Spring is Coming! Lets brush up those camera skills!

Here are pointers that can be used to make great portraits with any camera – disposable to point and shoot to full frame DSLR.  Keep in mind these are pointers and tips, nothing here is set in stone.  Just use these concepts to help your compositions!

Portrait Composition Rule:
Decide what kind of portrait you want to make – Head, Bust, ½, ¾, or Full.

Here are a few examples with tips for composing them.


Head Shot

To make a great head shot, turn the subjects head very slightly to one side and have their eyes look at the camera.  This will make the whites of their eyes look bigger in the corners, thus drawing more attention to the face, and giving the portrait more character.  Also be sure that the eyes are in sharp focus, as these are the soul of the picture.

Bust Shot

These are created from the chest area up.  Be sure to fill the frame with the subject.  Remember the rule of 3rds, and place the eyes in that top three quarters.  You can use the same technique with turning the subject slightly to make a very pleasing portrait.

Half Shot

These are from the waist up.  Now that you are photographing more of the subject, you may have to make decisions on what to do with their hands.


















Three Quarters Shot

This will be from just above the knees up.

*Very important*  90% of the time if you photograph a person with their knees in the photo, you better have their feet in the photo as well.  No feet is very awkward if their knees are seen!

Full Length Shot

From head to toe the entire person should be showing.  In this particular photo, you can't really see her feet, but they are in the frame, which is the important part.  If the photo had her legs going off the frame with no feet, then it wouldn't work at all.

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2013 Portraits

Bronze: $75

• 3-5 poses
• 6-10 finished images
• Hand converted Black and Whites 
• Retouching for each image
• 6% off all prints for one month after your proof gallery is ready.

Silver: $125

• 10-15 poses
• 20-30 finished images
• Up to 2 location changes
• 1 clothing change
• Hand converted Black and Whites
• Retouching for each image
• Two 4x6 prints
• Two 8x10 prints
• One Sheet of Wallets
• 8% off all extra prints for 30 days after your proofs gallery is ready.

Gold: $175

• 15-20 poses
• 30-40 finished images
• Up to 3 location changes
• Up to 2 clothing changes
• Hand converted Black and Whites
• Retouching for each image
• Two 4x6 prints
• Two 5x7 prints
• Two 8x10 prints
• One 11x14 print
• 10% off all extra prints for 30 days after your proofs gallery is ready.

Platinum: $200       *Best Value*

• Unlimited poses, locations, and clothing changes.
• Up to 3 hours of shooting time
• 50 + images
• Hand converted Black and Whites
• Retouching for each image
• Two 4x6 prints
• Two 5x7 prints
• Two 8x10 prints
• Two 11x14 prints
• 12% off all extra prints for 30 days after your proofs gallery is ready.

Add Extras:

• Additional Poses - $5 each
• Additional Clothing changes - $10 each
• Additional Location changes - $20 each

F'n A. (f/stop & aperture that is...)

f/stop is the term used to describe the size of the opening created by the aperture blades inside the lens.  

What do you need? - your slr camera and a lens.  You also need to locate the dial/button used to adjust your aperture / f/stop setting.

The Lower the f-stop number, the Larger the opening.

The Higher the f-stop number, the Smaller the opening.

This is a diagram of aperture sizes  

I know this seems to be a bit backwards, but hey, I didn't come up with the system!

Changing the f/stop does several things.  Using a large opening (low f/stop number) will let more light to the image sensor, allowing you to shoot at fast shutter speeds.  This great for photos of moving objects that you want sharp, like sports or children.  Obviously, having a small opening (high f/stop number) will allow much less light to the image sensor, allowing you to choose slower shutter speeds.  This is good for using with landscapes, or creating a silky effect with moving water.

Using a large aperture (f/stop) will also change your depth of field, creating more blur/out of focus parts.  This is great if you want to remove distractions from a scene and bring sharp focus to your subject.  Using a small aperture (f/stop) will increase the depth of field.  If you make the aperture small enough, everything will be sharply in focus from the foreground to the background, this is great for panoramic landscape shots.

Here are examples of changing the blur with your aperture/f/stop.  Take special note of the camera settings.  As the f/stop number increases (which means the aperture gets smaller), the shutter becomes slower and the ISO increases.  Also note the pictures, as the f/stop number increases, so does the amount of sharp, in-focus areas of the picture.

