weight there.

3. Place a reflector just below the edge of your frame. The closer your reflector is to your subjects chin, the more even the spread of light. This reflector will soften that shadow and eliminate a harsh contrast.

4. Light for catch lights: You want your subjects eyes to be well lit and fortunately, with the angle of your main light in front/above, and the fill light coming in from below, your subject should have large round catch lights in both the bottom and top part of the eye.

Moore Niche - Street Photography

2010-08-01T14:07:00.000-07:00

Your street photography - no one knows your street better than you. Or your neighborhood. Lots of people in your area and on your street would want beautiful photographs of places they consider their own, become a local hero and build your portfolio. Share your favorite photographs.

Moore Tips - Butter Fly Photography

2010-07-31T21:05:00.000-07:00

Butterflies are pretty sensitive little creatures. Get too close, and they’ll fly away in a hurry. And, even when you do get close, they’re constantly moving from flower to flower, gathering their most precious prize: sweet nectar. All this makes it difficult to photograph butterflies, but here are 8 tips for dealing with some of these problems:

1. Use a tripod, but keep the head loose

Butterflies move quickly from flower to flower, so you won’t have time to lock in your tripod. But, you can still use it for some stability by keeping the head loose (so you can quickly move the camera).

2. Wait for colder weather

Butterflies need heat from the sun to use their wings, so they like to take it easy when it’s colder out (early morning or late afternoon). With colder weather, you’ll be able to approach them more easily.

3. Position your camera’s sensor so it’s parallel to the butterfly’s wings

You only get one geometrical plane of complete sharpness, so you want to put as much of your subject in this plane as possible. With butterflies, you’ll want their body and wings tack sharp, so make sure your camera’s sensor is parallel to them.

4. Wait until the butterfly is frontlit by the sun

Side lighting will usually result in a harsh shadow across the butterfly’s wings, and backlighting is always difficult because of flares. So, wait until the butterfly moves to a position where it’s frontlit by the sun.

5. Use a fast shutter

When you’re photographing butterflies, three things are almost always moving: the camera, the butterfly, and the flower it’s perched on. To help freeze the action and increase your chances of getting a sharp photo, use a fast shutter by increasing your ISO to 400.

6. Shoot in JPEG mode (sometimes)

If you’re having a hard time with the wind and a constantly moving butterfly, you may want to consider shooting in JPEG instead of RAW. This will allow you to snap a lot more shots in a burst, increasing your chances of getting a sharp photo (when everything stood still for a microsecond).

7. Wait for butterflies (patiently), don’t chase them

If the butterflies seem extra sensitive when you’re trying to approach them, then try to just wait patiently at one flower instead. Although butterflies will usually get scared if you approach them, they’ll usually land on flowers right next to you if you’re already sitting there. Be patient though: it might be 15-20 minutes before a butterfly shows up.

8. Be careful not to cast a shadow on the butterfly

Butterflies love the sun, so if you cast a shadow on them, they’ll usually fly away. Remember this as you’re approaching them.

Moore Tips - Harsh Environments

2010-07-30T20:57:00.000-07:00

1. Get some specific camera insurance. Your standard travel insurance policy is probably no good – it usually has a clause limiting loss associated with a single item and the chances are that if your a semi-serious photographer this amount is a lot less than your kit is worth. It’s probably good practice to have insurance even on a day to day basis anyway, because it has the added advantage of giving you the confidence to take occasional calculated risks with your camera.

2. Make sure you’ve got a good camera bag to keep all your kit in one place, dry and secure. You don’t need to spend a fortune on the latest poser-pouch but you need to get something that’s specifically designed for DSLRs – shoving all your kit in any old bag isn’t so wise. Things get lost, or broken.

3. Wear your camera around your neck. I know this seems obvious but I don’t think it should be overlooked. On the boat, I often found myself shooting from a moving deck at a moving object in a light drizzle and occasional spray, whilst trying to hold my camera with one hand so I could use the other to stop myself falling into the sea. Drop your camera in 50 meters of water and it’s gone. Of course, the same is true if you drop yourself in the sea with your DSLR round your neck, but if that happens you probably have more to worry about than your camera!

4. Try and limit your camera’s exposure to risk as much as possible – whether that’s stowing it securely in an identified place when not in use, using a rain cover to minimise exposure to moisture/dust/salt etc., or even fitting a proper waterproof (and thus everything-else-proof) case, remember that careless treatment costs cameras. One note about the rain covers though, some say that there can to be issues with condensation, so if you’re repeatedly moving from a cold to warm environment you need to take extra care…personally I’m more of a plastic bag and lots of air kind of person.

5. Make sure that anybody with you understands that your camera is a precious object. Assuming you trust them not to run off with it, some people just don’t understand that they need to be careful with your stuff. Anybody who doesn’t know about cameras probably wont think that your shiny 7D (or whatever) is anything special, is fragile, or that it needs treating with care. Make sure they understand, assume nothing.

6. Don’t put your camera down there! You know where I mean – anywhere that it is at risk of being sat on, soaked, covered in noxious substances, falling off, being stolen or anything else…put it back in your bag, I appreciate that this is a pain and that you’ll miss shots, but you’ll miss many more when your camera is dead or gone. I also know that there are bags which purport to offer quick-access opportunities…great, so long as they allow you to keep your stuff all together and that they really work, and you’re willing and able to carry them around all the time.

7. Wipe your camera free of potential contaminants as soon as you can, if it’s light moisture from drizzle you need to do that with something absorbent that itsn’t just going to push moisture into the area around the buttons. I use a special, clean, monofibre cloth that I also use for cleaning my lenses. If it’s dust or anything else that might find its way onto the sensor of your camera you need to clean it especially carefully. Pay attention to the seal around the lens. Get some cotton buds or similar.

Moore Tips - Engagements

2010-07-29T20:56:00.001-07:00

Follow these few steps to achieve real and vibrant engagement portraits.

1. Be involved!

As a photographer, you must keep your people skills sharp. With engagement photos, you have to do your research on the couple you are photographing. What are they like as a couple? What are they like as individuals? What is their wedding going to be like? How did they meet? This is going to affect the way you want to build your images and portray them.

2. Encourage affection!

Rather than posing each shot, ie, “okay, now you kiss her cheek!” encourage your couple to show as much affection as possible. Every couple does certain things to show one another love. If you want to capture them accurately, you will urge this type of interaction.

3. Be observant!

A couple is most natural when they are focusing on one another. Try to direct the shoot by suggesting they talk to one another, telling one another most embarrassing moments, or 5 things they love about each other– topics that will pull out expression, interaction, and affection.

4. Remember that space determines relationship!

If a couple is leaning in for a kiss, or walking arm in arm, you will be able to communicate a message of intimacy. Sometimes you can get sweet shots with contrast and tension in the picture by placing the couple far apart in the frame, but be sure that this is your purpose if your going to do it.

5. Tell a story.

No love story is the same. Find unique traits about the couple, and then pull this out in the creation of your images. If the couple is perfectly at ease with one another because they have been best friends for 10 years, you can create images with a laid back and contented feel. If the couple has had a whirlwind romance after meeting on e-harmony.com, it will be natural to pull out the affection and passion of their relationship

6. Be open to suggestions!

Often times the bride to be will have an idea for a shot she will suggest to you before hand. Other times her fiancé may think of an idea on the spot during the shoot. If you can integrate these ideas into your shooting, you will delight the couple, and possibly find yourself inspired by new ideas.

7. Be personable!

If you get to know your couple, and allow them to fall in love with your personality and style, you have a good chance of booking them for a wedding also. Your job is not only to take good pictures, but also to give them a fabulous time they will remember for the rest of their lives.

Moore 52 Week Projects - Controlled Lens Flare Project (Week 28)

2010-07-28T19:28:00.000-07:00

This technique is easily done, and the results will always be unique:
1. Overexpose the photograph.
2. Do not have the sun in the composition, but place it just millimeters outside of the frame.
3. You can control (to a certain extent) how the flare will behave by moving your own physical position.
4. Take the picture! If the image is too dark, overexpose more.

This technique is easy to do, and is especially helpful for winter scenes. Make sure you do not look at sun through your viewfinder. For those of you with newer D-SLR cameras with LiveView, you can compose via the screen.

Remember:

Share your photographs
Critiques should be well received and given to others
Provide one or two sentences about your photograph
Give some technical data: Camera Type, Lens Type, ISO, Time and Exposure settings, Lighting and if Tripod was used

Moore Tips - Histogram

2010-07-27T08:21:00.000-07:00

More Data Captured

Unused "Space" on Right

Expose to the Right If you're saving photographs as raw files, expose to the right. Take a photograph and check the histogram. If there are no pixels on the right side, increase the exposure with exposure compensation, and take another photograph. The image on the LCD screen may not look well-exposed, but the raw file Histogram is not balanced.

Moore Tips - When To Flash

2010-07-26T07:58:00.000-07:00

You can get great lighting for your portraits with on-camera flash. And there’s no need to purchase expensive attachments to modify your light, because everything you need is already there. The thing to understand is that your flash unit is just another light source at your disposal. Fortunately, you can learn to control the light it produces and shape it to your needs. Plus, it has the added benefit of doing some of the thinking for you when you need it to.

Since the light your flash unit produces directly can appear rather harsh, you’ll have to do one or both of the following in order to get more pleasing lighting from it:

* Create a larger, wider area of light relative to your subject.
* Illuminate your subject from an angle other than directly off the top of the camera.

The following tips will help you accomplish these goals:
1. Bounce It.

This is the number one secret weapon when it comes to on-camera flash techniques. Indoors, a typical room with light-colored walls and ceilings will provide you with all the bounce surfaces you need to make beautiful pictures. Using this technique, you can achieve softbox-style lighting, or even very broad lighting, with your flash unit alone.

Wall/ceiling bounce

Although the flash unit itself is a relatively small light source, it will cover a wide area of a wall and ceiling. This newly illuminated area will provide a wider, more diffuse “light source” for the subject.

On-camera flash bounced off wall and ceiling, camera left.

To create a portrait with the bounce technique, I generally tilt the flash unit to hit the ceiling and wall as I visualize a large softbox there, at the traditional portrait lighting angle, to my subject. This technique is very versatile as it can give you everything from very dramatic split-lighting to soft, even illumination. The subject’s orientation, and the resultant secondary bounce around the room (providing fill light) are the keys to creating the effect you want.

You can even angle your flash up and behind you to fill a small to normal-size room up with beautiful light. Spin it around and up at about 45 degrees to hit the wall and ceiling behind you.
2) Flag It.

Something most people don’t realize is that light comes out of your flash unit in a wide pattern, not in a straight beam. While most of the light is focused forward, there is a good amount actually spilling out perpendicular to the flash head lens.

Even when your flash is set to a narrow zoom, plenty of light still spills off the sides. A small flag can be used to block this effect from your subject.

When bouncing your flash, at certain angles close to that perpendicular plane, direct light will hit your subject. This isn’t necessarily something you have to avoid, but it can result in “point-and-shoot” type shadows, especially if there is a wall or other flat surface just behind your subject.

To eliminate this effect, you can place a small piece of opaque material or black foam just long enough to block the direct part of the light from hitting your subject. That one little change can make a big difference in the overall look of your shot.
3) Make It Bigger.

The size of your light source, relative to your subject, affects the overall look of the picture. This is generally because a larger light source will create a smoother transition between light and shadow, or what you might call softer light.

Craft foam bounce card with rubber band.

We’ve already discussed how bouncing your light off a wall and ceiling will make the relative size of the light illuminating your subject larger. But what if you don’t have a wall or other surface to bounce your flash off of? You can still make your light source bigger by using a simple bounce card. Because the light being directed toward your subject is at least twice as large as the face of the flash, you’ll get that much more surface area coverage. This usually results in more pleasing illumination if you’re not too far away from your subject.

Indoors, a bounce card like this has the added benefit of throwing light onto your subject from two directions, forward and bounced off the ceiling.

Simply use a piece of white cardboard or crafting foam attached to your flash head. Of course, you can orient the flash in various ways to direct the light as you like.
4) Use TTL.

Most modern flash units offer a variety of modes to shoot with. For example, I will often use my flash units off-camera, in manual mode. This allows me to maintain consistent manual control of the flash’s output power in relatively static shooting situations, like traditional portraiture.

Through-The-Lens (TTL) mode, on the other hand, puts the flash unit’s output under the control of the camera and flash. The camera and flash essentially work together to decide how much light the flash emits in order to properly expose the subject. Most modern TTL systems like Canon’s E-TTL and Nikon’s i-TTL are really great at what they do.

TTL can be used in just about every shooting situation including shooting in your camera’s manual mode, outdoors, and even when using bounce techniques. Since TTL can make life a whole lot easier for you, especially in fast-moving shooting situations, there’s no reason not to use it extensively for on-camera flash work.

When you’re ready, you might want to learn more advanced techniques using Flash Exposure Compensation and general Exposure Compensation controls in conjunction with TTL flash. These controls allow you to make easy adjustments to flash and overall exposure while still letting the TTL system do most of the thinking for you. Very handy indeed.
5) Use High-Speed Sync.

If your flash unit has a high-speed sync setting, turn it on. Most normal sync speeds for your flash will be limited to about 1/250 – 1/350 sec. That’s fine for situations where you’re in an environment with dim light. When shooting indoors, for example, you are free to shoot at any appropriate shutter speed UP TO your normal flash sync speed limit. That means you can just as easily shoot at 1/40 second to record ambient light, or faster if you choose to isolate the subject or really freeze the action.

1/2500 sec. exposure required high-speed sync for this promotional shot using f/2.8 outdoors.

However, whether indoors or out, if your exposures require a higher shutter speed, high-speed sync will allow you to shoot at virtually any shutter speed, generally up to 1/8000 sec.

You’ll usually need to work with higher shutter speeds if normal sync at your chosen aperture and ISO will result in overexposure of the ambient lighted portions of the image. This can happen easily in outdoor portrait situations, where the ambient background is rather bright, and you’d like a little fill flash on your subject. High-speed sync to the rescue!

