Versatility can mean the difference between getting the shot and not even taking the camera out of the bag. As photographers I am sure we have all heard the "when in doubt, don't go out" fraze when the topic of rain comes up. Luckily, there are a ton of great products out there to help with this. While many high end cameras have awesome weather sealing, most prosumer models do not. Personally I refuse to let a little weather keep me indoors and for the cost of that starbucks double espresso mint mochiato or what ever the fashion coffee is this week, you can keep that shutter rolling. There are several different rain covers available today from the Op/Tech rain sleeve for $6.50 to the $192 Porta Brace. I personally can not imagine paying $192 for a rain cover that in my opinion looks like it does the same job as the slightly more reasonable AquaTech for $139.
While not all camera covers are created equal, the cheapest could be considered disposeable, although I have gotten several uses out of mine this year. As many of you know I am a die hard camo junky and I am itching to get this camo cover for my camera. Unfortunilty B&H is down right now or I would post a pic and link.
Last weekend we had Tropical Storm Debby roll through Florida and create some pretty fun weather. It just so happened that I had a video tutorial planned for saturday with a few models showing for the fun. The rain litterally held off until i was unloading the equipment. Not a hard rain, but a nice little drizzle. Whats a photographer to do? Well I can not tell you what to do with your gear and I would never recommend going out and shooting in the rain with out some type of protection... But thats just what I did. What can I say, I love my D7000 and my 70-200 2.8. With the clouds rolling in and the lack of light I even got out the speedlight and umbrella, which tipped over and bent up the umbrella (note to self: you live in the land of sand, sand bags dude!!!).
So IF you are willing to chance a little weather and want to get out even with questionable weather, there are several solutions that can help you out. B7H and Adorama both sell some really nice protective covers to suit your needs.

Bring your photos to life

We have had some great entries for the month of may and I would like to congratulate them and thank everyone that participated. The Challenge page is about all of you. To get you out and shooting more, to think of photography in different ways, and to learn from each other.

So what does it take to bring your images to life? To go beyond the flat un-alluring shots we see so often? Well quite simple it is finding the angles and lines that bring the object out. shooting a car straight on can leave the viewer missing the whole picture but stand at a 45 degree angle and the car seems to jump out in the image. Houses, mountains, even the way we shoot wildlife can determine how a viewer will respond to the shot. finding the angles or the shapes in a frame takes practice but it will change the way others respond to your work.

These 2 images show how angles and shapes can play a role in you and others view the image. The image to the left shows a lot of angles and is shot from an angle which gives the image depth. the image to the right is shot straight on and has nearly no depth and much less visual stimulation.

The image above demonstrates how angles and shapes can add dimension as well as transition bringing life into the image. So while you are out and about with your camera, do yourself a favor and walk around the subject you are wanting to shoot. Find the best angle to shoot from, and find shots that have angles to them. many times the angles you chose will be a part of other rules actually such as the rule of leading lines, the rule of diagonals, and yes, even the rule of thirds. Just be aware that when you are shooting angles, you have to make sure the rest of the image is balanced and that you are not leaving a tom of dead space otherwise.

Well hello, long time no see... things around here have been a little stressed lately but I am hoping to get things back on track soon. I am also looking for a little help with the challenge page.
Anyways I wanted to talk a little about a couple of pieces of equipment that I have been using lately. it is not so much the brand but what they are doing that matters.

The first thing I want to talk about is a monitor calibration unit. As no 2 montors are the same it is tough to see pictures the same across the board and to know what they will look like once they are printed. Most montiors are pre programmed to have the screen super bright and sometimes to be bias one direction or the other on the color temp. My monitor, a Samsung 23 inch was not only extremely bright but also on the cooler side of things. Ever wonder why when you Auto correct an image it seems a little to bright so you tone it down a little and while your thinking the image is great, expecting that ever awesome attaboy, it never comes... maybe because everyone else is seeing something totally different than you are.
I purchased a Spyder pro4 installed it and wow, on brightness alone I can see several mistakes on images across the years. I have been at this for several years now and while I have known about the devices I always put it off or figured I could save some money buy doing it by eye... Boy was I wrong!
If you are a serious or pro photographer not using a calibration device, get one! If you print your photos or have them up for sale, get a calibration devise! It will change how you do things.