ISO 100 1.5 sec at f/1.8   Notice the amount of blur.  It is clear that the focus is on the small building that says "music".

ISO 100 3 sec at f/2.8  Notice the blur to the bottom left of the building -  the reflected lights are less blurry than in the above photo.

ISO 100 8 sec at f/4.8

ISO 400 8 sec at f/8.0

ISO 800 10 sec at f/16

ISO 1250 15 sec at f/22  Notice that there is hardly any blur , and you can clearly see the netflix envelope and bose speaker behind the little music building.  Compare this to the top photo.

Stars Streak Over Lyman Lake

Stars Streak Over Lyman Lake

     I had a lot of fun getting this shot.  I've been waiting patiently for a night with clear skies & snow on the ground, and it finally came around!  It was a crisp 8 degrees outside, so I put on all the cold gear and decided it was the perfect time to go for a midnight hike with the camera.  I walked across the top of the dam at the lake, and set up shop on the bank.

     First I had to get the composition down, and looking through the viewfinder is a waste - especially because I block off the back from letting in any extra light with the eyepiece clip.  I shot a few test shots at a super high ISO, short duration, just so to check the composition out before making the long exposure.  I also made sure the VR feature on that lens was off, focus mode was manual on both the lens and camera, and then I turned the ISO back down to 200.  I also put the aperture fairly wide - 3.5, and set the focus to infinity.  I also used a remote trigger cable to open and close the shutter.  And of course, I did the majority of the set up before I even began the hike.  There would have been no way I was getting my fingers out of the gloves for the amount of time it takes to get that all set up when it was 8 degrees outside!

     After waiting for an hour, I closed the shutter, grabbed my gear, and began the cold hike back to the car.  I left the camera in the frozen bag overnight in one of the colder rooms of my house so it would gently come back up to room temperature, then I transferred the photo to the computer the next day.  Talk about a long wait!

     Once I got it transferred, I used Adobe Lightroom 3 to do the editing.  Turns out that it was a bit crooked, so I just did a little bit of a crop to make it line up nicely.  I also adjusted the white balance to show a little more blue, bumped the exposure down a bit, and made the black areas a little darker.

Overall, I like the photo, and think it came out well.  I can't wait until the next night that is clear enough for me to go on an adventure again!

Dim Wits - Silky Water

Dim Wits

Where I use my wits to light something dim...

Silky Water

      When I venture out to show the flow of water there are a few essential things I carry with me:  Camera, Tripod, protective clothing (especially if you will be standing in the water and it is below freezing outside!) and a polarizing filter.

Step 1:

• Find a nice place to make your composition.  Here is a link to a post on composition.  (The post is using a person, but applies to landscapes as well)
• Be sure you can safely take the photo - moving water can be dangerous - or at least risky for your gear.  

Step 2:

• Mount the camera to your tripod, put on the polarizing filter (if you want to), and start working out your composition.  
• The Polarizing filter will reduce glare from the sun - just like when you wear polarizing sunglasses.  A circular polarizer has a rotatable piece of glass, which will change how much of the image is being polarized when you rotated it.  These filters are great when you want to see the bottom of the stream bed.  Look at the photo above, and notice you can see rocks, colors, and textures in the stream - this is from using the polarizing filter.
• Be sure the tripod is going to be stable.  If the water is moving this could create vibrations through the tripod and leave you with a blurry photo. Sometimes you have to weigh down the tripod with rocks in the stream, or hold it down.

Step 3:

• Determine your camera settings.  If I am only shooting one frame for the image I prefer to use Aperture Priority Mode.  Here is a link about aperture.  
• I use aperture priority mode because it will keep the aperture at the setting you want it at.  To get the water to have that silky look you will need a slow shutter speed.  If it is a sunny day you will need to stop as much light from hitting the image sensor as possible, or the shutter will end up being to fast.  I often choose the smallest aperture possible - f/22.
• Lower the ISO - this will lower the image sensor's sensitivity to light, and therefore allow you to choose a longer shutter speed (or in aperature priority, the camera will select the shutter speed for you).
• Make sure any vibration reduction systems are turned off, as they will actually cause vibrations in a long exposure when mounted to a tripod.
• Choose to focus manually.  Sometimes the camera won't always make the decision you want it to!
• If I plan on shooting multiple exposures to blend together later, I will use aperture priority mode to see what the exposure should be (roughly), then switch to Manual Mode, apply that shutter speed, then turn on bracketing for 3 frames.  I also use this technique if I am going to shoot a large panoramic shot - that way the exposures for each frame that get stitched and blended together will have an even and accurate exposure.  Otherwise when you move the lens, the camera would react to the light and change the exposure. If you are interested in that type of photography, here is a link.