Leaving your high-speed sync mode on all the time doesn’t mean it’s always in use. Your camera and flash will only use it if you are shooting beyond the normal sync speed. Otherwise, the flash will simply revert to its normal behavior.
6) Gel It.

DSLRs have the advantage of overall color control via the white balance (WB) setting you use. And if you’re shooting in RAW format, you easily have enough information in the image file to adjust for proper WB after the fact in something like Adobe’s Lightroom.

But there are times when you want to make sure the light coming off your flash unit is close to the same color as the ambient light. This will ensure that most of the light in your images are in the same ballpark, color temperature-wise.

Again, you’ll likely get the best results if you adjust WB during post processing, but this way the images will have a more consistent color throughout.

To bring your flash into the tungsten range of color for most ambient situations, you can use a Color Temperature Orange (CTO) filter over the flash lens. Set your camera’s WB to tungsten, if you like, and fine tune the WB in post as necessary.
7) Use The Ambient Light.

Another tell-tale sign of misused on-camera flash is the dark tunnel effect. This happens when the camera is exposing well enough for the flash illuminated subject, but not enough environment light is being recorded. Allowing the ambient light and surroundings to appear in the image will place your subject in context and give the image a sense of atmosphere.

Bounce card combined with 1/40 sec. exposure.

Even if your camera has a preset flash mode for achieving this effect, I strongly recommend switching over to the camera’s manual mode. This will allow you to manually determine slower shutter speeds to achieve exactly the amount of ambient light you want for the image.

Creative use of direct flash and long shutter speed.

I find that shutter speeds of 1/15 – 1/40 second work for most environments, including outdoors at night. Regular TTL should still be employed in order for the camera and flash to make a good determination about the exposure of the subject (what the flash is concerned with). But, you are in control of the ambient with the shutter speeds you select.
8) Turn It Off.

Sometimes, the best thing you can do with your on-camera flash is nothing at all. As you become more proficient with it, you might be tempted to use it all the time. However, you don’t want to become dependent on it. After all, there’s plenty of good light available in most situations. But when you need a little extra here and there, it’s nice to know you can always slap on that flash and get great shots on demand.

Sometimes flash fill light just isn't right for the picture

Moore Tips - 5 Tips for Achieving Artistic Lens Flare

2010-07-25T16:34:00.000-07:00

1. Shoot into the Sun: Lens Flare is caused by strong rays of light directly hitting your lens and causing a slight sun burst. Capitalizing on the direction of your light is the key to capturing Lens Flare.

2. Think Silhouette: Place your subject in front of you, with their back to the sun. Your subject will be back-lit as though you were capturing a silhouette.

3. Use Manual Mode: Your camera will expose the scene for the total amount of light in the photo. If you follow the camera’s metering, you will be left with a silhouette as it tries to compensate for the amount of light. Shooting on Manual will enable you to over-compensate for the backlight, so your subject is perfectly lit – even with the over exposed background.

4. Shoot at an angle: Because you want an image with Lens Flare [and not simply over exposure], you need to remember one thing: Camera position to the sun. This will largely depend on what time of day you shoot. In the mornings or evenings, you will have an easier time of shooting directly into the sun. But at mid day this changes. You will need to position yourself fairly low to the ground in order to shoot into the sun. Typically, 11am or 2pm is most conducive to mid day Lens Flare.

5. Watch your focus: Your camera typically will focus on the object best lit in your frame. Shooting into the sun will make it more challenging for your camera to focus on your subject. You may need to switch from auto focus to manual focus.

Moore Tips - How to Eliminate Lens Flare

2010-07-24T16:37:00.000-07:00

Lens Hoods

The way that professionals generally deal with lens flare is to use a purpose made lens hood on their DSLR lens. Most DSLRs and prosumer digital cameras these days come with the ability to attach lens hood (in fact most professional grade lenses come with them when you purchase them). These hoods are specifically designed to overcome sunspots while allowing as much light into the lens as possible. They come in all shapes and sizes depending upon the design of the lens, its focal length, whether it has a zoom etc. The main downside of them is that they can be a pain to transport (some of the lens hoods for my lenses are as big as the lenses themselves) but they do work pretty effectively and really add something to your shots (and they can look quite cool and make you look like more of a pro too!).

Give Your Lens a Hand

If you don’t have a lens hood (or your camera can’t take one) then use your God given hood – your hand (or someone else’s) to help shield your lens from the sun. Just be aware of not putting it in the corner of your frame if you’re shooting at a wide angle focal length – especially if you’re shooting through a viewfinder that is not on a single lens reflex camera (where what you see through the viewfinder is slightly different to what you get in the actual image).

Zoom

If you don’t have access to a lens hood and you’re using a camera with a zoom lens you might find that moving your zoom to a different focal length might help decrease the impact of sun spots. It might not remove them completely but could lessen the impact and/or change the position of them to a less distracting spot in the image.

Reposition Yourself

One of the most effective ways of reducing lens flare is to move yourself to a new shooting position – either so you’re not shooting into the Sun quite as directly or so that your lens is more shaded by some other object from the Sun or main light source. Try moving around your subject but also try changing the height that you’re shooting from (ie get down low or shoot down from a height) as all of these things change the angle at which light hits your lens.

Using Composition to Eliminate Lens Flare

Another option for getting rid of lens flare is to use elements within your image to block it. Sometimes it’s possible to to place a tree, building, person’s head or some other element between the sun and the lens – and as a result remove the flare altogether.

Work With It

If you can’t eliminate lens flare consider working WITH it. You might need to try a few different framings and positions to shoot from to make sure it’s in a good position that adds to the impact of your shot – but don’t be afraid of it. At times it can actually give that special something or point of interest to a shot.

Moore Tips - Photographing Light Trails

2010-07-23T16:21:00.000-07:00

Setting Up Your Shot:

Photographing light trails is not difficult – it’s as simple as finding virtually any road with cars going down it once the sun goes down. But getting a shot that grabs attention means putting a little more thought into choosing your location, thinking about timing and framing your image. Here are a few tips on how to set your shot up:

Timing/Light – one might think that the middle of the night is the best time for light trail photography (and it can be) – however one very effective time to do it is just as the sun is going down (just before and after). If you shoot at this time you’ll not only capture light from cars, but ambient light in the sky which can add atmosphere to your shots. You also might find that earlier in the evening you get a little more ‘action’ in your shot with more cars and even the movement of people through your shot.
Creative Perspectives – some of the most effective light trail shots that I’ve taken and seen from others were taken from perspectives other than at the height of a normal person standing up. Get down low or find a place looking down on your scene that will create an unusual angle.
Location – the most obvious thing with location is that you’ll need it to be somewhere near a road – however there’s more to think about than that. Choose a location that adds interest to the shot in some way. This might be one where there are well lit buildings along the road, one where multiple roads merge together to create light trails in different directions, on the bend of a road so that the trails sweep through the image, near a roundabout so the trails create circular shapes, in the middle of dual carriageways (on a triaffic island) so that you get traffic coming in two directions etc.
Framing – the normal ‘rules’ of composition apply in this type of photography. Images need some sort of point/s of interest, the rule of thirds can be applied effectively, draw the eyes into your image using lines smartly, foregounds and backgrounds should add to and not distract from the image.

Settings:

Aperture and Shutter Speed – I wish I could give you shutter speeds and apertures that will work in every situation – but as the ambient light and speed of cars will differ in every situation there’s no one exposure combination that will work in every setting. Having said this I’ve found that I usually shoot at shutter speeds between 10 and 20 seconds (which gives cars time to move through the frame) and with apertures in the mid range (start with something around f/8).

The key is to start with something in the range above and to take a few test shots to see how the exposure works. You’ll quickly realize whether your shots are under or overexposed and whether the length of the exposure is long enough to let cars travel through the frame in the way that you want.
If your shots are overexposed – close your aperture down (increase the f stop number) or if your shots are underexposed open it up (decrease the f stop numbers). If you want the car’s lights to go further through the frame go for a longer shutter speed and if you want it to travel less through the frame shorten it.

Keep in mind that aperture impacts depth of field. If you need to go with a larger aperture you decrease the depth of field and more of your shot will be out of focus.

Histogram – One thing to watch out for is letting any light source in your image (whether it be headlights, street lights etc) washing out your image. Lights that burn too bright can cause distractions and draw the eye of your viewer away from focal points – ruining your shot. One way to quickly check out if there’s any area in your shot that is overexposed to this degree is to view the histogram on your shot. If there are areas that are blown out you’ll have a graph with a right hand side that is too high on the graph.

Choose a low ISO setting - this will give you images with as little noise as possible.

Shoot in RAW if you have it - this will enable you to have more control in your post production work – particularly in getting white balance right (something that can be important as you’re shooting in a situation with lots of artificial light that can cause all kinds of color casts in your shot).

Manual Focus - In low light situations cameras can struggle to get focusing locked correctly. The last thing you want is for your camera to be in and out of focus just as you need to hit the shutter release. Switch to manual focus and make sure your focus is upon a part of your image that is visually strong.

Choose a low ISO setting - this will give you images with as little noise as possible.

Moore Tips - Zoo Photography Gear

2010-07-22T16:14:00.000-07:00

Zoo Photography Gear

What camera and gear will you need to get good photos at a zoo?
The answer to this question will vary a little from photographer to photographer depending upon their style, the type of shots that they want to take and the type of zoo that they’re visiting – however, a long zoom lens will almost always be handy to have attached to your camera.

Camera/Lenses – This means you’ll either need a DSLR with an attachable longer focal length prime lens or telephoto lens (something with an upper length of 200-300mm would probably be handy) or a point and shoot camera with a super zoom lens (probably a 10-12x Optical Zoom).
Also consider taking a macro lens if you’re lucky enough to have one. At our zoo we have a number of enclosures where they are handy (a butterfly enclosure for example).

Tripod – Also consider a tripod or monopod (depending upon the weather and how light it is, you’ll probably find that in some animal enclosures you’ll need to use slower shutter speeds which mean you’ll need the extra stability).

Lens Hood – the combination of shooting outdoors, having limited angles to shoot from (which means sometimes you’ll need to shoot into the sun) and that at times you’ll be shooting through glass means that a lens hood might be handy to have. I actually left mine in the car and as it was a bright day my images suffered considerably as a result.

Moore 52 Week Projects - Depth of Field Project (Week 27)

2010-07-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

Most lenses that come with a camera are consumer lenses, meaning that they are priced to be competitive and affordable. These lenses can have perfectly fine optics, but they suffer from a lack of shallow depth of field. Your lens has "f" numbers that relate to the changeable size of the circular aperture blades. A wide circle allows a lot of light into the camera, and a small circle reduces the amount of light entering the camera.

A "fast" lens refers to lenses that have small f-numbers, such as f1.4, f1.8, or f2.8. These lenses, although often more expensive than your normal lenses, have the benefit of offering the photo a very shallow depth of field. The above example photo was taken with a 50mm f1.4 lens. Part of its pleasant nature is the fact that the background is out of focus. If your lens has f4.5 as its smallest f-number, the background may remain somewhat in-focus, thus reducing the photos visual impact.

Not everyone can afford 'fast' lenses, as they are professional models and can be more than $1000. However, why not start out with a used 50mm f1.4, or a 85mm f1.8 lens? These prime lenses will increase the value of your photos in two ways: they will be sharper than your consumer zoom lenses, and they will offer a much shallower depth of field (which means more background blur).

ow Depth of Field means that only a small "sliver" of the picture will be in focus, and the remaining parts of the picture space will be softly out-of-focus. This is very helpful for People photography, as long as the point of focus is always the subjects eyes.

There are two main ways to obtain low depth of field. Purchase a 50mm f1.8 lens, and set the lens to f1.8. Focus on the subject's eyes, and everything else should go out of focus. The closer the camera is to the subject, the greater the effect.

If you currently only have a zoom lens that came with your camera, you can still get a good effect without buying a new lens. Set the zoom lens to the longest setting, such a 200mm, and the f-stop at its lowest number, such as f5.6. Similar to the 50mm lens, the closer the camera is to the subject, the greater the effect. You may need to use a tripod however when using such a long lens. The longer the focal length, the greater the chance of camera shake.

Remember:

Share your photographs
Critiques should be well received and given to others
Provide one or two sentences about your photograph
Give some technical data: Camera Type, Lens Type, ISO, Time and Exposure settings, Lighting and if Tripod was used

Moore Tips - Poses and Planning

2010-07-20T13:10:00.000-07:00

Planning Advice for Photography Poses

1) Prepare For The Event
Prepare for the event by thinking about every photograph you want to take and what kind of photography pose or poses you would like to capture. Consider who, where, how, and the type of environment.

2) Take Multiple Photographs
Take multiple shots of each pose (remember, digital memory is reusable, a.k.a. “free”). Regardless of what you say or do, people will blink. And don’t count on spotting small problems on the tiny camera LCD screen (even on full magnification); which leads to…

3) Check LCD Screen
Check the digital camera’s LCD screen for general framing of the picture, any movement, visibility of faces, and the histogram. Note that you can think up a fantastic photography pose; arrange the subject perfectly; and, have the photograph “frozen” (no blinking, and no shaking of the camera)…but, when you check it out in the LCD, you see 2 drunks fighting in the background! And, my favorite…

4) Funny Phrases
Have some funny phrases handy to use just before you take the photo. Don’t use it when setting up for the shot. And, don’t use the same phrase all the time. Throw in funny anecdotes, phrases, names, words that you know the subject will find more amusing than “cheese.” A natural smile looks four times better than a fake one. The second category is…

“Location” Advice for Photography Poses

Taking indoor portrait photography, is very different than outdoor portrait photograph (duh!). For INDOOR pictures…

1) Wide Angle
You will tend to use the wide angle more often than your telephoto setting. Pay particular attention to your “end people” (those farthest to the right and the left in your viewfinder), and verify there is enough space in picture, so that if cropping is required, the end people don’t have to lose a limb.

