Archives For Quick Tips

Beginner Landscape Photography: Learn to Shoot

Jay Patel —  June 17, 2013 — Leave a comment

Continued from Part 1…..Beginner Landscape Photography: Equipment

Exposure or Composition?

What should I learn first: Exposure or Composition?

Now that you have your brand new camera, lens, and tripod, you are ready to conquer the world of landscape photography. So, how do you go about taking a good photo? It’s time to learn how to use your photography gear.

“Now that I have the right photography gear, what should I do next?”

When you acquire a brand new piece of equipment you need to get familiar with it. You will need to know what various buttons on the camera are for, how to mount filters on the lens (if you are using them), and how to quickly adjust your tripod to get it in position. I highly recommend spending time with your new equipment before you go on a workshop or head for a faraway, exotic location. You don’t want to be struggling with camera settings as the sun sets in a blaze of awesome glory over the Grand Canyon. So, get familiar with your gear, and be ready to use it when you arrive on location.

“How should I go about learning how to take photos?”

You can learn to use your camera with the help of the Internet, or by taking classes at a local photography club. Most photography classes start with a focus on composition, but we prefer to start out by teaching exposure. A clear understanding of how to get a proper exposure is critically important. Technical skills take patience and practice – but once you understand them, they will help you take great photos no matter the conditions. Learning to expose properly will also teach you to recognize light conditions that are suitable for taking a good photograph.

If you are not familiar with ISO, aperture, and shutter speed, that’s where you should start. Get a book at the library (if books are too old-fashioned for you, there are plenty of eBooks that will give you the information you need) – or check out basic photography classes at your local camera club. I always encourage beginners to set their camera to manual mode and work to understand how ISO, aperture, and shutter speed work together. I also advise students to learn to use the histogram on the back of their camera to determine the proper exposure for the subject. This exercise may prove a bit frustrating if you’re looking to create great photos right from the start, but it will prove invaluable in your future endeavors. Once you have mastered exposure in manual mode, learning to use other shooting modes (fully automatic, aperture priority, and shutter priority modes) should be a piece of cake.

If you’ve purchased a GND or ND filter, it’s a good idea to incorporate them into your workflow for controlling exposure. Read everything you can, take a few classes, and spend time working with your equipment. There’s nothing more important than learning the basics.

Punch Bowl Falls, Columbia River Gorge, Oregon (OR), USA

“Next Step: Learn to Compose”

Exposure is a technical skill grounded in math. Once you understand it, you’ll be able to use the principals for every image you create. Composition, on the other hand, is an artistic skill that has almost limitless potential… and it’s something you’ll never stop learning.

You can start out by learning the basic “rules” of composition by taking a class, reading any number of books on the subject, or purchasing our eBook. (Of course, we recommend the latter – and when you’ve finished it, you might be interested in taking things further with our eBook on the Gestalt Principles of Perception.)  ;)

Some people find artistic skills even more difficult to master than technical skills. Even those who are intuitively “artistic” will find that their vision and understanding evolve over time. Do keep in mind that the “rules” of composition are not set in stone. Once you understand why they are useful, you can break them as often as you like. Remember – you are the artist. So, you make the rules.

Am I Ready Now?

Once you can control your exposure and you know a bit about composition, you are ready to try your hand at creating some great photographs. Some photographers start out believing that they can just fix their errors in Photoshop. That attitude will make you a lazy photographer – and can often mean you’ll spend a lot more time in post, trying to make corrections that could have been avoided if you’d taken the time to do it right in the first place. Rather than relying on post-processing to make things right, challenge yourself to capture the scene in-camera. That won’t always be possible, but you’ll train yourself to recognize good light and make the most of your equipment.

Once you know how to expose and compose, next step is to learn how to process an image…

…To be continued…

To learn more about photography, check out our eBooks below:

Complete eBook CollectionApprentice Series Collection

In Quick Tips , ,
permalink

Beginner Landscape Photography: Equipment

Jay Patel —  June 10, 2013 — Leave a comment

One of the questions we get most frequently is “How do I get started in Landscape Photography?” That’s a pretty broad question, but today, I’m going to take a stab at answering that.

