Friday, May 30, 2008
Engagement Session
Last night I did an engagement session for a dear friend of mine. We had a blast and he even bought my entire family dinner afterwards. Thought I would share just a few of my favorite images from the shoot. The strobist shots were done with just one SB800, usually shooting through a tri-grip diffuser.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Cross lighting with the sun
Have you ever tried to shoot a portrait of someone with the sun in the background? If you did this without a flash or strobe, you ended up with one of two results:
A) You exposed for your subject and the entire sky was washed out with no detail
or...
B) You exposed for the sky and got a pretty blue sky but your subject was a silhouette (completely black)
You see, your camera will not expose for this shot correctly when your subject is back lit by the sun. So today I'm going to tell you how to get this shot.
First, you'll need one off-camera strobe. I use the Nikon SB800. You can either mount the strobe on a stand or have someone handhold it for you. You could even handhold it yourself in a pinch. The ideal set up is to have your strobe, subject, and the sun in a straight line with each other while making sure the sun is out of the frame. Take a look at this diagram:
Once you are setup, put your camera in Manual mode and set your shutter speed to its highest sync speed (probably 1/250). Then take some shots, without the flash, adjusting the aperture until you get a nicely exposed sky. Don't worry about your subject being a silhouette, you are going to light him or her with the strobe. Once you have a nice exposure for your sun, put your strobe in manual mode and dial it down to 1/2 power, and take your shot. If the flash is too much for your subject, dial it down to 1/4 power. If it's not enough, move your strobe closer to your subject. It might take a few shots to get the look you want, but this is a great starting point. Here's a shot I took this evening with this exact setup:
If you are interested in learning more about this technique or other lighting information, make sure you check out The Strobist Blog.
A) You exposed for your subject and the entire sky was washed out with no detail
or...
B) You exposed for the sky and got a pretty blue sky but your subject was a silhouette (completely black)
You see, your camera will not expose for this shot correctly when your subject is back lit by the sun. So today I'm going to tell you how to get this shot.
First, you'll need one off-camera strobe. I use the Nikon SB800. You can either mount the strobe on a stand or have someone handhold it for you. You could even handhold it yourself in a pinch. The ideal set up is to have your strobe, subject, and the sun in a straight line with each other while making sure the sun is out of the frame. Take a look at this diagram:
Once you are setup, put your camera in Manual mode and set your shutter speed to its highest sync speed (probably 1/250). Then take some shots, without the flash, adjusting the aperture until you get a nicely exposed sky. Don't worry about your subject being a silhouette, you are going to light him or her with the strobe. Once you have a nice exposure for your sun, put your strobe in manual mode and dial it down to 1/2 power, and take your shot. If the flash is too much for your subject, dial it down to 1/4 power. If it's not enough, move your strobe closer to your subject. It might take a few shots to get the look you want, but this is a great starting point. Here's a shot I took this evening with this exact setup:
If you are interested in learning more about this technique or other lighting information, make sure you check out The Strobist Blog.
Memorial Day
Today is Memorial Day, and it is the day that we honor and remember all of those who have served and given of themselves for our FREEDOM! So no information today, but head over to Flickr and check out this group for American Flag pictures.
See you back here tomorrow.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Kelby Training
Kelby Training is probably the best online resource for photographers period. This site is full of high quality videos recorded by some of the greatest photographers in the world teaching you how to become a better photographer. Topics range from doing just about anything in Photoshop to how to use multiple groups of strobes in an on-location shoot. I've paid hundreds and even thousands of dollars to attend workshops with great photographers and with Kelby Training, I have access to some of the best in the world 24 hours a day!
The cost for joining Kelby Training is only $19.99 a month, but it is worth so much more than that! You can watch many of the videos for a trial so go on over there right now and check them out. I'm sure you'll be joining soon! Make sure you come back and let me know what you've learned!