2) The Flash
Flash considerations are critical. Do not be outside your “flash range.” For example, if at ISO 100, your flash can properly illuminate 12 feet, don’t attempt any photography pose that requires anyone to stand at 14 feet (unless, of course, it’s evil cousin Ira who you want to appear in darkness).

3) Plan “B”
If you need to be further away than your flash allows, here are 2 things you can try…First, increase the ISO setting (but not so much as to produce to much noise), or second, move to a significantly brighter location.

4) Watch Your Background
If there are distracting features, change your settings to blur the background (see the Techniques page). The best photography pose in the world won’t look right with a distracting background. And finally…

5) Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall
If there are mirrors or reflective surfaces in the background and you can’t find a different location, only take the picture in such a way that the flash is NOT PERPENDICULAR to the surface, but at an angle (unless you WANT a nice photo of your flash).
Outdoor portrait photography has completely different issues. For OUTDOOR photography…

6) The Sun
Avoid photographing in direct sunlight, or in mixed light and shade, especially faces. Optimal lighting results from a slightly overcast sky.

(7) Shade
When photographing in shade, use fill-flash (see terms) when necessary. And, REALLY finally…

(8) Beauty
If practical, take the picture at one of the beautiful natural settings near you. Imagine the result of a creative photography pose captured in a stunning environment. Can you say: “Over the mantle!”?

Moore Tips - Fstops

2010-07-19T12:57:00.000-07:00

There are three main controls on a camera: ISO (sensitivity), Speed, and Aperture. EACH ONE has different sets of numbers, but the one thing they have in common is that increasing or decreasing each one of these controls has the effect of doubling or cutting the final light in half. Tattoo this statement on your forehead and internalize it; this one concept will completely revolutionize your ability to understand how to control the light in your picture (let’s face it, without light, all of your pictures would be pitch black, and people would make fun of you).

The ISO is how sensitive the film or sensor on your camera is. It’s commonly measured in 100, 200, 400, 800, etc… Forget the technical of why these numbers exist, and just remember that going from 200 to 400 means 1 stop of light UP, and going from, say 1600 to 200 means 3 stops of light down (cutting your number in half 3 times from 1600 to 800 to 400 to 200).

The shutter speed is how fast the aperture opens and closes. So, 1/30 of a second is twice as long as 1/60th of a second. Because the aperture is open twice as long, it lets in twice as much light. Therefore, 1/30 is one stop up from 1/60. 1/240 is 4 stops down from 1/15. (Again we go from 1/15 to 1/30, then to 1/60 to 1).

The aperture is the opening in the camera which allows light in and it’s measured in what’s called f-stops and the numbers are displayed in a series like 1.4, 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6, 8, 11, 16, 22. Again, forget for a moment why these numbers are in this series and just remember that 11 is two stops up from 22 (here a smaller numbers means a larger opening and more light). 5.6 is 4 stops down from 1.4.

Bringing it all together

Understanding that all three controls are in increments of “stops” is the key of enlightenment. If you take a picture at ISO200, 1/60, and f8 and you need the picture 4 times brighter, you now understand that there are three options: 2 stops up from ISO200 to ISO800, 2 stops up from 1/60 to 1/15, or 2 stops up from f8 to f4. Each of these decisions will have a creative visual effect, but they all will have one thing in common: Allowing four times the light into the final picture.

Memorize this: A stop means doubled or halved. 1 stop up, means doubled. 1 stop down means cut in half. 2 stops of light up means four times the amount of light (double then double again) and 3 stops of light down means 1/8th the light (cut in half, then half again, then half for a third time).

Probably one of the most misunderstood terms in beginner photography is “stop.” Imagine hearing, “I need three stops of brightness. Stop up the ISO 200 to 400, stop down the speed from 1/60 to 1/30, and stop up from (f-stop) 5.6 to 4.” It’s statements like this, and the mathematical explanation, that cause most people to leave their camera on Automatic mode and never venture into manual modes. The reality is that the math and “how it works” doesn’t really matter.

Memorize this: A stop means doubled or halved. 1 stop up, means doubled. 1 stop down means cut in half. 2 stops of light up means four times the amount of light (double then double again) and 3 stops of light down means 1/8th the light (cut in half, then half again, then half for a third time).

As an example, imagine you are out in the sun and you need a pair of sunglasses that block exactly half of the sun hitting your eyes. You could say, “Hey. I need a pair of sunglasses that block 1 stop of light.” After you put them on, the sun is still too bright, so then you say, “Actually, I need a pair that only allow a quarter of the light in.” In other words, two stops down of light. The first stop cuts the light in half, and the second stop cuts that half into another half, which results in a quarter of the original. 1/8 is 3 stops down, 1/16 is 4 stops down, and 1/128 is 7 stops down.

Moore Tips - Motivation

2010-07-18T12:54:00.000-07:00

TIP #1 – Go for a walk
I know, I know. It’s one of the hardest things to do when you’re not feeling motivated. Even worse if it’s raining outside. But getting your bum off the chair or sofa and out the door is a great first step. It is a lot easier to just keep staring at the computer screen and letting your analytical mind wander, sometimes feeling like you’re accomplishing something, but getting your blood pumping and elevating your heart rate will help activate your creative mind. It doesn’t need to be a long or fast walk. Just 15 minutes will be enough to get the juices flowing.
It also helps because it removes you from an environment that is obviously not helping you become creative at the moment. I like this method because it requires no special equipment, clothes or location. Everyone has ‘outside’ out their front door. Just lace up some shoes or boots and get your heart going!

TIP #2 – 5 in a Half
5 in a Half is a challenge I give myself every time I’ve been away from the camera too long. It seems like a simple task; Take just 5 pictures within a half mile (or kilometer, no need to do the conversion math) of your home. I say it seems simple, but in this digital age, it’s sometimes *harder* to take just 5 pictures. Make each picture unique in some way, be it subject matter, camera angle, exposure settings. This task is great when following the first tip on taking a walk, as chances are you spotted something on your way back to the house that might make a good photo. The boot at left was a castaway along side the road that I’ve been meaning to shoot for a while. Nothing spectacular but it got the camera into my hand and turned on my creative mind to look for more content.

Moore Tips - Picking A Photography Mentor.

2010-07-17T12:40:00.000-07:00

1. Know Your Favorite Subject Matter

Let’s start with you first. What is your favorite topic? Are you big on architectural photography? Wildlife? Sports? The list goes on and on and chances are you fit into more than one bucket. Most of us do. After listing out a couple of your favorite topics, narrow the list down to your top two. These are the, “If I could only study two types of photography, I want them to be ……” topics. It’s important to do this step first. You’ll have time later to find a mentor for each topic, for now, let’s keep it simple with just two.

2. Find The Like

Chances are you already have some names rolling around in your head. Favorite photographers you’ve picked up along the way. Write these names down first as they are the easy ones. Then start doing some searching. Looking online is a good start since you’re already at a computer. But also check out your local photography scene. Check your nearby college. Visits all the art galleries in your area until you find a good match for your topics and style.

3. Know What You Want From The Relationship

This is a very important step in the process. Without it, both you and your mentor may be left floundering or spending a lot of time on tasks that should have been done before you got in touch. Are you simply looking for regular critiques? Do you want hands on help with equipment? Maybe you wish to shadow the person for a day, a week, on a shoot. Or just need someone to help you with a new direction in photography. Whatever the case, list out how long, why, when and what. Be specific or vague as you wish, but make sure it would be clear to the other person what you are asking of them.

4. Get In Touch

Now for the part that stops most people in their tracks; getting up the nerve to contact possible mentors. For some, this part is easy and if that’s you, I’m sure you already know what to do. For the rest of us (myself included) this step might seem a bit daunting. I mean, you are actually going to let someone else know that you are not perfect and would like some help. EEeek!! Now get over it. Right now. Gather up some courage (“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear – not absence of fear.” – Mark Twain) and contact the people on your list. You may have to write or call the person, or maybe start with email. It all matters on the contact information you have gathered. No matter than manner, write out a little script first and practice/proofread it so you know what you want to say clearly. The step before should have made this easy to fill in.
And don’t let your brain tell you, “Oh, that person would be too busy or important to mentor you.” If you never ask the person, the answer is always no. Don’t ask ’should I contact this person’, just do it! The worst they can do is say no and they just might say yes! If it’s ‘no, thanks’, you may be referred to other mentors who would be willing to help. Just ask and let the chips fall where they may.

5. Take Notes

Let’s say you have contacted someone and they agree to help mentor your in your art. GREAT!! Now make sure you take plenty of notes. And not just notes on the subject at hand. Here I’m talking about notes on your relationship. This first mentor is not necessarily your be-all, end-all mentor. You may go through many in your life. It’s important to know what works for you and what doesn’t. What kind of communication style, how much, in what form, etc… These notes will be important in continuing your relationship or in choosing the next mentor.

6. Keep An Open Mind

The actual process of picking a mentor may put images in your mind of just exactly how the relationship will work. While it’s fine to visualize an intended goal, don’t get too hung up on it. Think of Daniel in the movie The Karate Kid. Miyagi, his mentor, had him painting fences and doing all sorts of other things he thought had no relation to his goal, which was to learn karate and beat up some bullies. But Miyagi’s methods, while odd to Daniel, were simply a different path toward his goal than Daniel had imagined. So keep an open mind and take a few chances if your mentor is asking you to stretch or try something new.

Moore Tips - Exposure Compensation

2010-07-16T10:24:00.000-07:00

As you learn digital photography you’ll find terms that leave you wondering what on earth they mean. One of them is exposure compensation and sometimes known as aperture compensation or Ev. A technical term, but if you understand it will help make some of those good images great.

The camera’s light meter is not super intelligent so it’s always trying to average all the colors in a scene to an 18% grey. It doesn’t work with you but has its own agenda. This works fine most of the time as long as there isn’t too much white, then it gets fooled and does its own thing.
On your camera you will find a setting or a button denoted by Ev or a little icon with a +/- sign. This is where you will change the exposure settings. So what do you need to need to change and how does it work to improve your photos?

1. When the light meter of your camera sees all the white in an image it thinks that there is too much white and the image will be overexposed so it compensates for this and underexposes the photo. Just what you don’t want to happen.

2. The setting it chooses for the aperture size is therefore incorrect as it allows less light to hit the camera’s sensor.

3. This results in a muddy or grey image because not enough light is allowed in through the lens.

4. In order for you to improve your image you have to compensate for the camera’s light meter reading using the Ev setting.

5. Depending on your camera, the compensation measurements or stops as they are known are measured in thirds or halves.

6. If your scene is very white as in snow, you’ll need to add a stop or a fraction of a stop so that enough light reaches the sensor.

7. By doing this you manually open the lens aperture overriding what the camera’s light meter thinks it should be.

The same goes for a dark or black image. You just do the opposite by stopping down a third, half or full aperture stop. Here the camera thinks there is too much dark and opens up the aperture.

There is another feature on your camera which help you get this right virtually every time. It means taking extra images every time you press the shutter. It’s called AEB or automatic exposure bracketing. What it does is this. You preselect the amount of compensation you want, say one third of a stop, and the camera brackets this by choosing one normal image, one a third of a stop over and one a third of a stop under. So when you press your shutter button it takes three shots, one for each of your chosen exposure settings. It’s like insurance and you get the shot every time. Again you need to experiment to see if a third, half or full aperture stop will work.

By taking just a little extra time as you learn digital photography your images under these circumstances will improve considerably. Take a look at your camera’s manual to see exactly how exposure compensation and exposure bracketing works on your particular camera.

Moore Tips - Focal Points

2010-07-15T10:11:00.000-07:00

A focal point is the part of an image that draws the eye of a viewer to the most important part of the image or the area that you want to highlight. How you do this will make or break the final image. If you don’t know how to create this point then you will not achieve much in your photography.

The professionals have all worked this one out and if you are attempting to create similar images then learn this point well. It frustrates the eye of a viewer if there is no focal point as the eye is not drawn to any one particular part of the photo. The focal point only occupies a small part of the scene but will make or break the whole image. The simplest form of this is an isolated object seen from a distance on a plain background.
So how is this achieved successfully? Let’s take a look at a few pointers.

1. The rule of thirds

Fundamental to photography this rule needs to be learnt well and executed to perfection. If you know where to place your focal point then you will shoot great images every time. A focal point needs to be off centred and never in the middle of an image. The rule of thirds places it at a point that is very pleasing to the eye as discovered by the ancient Greeks. This golden rule will bring you success every time. Imagine a noughts and crosses or tic-tac-toe grid. Two lines across the image and two lines down the image i.e. vertically and horizontally placed. Equally spaced they cut the image up into thirds. Where these lines intersect are your focal points. The horizontal lines are where you place your horizons. The human eye loves to view subjects placed at these intersections. Take a magazine or travel book and take a look at how many times this rule is used effectively and see how your eye is drawn to them.

2. Directing attention through selective focusing

This is an incredibly effective way to focus attention on your subject of focal point. You need to know how aperture and depth of field works in order to use it properly. But, basically it’s very simple. Your settings i.e. f2.8, f4, f5.6 and so on change the size of your aperture all the way up to f32. You only need to be concerned with the lower apertures for this effect. If your lens goes to f1.2 brilliant, but most lenses won’t take you below f4 or f2.8 as they get more expensive the wider the aperture. Depth of field is the area of focus in front of and behind your subject. With the aperture wide open at f2.8 you will have very little in focus which makes it so effective with selective focusing. Everything not on the same focal plane as the subject will be out of focus and thereby excluded from the viewers attention. The longer your lens i.e. telephoto, the less depth of field you will have and the more you will be able to selectively focus. It’s a great way of drawing attention when used in conjunction with the rule of thirds.

3. Using Exposure

By underexposing parts of the image, i.e. making them darker, the areas that are light will stand out. If you are able to able to use this effectively the light parts will stand out as focal points and whatever you place here will become the point of focus in the photo. This really works well if you have a subject that is lighter than the underexposed, darker areas. Key to the process is knowing what the final image will look like in mind’s eye.