The second thing I have been using is a Wacom Intuos 5 Touch medium sized tablet. First off, this is not for everyone, if you spend most of your time in auto correct mode, this is not for you. That said, if you like precise adjustments using brushes in LR4 or Photoshop, drop the mouse and pick up the pen, the ability to be exact in your editing is what the tablet is all about. Getting used to a tablet is another issue, I know, but with practice it will open up worlds you were never able to get to with your old mouse. unplug, turn off or what ever you have to do but use that tablet.

I am not going to highlight any one photographer with this blog, we have so many great photographers at all skill levels here that it is a shame to pick just one after having not posted in so long. What i would like to see is more involvement and participation from all of you. Have an idea? lets hear it, shooting something spectacular? lets hear about it, direct us to where we can see it. I have said before that the intent of the page is to get people out and shooting, learning, and sharing. So lets do just that get out there and shoot.

Post Processing - Evil?

Post Processing
     It is highly debated and often misunderstood. One of our members recently showed me where some photographers where complaining about the top candidates in a photography competition. The argument, as is the argument with many such things was if processes like colorization, HDR, and other such options should be allowed in competitions like that. So what is the difference between  photography and digital art? Well I can tell you that I do not feel like I have the ability nor the right to decide that for you. I would say that if it started in the camera and is comprised of 1 or more photos, it is a photograph or a composite of photographs...

      Over the years I have seen my idea of photography change. I don't know if it is the fact that I have learned how to create a technically sound exposure in the camera or if it is because I have learned how to take my shots to the next level. As i stated in a previous blog, my goal, every time, is to get it right in camera. The perfect exposure for that scene... That exposure will give me greater leeway when I get to the computer and will give me a much broader ability to finish the image.

Bad Editing Example

    Now we have all seen this type of image (right). IMO it is an extreme example of over processed and does not represent what I would want my work to be.
   Processing has changed over the years but in many ways the the ideas for many photographers is still the same. First, create an image that makes you feel, create an image that is pleasing to the eye for others, create an image that tells a story... Photographers have been using on camera filters for years. polarizing, ND's, Warming, cooling, golds, and other colored filters. Some are used today and some have been duplicated in software.
    

http://www.fourandsix.com

http://ethicsinediting.files.wordpress.com

 History:
     Photo manipulation has been around for a LONG time as seen in the iconic image above and right. Believe it or not the Holy Grail of purist photography used to allow a lot more editing than they do these days. This image of a National Geographic actually had the photo manipulated to fit the cover here. Think Content aware fill in Photoshop... But this was film in 1982.
     Now do not get me wrong, I am not bashing the true Purist out there by any means. The photographers that have learned their craft over several decades and know what they are about. even they know that a digital camera is incapable of capturing the full gamut of colors seen by the human eye. And yes, they do use photoshop or other software to color correct, dodge, and burn.
Ansel Adams, often referred to as one of the best visual communicators ever, used red filters to turn the sky black in many of his early works. Ironically the same works that made him famous to start with (pre group f/64)

http://blog.syracuse.com/shelflife/2008/02/adams.jpg

So are you beginning to see what I am getting at yet? Is processing an image for visual benefit a good or bad thing? I use it, I like it. Would Adams have used photoshop?
Read this article and you be the judge.
http://focusonphotography.blogspot.com/2008/07/ansel-adams-and-lone-pine-photograph.html

Post 10 minute edit

Pre Edit

These Images show a some what strong handed approach to editing but one necessary to create the visual effect and draw the eyes to the main point and not the distractions


Winners
I would like to take the opportunity to congratulate our recent winners

Pete Watson brought life to spring with his Spring in Black and White high key.

Pete, a photographer for over 30 years spends his time with his family and giving to kids as a mentor and foster parent
I could write about Pete's ability with a camera but after reading a short Bio about Pete all I can say is what stand up guy. You just cant beat a guy like that. He fits in perfect with with this amazing group! Welcome Pete and Congrats!







Richard Yarbrough wheels us over with these rusty old train wheels.

Richard, Ohhh Richard... what can ya say about Richard... Well besides he takes amazing photos and does not even have to leave his front porch to do so. I seriously log into FB just to see if Richard has posted a picture that morning...