Monday, May 19, 2008
Prime Lenses
Many people ask me what kind of lens they should buy. They've bought a DSLR and it came with a kit lens, but they want to expand their possibilities and think a new lens is a good way to do it. I agree! Buying a new lens (although it can be expensive) is a great way to get you to take new and different shots. It's kind of like buying a new guitar. Whenever your creativity goes away and you are never playing for "fun" anymore, buy a new guitar! You'll be playing it everyday again.
This blog will be about prime lenses. A prime lens is NOT a zoom lens. It has a fixed zoom range, but the beauty of these lenses is the very large fixed aperture that accompanies most of them. A prime lens is fast and enables you to shoot in much darker situations without having to use flash. For example, I shot the below picture in my daughters room at night while she was sleeping. The lights are off!!! My 85mm prime lens opens up to F/1.8. So I opened it up, cranked the ISO to 2000 on the D3, and I was able to shoot the shot at 1/100 of a second.
The picture has been untouched in Photoshop or anything else. Yes, it's a little under exposed, but her room was dark. I mean... no lights! There is no way I could have gotten this frame with the F/3.5-5.6 lens that came with my first DSLR. I would have been shooting with a shutter speed of at least 1 second which would have required a tripod and that's not happening because if I wake her up, my wife would use the tripod on my head!
Another great feature about these lenses is that they are so small, you can fit some of them in your pocket. Whenever I travel for vacation, I take one camera, my 18-200mm VR, and the 50mm f/1.4. The 18-200 will do just about everything, but when I need the extra F Stops, I pull the 50mm out of my pocket and voila! Here's a quick picture to show the size of my three lenses:
So... I love these fast, big aperture prime lenses. I have an 85mm f/1.8, a 50mm f/1.4, and a 35mm f/2.0. So get one, open it up, and go shoot in the dark! These are great for no-flash reception shots!
The next question would be this, "which zoom range do I need?" The answer is, it depends. If you want to start out with just one, I would probably go with a 50mm lens. It's a great because you can take a full length portrait of someone inside a room. With the 85mm, you would have to back up too far and in small rooms, you would run into a wall! However, the 85mm is a great little portrait lens! Just for a quick example, here are three shots that will show the difference between the 85mm, 50mm, and 35mm:
This blog will be about prime lenses. A prime lens is NOT a zoom lens. It has a fixed zoom range, but the beauty of these lenses is the very large fixed aperture that accompanies most of them. A prime lens is fast and enables you to shoot in much darker situations without having to use flash. For example, I shot the below picture in my daughters room at night while she was sleeping. The lights are off!!! My 85mm prime lens opens up to F/1.8. So I opened it up, cranked the ISO to 2000 on the D3, and I was able to shoot the shot at 1/100 of a second.
The picture has been untouched in Photoshop or anything else. Yes, it's a little under exposed, but her room was dark. I mean... no lights! There is no way I could have gotten this frame with the F/3.5-5.6 lens that came with my first DSLR. I would have been shooting with a shutter speed of at least 1 second which would have required a tripod and that's not happening because if I wake her up, my wife would use the tripod on my head!
Another great feature about these lenses is that they are so small, you can fit some of them in your pocket. Whenever I travel for vacation, I take one camera, my 18-200mm VR, and the 50mm f/1.4. The 18-200 will do just about everything, but when I need the extra F Stops, I pull the 50mm out of my pocket and voila! Here's a quick picture to show the size of my three lenses:
So... I love these fast, big aperture prime lenses. I have an 85mm f/1.8, a 50mm f/1.4, and a 35mm f/2.0. So get one, open it up, and go shoot in the dark! These are great for no-flash reception shots!
The next question would be this, "which zoom range do I need?" The answer is, it depends. If you want to start out with just one, I would probably go with a 50mm lens. It's a great because you can take a full length portrait of someone inside a room. With the 85mm, you would have to back up too far and in small rooms, you would run into a wall! However, the 85mm is a great little portrait lens! Just for a quick example, here are three shots that will show the difference between the 85mm, 50mm, and 35mm:
Happy Anniversary
Yesterday was our 6th wedding anniversary. Of course with a two-year-old and a three-month-old, there wasn't a lot of romance going on (if you know what I mean). We did, however, get to go out to dinner to a nice restaurant on Saturday night to celebrate.