4. Light source

This really pushes your photographic eye to the limits and if you see the opportunity and go for it, will result in a stunning photo. How this works is that when you see a shaft of light or a ray of sunlight entering a window or coming through the clouds, use it to place your subject. A patch of late afternoon sun in dimming light will create an area that is much lighter than the surroundings. When you shoot an image and take the metering off this area, the surrounding environment will appear darker. The image now has a focal point that draws the eye in to the image. This will also work at night where a solitary window is lit and the surrounding area is dark. Experiment with this technique and you will soon be creating dramatically lit photos.

5. The Eyes

By placing a person’s eyes on a two thirds intersection a viewers eyes are immediately drawn to that area. When the subject is looking down on something else like a child or an object your eye will be naturally drawn to the point where the subjects eyes are focused. Whenever you shoot a person eyes they will automatically become the focal point so if they are the focal point then you have a problem and they will compete for attention.

6. Two focal points

Sometimes you will have two focal points and there will be competition, but, you can offset this by using size. One of the focal points must be considerably larger which will draw the eye but immediately your focus will move to the smaller focal point. If they are the same size the viewer’s eyes will dart between them. So be very careful when using a double focal point.

A focal point is essential to any great image and you need to be able to create this in every image. An image lacking this will appear flat and without impact. As you learn digital photography it will become easier and easier to place it in the right position. Happy shooting!

Moore 52 Week Projects - Interior Focus Project (Week 26)

2010-07-14T06:00:00.000-07:00

If you are photographing any type of room or interior, and would like to get as much of the room in focus as possible, try this:

Set your camera on a tripod, and compose your picture. Now, walk away from the camera into the room and divide up the room into "thirds". Between the camera and the far end of the room you should be able to estimate where to mentally divide up the space into 1/3 distances. For example, if your interior space from the camera to the far wall is 30 feet deep, find the location on the floor (or a piece of furniture) that is 10 feet away from the camera. This section is "one third" of the total depth of the room.

Go back to your camera, and now manually focus the lens to that place on the floor, or that piece of furniture that is (as in our example) 10 feet away from you. Now re-compose you picture, set your lens aperture number to f8 or f11 (Aperture Priority setting), and take the shot. Your resulting image should have the most even amount of foreground and background sharpness.

Other tips: f8 and f11 are usually the sharpest lens apertures. If you need the maximum depth of field possible, go to f22 or the highest aperture number that your lens is capable of. The trade-off is that the final image may not be as sharp as the same image taken at f8.

When doing interiors, always use your self-timer. The shake of your finger on the shutter button will compromise image sharpness. Instead of waiting the full 10 seconds for the shutter to be released, see if your camera allows for a 2 or 5 second self timer.

Finally, make sure your camera is set to Manual Focus. After you have focused on your "1/3" location, you don't want the camera to focus on some other location as soon as you take the photo (which it will do, if the camera remains on Auto Focus).

Remember:

Share your photographs
Critiques should be well received and given to others
Provide one or two sentences about your photograph
Give some technical data: Camera Type, Lens Type, ISO, Time and Exposure settings, Lighting and if Tripod was used

Moore Tips - Subject Placement

2010-07-13T10:05:00.000-07:00

Early in my career as a photographer I only had one place for a subject, in the middle of the image. And, my images never seemed to contain that dynamic punch. The photo books and travel magazines all looked great but my photos were just average. Then I discovered that there were some rules and by implementing them and my images came alive.

1. Going for the center

Despite what I have said in my intro about centrally placed subjects, there is a place for it in photography, just that it works in limited ways. Subjects like people portraits can work well with a central subject. Other subjects or objects like buildings that are symmetrical work well as do cars taken from the front and subjects cropped tightly. Be careful though that you use central placement in a limited way in your photo taking.

2. Off-centered

If your want to place a subject in the middle of an image try to off center it just a little so that it’s not right in the middle. This will help make a more pleasant image.

3. The rule of thirds

You may or may not have heard about this rule discovered by the early Greeks and used for centuries in art and painting. Knowing the rules and where to place a subject allows you to break the rules if it works towards creating a better or more dynamic image. So back to the rule of thirds or two thirds rule as it is also known. Imagine an image with a tic-tac-toe or noughts and crosses grid superimposed on it. Two horizontal lines and two vertical lines dividing the scene into thirds. Where these lines intersect are your key points. It’s on these points that you can place your subject to the best effect.

Take a look for yourself at a photo or travel magazine and see how many of the images use this rule. But, not only do these points help create a great image but the vertical or horizontal lines do the same. If you have a tall object or a person standing up then place it or them on one of the two vertical lines. The same goes for a landscape image with a horizon. The horizon should always lie on one of the horizontal lines and not in the middle, creating a striking landscape photo.

By placing your subject according to the two thirds rule the image becomes more balanced and pleasing to the eye. You can add another focal point to the image but it should never compete with the main subject so it has to be smaller and not dominate the photo. Placement of a subject is key to every image so experiment and practice using these tips on placing your subject as you learn digital photography.

Moore Tips - Photographers Checklist

2010-07-12T09:58:00.000-07:00

To help ensure that such things are unlikely to happen, I decided to take a lesson from the way pilots operate. Pilots don’t just jump in the pilot’s seat and take off. Instead, they have a list of items that they check. Similarly, photographers can have a list of things to check before starting a photo session. Thus, the subject of this article is creating a photographer’s list of things to check to make sure that everything is done right.

Camera Items to Check

Sensor: Is the sensor free of dust?
Lens: Are the lenses and filters clean?
Battery: Is there enough power in the battery? Are spare batteries easily accessible?
Memory: Is there enough space on the memory card? Are spare memory cards easily accessible?
Image Recording Quality: Is the image quality set properly?
Image Settings: If not shooting raw, are the image settings set properly?
ISO: Is the proper ISO for the shot selected?
White Balance: Is the white balance set correctly?
Metering Mode: Is the proper metering mode selected?
Shooting Mode: Is the camera in the correct shooting mode (e.g., fully automatic, manual, aperture priority, or shutter priority)?
Drive Mode: Is the drive mode set properly (e.g., single or continuous shooting)?

Auto focus: Is the auto focus turned on?

Scene Items to Check

Image Periphery: Are any objects protruding into the image from the periphery?
Objects in the Image: Are there any unwanted objects (e.g., an old beer can) in the image?

Tripod Items to Check

Camera Level: Is the camera level (this is best done with a bubble level)?
Tripod Levers/Knobs: Have all of the tripod levers/knobs been tightened?
Tripod Weighted: If desired, has the tripod been weighted?
Remote Switch: If desired, has a remote switch been connected to the camera?
Mirror Lockup: If desired, has the mirror lockup been enabled?

Moore Tips - Great Portraits

2010-07-11T09:57:00.000-07:00

A portrait photograph of high quality can mesmerize those who look at them, giving great insight into not only the subject’s physical stature, but also their emotions and feelings. Such photographs will stand the test of time and be enjoyed by many generations.

Experience taking photographs is a great factor in how good a portrait photograph will turn out. Professionals understand how to set the lighting, frame the subject and appropriately capture the mood of the occasion. Although you may not have that level of expertise, you too can take portrait photographs of high quality, if you keep these tips in mind:

Background – Perhaps the most important consideration, but least considered, is the portrait’s background. All photos with a person as the main focus should employ a subtle background that does not draw attention away from the person. The intent of a portait photo is the subject’s face, so be sure to take such pictures that are composed in such a way as to not detract from it. Also, when considering color, choose a background that consists entirely of non-bold, preferably solid colors. Again, the rule of thumb is that any color that draws focus away from the person is a bad one.

Lighting – Natural lighting must be used for portrait photographs, as it is much better at capturing skin tone and a person’s full range of colors. These subtle differences are not picked up well by a flash. The best time to take the picture is during the day, outside, since at this time you can make full use of the sunlight. You will want to find a location in which the sunlight hits the object from the side. If you take a photo with the sun behind the object, it will not turn out well. What you will end up seeing is a silhouette of the person. Similarly, do not take photos with the sun in front of the subject, or you will end up with distorted colors and overexposure.

Blurring – The first two tips are by far the most important, but this one is also quite helpful. The problem is that it can be tricky for non-experts. This technique involves blurring the details of the background. This will make the object appear to be separated from the background, seemingly projected outward towards you. To accomplish this feature, you will need to situate your camera to a shallow depth of field. To do that, use a zoom lens and take your shot from relatively nearby or with a widened aperture setting (manual). This might sound difficult, but once you figure it out it will seem easy. If possible, get an expert to walk you through the process the first time.

Eyes – Of all the facial features, eyes are the most important for a portrait photograph. This is because eyes are the best feature in terms of conveying emotions. A subtle difference in the look of the eyes will display different feelings and emotions. Be sure to focus on them so that your photograph projects all of those wonderful feelings to the viewer. If you are trying to convey a particular emotion, you may want the subject to look directly at you (meaning the camera) or sideways at another object. For a traditional portrait, have the subject look at the camera.
If you have a high quality camera, and are patient enough to experiment with different backgrounds, subjects, and moods, you will undoubtedly gain the skills necessary to create portrait photos of great quality.

Moore Tips - Photographing Houses

2010-07-10T08:40:00.000-07:00

Tidy Up

This may seem obvious, but mowing the grass and cleaning the weeds out of the gutters will make a house look a lot better. A few minutes with a broom can save you from an hour with Photoshop’s stamp tool.

Pick an Angle

Shooting from an angle rather than straight on gives the house dimension and character. It also gives you at least two choices of what to include in the background, so pick the angle that is flattering to the house and provides the best backdrop.

Watch the Weather

Shooting on a cloudy day will give you the best lighting for a house. The light will be even and diffused so you won’t have harsh shadows to deal with.

Balance the Light

To make a house look cozy and inviting, there is nothing more important than balancing the light from the windows with the light outside. The key to achieving this balance is picking the right time of day. Even with all the lights blazing inside, nobody will notice them in the middle of the day. But as the sun sets, there will be a window of time when the exterior of the house can be properly exposed while the interior appears to glow with warmth (thanks to man-made lighting.) This may only last for ten minutes, so make sure everything is in place in advance.

Shoot in Raw

Because of the challenge of balancing natural light outside with electric light from the windows, this is a great time to use your camera’s RAW setting. With your RAW converter you can tweak the balance between the lighting and adjust the white balance to emphasize the warmth.

Moore Tips - Shooting In Manual Mode

2010-07-09T08:33:00.000-07:00

1. Fine details in close proximity

When shooting a scene that compromises hundreds of elements – each presenting a multitude of details – manual focus may be necessary for complete control. This is especially necessary when the subject(s) exhibits small or no variation in size, shape, colour or brightness. For example a field of flowers, a nature abstract close up, a busy high street packed with pedestrians etc.

2. Obstacles are in the way

If your subject is partially blocked behind an obstacle that you are unable to move out of the way or intend to keep (adding context), manual focus can help you to pinpoint the main subject. Furthermore if you team this approach with a wide aperture, you can creatively blur the obstruction from view. For example a caged or penned animal, a person looking from a window or stood behind a gate etc.

3. Geometric confusion

Many architectural photographers, especially those favouring contemporary design will often favour manual focus over auto. This is because modern architecture often exhibits geometric patterns that can confuse the camera’s auto focus. For example those shown on skyscrapers.

4. High contrast

When presented with a scene that contains large areas of sharply contrasting brightness it is likely your autofocus will struggle. For example if you are shooting an outdoor portrait with the subject stood in the shade, but have decided to incorporate a large area of adjoining light.

5. No contrast

As with areas of high contrast, photographers may find that scenes with no contrast present the same focusing issues, i.e. the main subject of your image exhibits the same tones and colours as its background. A common example of this is a freshly built snowman in a field of crisp white snow.

6. Dominating features

Compositions that contain objects that are bigger or bolder than the intended subject may also throw off your autofocus. For instance a person dwarfed in front of an intimidating cityscape may be lost using autofocus, switch to manual for a quick and effective solution.

7. Night

In situations where you want to shoot in complete darkness you may find manual focus is your only option. Examples of when this may be true include: shooting star trials, the northern lights or creating light graffiti. Often focusing at night is a case of trial and error, so scrutinize results by zooming in to the images presented on your LCD and adjust accordingly.

Moore Tips - Focal Lock

2010-07-08T08:27:00.000-07:00

t’s a very simple technique and something that virtually every digital camera (and most film cameras) have the ability to do. Here’s what you do:

Pose your subject.
When framing your subject put the central point of your frame on the point that you want to focus upon (the face of a person is generally the best point).
With the subject’s face in the center of your image half press down on the shutter button (not fully). This will tell the camera to focus on that point.
Without letting go of the shutter (it should still be half depressed) move your camera to frame your shot as you want it (ie the person’s face doesn’t need to be centered now).
Once you’ve got the framing right press the shutter the rest of the way and the shot will be taken with the right focusing even though the center of your image might not be the person’s face.

This technique is not just useful for taking photos of people when they’re not central in your shots but can also be used in many other types of photography. For example in Macro shots when you want to place the insect or flower that you’re photographing off center (using the rule of thirds) you might want to use focal lock. Similarly if you were taking a landscape shot but wanted to focus upon a house in the foreground that was off center rather than the horizon you’d use this technique.

Moore 52 Week Projects - Sun Project (Week 25)

2010-07-07T06:30:00.000-07:00

When photographing the sun, for any reason, here are a few tips:

1. Manually focus your lens to infinity. The brightness of the sun may confuse your autofocus sensors.

2. Set your exposure to Aperture Priority, and underexpose the photo by using your Exposure Compensation +/- dial. The camera's exposure computer will automatically underexpose the photo anyway, as a result of the incredibly bright sun. However, for more dramatic effect, you can use your exposure compensation to varying degrees.

3. Do not look at the sun through your camera viewfinder, as this can cause eye damage. Wear sunglasses, compose and shoot quickly.

4. You can experiment with different white balance settings (for digital) or colored filters (for film). Each change in color temperature offers a different emotion for the viewer.