The 6 P's

Holly Smith Shanks, waxes the competition with her waxed leaves photo here. The color, contrast, and DoF really make this image pop and the composition is spot on. Great job Holly! You can find more of Holly's images right here Holly Shanks Photography

So as you all may have noticed, I took a bit of a break from the blog so that I could evaluate where I was going with it in the first place. My primary goal has always been to try to be informative and introduce photographers so that others may get to know them and their work.
As many of you know, I have a few photographers that really inspire me such as Chase Jarvis, Doug Gardner, and many of you. Much of my photography is inspired by what I see from others, twisted into my own little creation that makes me feel good.

Rough List

I am adamant about the techniques of photography as well as the moment. Maybe sometimes to the point of being misunderstood myself. I was taught a phrase quite a while back that has always stuck with me and I refer to it as the 6 P's. Although a bit crude, I apologize in advance if it offends anyone, the semblance is there to keep us on track and set goals for our work, our day, our life. That phrase goes like this, "Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance." When I am photographing nature I am much more loose in my planning and tend to roll with what I see along the way. Oddly I have found this to be extremely common with outdoor shooters. We wing it... and hope for the best. Now what if we were to take the guess work out of it? How about we plan to shoot, and then just be open to the unknown? How do you prepare? Well do you know the area? The subject mater? Roughly what the light will be doing when we are there? Have you talked to knowledgeable people in the area and or field that you are looking to cover? Local experts? The point I am trying to make is that we have an infinite number of ways to be properly prepared for a shoot. Simply sitting down with a note pad and writing out what you need with you or what the goal is, can change the entire shoot. A wildlife photographer studies the animals to know what the animal might do in certain situations. For instance, did you know that many perched birds will generally defecate before taking flight? Many ducks will lock their wings and glide seconds before going into a very fast rowing motion to land in a specific spot/ Knowing the habits of animals or any subject for that mater can make or break you. How often do you think to yourself, dang I missed that shot!
This is all a part of learning to get "the shot". I have said this before and will say it over and over. There is no right way to photograph a subject but there are lots of wrong ways. Take the time to do it right and the image itself will be the reward.

I would also like to congratulate Nikki Kirk for her first published image in a magazine; Rural Montana

Mastering your equipment.

   For the Open Challenge we had a lot of neat images and the creativity really showed. Ted Riley won with his Egg Splatter shot while a very realistic G.I. Joe image from Samantha Morrison came in second. The creativity in both of these shots should inspire us all to get out and shoot. Develop a plan and create your work.   

    So this week, a lot has been said about learning to master our equipment vs. letting it master us. All to often we thrive to get the newest piece of glass, the greatest camera body, or the coolest software. Even non-tech photographers get a little giddy at handling the next best... Why? well some might argue that you have to stay up to date with trends. some might argue that a particular camera has X feature that "have to have". I am probably guilty of this as much as the next guy but whats so wrong with what we have? Can you honestly tell yourself that you have worked that camera to its utmost abilities? How about a particular lens? What you have a prime lens that has never seen the light? no way!!!
   Amazingly this happens all to often and even some of the most experienced fall into this often. spend money on a piece of equipment and never truly realize on it's weaknesses and advantages. The classic is the 50mm I think. I had one and shot with it a handful of times each year and never really took advantage of the abilities that it possesses. Why? because my zoom also hits 50mm, so why do I need to lug around both! Reheheheally... Guess what, that 50mm is sharper, has much better low light ability, and can hit pretty close to the same shots with a few steps forward or backward from your subject. Oh yeah and I can also get closer to my subject with the 50mm 1.8 than I can with the 18-105. Now the 50mm is not the end all be all but coupled with a few other primes, it is part of a system that is pretty hard to beat.
   So whats in your gear box right now that you have not touched in a while? This is where that mastering your gear comes in to play. A very close friend of mine started in photography a while back. She used to help me out all the time when we were out and about while I was taking pictures. She was always fascinated with photography but I think she might have been scared to jump in. One day I put a DSLR in her hands and lets just say the beast was awoken. I started giving her advice and tips on how to achieve specific things but I pushed and pushed for her to learn the technical aspects of photography which includes learning to use the equipment properly. I said it back then and I will say it today. Learn your equipment! I cant stress enough the importance of knowing what your gear is capable of. Photography is whether you want to admit it 50% technical and 50% artistic and you can not be a well rounded photographer without both. Having a "good eye" is useless if you can't get the shot the right way to begin with.
 