You know I'm a "strobist" and love using off-camera flash to get great shots, but when my wife sat down at her seat at the restaurant, it was almost like they had made that seat just for studio lighting! There was a glass door in front of her that made for a great main light, a light above and slightly behind her making a great hair light and rimming her out nicely, and great ambient light to boot. I grabbed my camera, took one shot and got this frame:
Sometimes, it's just that easy!
Here is the family shot I took before we left for dinner. There is one SB800 camera right and almost directly above us shooting through a Lastolite Tri-Grip Diffuser and another SB800 bare at a much lower power (1/128) behind us to camera left.
Is that a good looking family or what!?!
You know I'm a "strobist" and love using off-camera flash to get great shots, but when my wife sat down at her seat at the restaurant, it was almost like they had made that seat just for studio lighting! There was a glass door in front of her that made for a great main light, a light above and slightly behind her making a great hair light and rimming her out nicely, and great ambient light to boot. I grabbed my camera, took one shot and got this frame:
Sometimes, it's just that easy!
Here is the family shot I took before we left for dinner. There is one SB800 camera right and almost directly above us shooting through a Lastolite Tri-Grip Diffuser and another SB800 bare at a much lower power (1/128) behind us to camera left.
Is that a good looking family or what!?!
Friday, May 16, 2008
Smaller Apertures for Macro
When using a Macro lens to shoot subjects up-close, choose a much smaller aperture. Macro lenses have a very shallow depth of field and if you choose to shoot "wide open" at an aperture of say f/2.8 or even f/4, it will be hard to get your entire subject in focus.
For example, this shot of the leaf was captured with my 60mm f/2.8 macro lens. I chose an aperture of f/3.5. Have a look:
The right leaf is very sharp but the left leaf (which is almost on the same plane as the right) is completely blurred. This shot would have been so much better if both leafs were entirely in focus and only the tree was blurred out. But because I chose such a big aperture (smaller F number), I could not get my subject completely in focus.
Now for the second example. I shot this pear with the same camera and same lens, but I chose f/40. The smallest aperture my lens will allow. Of course, because of the smaller aperture, I needed a much longer shutter speed so I was using a tripod. If you ever watch a very good macro photographer, I will bet you that he/she is using a tripod. Because they know that they will be shooting with a smaller aperture. Here's the picture:
It's a better looking picture anyway because I was inside and controlling the light with two strobes that were shooting through diffusers. However, the point here is that the entire pear is in focus. You can clearly see the subject from top to bottom and from left to right. Much better!
So when you are practicing with your macro lens, remember to choose a smaller aperture!
For example, this shot of the leaf was captured with my 60mm f/2.8 macro lens. I chose an aperture of f/3.5. Have a look:
The right leaf is very sharp but the left leaf (which is almost on the same plane as the right) is completely blurred. This shot would have been so much better if both leafs were entirely in focus and only the tree was blurred out. But because I chose such a big aperture (smaller F number), I could not get my subject completely in focus.
Now for the second example. I shot this pear with the same camera and same lens, but I chose f/40. The smallest aperture my lens will allow. Of course, because of the smaller aperture, I needed a much longer shutter speed so I was using a tripod. If you ever watch a very good macro photographer, I will bet you that he/she is using a tripod. Because they know that they will be shooting with a smaller aperture. Here's the picture:
It's a better looking picture anyway because I was inside and controlling the light with two strobes that were shooting through diffusers. However, the point here is that the entire pear is in focus. You can clearly see the subject from top to bottom and from left to right. Much better!
So when you are practicing with your macro lens, remember to choose a smaller aperture!
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Assignment Wednesday
Wednesdays here on the blog will be "Assignment Wednesdays". I'll post my picture from this last weeks assignment, tell how I got the shot, and then post a new assignment that will be due the next Wednesday. If you'd like to participate, just comment on Wednesday's blogs with a link to your picture and tell us your plan and how the shot came together.