5. Caution: I have experienced first-hand certain digital SLR's that have a very difficult time handling the extreme brightness of direct sunlight. If the resulting photo looks extremely off, without smooth tonal gradations, it may be best not to submit your camera's sensor to such abuse.

Remember:

Share your photographs
Critiques should be well received and given to others
Provide one or two sentences about your photograph
Give some technical data: Camera Type, Lens Type, ISO, Time and Exposure settings, Lighting and if Tripod was used

Moore Tips - Photographing Children

2010-07-06T07:54:00.000-07:00

Today’s focus is the youth you will encounter on your travels. Young people (and the age range for youth is open to your own interpretation when traveling) often require different tactics to befriend. Often all it takes is a simple smile to open things up. Kids are naturally curious but often wary of new things (and it conflicts them a lot!). So it takes time and patience. On the other hand, some older kids will run right up to you (sometimes asking for money, gum, pens, etc…) and be eager to see themselves on your camera’s screen afterwards.

That’s actually the best way to break the ice with most children, show them a picture of themselves. Kids in touristy areas will be less interested in the picture and more interested in getting something from you. But once you are away from the main tourist traps, you’ll notice kids delight in viewing themselves. And if your camera has video capabilities, you may have to spend all afternoon filming them and letting them watch.
Be considerate of the children’s parents when taking photos. It’s not practical for me to list the accepted cultural norms for all countries or regions of the world in regard to this (mainly because I’m ignorant of most of them myself and learn as I go) but as a rule of thumb, check in with the parents before taking photos of their children, assuming they are nearby. If there’s a language barrier, a simple smile and quizzical look while pointing to your camera is about all it takes. As it is polite to ask anyone for permission to take their photo, that courtesy should be extended to the child’s parents.

For some practical tips, set your camera on the ‘Sports’ mode if it has one. Some cameras even have a ‘Kids & Pets’ mode which pretty much is the same thing; higher ISO, faster shutter speed and increased frame rate to help freeze the ever moving child. If your camera doesn’t have either of those mode, just pick a decently high shutter speed and ISO combination. Think 1/250sec or more and an ISO around 400 can help with the higher speed while not adding much noise. If you’re using a point and shoot with their often maligned shutter delay, try using your cameras ‘Continuous Shutter’ option. While this may only be .8 or 1.4 frames a second, it can help increase your chances of catching a special moment.

Also, get down at their level, or lower, and play for a bit before starting to shoot. Make faces, laugh or show them photos of where you come from (you DO travel with photos from home to share with others, right?). As with any human, big or small, try to connect before capturing their image. One of the easiest ways of connecting is to bring photos of animals from home, be they farm animals, pets or wild. Imitate the noises the animals make.

Moore Tips - Studio Lighting

2010-07-05T08:06:00.000-07:00

Confused as to what to look for when buying your first set of studio lights? In this article, I’ll run through some of the things to look for. I can’t tell you exactly what to buy as everyone’s needs and budgets are different, but this should give you a starting point as to help you make a more informed purchase.

Monolights or not?

There are two general “types” of studio flash – one where the flash head and controls are separate, and one where the flash unit is totally self contained (generally known as “Monolights” or “Monoblocks”). The separate versions are handy in that the controls stay within reach, unlike with monolights where you would have to move the light, or use step ladders when you need to adjust them if the light is high up or in such a position that makes them hard to reach.
Monolights are the most commonly sold and used versions these days, and are probably cheaper due to their self contained nature, and as a result, are the type I’ll deal with here (although many things are valid for both types.)

How many?

You can start with just one light and use reflectors as needed. Most people will need no more than 4, which will give you a key light (main light on the subject), fill (as its name suggests, just adds a bit of fill to remove excess shadows), a hair light and a background light – or you can use the hair and background light as both background lights in high key photos.

Expensive versus cheap

It’s tempting to just buy a cheap set of lights, but it is a trade off and the old saying “you get what you pay for” does ring true. Cheap flashes can vary in colour temperature and on output slightly with each and every firing of the flash, which can mean extra work for you in post processing. There is also the obvious reliability angle.

What watt?

Studio flash output is measured in watts per second, or Joules (basically the same thing). A home studio or small commercial studio will manage with lights of around 200w/s. Larger studios will mostly only need up to around 400w/s or 500w/s – you rarely need to go any higher. In fact, having too powerful a flash in too small a space will be counter productive and probably flood the space with too much uncontrollable light. More powerful lights are also more expensive (as you probably expected), and may take longer to recycle.

“Turndownability”

This is something that people tend to overlook when looking for flashes – I know I certainly did when I bought my first set of lights: How far can your flash lights be turned down? The first set I got can only be turned down to 1/5th (a fifth) of its rated power, so as they were 200w/s lights, they would only turn down to 40w/s. It may not be important if you only ever use them in a basic studio setting, but I needed to use them on location in a house to light a model sat in a window – I found I was unable to turn them down far enough to balance light on the model with the light coming in from outside.

Generally, cheaper flash units turn down to 1/8th, then mid range by 1/16th and higher end units turning down to 1/32nd – my newer 400w/s flashes turn down to 1/32nd power, so go down to 12.5w/s.

Flash duration

This is how quickly the flash will deliver a given quantity of light – will the flash give a brighter burst in a shorter time, or not so bright over a longer period of time (3000th of second versus 1000th of a second for example). What will you using them for? For straight forward portraits and still life, then this is not such a concern. But if you are photographing dancers in action, or even children, you may need flash units that deliver the flash in a shorter period of time to make sure that the action is frozen and that there is no motion blur.

Recycle time

This is the amount of time it takes for the flash to recharge before it’s ready to fire again. Cheaper units tend to take longer to recharge than expensive versions – at full power, this can be up to around 3 seconds. It may not sound a lot, but when you’re snapping away that can seem an eternity, and could mean you miss a shot if you are shooting something like children.

Accessory mount

Sadly, there is no one standard accessory mount to attach accessories such as softboxes and beauty dishes. So you need to be aware as to what mount your flash unit uses and take it into consideration when buying a flash. Here in the UK, the Bowens “S-Type” mount is popular and is now probably as close to a standard that you can get, with Bowens themselves and many other manufacturers using it. There are plenty of accessories that will use this mount made by many different third party manufacturers. Elinchrom also have their own mount, and while there are plenty of accessories that fit it, there are not as many as there are for the S-Type mount, so you have less choice and they can cost more.
However, there are some accessory manufacturers who make their accessories with a universal adaptor that will allow you to use the same accessory on flashes with different mounts.

Modelling light

Most flash units will come with a modelling light – this is a “normal” incandescent or halogen light that is used to get an idea of how the flash will fall on the subject. It also helps illuminate the model and prevent their irises opening up too much if the studio is dimly lit.
How the light is set up to work depends upon the flash unit and it can work in one or more of these ways; straight on or off, variable power in step with flash output (the more you turn up the flash power, the modelling light gets brighter), or variable power set manually by a dial on the flash unit.
Obviously, flash units that allow you to control the modelling light manually and in step with the flash power is preferable as it gives you more control and choice.

Flash tube

Is it user replaceable? Many are, so you can just keep a spare and replace it yourself in the event that it should fail or gets broken. Sadly, mine are not so if it should ever fail, I have to send the flash unit off to have it replaced, meaning I will be without the flash unit for several days.
While on the subject of flash tubes – you should never touch them with your bare hands. Doing so can significantly shorten the lifespan of your flash tube!

Ready notification

This is a personal thing that may not affect you, but my first set of lights does not have the ability to turn off the audible beep to tell you they are charged and ready to fire again. It can annoy me after a while when you get several lights beeping away all the time, so you may want to look for lights where the “beep” can be turned off, and/or where the flash unit can make the modelling light flash off when it’s ready.

Firing methods

All flash units will have a socket for a sync cord – this will usually be a 3.5mm jack socket, but some have the smaller 1.4mm socket (both sizes being “mono” versions of the same type you find on headphones). Studio flashes are usually sold with a sync cord to fit your flash, but they are easy and cheap enough to buy if needed. This socket can also be used to attach wireless triggers.
Most flashes also have an optical slave cell fitted (you generally only use the sync cord on one flash and fire others via the slave cells), but make sure it can be turned off if needed – I have been in a situation where other lights (from other photographers) were setting my lights off.
A few flash units now come with wireless slave triggers such as the Pocket Wizard built in, or with the option to fit a special version of the Pocket Wizard internally.

Consistency

I’ve briefly mentioned this above, but flash output can vary between firings – either the intensity, and/or colour balance. But, you can kind of assume that more expensive lights will be more consistent, and mean less post processing.
Unfortunately you can’t really tell how consistent a flash is without some real world tests – you will either have to rely on the manufacturer’s blurb, or read some third party reviews, or test the lights for yourself.

Heat and cooling

This probably won’t affect most people, but if you plan on doing extended periods of continuous flashes, then you should check the flash unit’s duty cycle (it may be more important if you live in a hotter environment). This is how long the flash unit can be operated before you have to stop and let it cool off. Some flashes are more efficient, some use large heatsinks, and some have fans fitted to help keep them cool.

Miscellaneous stuff

It’s certainly possible to mix – or use – different brands of flash (such as Bowens and Elinchrom), but some will advocate that you don’t as they will all have slightly different colour temperatures, which in turn may mean extra post processing to correct. It’s not something I’ve encountered, but it’s something to bear in mind, so you may want to choose a single brand and stick to their products.
Keep an eye out for other features – some Bowens flash units can use specially designed battery power packs, so they can easily be used on location where there is no mains power available. Certain Elinchrom models can be remotely adjusted via their Skyport wireless trigger system (by simply pressing a button on the trigger on your camera), or via a computer.

Conclusion

As I mentioned above, a lot will depend upon your budget, but I would try and avoid the cheapest available. Studio lights can cost a lot of money, but they are for the most part reliable and can last for many years (it’s not unknown for photographers to use the same set of lights for 20+ years).
My personal “must haves” for a studio flash are; ability to turn down by at least 1/16th of its rated power, Bowens S-Type accessory mount, the ability to turn off both audible recharge beep and slave cell, and a recharge time of less than 1.5 seconds at full power.

Moore Tips - Fireworks

2010-07-04T08:17:00.000-07:00

1. Use a Tripod

Perhaps the most important tip is to secure your digital camera to something that will ensure it doesn’t move during the taking of your shots. This is especially important in photographing fireworks simply because you’ll be using longer shutter speeds which will not only capture the movement of the fireworks but any movement of the camera itself. The best way to keep your camera still is with a tripod.

2. Remote Release

One way to ensure your camera is completely still during fireworks shots is to invest in a remote release device. These will vary from camera to camera but most have some sort of accessory made for them. The other way of taking shots without touching your camera is to use the self timer. This can work but you really need to be able to anticipate shots well and its very very hit and miss.

3. Framing Your Shot

One of the most difficult parts of photographing fireworks is working out where to aim your camera. The challenge you’ll face in doing this is that you generally need to aim your camera before the fireworks that you’ll be photographing goes off – anticipation is key. Here are a few points on getting your framing right.

Scope out the location early – Planning is important with fireworks and getting to the location early in order to get a good, unobstructed position is important. Think about what is in the foreground and background of your shots and make sure you won’t have people’s heads bobbing up into your shots (also consider what impact you’ll have on others around you also). Take note of where fireworks are being set up and what parts of the sky they are likely to be shot into – you might also want to try to ask some of those setting up the display for a little information on what they are planning. Also consider what focal lengths you might want to use and choose appropriate lenses at this time (rather than in the middle of the show).
Watch your Horizons - One thing that you should always consider when lining up fireworks shots is whether your camera is even or straight in it’s framing. This is especially important if you’re going to shooting with a wide focal length and will get other background elements in your shots (ie a cityscape). Keeping horizons straight is something we covered previously on this site and is important in fireworks shots also. As you get your camera on your tripod make sure it’s level right from the time you set up.
Vertical or Horizontal? – There are two main ways of framing shots in all types of photography, vertically (portrait) or horizontally (landscape). Both can work in fireworks photography but I personally find a vertical perspective is better – particularly as there is a lot of vertical motion in fireworks. Horizontal shots can work if you’re going for more of a landscape shot with a wider focal length of if you’re wanting to capture multiple bursts of fireworks in the one shot – but I don’t tend to go there that often.
Remember your framing – I find that when I photograph fireworks that I spend less time looking in my viewfinder and more looking at the sky directly. As a result it’s important to remember what framing you have and to watch that segment of the sky. Doing this will also help you to anticipate the right time for a shot as you’ll see the light trails of unexploded rockets shooting into the sky.

4. Focal Length?

One of the hardest parts of photographing fireworks is having your camera trained on the right part of the sky at the right time. This is especially difficult if you’re shooting with a longer focal length and are trying to take more tightly cropped shots. I generally shoot at a wider focal length than a tight one but during a show will try a few tighter shots (I usually use a zoom lens to give me this option) to see if I can get lucky with them. Of course zoomed in shots like the one to the left can be quite effective also. They enable you to really fill the frame with great color. Keep in mind however that cropping of your wider angle fireworks shots can always be done later to get a similar impact in your photography.

5. Aperture

A common question around photographing fireworks displays is what aperture to use. Many people think you need a fast lens to get them but in reality it’s quite the opposite as the light that the fireworks emit is quite bright. I find that apertures in the mid to small range tend to work reasonably well and would usually shoot somewhere between f/8 to f/16.

6. Shutter Speed

Probably more important to get right than aperture is shutter speed. Fireworks move and as a result the best photographs of them capture this movement meaning you need a nice long exposure. The technique that I developed when I first photographed fireworks was to shoot in ‘bulb’ mode. This is a mode that allows you to keep the shutter open for as long as you hold down the shutter (preferably using a remote shutter release of some type). Using this technique you hit the shutter as the firework is about to explode and hold it down until it’s finished exploding (generally a few seconds).

You can also experiment with set shutter speeds to see what impact it will have but I find that unless you’re holding the shutter open for very long exposures that the bulb technique works pretty well.
Don’t keep your shutter open too long. The temptation is to think that because it’s dark that you can leave it open as long as you like. The problem with this is that fireworks are bright and it doesn’t take too much to over expose them, especially if your shutter is open for multiple bursts in the one area of the sky. By all means experiment with multiple burst shots – but most people end up finding that the simpler one burst shots can be best.