Photographic Art

Beverly Bradner Bestpitch was the winner of  the Dramatic Serenity Challenge. Her amazing image of the FireFall at horsetail falls in Yosemite N.P. is a truly breath taking example what what photographic art should look like. I asked Beverly a few questions about this image and this is what she had to say.

Q- Beverly, congratulations on the win this week
A.  Thank you. There are so many wonderful photographers in this group. It’s an honor to have my image selected.  

Q- This picture is pretty incredible, what made you decide on this location?

A: Last year, Priscilla Reynaud, another photog in this group, planned to meet me sometime in Feb to go shooting. We hadn’t met before our trip to Yosemite, but have the same passion for photography. She suggested we try horsetail falls.

Ever since learning about this phenomenon four years ago, horsetail falls has been on my bucket list. Perfect Choice! We chose Friday instead of the weekend as it was a 3-day holiday weekend; figuring it would be less crowded. Going to my dental appointment was out of the question. Dental appointment or take a chance to capture this incredible image? No comparison – cancelled the appointment in a heartbeat for this trip!

Q- You’re from Sacramento ca. so that was a pretty good trip. I am sure some of our members would like to know about the image. Can you take us into picture and describe what is going on during this shoot? Camera, settings?

 A: It WAS quite a drive! We fueled up the car, loaded way too many clothes, added in too much camera gear, packed up both dogs, and left around 8:00 am for Yosemite. Dave made great time – getting us there and back safely in spite of the crazies on the road. Old dog (Duke) will be 17 next month – 104 in people years - and is quite feeble – we couldn’t leave him home alone; little dog (Doc) pretty much goes with us everywhere. Duker got diarrhea while we were there – but that didn’t stop us from staying to get this shot. Paper towels and baby wipes come in handy - not just for babies. :)  Luckily for us the state had built a temporary bridge around landslide that blocked 140.
We met Priscilla at the parking lot at horsetail falls. We had lunch together at the little deli. What fun meeting another photographer! Around 3:00 we left to find parking spaces, and stake out our spot. You have to be there several hours early to get your spot AND a parking place as well. Park where you shouldn’t and you risk a $300.00 fine!

Q- What genre or subjects do you enjoy photographing the most?

A. Flowers, landscapes are among my favorites subjects. Do you see a trend here? They don’t move! lol :)
 

Q- Any words for our members just starting out?

A. As a “long-time” member of the “Just starting out group” – most often heard suggestion you hear is to keep shooting, learn your equipment and experiment!

 
Q- Where else can we see your work?

As of now, only on my facebook page. Beverly.Bestpitch.Photography.

 
Q- last words?

It’s awesome to connect with kindred photographers. There’s always something new to be learned from every single photographer. And I cannot close without thanking my husband Dave, who is so supportive of my photography.

Thanks Beverly for the insight into your photo.

I want to talk a little about exposure today as I see an amazingly lot of blown out images lately. Not on the challenge but all over. Often times you see portraits with a blown background that draws the attention to the subject and that works great but, I am talking about blowing out the details in a persons face during a session, or blowing out highlights with a mid day sun because the light is to harsh. A good exposure is or should be the key during the shoot. If your using a light, adjust your camera for that added foreground/ subject light with some test shots first. Use your cameras Built in histogram. If your using a reflector, you can generally adjust right off the bat. Knowing how to get a proper exposure is very important. I realize that the DSLR is not capable of capturing the light as we see it but through post processing we have a valuable set of tools to tweek things to our liking.

I have heard this many times. Expose for the highlights and develope for the shadows. This keeps you from blowing out the image and latter, you can adjust the shadows where you want them. This is one instance where digital is different than film so if you shoot film, keep exposing for the shadows. 

Use Filters, yes I realize that many filters can be mimiced in post processing like a warming or cooling filter. Even grad NDs can be mimiced BUT using them in the the field can change your exposures to get the right shot. the same with a CPL. I would much rather have a CPL or ND on my lens than a UV filter but thats my preference.

In many ways HDRI has changed the way we look at an image as well. capturing everything from pure white to pitch black in an image and combining multiple images together. With the invention of good inexpensive HDR software there are some who can make you feel like your in the scene with their knowledge of HDR imaging. There is a lot of hype over HDR and for good reason. many fail to understand HDR and go a little to far in the process. often this comes down to opinion and preference. It is another tool to be used just like Photoshop, Lightroom, or Aperture.