This last weeks' assignment was:
Adding a person in action to a photo tells a story about that action but can drastically un-personate the photo, since the person is busy with the action, not the observer. Adding a second person in action to a portrait of someone can solve this. Take a portrait of a person with one or more people in the background doing the same occupation. (example: portrait of a construction worker with his crew building something in the background)
Here's the shot from this week (click for a larger version):
The plan was to shoot at the driving range so there would be people in the background hitting balls, and the driving range itself would add a setting. I originally had planned on doing this after dark so I could use a slow enough shutter speed to give a motion blur to someone actually swinging right behind her, but we had both kids with us and waiting for the sun to go down was not going to be an option. But this was the last frame I got before Braxton started to get fussy and it's the one I ended up using.
I shot this at 1/50 at f/22 with my 17-35mm lens at 17mm. I had one strobe on a stand to the camera's left and it fired at 1/2 power.
I'm looking forward to seeing the shots you came up with this week. Here is your new assignment (I took this one from a Flickr group called Photography Critique Assignments):
This week, use your camera to capture your vision of architecture – be it an indoor feature or an external façade. You can treat it, texture it, do whatever you want to it, but it must be architectural as in a building or manmade feature within a construct. Grab your camera and gear and go out and capture something that you will be proud to print and hang on your wall. This assignment is due next Wednesday and you will be able to post it in the comments of that day's blog.
This last weeks' assignment was:
Adding a person in action to a photo tells a story about that action but can drastically un-personate the photo, since the person is busy with the action, not the observer. Adding a second person in action to a portrait of someone can solve this. Take a portrait of a person with one or more people in the background doing the same occupation. (example: portrait of a construction worker with his crew building something in the background)
Here's the shot from this week (click for a larger version):
The plan was to shoot at the driving range so there would be people in the background hitting balls, and the driving range itself would add a setting. I originally had planned on doing this after dark so I could use a slow enough shutter speed to give a motion blur to someone actually swinging right behind her, but we had both kids with us and waiting for the sun to go down was not going to be an option. But this was the last frame I got before Braxton started to get fussy and it's the one I ended up using.
I shot this at 1/50 at f/22 with my 17-35mm lens at 17mm. I had one strobe on a stand to the camera's left and it fired at 1/2 power.
I'm looking forward to seeing the shots you came up with this week. Here is your new assignment (I took this one from a Flickr group called Photography Critique Assignments):
This week, use your camera to capture your vision of architecture – be it an indoor feature or an external façade. You can treat it, texture it, do whatever you want to it, but it must be architectural as in a building or manmade feature within a construct. Grab your camera and gear and go out and capture something that you will be proud to print and hang on your wall. This assignment is due next Wednesday and you will be able to post it in the comments of that day's blog.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Show Your Work To Other Photographers
One of the best ways to become a better photographer is to show your work to those who are better than you. You have to have thick skin for this, but it's one of the best ways you can get better. There's a point where you've bought a good camera, people are beginning to say they like your pictures (these people of course are not photographers), but then that's as far as it gets. You need to hear what someone other than your mom, wife, or 2-year-old daughter thinks about your shots.
Flickr is an incredible, FREE resource for sharing your pictures online. It also happens to be a place with a ton of professional photographer groups who are willing to help out anyone who will just ask for some critique. Now remember, a great photograph is definitely in the eye of the beholder, but there are some tangible and speakable things that can help you take better photographs. Many times you can even just add some "umph" to your pictures in Photoshop, and there are plenty of people out there who know how to do this and are willing to help you. For instance, I had posted some of my first shots on Flickr and got some good response. Many people said that I was creative and had some nice compositions, but my pictures were just kind of flat (a.k.a. BORING!). After conversing back and forth with a few photographers I made some changes to some of the pictures. Take a look at some of these before and afters:
Not too bad a photograph... so I thought. One of the things that I have learned, is when you start taking better pictures, YOU think your pictures are great, but that's because you haven't started studying photography, you're just practicing taking pictures. Take a look at how this picture ended up after talking with some people who KNOW what they are talking about:
No comparison! And those changes took me 2 minutes. Honestly! 2 minutes! Don't ever be satisfied with where you are. Show your pictures to anyone who you think takes better pictures than you, and I promise that you'll see a huge improvement in your own work.