7. ISO

Shooting at a low ISO is preferable to ensure the cleanest shots possible. Stick to ISO 100 and you should be fine.

8. Switch off your Flash

Shooting with a flash will have no impact upon your shots except to trick your camera into thinking it needs a short exposure time. Keep in mind that your camera’s flash will only have a reach of a few meters and in the case of fireworks even if they were this close a flash wouldn’t really have anything to light except for some smoke which would distract from the real action (the flashing lights).Switch your flash off.

9. Shoot in Manual Mode

I find I get the best results when shooting in manual exposure and manual focus modes. Auto focusing in low light can be very difficult for many cameras and you’ll end up missing a lot of shots. Once your focusing is set you’ll find you don’t really need to change it during the fireworks display – especially if you’re using a small aperture which increases depth of field. Keep in mind that changing focal lengths will mean you need to need to adjust your focusing on most lenses.

10. Experiment and Track Results

Throughout the fireworks display periodically check your results. I generally will take a few shots at the start and do a quick check to see that they are OK before shooting any more. Don’t check after every shot once you’ve got things set up OK (or you’ll miss the action) but do monitor yours shots occasionally to ensure you’re not taking a completely bad batch.

Also experiment with taking shots that include a wider perspective, silhouettes and people around you watching the display. Having your camera pointed at the sky can get you some wonderful shots but sometimes if you look for different perspectives you can get a few shots that are a little less cliche and just as spectacular. Most of the best shots that I’ve seen in the researching of this article have included some other element than the fireworks themselves – whether it be people, buildings, landmarks or wider cityscape perspectives.

Moore Tips

“Find Out the Direction of the Wind – You want to shoot up wind, so it goes Camera, Fireworks, Smoke. Otherwise they’ll come out REALLY hazy.”
“Also, I find that if you shoot from a little further back and with a little more lens, you can set the lens to manual focus, focus it at infinity and not have to worry about it after that.”
“Remember to take advantage of a zero processing costs and take as many pictures as possible (more than you’d normally think necessary). That way, you’ll up your chances of getting that “perfect” shot.”
“Make sure you are ready to take pictures of the first fireworks. If there isn’t much wind, you are going to end up with a lot of smoke in your shot. The first explosions are usually the sharpest one.”
“Get some black foam core and set your camera to bulb. Start the exposure when the fireworks start with the piece of foam core in front of the lens. Every time a burst happens move the foam core out of the way. You will get multiple firework bursts in one exposure”
“Another tip I would add to this is pre-focus if possible (need to be able to manually focus or lock down focus for good) before the show starts so other elements in the frame are sharp They did mention that you only need to focus once but its a lot easier to take a few shots before the show starts and check them carefully rather than wait until the show has begun and you are fiddling with focus instead of watching fireworks!”
Just The Facts.... Use a zoom lens (ideally a 200mm or more) so you can get in tight and capture just the fireworks themselves. If you want fireworks and the background (like fireworks over Cinderella’s Castle at Disney World), then use a wider lens. Use the full Manual mode, because you just set two settings:

Set the Shutter Speed to 4 to 30 seconds
Set the Aperture to f/11 or f/22. Fire a test shot and look at the LCD monitor on the back of your camera to see if you like the results. If it overexposes, lower the shutter speed to 3 seconds, then take another shot and check the results again.

TIP:

Moore Tips - Using Water As A Reflector

2010-07-03T07:41:00.000-07:00

Using Water to Lighten Landscape Photos

Most Pro landscape photographers recommend shooting either at (or around) dawn or dusk in order to capture their scene in the ‘golden hours’ when the light is at it’s best (in fact some will rarely shoot at any other time of day).

However, one of the problems associated with shooting at this time of day is that while the sky will often have enough light in it the foreground of your images can sometimes end up being a little underexposed and featureless.

One way to get around underexposed foregrounds is to include water in that area of your shot and to get it reflecting light from the sky.

This is a particularly effective technique at sunrise or sunset when there’s color and interesting cloud formations in the sky (and reflections in the water).

It may take a little experimentation with different positions to shoot from in order to get the right part of the sky in the reflections but with a little trial and error the effect can be quite stunning and a much brighter and more balanced image.

Even if you don’t get perfect reflections the light coming from the water can help balance the shot and help you overcome underexposed foregrounds.

Moore Tips - Coastlines

2010-07-02T07:32:00.000-07:00

How to Photograph Coastlines

I love heading for the coast and every year I attempt to head there at least once for a little rest and relaxation (which generally involves at least a few hours of photography each day).

Coastlines present the photographer with a wonderful array of photographic possibilities ranging from people shots on a crowded summer beach to more landscape oriented shots with waves crashing, ragged cliff faces and moody skies.

Here are a few random tips for coastline landscape shots as well as a few images to hopefully inspire you:

Find a Point of Interest

If there’s a tip I write on virtually every type of photography it is to find an interesting focal point for your shot. This is particularly important for coast line shots which can (if you’re not careful) be made up largely of sky and water. Of course there’s nothing wrong with sky or water – but unless you’ve got something in your frame to draw the eye of the person viewing your shots you’re unlikely to create something that holds their interest for long at all. Your focal point might be a physical aspect of the landscape (like a rock in the sea), it could be movement (like waves) or it could be some sort of texture or pattern (ripples in the water). Train your eye to see this way and you’ll create some great shots.

Look for Reflections

Whenever you’re around large bodies of water you introduce the element of reflections into your shots. These can make or break your shot, depending how you treat them so be very aware of their impact. If you want to eliminate reflections consider moving the position that you’re shooting from or using a polarising filter – however be aware that the reflections of a colorful sky or interesting rock formation can add depth and interest to your shots.

Foregrounds

Coastline shots quite often have empty backgrounds (horizons with the sea meeting the sky) so it can become even more important than normal to find shots with interesting foregrounds. Use a small aperture to help keep both your foreground and background as in focus as possible.

Mix up the Format of your Shots

Some coastline shots are very well suited to a horizontal (landscape format) – however rotating your camera 90 degrees to a vertical position can produce powerful results – particularly when you have an interesting foreground, an interesting cloud formation or when you’re shooting with a high cliff along one edge of your shot.

Movement

Photographic location that has an element of movement presents itself with both opportunity and challenge for a photographer. While the coast can be a very still and serene place it’s also one of constant movement, particularly with wind and waves. Try shooting with longer shutter speeds (with a tripod of course) and capturing this movement – the results can be breath taking.

Color

Be very aware of the colors in your shots. I find that coastlines can be incredibly moody places and can present you with anything from vibrant colors (blue skies, translucent emerald waters and bright yellow sand) through to the cool and more subtle colors of a stormy day. Both of these options (and everything in between) can work well if you think about how you might work with them (consider using filters, shutter speeds, the time of the day that you shoot etc).

Look for the Detail

I love the size and grandeur of coastlines and particularly enjoy shooting with a nice wide angle lens to get as much of it in as possible – however the coast is also full of a wonderful array of smaller details that are worth zooming in on. Shells, sea animals, seaweed, patterns on the sand – all of these things can make for a wonderful image.

Introduce a Human Element

Coastlines on their own can be wonderful and on many occasions you’ll be willing to wait for the scene to clear of any trace of people to capture a ‘pristine’ shot – but sometimes it is the people IN the shot that give it the point of interest that we talked about above. Whether it be a person, a number of people or some other element that shows that people use this part of the coast (a building for example) – sometimes while you’re waiting for people to get out of the way you should probably be looking for ways to include them in your shots.

Seasons and Tides

Coastal locations are constantly changing – both on a daily and seasonal basis. Keep an eye on the times of the tide as they can completely change the mood and composition of the shots you take. Similarly the time of day you’re shooting at (and the direction and color of the light) will change a coastal landscape. Revisit locations at different times of the day and you might find a spot that doesn’t ‘work’ is one that presents you with the money shot later in the day – particularly be aware of the opportunities just before and after dawn and dusk. Also coastlines change a lot from season to season – revisit the same scene over a year and you’ll quite often end up with an interesting and diverse set of shots.

Turn Around

When photographing coastlines many photographers make the mistake of becoming obsessed with the ocean and always incorporating it into their shots – sometimes ignoring the richness in subject matter just a few meters away. Venture into the vegetation behind you and you’ll find all manner of interesting shots (sea grass blowing in the wind, animals, flowers, wonderful windswept patterns in the sand etc). Don’t forget coastal buildings (lighthouses can be great) and other features – you never know what you might find (planes landing anyone?!?).

Moore Niche - Food Photography

2010-07-01T14:22:00.000-07:00

Food photography can be limited to one type of food or groups. Wines, cheeses and grapes are a good place to start. You’ll need find the best shots to make them look the most tempting. Once you’ve got that figured out, you should be seen as a reliable source of food imagery. And the post-shoot wine tasting, will be fun too. Share your photographs.

Moore Tips - Point of View

2010-06-30T07:27:00.000-07:00

Here are six reasons why shooting from up high can be something worth considering:

flattens objects – shooting down on a scene tends to flatten it out. While this can mean depth of field doesn’t come into play as much it can highlight patterns, textures and shapes well.
no horizons – photographing a scene below you eliminates horizons and skies. This means less big empty blue spaces in your shots and hopefully more points of interest.
less distracting backgrounds – because most of your scene will be the same distance from your lens you might find yourself with less (or no) backgrounds to have to scan before you snap your shot.
group shots - if you’re photographing a large group of people, shooting from up high is a great way to fit everyone in as less space is filled up with legs and torsos and more filled up with faces.
shadows – I love shooting from up high at the start or end of a day when shadows are at their longest. When shooting from ground level at such times the light can be wonderful but it’s almost impossible to get a full shadow in frame. Shooting down captures the way light hits objects in ways that can give a whole new perspective on a subject.
new perspectives - sometimes it is difficult to photograph familiar objects in a way that keeps them looking fresh and interesting. I’m thinking of iconic buildings or structures for example. Shooting from up high can reveal things about those objects that no one may have seen before.

Moore Tips - Travel Photography

2010-06-29T07:21:00.000-07:00

1. Forgetting about communicating from within the frame – composition

When we travel, the new, exotic sights, sounds and smells can be overwhelming or they can get us so excited that we easily forget that with an image we’re not only capturing memories, but can also communicate what we want to say or how we feel about the subject in front of the camera. In other words we forget about the way we frame the shot, about composition.

It’s happened to me plenty of times during the early stages of my own photographic journey, particularly on my first trip to India. When I arrived in that amazing country there was just such a myriad of incredible characters and places, that excitement took over and I got a little “trigger happy”. I pointed the camera in the direction of anything and everything I found interesting, snapping away without ever considering what my photos would say and how they would be perceived by others.

When I returned and saw those images more objectively, I realized that only a small percentage of them was any good. A few times I managed to get strong shots on instinct and luck alone, but in most cases you’d see people’s vital body parts “cut off” because of how I’d frame the shot or there would be too much irrelevant visual clutter in the frame, making it unclear just what in the world the photo was actually about.

Eventually I learned that sometimes before pressing that shutter button it’s important to pause, regroup, get your thoughts together and consider what you actually want to say and communicate from within the frame of a photograph and how to do it in the best possible way.

2. Thinking that photos which capture dramatic or interesting moments are lucky shots

The image at the top of this article might seem like the result of pure luck, it’s easy to believe that I was simply in the right place at the right time, but that isn’t entirely true. I’m not denying that luck can play a big part when it comes to making these sorts of images, but it is certainly not the only factor. The more experienced photographers will usually tell you that great “images of moments” are created when luck meets preparation. Image #1 is the result of such a “meeting”.

I was prepared because I had a rough idea of what I wanted to photograph – I researched and I became familiar with the location. I knew that I’d find interesting characters like this Saddhu (Indian holy man/ascetic) in the area where I took the photo and I understood which scenes had the most photographic potential. The scene of those pigeons taking to the air is something I had observed several times before; they were always in the same spot every morning, because one man would always feed them at this time – I wanted to somehow work them into my image.

All that I needed to make the shot that I had envisioned was for all the necessary elements to align. You could say that I got lucky because of the way they did align. I must admit that there’s no way I would have imagined that the dog, (which I think adds a lot to the image) would appear in the scene like that. But ultimately it is because I was prepared that I was able and ready to take advantage of the situation when luck came my way.

3. Not taking enough photographs

What’s “enough” is of course subjective. My meaning of “not enough” is not doing any of the following; exploring different angles and viewpoints, photographing a person in action at different stages of that action, experimenting with the settings (exposure, ISO, shutter speed) and possibly even with different lenses.
One thing that I and most of the experienced travel photographers have learned through at times painful lessons is that it’s always better to take more photographs than what you need, for the simple fact that if you’ve got a photo-worthy situation, you’re not necessarily going to be able to recreate it or come back to it ever again, so make the most of your chances.

4. Not interacting or connecting with people when making portraits

Photographing people can be a daunting task and the interaction is often what a lot of us shy away from. It’s certainly possible to make powerful, candid portraits with a long lens without having any interaction with the subject whatsoever, but limiting ourselves to this technique means that we’re not giving ourselves the slightest chance to create something really special.

Sometimes the interaction and the connection the photographer makes with the subject are obvious in the photograph. There’s a certain trust and openness that often come out in the way the subject gazes through the lens. But the benefits of interacting and connecting also go beyond the obvious.
When the photographer establishes rapport with the subject, it means that he/she is no longer just a random passer-by, but someone who the subject sympathizes with and this very fact can lead to the creation of photographs that would otherwise be impossible.