First – and obviously – you will need a camera to take picture with.

“What kind of camera do I need?”

Canon 60D

Before you go out and spend tons of money on equipment, ask yourself what kind of photographer you are. Are you just hoping to take some good photos on your next vacation? Or are you looking to pursue photography as a serious hobby? Maybe you even want to go pro someday. If you are just looking to take some good snapshots on your next vacation, an inexpensive consumer-grade DSLR or a small “Point-n-Shoot” would be just fine. If the conditions are right, and you know what you’re doing, you can even take pretty decent shots with a smart phone camera.

On the other hand, if you are going to get up at ungodly hours, put up with nasty weather, drive long distances, fight grizzly bears, and rescue the Princess just to get the next great landscape photo… you’ll probably want a DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex). So, what camera should you get? If you are truly a beginner and can’t tell the difference between shutter speed, ISO, and aperture, any DSLR camera will work for you. Choose a company you feel you can trust, and look for positive reviews online. If you want something a little better than the basics, you can consider investing in a mid-level DSLR (Canon sells the 50D and 60D in this range – and we’ve used those, so we feel comfortable telling you they are excellent cameras. Other companies have similar options in a range of prices.) These cameras will be bit more rugged than your average consumer level camera, and will fare better in harsh outdoor weather. Take good care of them, and they should last for years, too.

What lens should I purchase?

Canon 28-135 F3.5-5.6You can spend more money on fancy lenses than on your camera body. If you are just getting started in landscape photography, we recommend purchasing a normal zoom lens. A focal range of about 28mm – 70mm on a full frame camera should work well for you. If you have a 1.5 or 1.6 crop factor camera (if you don’t know what that means, just check the camera specs or ask the seller) a 17mm – 40mm lens will cover that range. A lens that covers a wider range will work just fine, too. Oftentimes, camera manufactures will sell a camera “kit” that includes the camera body and a lens that covers that basic zoom range.

A basic zoom lens will have some limitations. You’ll want something longer and faster for wildlife photography, or something with close-focus capabilities for macro photography. A zoom lens will allow you to explore concepts like depth of field and hyper focal distance – while getting some really nice shots. It will work well for landscape photography and as a general purpose lens.

What other equipment do I need?

Oahu, Hawaii (HI), USA

For landscape photography, you’ll also need a tripod and a ball head. Light conditions vary dramatically throughout the day – and if you are shooting early in the morning or late in the evening, low-light conditions will make it necessary to keep your camera steady for long shutter speeds.

Because you will be photographing the great outdoors(of course), we recommend you get a metal or carbon fiber tripod whose legs move independently of one another. These tripods are more rugged and will hold the camera more securely than a plastic tripods. A ball-head with a quick-release latch will allow you to easily take your camera off your tripod to make adjustments, or to preview an image. Both these pieces of equipment will have to be cleaned regularly to keep them working properly.

What about all those fancy filters and other stuff?

It’s true that we do carry a few filters (GND, ND, Circular Polarizer) but you don’t need them to get started in landscape photography. We also carry a remote release, a back-up camera, and a variety of special lenses (macro, telephoto, etc.), but you should get to know your camera – and learn to use it in manual mode – before you start using this equipment.

The more equipment you start with, the more confusing it will be to decide which pieces to use when you are shooting. Having just one camera and one lens will allow you to concentrate on understanding how to use your new equipment effectively.

Of course, the next step is to learn how to take photos…Continued to Beginner Landscape Photography: Learn to Shoot

To learn more about photography, check out our eBooks below:

Complete eBook CollectionApprentice Series Collection

In Quick Tips , , ,
permalink

Photographing Intense Colors

Jay Patel —  June 3, 2013 — Leave a comment

When you think about color, do you think about cranking up that Photoshop slider?

There’s nothing wrong with getting creative in Photoshop, but before you start pushing those sliders, take a moment to look around you. Nature provides some pretty intense colors without any help. When I want to capture beautiful colors, I start by thinking about the seasons.