Lastly, yes we have great software these days. There is very little that you cant do in post processing BUT do your best to get it right in camera before you have to sit at your computer for hours on end when you could be out taking more photos.

A word with Richard Yarbrough And Family

Richard Yarbrough was the winner of our Animals Challenge last week with the amazing image below. Richard, a long time veteran photographer of all things wild has some amazing images on his personal Website http://bearlythere.zenfolio.com/ I encourage you to visit his site and take a look around.

I asked Richard to say a few things about himself as well as his photography and this shot in particular. Here is what he had to say...

             

"I am blessed to live in Montana ( for the third time now), surrounded by an abundance of wildlife and scenery that are beyond compare, making photography an almost too easy pastime and passion. I try to capture what I see, as it is, when it is, and how it is.........I'm seldom disappointed. You have to get out there and hang around a while, and take roads your mother would frown at. My photographic comfort zone includes layered clothing, coffee, and my youngest daughter along, whenever possible............Montana supplies the rest. From the film days, back in the 70s til now, I have loved sharing the wonders around me with family and friends and have been encouraged and inspired by many people to whom I owe thanks. No matter what gear I take with me, I seem to fall back on my trusty six year old Nikon D-50 and 70-300mm Tamron. The winning shot this week was taken with that camera at 1/500, f/5.3 and about 260mm zoom. I really enjoy the online company of folks who love to take pictures and share the knowledge and experiences of their own journeys. The best advice I have to give is to get out there often, stay out there for as long as you can and while you're waiting for that WOW shot....just keep taking pictures! Thanks and good luck to all of you."

Wow is right Richard, Thank you!

I am going to warn you the following is light on tech talk or the ins and outs of photography:
               After posting the challenge this week, or rather receiving a few questions about the challenge and also reading Richard's message above, I got to thinking about family. Our family and photography specifically. Lets be honest here, I think we have all used our kids as our "models" from time to time. But what about teaching them about the art? letting them tag along and learn about what you enjoy photographing? what about the rest of the family? I remember a brother and sister that used to fight ALL the time. Now they are working and learning together. This to me is so inspirational that I almost get choked up when I think about it.
              And Richard, who takes his daughter with him as much as possible, spending time together in a priceless atmosphere... This is what it "should" be about, experiencing life as a family. Sharing those moments and capturing them forever.  Desiree, Sierra, and I often go out together. In California, frequent trips into the Sierra Cascades were common for us. We try to teach her as much about the outdoors as possible and she has even gotten the photography bug taking her Playschool camera with us when we get a chance to go here in Florida.
 If you ever need a change of perspective, just hand a child a camera (preferably one that you wont mind breaking) and let them have fun. I encourage you all to expose your loved ones to the things you love the most, Not only as your impromptu model but from the other side of the lens

Photo by Desiree Aulabaugh

Photograph: a picture painted by the sun without instruction in art.
 ~Ambrose Bierce

No place is boring, if you've had a good night's sleep and have a pocket full of unexposed film. ~Robert Adams

I think a photography class should be a requirement in all educational programs because it makes you see the world rather than just look at it. ~Author Unknown

Lets talk Wild

This weeks winner of The Photographers Challenge is Ted Riley. His impressive macro stole the show and he was kind enough to share these words with us.

"This was a real fun shot, as I worried the hell out of my brother for such a long time to get the shot. I used a Nikon D90 with 18-105mm lens, one macro tube @ 30mm with setting at 1/60 sec @ F 5.6 ISO 800 with an external flash attached, aimed toward the ceiling so that it would bounce off the white softly."

Amazing job Ted and thank you for sharing!

Now like myself, Ted is an outdoorsman and every outdoorsman has a fascination for animals and wildlife in particular. That means that this weeks subject for the challenge would have to be about animals.
Photographing animals can be a real challenge depending on what your trying to shoot. Much like kids, you can generally get your pet to pose for a few shots before it gets bored and wants to do other things. This is generally referred to as animal portraiture.

Wildlife photography can be very rewarding... and very stressful at times. Knowing your animals habits is a key element to getting good photos. That being said you can know an animal track it for weeks and never get that "perfect" shot. Other days you you cant even get out of your vehicle and that shot is happening right before your eyes.