5. Not leaving the group

This applies more to people who go on group tours on group photo workshops. While such ways of traveling certainly have their benefits, there are also undoubtedly some disadvantages. Here are those which I find to be most significant:

It is extremely hard if not impossible to get intimate with the subject. The fact that there’s a whole group of people looking at or photographing the same person can feel rather confrontational and overwhelming to any “normal” person.
Usually you don’t have the freedom to be spontaneous because you’re not the only one making the decisions. While I’m all for planning and being organised, sometimes spontaneity can provide a great creative spark and leads to some unexpectedly special images.
Your experiences are less personal, not necessarily only because you’re following the group, but because being around other people inevitably influences the way one sees and experiences things.

Despite these disadvantages I’m not saying that one should never travel in a group altogether. What I am saying is that it would be really beneficial to set aside some time for yourself, to have your own, personal experiences in order, to make photos that resonate closely with you. How much time you set aside for yourself is up to you, but even a quick wander around the town in which you’re staying/stopping can lead to fascinating experiences and worthwhile photographic results.

Moore 52 Week Projects - People at Night Project (Week 24)

2010-06-28T06:00:00.000-07:00

Here are a few hints for shooting people at night, using street lights:

1. Sodium or Mercury vapor street lights are very difficult to color balance properly. Black and white photographs are far easier to deal with.

2. The model needs to be in a position of looking upward. As the streetlights are far overhead, deep shadows will be the result if the model is looking straight ahead or downward. An upward look will illuminate the face.

3. Have the model a few meters behind a street light. As in the previous instruction, you want the street light to evenly illuminate the face, instead of the light illuminating the model in a vertical fashion (which creates shadows).

4. While street lights are very bright, you will still have a difficult time with camera shake. These types of photo shoots are best with models who can pose naturally while remaining still.

5. Set your camera to Aperture Priority, with the lowest "f" number. Secure the tripod, and adjust your ISO if you feel the shutter speed is too long to create a sharp image. Do not increase your ISO too much however, as you will get a poor quality image that will make skin look blotchy.

Remember:

Share your photographs
Critiques should be well received and given to others
Provide one or two sentences about your photograph
Give some technical data: Camera Type, Lens Type, ISO, Time and Exposure settings, Lighting and if Tripod was used

Moore Tips - Photographer and Stylist

2010-06-27T19:18:00.000-07:00

Photographer and Stylist

As a photographer, I’ve found it useful to start thinking like a stylist. Putting on your stylist hat is an important part of your session, especially when you have a vision in mind for the final product. So many clients who bring their children and families to me for sessions benefit greatly from my help in helping them decide what to wear and bring for a session.

The subject of what to wear always comes up when planning a session and my advice usually surprises them. “Don’t try to be too matchy” and “khakis and a blue shirt are so yesterday’s Gap ad” usually surprise them (and make them sweat a little). Instead, textures are excellent. Patterns you wouldn’t expect. Layers to ad interesting dimensions. Accessories, accessories, accessories. And props.
Here are 5 thoughts on being a stylist for your session:

If you are so inclined, go to their home and help them find a couple great outfits. This will help you as much as it will help them because you might get an idea for the direction of the session which you didn’t have before. And if you don’t already know your client well, visiting them will help you get to know their personalities and that will help your comfort level in the session immensely.
Think about your location and tell them about the colors to avoid. If they’re coming to the studio where the background is white or black, tell them to avoid those colors unless they’re going for a floating head look.
Think about the final product and where it will be displayed in their home. Something we sometimes, surprisingly, overlook.

Bring your own accessories. Part of my kit is a bag of pearl necklaces, sunglasses, hats, scarves, costume jewelery, etc. Bold, eye-catching accessories can make an ordinary photo extraordinary.
Encourage your client to buy something new for the session. A new outfit that they (or their children) chose and love will boost their confidence and help them feel like a model for the day. Go shopping with them if you must and if they don’t find styling natural, tell them to find an outfit in a catalog or on a mannequin and just buy the whole thing. There won’t be any doubts how to put the outfit together.

Paying extra attention to things which we sometimes consider superfluous to the actual photographing part of a session will help everyone be more comfortable with the goal and the outcome.

Moore Tips - What is Post Processing?

2010-06-26T18:53:00.000-07:00

When the client ask, What I meant by "processed"?

Your response could be:

"Processed" is basically another term for digitally developing the photos. Which means, I digitally reprocess and improve the contrast, colors, clarity, etc. Images tend to come straight from the camera a little flat, and while they're still fine for publication, they don't look as good as they should be for your special day.

Sometimes the difference between the two is as subtle as tweaking a few colors, sometimes it's as dramatic as turning a color photo into a Sepia or Tungsten black & white.

Moore Tips - Wedding Mistakes

2010-06-25T18:47:00.000-07:00

{What I did Wrong}

1. I didn’t spend enough time with the groom. It’s just as important to get him getting ready with his guys as it is to get her getting ready with her girls. Note to self: Send my male assistant/second shooter in to visit the guys getting ready or get there earlier to do it myself.

2. I forgot to go into the reception hall before the guests to get a pano shot of the hall before it filled with people and totally trashed after the meal. Note to self: Don’t forget it next time!

3. I really need to secure a better lens from now on. Whether I buy or rent, I refuse to do another wedding without a 70-200mm f/2.8.

Moore Tips - Prior to Wedding

2010-06-24T18:41:00.000-07:00

What things am I thinking about the day before a wedding?
1. Call your bride to confirm the details you decided upon when you had your face-to-face. These should be written down. Confirm where you will be meeting and the time. Don’t throw too many questions at her. That’s why everything’s in writing. Besides, she’s got the flower company on the other line.

2. Go over your check list and made sure you’ve got everything packed up. Brides don’t wait to walk down the aisle so you can run to the gas station for a pack of AAAs. A couple things you might not think to bring:

The signed paperwork and contract. You might need to refer to these at least once
A snack
An extra camera just incase. Even if you have to borrow a friend’s.

3. Charge your batteries and pack the charger. You can never be too prepared. Change the batteries in your flash whether they’re out or not. It’s better to not be fumbling while they’re walking down the aisle.

4. Close your eyes and run through the day in your head. Include gently approaching the priest/officiant before the ceremony to introduce yourself and ask if there are any rules you should know. Imagine how you will deal with unanticipated events like divorced parents who refuse to take a photo together or the schedule getting totally out of hand and a portion of the photography plans getting ruined in the process. What would you say? How would you feel? I know these seem like doom and gloom, but they do happen from time to time.

5. Check the weather forecast. In England, it rains when it wants to no matter what the weather man said. Try to anticipate how you will handle weather that doesn’t respect the plan.

6. Lay out your clothes. Black is a pretty safe color. It’s professional and understated. Don’t wear clip-cloppy shoes that will make noise as you tiptoe around the ceremony. Ladies, don’t wear a dress unless you’ve got leggings! You will be crouching down and you don’t want to be thinking about wardrobe malfunctions.

7. Get inspired. Soak in some of your favorite wedding photography. Drop a folder into your iPod or iPhone or print a little cheat sheet just to jog your memory if you start feelin’ a little stale for ideas.

Moore Tips - Great Photography Links

2010-06-23T18:29:00.000-07:00

Moore Tips - Photography Friends or Foes

2010-06-22T18:23:00.000-07:00

As far as I can tell, there are two types of photographers. The business people (A) and the arty people (B). It’s rare to meet a photographer where the two worlds intersect.

As a member of Group B, it can be quite hard to establish your business in the first place. When you have a passion as big as mine, you have to be strict on yourself to not basically work for free every chance you get. The moment where you have to ask for the cash can be a tense one which takes time to get used to. More on that in another post.

Photographers with a hobby-turned-business are often guilty of doing things which aren’t, well, ‘good for business’ simply because we think with our passion, not always with our brain. Although I recognise those faults, I wouldn’t change them because the day my business becomes nothing more than a j-o-b is the day I lay down my camera.

Having begun to interact with other photographers, I have sometimes noticed a shocking amount of competition, slandering and suspicion coming from others in the field. The ever present “oooh you shoot Canon. I’ll just go over there and stand in my own corner with my Nikon” attitude or the sharp breath in when a photographer finds out that you share all of your photos online. “Aren’t you worried about theft?”

I know that you probably came to this website for a grand tutorial or camera review and I don’t usually blog essays, but I really feel that you can have all the technique, talent or business brains in the world, but if you aren’t a nice person – if a photographer is stuck too far up his own…well…butt to enjoy the rich fulfilment that sharing with other artists has to offer, technique will only get him so far.

Here are some ways I think we can blur the lines between comrades and competition and make the world a better place:

Give where you see a need. I’ve gotten so much better about charging for my services. But I still sometimes recognise the times when I should use my talent for the greater good. I’ve (sadly) fallen into the habit of knowing people who are facing the end of their lives and I give them the gift of lasting family photos. This isn’t the first time I’ve mentioned it, but I think it’s so important that we use our gift to help people or our gift won’t help us back.

Share your mistakes and don’t be afraid to make them. I do. And then I tell you all about it! :) I’m not going to let my shortcomings be in vain. We should be able to learn from each other.

Help a beginner. I sometimes have beginners in the studio to watch me do a session or take on a work experience kid for a week. And, yes, I’ve said no to people who want to observe my studio who live in very close proximity to myself. It wouldn’t be wise to train up a competing studio. But this doesn’t always apply just because someone lives near me.

Most of all, stop viewing every other photographer as your competition. Every photographer has a style unique unto himself. None of us is like the other. You can only get an Elizabeth Halford portrait from Elizabeth Halford. Simple as that. If a bride wants my style, they can only get it from me. If they want your style, they should hire you. There is plenty of work to go around.

I fully understand the need to be savvy in business and protective if photography is your bread and butter. But sometimes, this can become a bit overkill and do more harm than good, most of all to yourself. After all, just look at this website. What a shining example of Group A and Group B working together to help enlighten the masses in the ways of photography. Let’s see what we can do about blurring the lines between comrade and competition.

Moore 52 Week Projects - Fountains Project (Week 23)

2010-06-21T18:22:00.000-07:00

This lesson is about flowing water and long shutter speeds. When you are photographing a fountain, there are ways to change the bubbling water to a smooth sheet of luminescent liquid. This is done via a long shutter speed. Here are some tips to create a similar image:

1. Compose the scene with your camera on a tripod.

2. Manually focus on a point in the scene that is of primary interest, namely the pool of water.

3. Set your camera to Aperture Priority, and your lens to f22 (or the highest f-number available).

4. If the photo is taken at night, be prepared for a very long photo, greater than 30 seconds.

5. Take the photo, and when it is finished adjust the exposure compensation (+/-) if your image is either too bright or too dark.

6. You should now have a smooth, glowing image ready for framing!

Remember:

Share your photographs
Critiques should be well received and given to others
Provide one or two sentences about your photograph
Give some technical data: Camera Type, Lens Type, ISO, Time and Exposure settings, Lighting and if Tripod was used

Moore Tips - Shooting In Sunlight

2010-06-20T18:17:00.000-07:00

Here’s three simple tips for shooting portraits in bright sun light. I’ve kept them pretty basic for those of you who are out and about and don’t want to haul an outdoor studio along with you!

1. Fill Flash

It seems a little odd switching the flash on in bright sunlight but it’s one of the best times to do it. Those heavy shadows cast on your subjects face (particularly under the eyes) by the midday sun can be a thing of the past with a little extra light from your camera’s popup flash.

Many cameras will allow you to control the intensity of the flash output with their flash compensation function so don’t be satisfied with your first shot – dial it up or back a little once you’ve taken a first test shot until you get a nice natural light.

The bonus of using a little fill flash is that it will often darken your background a little which can give your shot a little more punch and make your subject stand out a little from their background. Fill flash will also create a little catchlight in the eyes of your subject, giving their eyes that little extra sparkle!

Sometimes using fill flash will also allow you to shoot with the sun behind your subject – this means their face has no direct sunlight on them but that they have a little back light falling upon their hair and shoulders which can create a nice impact.

2. Shoot in the Shade

Another easy way to stop the shadows on the face of your subject is to simple move them (and yourself) into a much bigger shadow and to shoot in the shade.
The key is to find a spot where they’re not in the dark but have a nice even light falling on them. So avoid dappled light under some trees a tree or you’ll get spots on their face but go for something with a nice even coverage.

If you’re going for a tight head shot you might even be able to get away with having someone hold up an umbrella or some other object to create some shade over their face (as long as the other person is out of shot).

3. Find a Reflector

It’s unlikely that you’ll be hauling a proper reflector around with you (although I know some dPS readers always travel with a small foldable reflector in their camera bag) but that doesn’t mean you can’t use the same principle to bounce a little light into the face of your subject to help light up some of those shadowy areas.
Pretty much any white (or light) surface can act as a reflector of light and held at the right angle you can use it give your subject a little extra light.

One photographer we talked to a while back swore by always wearing a white t-shirt for this but you could get a similar result by positioning your subject by a white wall or positioning many white objects just out of frame to reflect light. I’ve even seen one photographer friend take aluminium foil from a picnic and using it to help make a reflector (although it did create a little ‘dappled’ light on his subject.

Bonus Tip: Get Creative
Once you’ve taken a few nice portraits with the above tips, why not try a few experiments and use the bright light to see if you can inject a little creativity into your shots. You might just take one with the WOW factor. Try creating some lens flare by shooting into the sun (just be careful not to burn your eyes looking directly into it). Alternatively you might try some silhouette shots for portraits with a little mystery and drama.

Moore Tips - Light

2010-06-19T18:11:00.000-07:00

As a photographer who understands how light can make or break a photo, I now only choose to photograph my day shots at two timings of the day known as the magic hours (or golden hours). In practical terms, they’re basically an hour or two after sunrise, and an hour or two before sunset. The exact timing will depend on where you are and which part of the year you are in.

At these hours, light is most interesting because of three reasons:

light is directional and that provides interesting side lighting that can emphasize shape and texture, in addition to casting long, interesting shadows of your subjects,
light has a more warmer and more attractive colour than midday sun (thus the name ‘golden hour’), and
light quality is softer and produces highlights and shadows that your camera can deal with more easily than the extremely contrasty light produced by the high midday sun.

So while choosing to shoot at the magic hours dramatically increases your chances of getting a good photo, you’re still very much subjected to the weather and cloud cover. But if you choose to fight against light and photograph at the less ideal timings, chances of you getting a good photo are probably terribly slim.