IMG_6936.tif

I took this shot at Brecksville Reservation in Cuyahoga Valley National Park. We timed our photography excursion to coincide with the height of the spring flowering season – and the blue bells were in full bloom. Those seasonal colors looked amazing with softened light from an overcast sky. Overcast skies provide perfect shooting conditions for capturing vibrant colors without the aid of photoshop.

Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio (OH), USA

We often visit a location several times to see how the seasonal change is progressing. I took this shot of the same spot during one of our previous scouting visits. As you can see, the rich green colors from the location are missing, and the bluebells aren’t quite ready to bloom. The image is dominated by shades of brown and does not look as appealing.

Of course, visiting a location repeatedly is easy if you live nearby… but what if we’re visiting a faraway place? In that case, we’ll talk to local photographers or park rangers. We also look at photos from the location and research weather, climate, and seasonal changes online. We choose locations based upon the information we gather and the time of year when we’ll be traveling.

To learn more about photography, check out our eBooks below:

Complete eBook CollectionApprentice Series Collection

In Quick Tips , ,
permalink
Histograms

Flower Portraits

Varina Patel —  May 7, 2013

Touched with Light - Varina Patel

Photographing flowers isn’t as easy as it looks. Getting close enough to the ground is a challenge in itself. I use a shortened center column on my Induro CT113, and I spread its lets out nice and wide. The small image below shows how low I can go with that setup… and I can actually turn the center column upside down if I want to go even lower! I can actually suspend the camera (upside down) less than an inch above the ground if I need to.

Lanai Kai, Oahu, Hawaii (HI), USA

The real trick with flower photography is finding the right angle. I usually take my camera off the tripod and look through the view finder in search of the best angle and composition. Once I’ve found my angle, I set up the tripod and make whatever adjustments I need to get the camera right where I want it.

Trillium - Varina Patel

Sometimes I want to be directly on top of the flower, looking straight down. At other times, I want to be on the same level with the flower itself.

Columbine - Varina Patel

Of course, I’m also acutely aware of the background in each photograph. I like to use a wide aperture to produce a very narrow depth of field. That way, the flower is in sharp focus, but the background is free of distracting elements.

Tom McCall Wilderness Area, Columbia River Gorge - Oregon, USA.

Shooting outdoors usually means you have to deal with wind and light, too. When wind is an issue, I’ll use a higher ISO to get a faster shutter speed. When it’s bright and sunny, I might use a diffuser to soften the light, or a reflector to bounce light onto my subject for a bit of fill light. I sometimes use a diffuser and reflector together to get the look I want.

ohio2013_1598 copy

I love capturing the unique “personality” of a flower in its natural habitat. Can you share any tips for photographing flowers? I’d love to hear about the techniques you are using to capture flower portraits.

If you want to learn more about photography check our eBooks & webinars:

In Quick Tips , , ,
permalink

Focus as a Creative Choice

Jay Patel —  April 22, 2013

When I shoot, I pay particular attention to where I am setting my focus. When I’m shooting with a wide angle lens, I use the principles of Hyperfocal Distance to get everything in focus. When I’m shooting with a macro lens, I often use focus-stacking to get around the limitations of a narrow Depth of Field.

California, USA

While it may be technically feasible to get everything sharply in focus, is it always necessary? Or artistically pleasing? Take a look at the image above. For this shot of barnacles, I used focus stacking in an unconventional way. Rather than blending the sharpest parts of a series of images to get everything in focus, I chose to use the out-of-focus parts of each image – creating a soft focus effect around a single sharp barnacle. I also used a lens blur filter and the simple mask show below to further soften the area around that one sharply focused barnacle. As a result, the main subject stands out among other similar subjects.

California, USA

Here’s what a traditionally focus-stacked shot would look like. This image is more about texture and repetition than it is about showcasing a single barnacle.

California, USA

Do you use focus creatively at times? Feel free to share a link!