I am not going to say that shooting still wildlife is easy by any means, BUT the best photos are generally of the animal in action. And to top it off that action in most (but not all) instances should be tack sharp or show movement only in specific areas like a hummingbirds wings in motion.

So as I mentioned knowing about the animals habits can be a great way to know what they "might do next" Knowing that many birds will defecate right before they take flight is a key factor in knowing when to get that camera up to your eye and shooting. Knowing that most water fowl stop flapping their wings before they land, making a prime time to shoot, can be the difference between a good image and a great image. 

Some of the best places to get great wildlife images are parks such as Yellowstone or the Great Smokey Mountains simply because the animals have adapted to people and are less skittish.

So what is a typical wildlife shoot for me? Armed with my camera and a 70-200mm 2.8, a 2x teleconverter, and my 18-105 kit lens, a steady tripod and ball head I will go to a place known to have the specific types of animals I am looking to photograph. Blinds, Tree stands, and rain protection are all required when I go.
I am a very big fan of being as close to eye level as possible to the animal. right down to being belly down on the beach photographing birds or in a tree stand photographing Osprey.
I am a fan of tack sharp images so that means high shutter speeds for an animal on the move. I generally go by the rule of focal length = shutter speed. that means for a subject that is completely static (not moving) I will use a shutter speed equal to the focal length of the lens even with image stabilization. that means that with my lens and 2x teleconverter I will be shooting with no less than a 1/400 shutter speed. once the animal begins to move that shutter speed can climb very fast to 1/1000, 1/2000 or even more. with shutter speed that high it is some times difficult to get the right exposure dialed in but once you do that's when the magic happens
I shoot raw and try to meter off of trees or any object that comes close to a neutral gray color. I am also attempting o learn and use the Zone System that has been modified for Digital Photography.

When photographing dangerous animals keep a safe distance and NEVER try to coax them closer by feeding them and that goes for any animal. In many states it is not only frowned upon but actually illegal. Once an animal looses it's fear of people, that is when the animal stands a good chance of becoming a nuisance and may possibly be put down because of carelessness.

There are a lot of different views of how wildlife photographers should conduct themselves in the outdoors and I think one of the most widely accepted views is that a wildlife photographer should have respect for the wildlife and do as little to disturb them as possible.

Wildlife photography is not just about getting the picture. It is about conservation, awareness, and the experience itself. As an avid outdoorsman I believe in leaving an area better than when I got there. I believe in the responsible management of our wildlife and our wild places, as well as supporting the hunters heritage. I often joke that I get to hunt year round with one tool or the other, and feel blessed that I can pass on my knowledge to my daughter Sierra as she grows. As a photographer, it is my goal to get people outdoors and exploring the world around them and maybe they will come to love & respect the outdoors as much as I.

Macro, Point & shoot style

Last week our winner of The Photographers Challenge was Danny Rose. His sunset picture really catches the brilliant colors as well as keeping the theme of photographic rules. Great Job Danny!

Danny Also issued this weeks challenge, throwing us into the world of Macro and Close Up Photography.

Now I do not do to much macro photography. Usually if I see a Bug or something of that nature I will see what I can do while I am out to get the picture but I have not really delved into the wonderful world of Macro Photography. Generally when doing a tutorial or discussing photography I would focus on what a DSLR can do but honestly there is so many different tricks to macro and none of them or right or wrong in my opinion.

I know a few members of The Photographers Challenge that do not have DSLR's, so this is more geared for them. True macro is technically when you can produce an image at 1:1 or bigger and most P&S that I know of is not capable of that. Close up photography might be a better term for those with P&S. That being said. Many P&S cameras have a macro setting so find out if your camera has it. Got it? cool! how about a tripod? It is my opinion that every photographer should have a good tripod. That does not translate to expensive by any means, just suitable for your camera. It is not often I find myself fooling with a P&S but I have my wifes older Nikon Coolpix S51 in hand right now and I am messing with it.  This camera is capable of focusing at just 1.6 inches from your subject and produces some pretty cool images. For those with Nikon P&S cameras a little flower on the back or in the menu means you have found the Macro setting. Once you have your camera on a tripod you can zoom it in to your subject and click away. Now thats not to say that you have it as good as your going to get because we have not talked about light. Do not forget to try your cameras flash on and off to get the results your looking for. Subjects like flowers, bugs, etc are always great to shoot close up but don't overlook other things like money, find details of old watches... Anything with super fine detail can create an amazing picture. Wile this is not an amazing image it is an idea of how you can make a P&S shoot sharp close up pictures.



Simple Photography Rules

This weeks winning image was my Delta IV Rocket Launch but so many other deserve credit for there amazing work that I will just say Great Job Everyone!

This weeks challenge is one that I hope to refresh peoples outlook on the Rules of Photographydagsmf,f.g6iynhmbw86. Now the Rules, are not rules at all but guidelines, tried and true, to creating stimulating photographs. When it boils down to it, thats the idea anyways right? So what are the rules of composition? In most instances the rules are very basic and only designed to bring your eyes into the image, to create focus points, to search out the best layout or lighting that you can get with a subject. Much easier than say learning the Zone System that Ansel Adams helped to create so long ago.

So what are the rules? Well the list seems to grow or change or be renamed with everyone point of view but here are the basics -

Rule of 3rds:

The most common rule used and broken in photography. This rule simply implies that if the image was broken into 1/3 sections both horizontally and vertically, the points where those line cross is a key spot to place items of importance in the image. Often times skylines will be placed along one of the upper or lower 1/3 lines as well with something of importance at the junctions. other times the entire line is used for that item of importance. This rule is about balance

Rule of leading lines:

Leading lines do exactly what they describe. they lead the eye into the image or to something of importance within the image. This is by far the most basic rule but by far one of the hardest for me to put into play. In the image below the focus was on vanishing points and I used 2 leading lines to draw the eye into the image and the vanishing point between the bridges.

Framing images:

While having points of interest in the foreground is important to landscape shots, another technique is to use objects such as trees or almost any vertical object to draw the eye into the image and really highlight the objects in the back. This Image by Kathy Durrett demonstrates this to perfection.

Rule of diagonals:

Diagonal lines through an image can draw the eye into the image. The line does not even have to be 100% straight, using paths, fences, or trees can be used to accomplish this.

The Rule of Odds:

The rule of Odds simply states that subjects in an image should be done in odd numbers. This number is generally best with 3. For some ODD reason it provides balance and helps to draw the eye to important parts of the image. The image below by Rick Mills shows just why the rule of Odds as well as the rule of 3rds is so important to photography.

While using these Rules of Composition can really help to create stunning images. As has been said over and over, these are simply guidelines. The trick is knowing "when" to break them for the good of the image. These are probably the most common rules of composition with the exception of geometric shapes and textures & patterns rules, but, what about rules of exposure?

Yes I just said Rules of Exposure...

Wait my meter says that the exposure is good? what else is there? Well there are other guidelines to help with exposure.

There is the sunny 16 rule:

The Sunny 16 Rule says that on bright sunny days the correct exposure would be:

ISO100 and an f/16 aperture with a shutter speed at or near 1/100

ISO200 and an f/16 aperture with a shutter speed at or near 1/200

ISO400 and an f/16 aperture with a shutter speed at or near 1/400

Now what if it is not sunny out? well using the same shutter speeds and ISO you can change the aperture to say an f/8 on overcast days, maybe an f/4 at sunset or heavily shadowed days.

Did we forget the Zone System? The zone system was created by Ansel Adams and Fred Archer and has been a tried and true way of getting the right exposure every time. While the Zone system is not very complicated in it's structure, learning to use it can be a love/hate situation. The zone system basically breaks up color harshness from pure white to pitch black in increments ranging from 1-10 with 10 being pure white. This generally applies to film but has been adapted to the digital world. Lets say 5 is neutral, 7 is white and 3 is black. Now apply this to an entire color range where sky blue and Green grass are neutral. The lighter the colors get, the higher the number to apply to it. the darker the number the lower the number applied to it. so if you were to expose for the highlights you would meter off the sky or grass or neutral gray area and subtract up to 2 stops of light to compensate. if you were trying to expose for the shadows you would add up to 2 stops of light adjusting for the number that you as the photographer set up for the zone being metered. Understanding the Zone system can also help when bracketing for HDR images because you are trying to capture the entire array of color for a final image. Bracketing can really define the zone system because of the dynamic range of colors you are attempting to capture.