Flickr is an incredible, FREE resource for sharing your pictures online. It also happens to be a place with a ton of professional photographer groups who are willing to help out anyone who will just ask for some critique. Now remember, a great photograph is definitely in the eye of the beholder, but there are some tangible and speakable things that can help you take better photographs. Many times you can even just add some "umph" to your pictures in Photoshop, and there are plenty of people out there who know how to do this and are willing to help you. For instance, I had posted some of my first shots on Flickr and got some good response. Many people said that I was creative and had some nice compositions, but my pictures were just kind of flat (a.k.a. BORING!). After conversing back and forth with a few photographers I made some changes to some of the pictures. Take a look at some of these before and afters:
Not too bad a photograph... so I thought. One of the things that I have learned, is when you start taking better pictures, YOU think your pictures are great, but that's because you haven't started studying photography, you're just practicing taking pictures. Take a look at how this picture ended up after talking with some people who KNOW what they are talking about:
No comparison! And those changes took me 2 minutes. Honestly! 2 minutes! Don't ever be satisfied with where you are. Show your pictures to anyone who you think takes better pictures than you, and I promise that you'll see a huge improvement in your own work.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Photography Assignments
My sister-in-law and I are going to start having a weekly assignment to get us out shooting more. We'd love to have any of you join. The assignments will be due each Wednesday so you can come back here and post a comment to Wednesday's blog with a link to your picture.
I took the first assignment from a Flickr group called Hocus-Focus. It's due this coming Wednesday the 14th.
Adding a person in action to a photo tells a story about that action but can drastically un-personate the photo, since the person is busy with the action, not the observer. Adding a second person in action to a portrait of someone can solve this. Take a portrait of a person with one or more people in the background doing the same occupation. (example: portrait of a construction worker with his crew building something in the background)
The deadline for this assignment will be next Wednesday, May 14th.
I took the first assignment from a Flickr group called Hocus-Focus. It's due this coming Wednesday the 14th.
Adding a person in action to a photo tells a story about that action but can drastically un-personate the photo, since the person is busy with the action, not the observer. Adding a second person in action to a portrait of someone can solve this. Take a portrait of a person with one or more people in the background doing the same occupation. (example: portrait of a construction worker with his crew building something in the background)
The deadline for this assignment will be next Wednesday, May 14th.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
One Lens Solution
If you're looking to buy a lens and can only afford one, or you need a lens that can do just about everything so you don't have to carry too much gear, then look no further than the Nikon 18-200mm F/3.5-5.6 G ED with VR. I own lenses that cost much more and go all the way down to F/2.8, but if I'm going to be shooting all day, or I'm flying home to see the grandparents for the week, this is the lens I grab.
It covers the entire zoom range from 18-200 wonderfully, and with the VR (Vibration Reduction), I can shoot handheld at 2 to 3 F-stops higher. Take an SB800 that I can fire wirelessly and I'm set. I'm not sure what Canon offers that is comparable, because I don't have a Canon, but I'm sure they have something so look into it. Here are a few shots that I've taken with the 18-200 VR:
Friday, May 9, 2008
Guitars
Just thought I'd show you a couple of other photos from the concert the other night. I was a music major in college and have been leading worship in some form or another for 11 years now. After shooting that concert and looking through the photos, I have learned that one of the things I am going to look for to start shooting is guitars. So here are the first three photos in my "guitar gallery". Surely there will be more to come!
Thursday, May 8, 2008
I Want To Go To Peru
Well... back to Peru that is. Let me explain. I got to go on a family vacation to Peru back in September of 2004. Although I already loved taking pictures, it was not until the next summer that I really began to love photography. As an exercise, I started going through old photos to see how I have improved over the last couple of years in my photography and realized how bad I was! If only I could travel to some of those places that I got to go to again! So... I want to go to Peru. Especially Cuzco.