To learn more about photography check out our eBooks below:

Workflow Series CollectionApprentice Series Collection

In Quick Tips , , , ,
permalink

Goodbye to Winter

Varina Patel —  April 1, 2013

ohio2013_1598 copy

I stood by the window a few weeks ago, watching new snow fall on the snowdrops by the door. The tiny, white flowers were tightly closed against the chill – waiting for a moment of warmth. They were a quiet promise that Spring will come. I couldn’t help myself. I grabbed my camera and tripod, and went outside to kneel in the snow. :)

Here are a few tips for getting a shot like this one.

1. When photographing white objects against a white background, overexpose slightly. All that bright white throws off your camera’s meter. Check your histogram to be sure your whites are bright enough – but don’t let the details blow out.

2. When photographing water droplets with a macro lens, look closely at the reflections. Change your position if necessary to make sure the reflection isn’t distracting. In one shot from this morning, I noticed that the water droplet reflected the pattern of siding on my house. No good. I changed my angle and captured this shot instead.

Do you see the distracting lines of the house in the droplet?

Do you see the distracting lines of the house in the droplet?

The reflection in this droplet is much less distracting.

The reflection in this droplet is much less distracting.

3. Pay close attention to your color balance. A slight shift towards blue will leave those greens looking dull and lifeless.

4. I chose an aperture of f/16 for this shot because I wanted to be sure that my droplets and the flower were in sharp focus. I was so close to the flower that a wider aperture would have left me with very little depth of field to work with. Because I was so close, f/16 let me keep the flower sharp while blurring out the snowy background for a very simple finished image.

To learn more about photography check out our eBooks below:
Workflow Series Collection
Apprentice Series Collection

In Quick Tips , , , , , , , ,
permalink

You’ll have to get the Black Belt on your own.

Varina Patel —  March 14, 2013

blackbelt_0623

As many of you know, my oldest son received his black belt in Jujitsu this January. I wanted to capture a few photographs of the testing process to share with family and friends, so I brought my camera along. Here are a few tips for shooting in similar conditions.

1. Capturing photos of people doing sports requires a fast shutter speed to freeze the motion. That’s easy enough on a bright sunny day – but indoors, it can be difficult to get a really fast shutter speed. I used my Canon 5D MIII, which handles noise very well, and bumped up my ISO to 5000. With an aperture of f/4.5, I could use a shutter speed of 1/400 of a second. That was enough to capture the quick martial arts moves. I cleaned up the noise a bit with the luminosity slider in Photoshop.

blackbelt_0647

2. I used AI Servo mode to ensure that my focus was spot on even as my son moved around. AI Servo is Canon’s predictive autofocusing system. I hold the shutter release halfway down, and follow my son’s face with the active focusing point through my viewfinder. The focus adjusts automatically to his movements. It’s not always perfect, but it works very well for something like this.

blackbelt_0708

3. My Canon 5D MkIII allows me to shoot 6 frames per second max. I often use the high speed continuous shooting mode when I’m photographing the kids playing sports. For action shots, I often take three or four shots in quick succession. Then, I choose the best of the set, and delete the others. I use this mode when I know it will be difficult to release the shutter at just the right moment. I don’t recommend shooting constantly. Instead, choose your moment carefully, and take just a few shots. That way, you don’t fill up your memory cards with junk shots, and your camera doesn’t get hung up trying to process a series of images. Use high speed continuous shooting mode sparingly.

Congratulation to Nick. We are incredibly proud of him and his accomplishments.

To learn more about photography check out our eBooks below:

Workflow Series Collection
Apprentice Series Collection

In Quick Tips , , , ,
permalink

Playing with Shutter Speed

Jay Patel —  March 11, 2013
Hilo, Big Island, Hawaii (HI), USA

Shutter Speed: 0.5s

Have you tried playing with different shutter speeds to see the changing impact on an image? I spent some time experimenting with my camera during our recent trip to Hawaii while taking abstract shots of a stream.  My objective was to create an abstract that captures both the reflected color on the surface, and the flow lines in the water. The key to getting the look I wanted was to find just the right shutter speed.

  • Hilo, Big Island, Hawaii (HI), USA

    Shutter Speed 1/5s

  • Shutter Speed: 1s

    Shutter Speed: 1s

  • Shutter Speed: 2.5s

    Shutter Speed: 2.5s

So, how do I determine the “right” shutter speed? It comes down to experimentation – I took a series of shots with different shutter speeds and compared them. I used a 4 stop ND filter to get a very slow shutter speed – between 1/6s and 2.5s. I used my Induro Tripod and a 2 second timer to make sure that the camera was rock solid steady during the exposure. I took 4 shots between those shutter speeds, and checked them for contrast and exposure using the histogram on back of the camera.

The most brilliant reflected colors occurred at high speeds of around 1/6s and o.5s. At that speed, I could capture the reflections without losing color as the white flow lines started to mix with the smooth surface. A longer shutter speed meant that the overall contrast was reduced – along with the intensity of the colors. I could easily see the differences on the back of my camera – and the histograms confirmed it.

In the end, the choice came down to two photos – taken with shutter speeds of 1/6s and 0.5s. I liked the flow lines in the 0.5s shot better than the ones in 1/6s shot. Don’t be afraid to play around with different camera settings to see what you get.

To learn more about photography check out our eBooks below:
Workflow Series Collection
Apprentice Series Collection

In Quick Tips , , ,
permalink
Akaka Falls - Big Island - Hawaii, USA

Light and Layers

Varina Patel —  February 28, 2013

Akaka falls is located just North of Hilo on the Big Island of Hawai’i. It’s a gorgeous location and well worth the short hike… plus a couple bucks to park and use the trails. When we arrived at the falls, it was bright and sunny. The ferns were brightly lit, but the base of the falls and the left wall of the canyon were in deep shade. But I’d been watching the sky all morning, and I knew that we had enough big clouds in the sky to make the photo work. I set up my camera and tripod (we were testing Induro’s awesome CT113′s that week), and waited until a cloud blocked the direct light from the sun. Then, in that softly filtered light, I took my shot. But I still needed to bracket because the shadows were much deeper down in the valley – and the water was very bright. I took a second shot to expose correctly for the dark shadows, and a third to expose for the bright water.

Once I got home, I opened up my files and got to work. You can see the layers I used in the screen shot above. I stacked my images, and used my Intuos graphics tablet and stylus to draw simple selections. I also made slight curves adjustments to ensure that the layers looked natural together. My goal was to ensure that the scene felt natural, and that details were visible in dark and light areas alike.

A Few Simple Tips:

  • Photograph waterfalls on cloudy days, or wait for a cloud to pass over the sun. Soft light is great for waterfall shots.
  • Check to make sure you’ve captured the details you want in both the highlights areas and the shadows. You may need to bracket to get all the detail you want.
  • Use a tripod when you shoot. Our Induro’s come with us wherever we go. We often use long shutter speeds when we shoot waterfalls. I used a 0.5 second shutter speed to get the soft blur I wanted for the water in this shot.

What other tips can you share for shooting Waterfalls?

To learn more about photography check out our eBooks below:

Workflow Series Collection
Apprentice Series Collection

In Quick Tips , , , , , , , , , , , ,
permalink
New_York_3954

Photographing Rainbows with a Circular Polarizer

Jay Patel —  February 20, 2013

The traditional use for circular polarizer in photography is for enhancing colors, reducing reflections on water, and cutting through glare on wet rocks. Here’s another great way to use a circular polarizer. Under right conditions, a circular polarizer can help intensify the colors of the rainbow. I used a circular polarizer to capture this shot from Niagara Falls in New York. In order to get such intense colors, I rotated the circular polarizer while looking through the view finder until the colors of the rainbow were at their brightest.

Rainbows are produced by white sunlight that is being scattered by water droplets in the air, so it’s important to realize that a circular polarizer can also reduce the intensity of the colors in the rainbow… or even remove it completely! I took this second shot at the same location on the same day – but I set my polarizer incorrectly to show the effect. The rainbow is barely visible in this second shot.

Use a circular polarizer to bring out those beautiful colors in the rainbow… but pay attention! Make sure the filter is rotated properly before taking your shot!

To learn more about photograph check our out eBooks below:

In Quick Tips , ,
permalink