How to Photograph Light Trails |  |
- How to Photograph Light Trails
- How to Take Compelling Photographs
- Magazine Photography Session, See Indoor & Outdoor Setups
| How to Photograph Light Trails Posted: 28 Apr 2013 06:19 PM PDT Final Reminder: Only 1 Day Left! in the deal: Trick Photography Guide (Includes Light Painting) You’re going to practice creating light trails by photographing passing vehicles. You will need a tripod for this technique (or some other way to stabilize your camera) as you will be opening up your shutter for a few seconds or more at a time, and you need your camera to stay perfectly still. Otherwise, you will get camera shake, and your photos will be blurry. You will also need a camera that lets you control the shutter speed. And, you will need to be doing this technique during or after twilight, on a night that has little or no wind (to avoid camera shake). Here a few settings to get you started–you will need to experiment, as not every situation is the same. The lighting, the time of night, and the speed of traffic will all influence the shutter speed you need to use. To start off, I’d advise that you use the recommended settings and experiment from there.  “Cruising Chicago” captured by Tony Lau. (Click image to see more from Tony Lau.) Recommended Settings
Find yourself a safe place to stand off the road that lets you get a good image of the traffic. Position yourself so you have something of interest in the background (so you can get a photo of the lights of the car going past your point of interest). This technique will also create a striking image from up high on a bridge, looking down and capturing the light trails of cars below you, or from the vantage point of a curve or corner in the road so you can create lights that bend. Once your camera is set up at your ideal vantage point, remember you will have to play around with your shutter speed a bit until you are happy with the results. Start with six seconds and go from there. Use a shutter release cable or the two second timer on your camera so you don’t risk bumping your camera during the photo. Wait until the cars (or even better, buses, due to their distinctive colouring!) are about to go past (if you are using your 2 second timer you will need to press this 2 seconds earlier to allow for the timer) and then press the shutter button. The following video demonstrates this general light trail technique (for those of you reading this by email, the video can be seen here): If you still see the vehicles in your photo you need a longer shutter time, unless that is the picture you are going for. If you are shooting a long stretch of road you will need a longer shutter speed to capture a long light trail. If there are gaps in your trail, try a longer shutter speed. As alluded to earlier, you can use ‘bulb mode’ if your camera has the function to. Bulb mode lets you control how long your shutter is open. You press your shutter down when the subject enters the frame and release it when the subject leaves the frame. This way you don’t have to guess how long to leave the shutter open. If you are having problems with overexposure, decrease your aperture size (by going up to a larger f-stop number), and if your images are underexposed, do the opposite and increase your aperture size (by going down to a smaller f-stop number). But most of all, just practice and enjoy! About the Author: For Further Training on Light Painting:One of the best-selling photography eBooks on the market is marked down drastically for only 1 more day and covers how to do many photography techniques that produce unusual, eye-catching results (including extensive chapters on various light painting methods). The deal can be found here: Trick Photography Guide Go to full article: How to Photograph Light Trails |
| How to Take Compelling Photographs Posted: 28 Apr 2013 02:08 PM PDT One of the keys to a good photograph is its ability to tell a story. To be able to do so effectively, a photographer has to take many different variables into consideration. During the hour long seminar conducted by Marcus Donner, the professional photographer shares a few of his insights, tips, and techniques he has established throughout his 20 years of creating compelling images. Watch and learn below (for those of you reading this by email, the seminar can be seen here): Keys To Getting a Good Photo
Finding Quality in QuantityAmong some of the other sound advice Donner explores is taking advantage of the large quantities of images shooting digital affords photographers, a privilege many were denied of when shooting on film because of the high cost involved.
Donner points out that the average number of photographs taken by a single photographer on assignment for National Geographic in 2000, when they were still not fully digital was 29,000 images. Of those 29,000 an average of 15 were selected to use for print.
Donner further explains, “If you’re going to be a good storyteller you have to look for other pictures.” While on assignment photographing white water rafters, Donner made sure to take full advantage of the opportunity of being in such a beautiful setting by also finding things to photograph other than the rafters, such as the image of the flowing stream above. One last bit of advice: Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Even the professionals make mistakes, it is how we learn to improve our skills. Go to full article: How to Take Compelling Photographs |
| Magazine Photography Session, See Indoor & Outdoor Setups Posted: 28 Apr 2013 11:07 AM PDT Commercial photographer Michael Grecco shares with us a behind-the-scenes look at a series of photoshoots done for a 6-page ad on Men’s Health Magazine. The assignment is spread over 2 days, with images shot in several locations including the Brooklyn Bridge, a New York City rooftop, a sassy art museum, and a gritty boxing ring (for those of you reading this by email, the video can be seen here): In the video, we get a glimpse of the grand scale of his sets, the high-end equipment used, the lighting patterns employed, and how he buckles down to get the job done. There is also a quick mention of the importance of working with the right set of people, highlighted by the fact that he’s been collaborating with creative director Jeff Griffith for the past 22 years.
This is how elite commercial photographers roll. And it’s all in a day’s work for the celebrity lensman. Go to full article: Magazine Photography Session, See Indoor & Outdoor Setups |
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