In the world of photography today where people obsess themselves over expensive gear and equipment, light is probably the most understated part of photography.

Moore Tips - Reduce Camera Shake

2010-06-18T20:40:00.000-07:00

One of the common problems that many new digital (and film) photographers have is ‘camera shake’ where images seem blurry – usually because the camera was not held still enough while the shutter was depressed. This is especially common in shots taken in low light situations where the shutter is open for longer periods of time. Even the smallest movement of the camera can cause it and the only real way to eliminate it is with a tripod.

Adding to camera shake is a technique that is increasingly common with digital camera users of holding the camera at arms length away from them as they take shots – often with one hand. While this might be a good way to frame your shot the further away from your body (a fairly stable thing) you hold the camera the more chance you have of swaying or shaking as you take your shot.
Tripods are the best way to stop camera shake because they have three sturdy legs that keep things very still – but if you don’t have one then another simple way to enhance the stability of the camera is to hold onto it with two hands.

While it can be tempting to shoot one handed a two hands will increase your stillness (like three legs on a tripod being better than one).

Exactly how you should grip your camera will depend upon what type of digital camera you are using and varies from person to person depending upon preference. There is no real right or wrong way to do it but here’s the technique that I generally use:

Use your right hand to grip the right hand end of the camera. Your forefinger should sit lightly above the shutter release, your other three fingers curling around the front of the camera. Your right thumb grips onto the back of the camera. Most cameras these days have some sort of grip and even impressions for where fingers should go so this should feel natural. Use a strong grip with your right hand but don’t grip it so tightly that you end up shaking the camera, squeeze the shutter don’t jab at it).
The positioning of your left hand will depend upon your camera but in in general it should support the weight of the camera and will either sit underneath the camera or under/around a lens if you have a DSLR.
If you’re shooting using the view finder to line up your shot you’ll have the camera nice and close into your body which will add extra stability but if you’re using the LCD make sure you don’t hold your camera too far away from you. Tuck your elbows into your sides and lean the camera out a little from your face (around 30cm). Alternatively use the viewfinder if it’s not too small or difficult to see through (a problem on many point and shoots these days).
Add extra stability by leaning against a solid object like a wall or a tree or by sitting or kneeling down. If you have to stand and don’t have anything to lean on for extra support put your feet shoulder width apart to give yourself a steady stance. The stiller you can keep your body the stiller the camera will be.

Another quick bonus tip

One last note

Moore Tips - Wide Angle Tips

2010-06-17T20:22:00.000-07:00

8 Rules for Generating Great Results from Ultra-Wide Lenses

Here’s a short list of the basic rules to observe:

Include something(s) of interest in the foreground otherwise you will get vast expanses of nothing. In landscape this can mean going low to include foreground flowers for example or getting really close to rocks so that you can see the rock grain.
Look for strong compositional lines as this will add drama to your shots. This happens naturally with wide lenses anyway so you are just working with the natural perspective of the lens.
Look for interesting skies as ultra-wides capture wide expanses of sky and emphasis the lines in the cloud formations.

Try to keep the camera as level as possible when photographing buildings.
A polarising filter in clear weather can add more color, and Neutral Density graduation filters can add a lift in cloudy weather.
Move in close: The closer you are to your subject, the more dramatic your images will be. Yes, I mean right up close and personal.
Look out for your feet and other extraneous bits that might intrude, like legs of tripods, due to the much wider FOV
Use a tripod for landscape shots

Moore Tips - Night Photography Baseline

2010-06-16T08:31:00.000-07:00

There is a range of illuminated scenes that are similar wherever they are photographed so we can give exposure values that you can use as a guide in the table below. We'll base the settings on ISO100 and you can compensate for different film speeds. The CCDs used in digital cameras are also rated at ISO100, but can sometimes also be rated up to ISO800.

Fireworks	1sec	f/2.8
Floodlit building	1/2sec	f/2.8
Subject lit by firelight	1/2sec	f/2.8
Typical street scene with normal illumination	1/2sec	f/2/8
Shop window	1/8sec	f/2.8
Brightly lit street scene (maybe with Christmas lights)	1/15sec	f/2.8
Neon sign and brightly lit theatre districts	1/30sec	f/2.

Use these exposure settings as a guide and when using ISO 400 speed reduce the aperture down by two stops, so f/2.8 becomes f/5.6, or increase the shutter speed by two full settings, so 1/2sec would be 1/8sec.

Night Shot Techniques & Equipments

A tripod is usually necessary due to the long exposure times. Alternatively, the camera may be placed on a steady, flat object e.g. a table or chair, low wall, window sill, etc.
A shutter release cable or self timer is almost always used to prevent camera shake when the shutter is released.
Manual focus, since autofocus systems usually operate poorly in low light conditions. Newer digital cameras incorporate a Live View mode which often allows very accurate manual focusing.
A stopwatch or remote timer, to time very long exposures where the camera's bulb setting is used.

Night Shot Guide

Choose the right camera. Night photo shoots are best performed with a manual SLR 35 mm camera. If you decide to work digitally, be sure that you have the ability to hold your shutter open, attach a shutter trigger and control aperture and shutter speed.
Carry the proper tools, which include a tripod and a shutter trigger, so that you do not shake the camera while tripping the shutter during long exposures. It is also important to carry and hand held timer to track exposure time.
Use medium or slow speed film to produce quality images. Even fast films will require long exposure times, however medium and slow films, with a bit of patience, will create the most perfect grain quality.
Bracket your shots to insure the perfect image. This means that you should guesstimate the exposure time for your shot, and then shoot at least two more photos, adding and subtracting time. For example, if you believe you can take a nice photo with one minute exposure time, shoot another at 30 seconds and another at two minutes.
Capture motion by taking advantage of your long exposure times. Catch light trails of cars zooming down a freeway, or track the movement of stars in the night sky.
Play around with the aperture setting. You have bracketed your photo, now try it again with a different aperture setting. A smaller aperture can help prevent stationary lights from overexposing the film, while a larger aperture can help prevent the presence of motion on the final image.
Trigger a flash during exposure to create a surreal glow to your subject matter. This will make the background more obscure, while illuminating the subject you are shooting

Moore Tips - Lens Changing

2010-06-15T07:17:00.000-07:00

Owning a DSLR means that you are no stranger to changing the lens. And more often than not, the change occurs somewhere in the field (unless you are a studio photographer), meaning that your DSLR is vulnerable to potential hazards caused by dust and elements. So here are a few tips to help you prevent some the hazards your DSLR camera might be exposed to.

First, and most important, never, and i repeat, NEVER leave the open camera body facing straight up. In that case, it is as if you were inviting dust to fall inside your camera. The best way to change the lens is to tilt the open DSLR body to face downwards while you are changing the lens.

Second, do not leave your DSLR camera body open for long. That also might be pushing your luck. You do not have to rush though, as you might (like me) drop the lens while rushing. Fortunately for me the lens ended up on my bed, but I learned this valuable lesson the cheap way. Second time i may not be so lucky.

Final tip, if you are in any type of extreme environment (high moist, sea spray, dusty and windy area), DO NOT CHANGE YOUR lens. Although you might miss the shot, no shot is worth getting sea water on your DSLR camera's sensor. If you are traveling frequently and do not want to miss any photo opportunities, you might be better off investing in a super-zoom lens (something like 18-250mm). They might not be the cheapest, but they are definitively the most flexible ones.

Moore 52 Week Projects - Stars Project (Week 22)

2010-06-14T06:00:00.000-07:00

To take great star trail photos, you set the camera on a tripod at night and keep the shutter open for a few hours. The result is beautiful streaks of colored light streaming through the night sky.

To photograph non-moving stars. This is tricky for most photographers, due to the lack of professional camera equipment. The ideal situation would be a 50mm f1.4 lens with a professional camera body that works really well in low light situations. For the amateur photographer with normal equipment, here are some guidelines. Keep in mind that the results may have a lot of "noise", due to the high ISO settings. You may be able to reduce this problem by increasing the contrast of the photo afterward in an image editing program.

I will admit that the stars are starting to streak in this image, however in doing the tests with normal consumer equipment, these were the best results that I could come up with. So . . . in your camera menu turn off Active D-Lighting (if you have it), go to maximum contrast, set the white balance to 5600K, or Daylight, focus to infinity, and then put the focus on manual, set the exposure to manual, and place your camera on the tripod.

I am going to assume that you are using a lens that has a fastest aperture of f4. If your lens has a lower F number than that, all the better! Adjust your manual exposure to a shutter speed of 30 seconds, set your lens to the widest zoom (which will reduce the appearance of streaking stars), and adjust your ISO setting to 3200.

You are now ready to take the photo. Trip the shutter with either a remote shutter release, or use your 10 second timer. If you need to physically press the camera's shutter release, it probably won't be detrimental, however using a remote release technique is a good habit to get into.

When you look at your photo on the computer screen, you will see that the results are quite mottled and grainy. Try adjusting contrast to increase the brightness of the stars, and decrease the mid-tones. For more advanced Photoshop users, you will already have other methods for noise reduction.

Here is a basic chart for different f-stop and ISO combinations, depending on the type of lens that you have access to:

F5.6 - 30 seconds - 6400ISO

F4 - 30 seconds - 3200ISO

F2.8 - 30 seconds - 1600ISO

F2 - 30 seconds - 800ISO

F1.4 - 30 seconds - 400ISO

The reason that I have chosen a 30 second exposure is that it is the easiest shutter speed for those who are learning new techniques. 30 seconds is usually the longest shutter speed that a camera can offer you, prior to manually keeping the shutter open. 30 seconds is also a fair balance between brightness levels and keeping the stars relatively still!

Remember:

Share your photographs
Critiques should be well received and given to others
Provide one or two sentences about your photograph
Give some technical data: Camera Type, Lens Type, ISO, Time and Exposure settings, Lighting and if Tripod was used

Moore Tips - Tack Sharp Photographs Part Four

2010-06-13T07:10:00.000-07:00

Digital Darkroom Sharpening
It is important to get as sharp images as possible in-camera. Photo manipulation tools offer additional step in sharpening, but you have to be very careful not to overdo it.

16. Adobe Camera Raw Sharpening - ACR's tools are powerful enough to help you through image-enhancement process from beginning to end. Once you have adjusted your picture, click through to the details tab for a final sharpen.

17. Photoshop Elements - Adjust sharpness tool enables you to combat three common types of blur: motion, gaussian and lens. The adjustment to the amount and radius should always be made in tandem to gauge the process of sharpening.

18. CS4 Smart Sharpen - This is similar to the Elements Adjust Sharpness tool. It enables the same blur removal types and sliders, but also allows save settings and options to tackle the sharpening in shadows and highlights.

19. Photoshop Unsharp Mask - Although there are three points of adjustment, Unsharp Mask remains a popular option. The Threshold slider enables you to adjust the effect of the Amount and Radius, making it perfect for use in noisy shots.

20. Sharpening using High Pass filter - Photoshop's most popular tool Unsharp Mask although being the most popular option, may not be necessarily the best one. There are different and better tools to use, and one of them is by using the High Pass filter as shown in this excellent article featured on Digital Photography School website.

Moore Tips - Tack Sharp Photographs Part Three

2010-06-12T07:08:00.000-07:00

11. Use Hyperfocal Focusing Technique - this is great photography technique that is particularly popular with landscape photographers who often want to have both foreground interest, such as rocks and the horizon in sharp focus. The simple version of this focusing technique relies on the basic optical principle that the area 2/3 behind the point focused on and 1/3 in front will also appear to be sharp. This means that if you focus on infinity, you are effectively wasting the 2/3 beyond the point of focus. So, if you focus before infinity (at the hyperfocal distance), you can maximize on the parts of your image that will appear tack sharp. Finding the exact hyperfocal distance for your lens can be tricky as it depends on the lens, the focal length, the aperture used as well as camera's sensor crop factor, however there is a great online calculator provided by DOFMaster. It is used for calculating depth of field as well, but it also calculates hyperfocal distance. If you are really interested in calculating hyperfocal distance yourself, there is an excellent article on Great Landscape Photography website.

Shooting Process
Previous tips focused more around gear and camera settings before pressing the shutter release. Tips below focus on either during or after shooting process.

12. Use pre-selected focus points - while today's cameras make good and quick auto focus judgments, we strongly advise against using automatic selection of the focus point. Using fully automatic focus point selection means that you are letting your camera decide where in the scene will the focus be, and what areas of the photo will appear sharp, effectively nullifying all of the hard work described in previous tips. This might be OK for snapshots, but not if you pursue tack sharp photos. However, most of the DSLRs will allow you to define manually which focus point to use (select AF point based on composition, dof, and effect you want), and then let the auto-focus do the hard work for you.

13. Use manual focusing - there are some cases where auto-focus will simply not suffice. In these cases such as macro photography, it is better to use manual focus, as it gives you better control about a specific spot you want in sharp focus. Macro photography is well known for its extremely limited depth of field (in millimeter range) where pin-point focusing is absolutely critical. Also one of it common uses is in sports photography, where is common to anticipate where the action will occur and then pre-focus on the selected location.

...if you are shooting a fast-moving object such as a motorbike you might want to...

14. Use Continuous Shooting Mode - if you are into action shots of fast moving objects, you can either pre-focus as stated in previous tip, and/or use continuous shooting mode, and fire a quick burst of shots, ensuring that you will succeed in capturing the action shot you were after. If there will need to re-focus between the shots, you might want to engage continuous auto-focusing (AF.C) mode.

After you have taken your photo, make sure you...

15. Zoom in to check sharpness - I cannot begin to tell you how many great shots i have lost over this one. Since your digital camera's LCD is small, it is a good bet that most of the photos taken will appear sharp. It is only when looking at your computer's screen that you will realize that some photos are not as sharp as you wanted them to be. That is why it is important that you zoom in and check sharpness in the photo you have just taken. The scene might be gone just a few minutes later, and if you do not check immediately, you might miss it.

...which leads us to: