Landscape Photography With an ND Filter

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• Landscape Photography With an ND Filter
• The Challenge of Using Old Film Cameras for Street Photography (Video)
• Quick Photography Lighting Considerations
• Photographing Athletes in Daily Life Situations (Video)

Landscape Photography With an ND Filter Posted: 22 Sep 2013 08:49 PM PDT Today’s photo tip concerns the neutral density filter. To get better landscape photographs, this is another piece of camera gear that should be in your bag at all times! It’s a filter effect that can’t be duplicated after the fact. It has to be done with the camera. I’m sure you’ve seen landscape photography of waterfalls. You can shoot so that every drop of water is in sharp focus… or you can shoot so that the water looks like a massive string of cotton candy. And everything in between! “Soft Light on the Falls” captured by Mitch Johanson (Click image to see more from Johanson) We know that to get the sharp image we need a fast shutter speed, and to get the cotton candy blur we need a slow one. Another good reason to put your camera on manual! You will never get award winning shots on automatic. Your shots will look like everyone else’s. What if we want a really slow shutter speed, but it is a bright day? As you know, only a certain amount of light can be let in for a good exposure–if you let in too much, it will ruin the shot. So we first start closing down the aperture. What if that isn’t enough? What if we are at the smallest aperture setting, and we still have too much light? Our next option would be to go with the slowest film or ISO setting we can. That is nice, it will give us nicely saturated, noise free shots… but there are limitations. Since our problem is that too much light is entering the lens, the simple fix is to block some of that light. Enter the neutral density filter. The neutral density filter is a filter that is designed to block a certain amount of light. That’s all! It doesn’t alter the light in any way–it’s neutral. The light entering the lens has all the same properties; there is just less of it. Demonstrating a neutral density filter. “Landscape Photography Essential Tool” captured by Kain Kalju. Voilla! You are now able to shoot that silky, cotton candy waterfall–on a bright sunny day! Neutral density filters come in various strengths. You can block one stop of light, three, five, and so on. Plus, various densities can be “stacked” for even more light blockage. You could put a five stop and a three stop neutral density filter together for eight full stops. (That is a LOT of light!) Neutral density filters have lots of uses beyond waterfalls. In future photo tip articles, I’ll go into even more cool things you can do to improve your landscape photography with these indispensable camera accessories. About the Author: Dan Eitreim writes for ontargetphototraining (insert link). He has been a professional photographer in Southern California for over 20 years. His philosophy is that learning photography is easy if you know a few tried and true strategies. Go to full article: Landscape Photography With an ND Filter What are your thoughts on this article? Join the discussion on Facebook or Google+ Article from: PictureCorrect Photography Tips

The Challenge of Using Old Film Cameras for Street Photography (Video) Posted: 22 Sep 2013 06:52 PM PDT Phillip Bloom has been making films for 25 years, and wherever he goes for his work, he likes to take along his still cameras and walk about the city capturing photos on the street. Bloom has recently converted to film for his personal use and says he generally takes 4-6 cameras with him when he goes out. Though he admits it is a bit of an overhaul, he loves the challenge and satisfaction of shooting film: “No matter where I go, my camera goes with me, cause there’s always a story around the corner.” Challenges of Using Old Film Cameras: No Autofocus – That’s right. No pressing a button to have your camera automatically focus on the subject for you. You have to manually turn the lens to get your subject properly in focus. No Auto Metering – Some older cameras have light meters, and some do not. Regardless, they are not automatic. You will need to change the shutter speed and aperture for every shot. One ISO Speed – With film you lose the convenience of changing your ISO setting at will. Once you stick a roll of film in your camera, you’re dedicate to one film speed until you switch rolls. No Image Review – Of course one of the biggest differences is that you can’t see your image immediately afterwards. This is why you take more time to select and frame a scene. You can’t just delete your photo and take another, and each frame is costing you money. Framing Issues – If you’re using a film SLR, then this won’t be any different from a DSLR. But using a TLR or rangefinder camera can provide issues with accurately framing your scene, especially at close distances. Philip Bloom says he prefers the way film makes you stop and think about the image you’re capturing “Using these old cameras is a challenge as well. It’s not as easy as just getting out an iPhone or getting out a digital compact with autofocus and auto everything. You actually have to make sure your settings are correct, so not only do you need to capture the moment, you need to get the settings of the camera right at the same time. So, you have a double challenge.” Go to full article: The Challenge of Using Old Film Cameras for Street Photography (Video) What are your thoughts on this article? Join the discussion on Facebook or Google+ Article from: PictureCorrect Photography Tips