Step 4:

• Shoot the frame.
• Review it - check for a nice exposure, how are the highlights/darks?  Use the histogram if you can't see the screen very well.
• Shoot another frame.
• Shoot some more.
• Change the composition a little bit - zoom in, go wide, get low, find something interesting to focus on.

Step 5:

• Carefully exit the water area - not a good time to drop something or fall in!
• Transfer those photos and see what you got!

Thanks for reading!

Dim Wits - Getting ready for "Shooting" Stars

Dim Wits

Where I use my wits to light something dim...

Shooting star trails, or the movement of the stars, is one of my absolute favorite things to do.  I love the photos, and I also love the process of making the photo.  This is a somewhat complicated task though, especially when you have somewhat unpredictable variables… like mother nature!

If you are interested in shooting star trails for yourself, here is my process.  You can go about it however you feel, or leave me tips from your own experiences – I just was looking for a good subject to flap my gums about and thought someone could benefit from this post.  Hope you enjoy!

First – Prep your gear.

I always check my tripod, and all connections.  It is ideal to have everything functioning properly before heading out in the dark… you don’t want to be fiddling with gear issues when its below freezing and you are in the middle of the woods.

Second – Acclimatize your gear (if necessary).

This is important.  If you store your gear in a warm room and you are shooting in sub zero temps, be sure to sit the camera bag in the back of the car, or on the porch for a good 30-60 minutes before heading out (keep some batteries on you in a warm pocket though… coldness tends to drain them a bit).  Similarly, if your storage area for your gear is air conditioned… lets say 68 degrees, and outside is 90 and humid, then you really want to be sure that you put the gear in the bag and sit it outside for an hour.  The humidity and heat will stick to the cold glass and form a haze, possibly leaving enough on the inside of the glass to create mold, or create “ghosting” on your images.  You really don’t want to deal with that!  And of course, remember if coming inside from the cold after a shoot that you also need to acclimatize your gear before opening the bag (this can be hard, especially if your camera is just finishing processing the hour or longer exposure you just took!).

Third – Dress appropriately. 

If it’s around hunting season, be sure you have some blaze orange!  For cold weather, I am a huge advocate of Muck Boots – simply amazing.  I also like gloves that are tight and form fitting + fully water proof.  This makes it easy to work the camera without exposing your hands to the elements (and when you are standing out in near zero degree weather for over an hour this is very important).

 

Fourth – Be sure someone knows where you are going if you are going alone. 

I always let my wonderful wife know, and usually post on Facebook book that I’m headed out.  This way if you end up broke down with no cell service at least someone has an idea where to find you.

Fifth – Get out that and enjoy nature!

My Go-To settings:

I like to have the ISO fairly low, and shoot in RAW.   Turn your lens’s VR option (if applicable) to OFF – because you are tripod mounting the camera there is no need for vibration reduction.  In fact, having the VR option on will actually cause vibrations in a long exposure on a tripod (and zap the battery!).

Use Manual Focus – otherwise when you hit the shutter button the camera may focus on something other than what you want.  Be sure to hit the Auto Focus off on the lens & the camera body.

I use a remote shutter release, which allows the camera’s shutter to be open for an indefinite amount of time (It won’t click off until you manually release it, or the battery dies).  Because of this I always set a timer.

I use an MB-D10 battery grip to allow for maximum battery life out in the field.

I also use a carbon fiber tripod – stability is the most important part here!

Dim Wits

Dim Wits

Where I use my wits to light something dim…

           

The Problem:  Dim lit room.

The Solution:  Light the room… sort of.

            Well, it’s a little more complicated than that…  I guess we could have simply left the flash on the camera and fired right at the couple.  But then we could get red-eye and nasty sharp shadows everywhere and the tree lights would be dim.  I guess we also could have just bounced a flash…  but then we wouldn’t have gotten a good exposure for the Christmas tree lights in the background…  Ok Ok, we could have just used the natural light in the room and really bumped the ISO with a slow shutter and full out aperture…. but then there would be no shaping of the light, or twinkle (catch lights) in the eyes, and that may have been to difficult without a tripod and subjects that move…

            Ugh.  Okay, so how could we light this up?