How about the Depth of Field?

Well a good rule of thumb while shooting for DOF in landscapes is to focus about 1/3 up of the way up the page if possible. this changes with subject but can remember your shooting to depth in the background which increases the further back it goes.

I realize that this only covers a very short spectrum of the rules but these rules are in my opinion some of the best to know and to practice.

Poetry In Motion

Ty Iwakiri was the winner of the Wet and Wild Challenge for the week and what an image he had. To me it really showed off the commercial side of photography and his talent for creating amazing images, My hats off to Ty, a photographer with an amazing future ahead of him!

Ty has Issued the Challenge of Motion this week and I wanted to touch briefly on the issues when capturing motion. Although shutter speed can play a key role in showing motion, like any other photograph you have to have your exposure set correct to get the results your looking for. For sharp wildlife I usually start my shutter speed off with the same speed as the  #mm of the lens, for example if I am shooting a 400mm lens I will start with a 1/400 (or as close as I can get) shutter speed for an animal that is still. If the animal is moving that number goes up significantly and numbers in the 1000-2000 range are not unusually.

Ok now lets say we are shooting a woman running with a 85mm lens on a tripod @ 40ft. We know if she was standing still that you can technically shoot down to 1/85 with her sitting still and get tack sharp images (sometimes lower but not by much). So the same woman is out running lets bump that shutter up to 1/800 focus on the eye, pan smoothly - Click! Most likely what you just realized is that you froze her in motion with a blurred back ground. Want to get artistic? show her legs in motion but keep the head and most of the body in focus? Slow that shutter speed a little.

Smooth panning and appropriate shutter speeds are critical when moving objects. People, cars, animals. etc., can make for amazing motion photography if you take the time to do you homework on location.
Depicting motion can be a fun and exciting experience. and can bring really neat images to the table. Photographing light at night can be extremely fun and yield images that captivate.

The following 2 images were taken from the same spot. The first is a small boat that shows light trails that are interesting at best. The second is the light trails from a cruise ship as it leaves the Port. Both show motion in the light trails but for me the cruise ship shows a uniform pattern that pulls me in.

f9 @ 60 seconds, ISO equiv-100

f9 @ 96 seconds ISO-100 equiv.

Another form of motion, often over looked is the motion of your world. Star trails..., like light trails all it takes is some time and some unique lights. in this case the stars do most of the work. use the bulb mode, a low ISO, and an f stop that sits firmly in between I use f9 about 60% of the time, but lower for extremely dark areas outside of cities and towns is preferred. Use your bulb mode and think of times in several minutes. 5 minutes, 30 minutes, 60? find the north star and place it in your view finder along with a mountain scene or a tree in the middle of nowhere... you can really accomplish some amazing earth "motion" that way!

I would like to state that this is not the end all be all way of doing things but it does work well for me. As with any photography, there is an infinite way of doing things.

Good luck everyone, if you have any questions feel free to ask.

Wet and Wild

Last weeks Depth of Field challenge turned out to be purely amazing with several pictures being true wall hangers. Tracy Balcius topped us out with her shallow depth of field image above. Congrats Tracy, this image really portrays a mood that puts a smile on my face and makes me feel happy.


This weeks challenge is one that really opens up the mind for creating beautiful works of art. The subject is easy enough - Water...
But how do we photograph water? And why?
First off lets talk about my favorite water subject, the waterfall. Whether you like to freeze water or like the smooth flowing action that a long exposure creates, a waterfall is amazing.

I am a big fan of nice flowing waterfall pictures and this image shows very well the effect of a slower shutter speed. Now to get an image to do this there are some things that make life easier, ND filters are priceless for being able to slow down your shutter speed, I almost always have an ND4 with me and have even been known to use both an ND4 and a polarizing filter together. Remember even though many image editing software have "filters" to show the ND effect there is no real effective way to simulate an ND for waterfalls. Get it right in camera and you cant go wrong.
Another important piece of equipment is your tripod. Like any long exposure shot a tripod is a key piece so tote it with you!

Also remember that water as the feature opens up possibilities for reflections, water drops, snow, ice, motion freeze, splashes... the list goes on and on. I hope this has been helpful and look forward to seeing every one's pictures this week. Don't for get to get you pictures in by Tuesday at midnight so that we can all vote on Wednesday. Thank you all so much!