Quick Photography Lighting Considerations Posted: 22 Sep 2013 03:46 PM PDT Refined photography uses distinct lighting strategies. Knowing what to look for is essential when the goal is a unique and artistically stylized photograph. To be creative you have to know the basics. Creating a foundation from which to build on your basic expertise requires close attention, experimentation, patience, and passion for your media. Photography sets the tone for many moments in time and is a representation of merriment, beauty, nature, perseverance, growth, knowledge, resistance, change, and many other aspects related to a viewer’s perception. Choosing the right lighting strategy in a photograph sets the right mood to enhance perceptions and deliver stronger messages. Clouds and fog create a diffused light which helps add drama to an image. “The Dark Edges” captured by Rosemary Kane. (Click image to see more from Rosemary Kane.) Here are some photography lighting strategies that will help differentiate your photos from mediocre snapshots and will help you master key fundamentals in no time at all: Projecting a wider light source generates a softer light and subdues shadows. Casting a narrower light generates a harder light and sharper shadows. The wider light source diffuses the scene de-emphasizing shadows, textures, and contrast. The narrower light can enhance features by creating sharper shadows, increasing contrast in color, shape and form, and accentuating textures to give them a three-dimensional look. Diffusion disperses a light source, making it wider and softer. Clouds are a perfect example of a natural diffuser. When a cloud covers the sun’s natural light, it softens a shadow’s crispness. Three types of diffusion are clouds, overcast skies, and fog. Intentionally bouncing or directing a light source pointed toward a matte surface such as a ceiling or a white wall can also act as a diffuser. The light will spread and cover a wider area. The light’s distance from the subject determines how soft or hard the light will be. When the light is closer to the subject matter, it is wider and creates a softer light source. When the light source is farther away, it is narrower and harder. Shadows help to boost contrast and develop depth and dimension in photographs. “Narrow Passage” captured by Debbie Soh. (Click image to see more from Debbie Soh.) Shadows create form. They give the subject a three-dimensional perspective by creating and increasing the intensity between highlights, midtones, and shadows. Adding shadow intensity through lighting strategies makes your subject an object in space rather than a shape on a two-dimensional plane. Fall off occurs when you place the light source a long distance away from the subject. The light source gets dimmer on the subject, and you can vary the amount of light the subject is receiving, thereby creating more artistic photos. The effects of light fall off can be used to vary the intensity or relationship between the subject and the background. A closer light creates more contrast between the subject and the background, while a more distant light makes the background brighter and less contrasting from the subject. Subject to background harmony makes the picture believable. All the lighting in the world won’t help a scene that doesn’t connect with the viewer. Make sure your background ties to your subject matter and the message you’re trying to portray while enhancing the event or point in time. About the Author: Gabriela Dare is a designer based in the Detroit Area. Go to full article: Quick Photography Lighting Considerations What are your thoughts on this article? Join the discussion on Facebook or Google+ Article from: PictureCorrect Photography Tips

Photographing Athletes in Daily Life Situations (Video) Posted: 22 Sep 2013 10:48 AM PDT Bullied as a child, Jordan Matter looked to sports to find solace and gain confidence. Now a photographer, he still sees the grace and beauty in athletes’ drive and dedication. His popular book, Dancers Among Us, portrayed talented dancers living life playfully and passionately in everyday situations. Learn about Matter’s latest photography project by watching this preview: Athletes Among Us features serious athletes in ordinary–and often comedic–roles around the city. For example, Matter has created images of bodybuilder Vincent Iuzzolino waiting for a cab, NFL’s Erik Coleman carrying a grocery cart, Ethan Zohn proposing with a soccer ball, and triathlete Dina Bair hauling groceries home on her bicycle. “Working Mom” with Dina Bair “Valentine’s Day” with Erik Coleman   “Waiting for a Cab” with Vince Iuzzolino Though all of his photography subjects are top notch athletes, Matter insists that his new book is not about sports. To him, athletes are symbolic of a lighthearted take on the importance of perseverance, strength, and devotion in our lives, no matter what our dreams may be. “Sunday Shopping” with Erik Coleman “Though I’m no longer an athlete, I still pursue my dreams with a competitor’s intensity.” –Jordan Matter Go to full article: Photographing Athletes in Daily Life Situations (Video) What are your thoughts on this article? Join the discussion on Facebook or Google+ Article from: PictureCorrect Photography Tips

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