These were all the thoughts that went through my mind while coming up with a natural and pleasing lighting solution for this holiday portrait.  I knew I wanted a natural look, but that it wouldn’t be possible to get a sharp image without flash – not to mention getting warmth in the photo without turning the subjects orange.

Lastolite 36x36''

I ended up using the Lastolite EzyBox 36x36’’ – camera right with a 2x Neutral Density filter over the Nikon SB600 flash head fired at its lowest possible setting, and a naked SB600 behind the subjects & tree with a  ½ CTO (color temperature orange) filter over that flash head, bounced to the walls/ceiling @ lowest possible setting.

I keep my flash gels in a personal day planner....

I knew when I was going to make this photo that I would choose the Nikon 50mm f/1.8 prime lens, for its great portrait renditions & low light abilities.  I also knew I would be shooting hand-held, as there are animals involved and they move, so using a tripod would be very clumsy.  As this was going to be hand-held, I know my own ability with this lens is about 1/60^th shutter speed to keep everything sharp, so I went from there.

First, I put the camera in M (manual) mode, and set the shutter to 1/60^th, then the aperture at 2.2.  From there I fired a few test shots until I got to ISO 400 – this was to keep the tree and background lit with the available natural light.  Next I turned on the flashes via the Pocket Wizard AC3 Zone Controller atop of the Pocket Wizard Mini TT1 Transmitter on my Nikon D90.  My first guess with the flashes was at -2 for each, but that was far to hot – the skin tones went nuclear!  I dialed both down as low as possible, but still the flashes were way to hot.  I pulled out a 2x Neutral Density filter and slapped it on the main light – camera right, and that did the job. 

For post production, I wanted this to look smooth and warm, so in Photoshop CS5 I made a single adjustment layer, and converted it to the Oil Painting effect (with very minor adjustments), then blended the oil painting layer over the original photo.  I used the eraser to slightly sharpen the eye areas, and the clone tool to remove some blemishes and create a smooth flow to the image.  I then transferred the image to Light Room 3, and made very slight adjustments:  Exposure + 0.10, Blacks +1, Fill +2, Clarity -14, Sharpening 75.

The whole process from set up to tear down, to image editing took less time than it did for me to write this blog post….

Gear & Settings:

Nikon D90

Nikon 50mm f/1.8

2x Nikon SB 600s

Pocket Wizard Flex System

Lastolite EzyBox 36x36’’

½ CTO Flash filter (background)

2x ND Flash filter (main)

Giottos light stand

Hand Held

1/60^th

f/2.2

50mm

ISO 400

Photo Shop CS5

Lightroom 3

Nikon D80 Reviewed

Nikon D80

            I bought this camera with the intent of converting it to an infra red camera just for fun, but have found it to be quite useful when shooting weddings – just because I like to run 3 bodies at once.  I will be converting this body in the next few months though, and purchasing a Nikon D800, then bumping the 300s and 90 down a notch.  Anyway...

            I am really quite impressed with this machine.  I figured that it would have a significantly lower image quality than my D90 and D300s, but really, the quality of the images is quite nice.  I find that its ability to retain detail at a high ISO in low light situations is not very good however, and it also is not a fast camera by any means.  However, I have been using it with a 50mm prime attached, as it can be slung around my back while I have the 300s with a 70-200 on the front as my main work horse.  This makes transport easy, and paired with the 50mm f/1.8, the d80 is a fantastic machine.

            This camera may not have all the functions of the 90 and 300s, such as the FP high speed flash sync (it will only sync at 1/200^th of a second tops), or the 50 point auto focus, or super fast tracking with auto focus - but if you have a specific purpose for it, it could be a great camera for you.  

          I use it only with the 50mm, usually at a very wide aperture, for the purpose of being able to create quick portraits with available light during weddings.  The dials are set up similar to the d90, and are quick to adjust.  This body allows for all the priority modes that its big brothers allow, you can maintain full control over the settings with ease.

            I bought my d80 used off of eBay and it had 15k shutter actuations on it.  I paid $200.  If are in the market for a backup camera, or something to convert to an infra red, or even just an addition to your arsenal, I highly recommend this body.  For the $200 I spent on this body, this camera is well worth its price.