One of the things I've heard and read since the beginning of my studies on photography is to only show your best work. But I thought I'd show you what I mean by letting you see some of the pictures I took in Peru in 2004. The beauty alone in some of the photographs will carry them, but I think you can see why I'd like to go back!
One of the things I've heard and read since the beginning of my studies on photography is to only show your best work. But I thought I'd show you what I mean by letting you see some of the pictures I took in Peru in 2004. The beauty alone in some of the photographs will carry them, but I think you can see why I'd like to go back!
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Concert
A couple of weekends ago, Bike Week was held in Leesburg. On Saturday night there was a concert with some local bands at FBC Leesburg. I went to hear some friends play and was surprised to get to hear the youth band. Two of them were in my youth group while I was there and both took my beginner guitar class. It was fun to hear them and they've actually become very good musicians. Here's a picture I took of their lead guy, Tom, during his Star Spangled Banner solo they started the show with.
I mounted an sb800 high and to camera left on the scaffolding and used a Justin Clamp to mount another to the monitor at his feet. Both were fired wirelessly with the SU800 attached to my hot shoe.
I mounted an sb800 high and to camera left on the scaffolding and used a Justin Clamp to mount another to the monitor at his feet. Both were fired wirelessly with the SU800 attached to my hot shoe.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Macro
I got my first Macro Lens the other day. A macro lens is for up-close photography. It will be great for rings, flowers, and other detail shots at weddings. It's also just fun to mess around with. I took some pictures today with it for fun, and here's a few of them.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Strobist
There is a blog I read called Strobist written by David Hobby, a professional photographer who knows everything about lighting! Anyway, he has a "Bootcamp" on his site which is basically different assignments for us aspiring photographers to complete and then post to Flickr for comments.
So tonight I decided to try the first two assignments. The first was to take a basic headshot of someone and the second was to find a cool background to take a portrait in front of. All assignments have to use off-camera lighting.
I set up the first assignment in Braxton's room since it had a nice blank corner where I could accomplish what I wanted. Here's a couple of pictures of my setup:
It's one strobe (flash) camera left shooting through a Lastolite Tri-Grip Diffuser and using the right side of the wall to reflect a little light back to the shadow side of the face. For the model I used my beautiful bride, Brooke, and came out with this:
No make-up, mother of two and she still looks incredible! So first assignment was done and I was satisfied with my results.
Assignment #2. Leaving Brooke with both kids to go find a "cool" background somewhere in town during bath time and bed time was not an option. So... when I left Rolling Hills they gave me this really cool Nashville print with a guitar on it. I was standing in that room at sunset and the sun was coming through our window and putting a great looking light right on that frame. I rushed to set everything up but by the time I took the first picture, the sun was gone. Then I thought, I can fix this! I put a strobe on a light stand outside and put a warming gel on it (instant sunlight). Aimed it right through the window the way the sun had previously come through and vwala! I put another strobe to the right of the camera shooting into a white reflector to light my face. Put my camera on a timer and got the shot. Very cool.
So tonight I decided to try the first two assignments. The first was to take a basic headshot of someone and the second was to find a cool background to take a portrait in front of. All assignments have to use off-camera lighting.
I set up the first assignment in Braxton's room since it had a nice blank corner where I could accomplish what I wanted. Here's a couple of pictures of my setup:
It's one strobe (flash) camera left shooting through a Lastolite Tri-Grip Diffuser and using the right side of the wall to reflect a little light back to the shadow side of the face. For the model I used my beautiful bride, Brooke, and came out with this:
No make-up, mother of two and she still looks incredible! So first assignment was done and I was satisfied with my results.
Assignment #2. Leaving Brooke with both kids to go find a "cool" background somewhere in town during bath time and bed time was not an option. So... when I left Rolling Hills they gave me this really cool Nashville print with a guitar on it. I was standing in that room at sunset and the sun was coming through our window and putting a great looking light right on that frame. I rushed to set everything up but by the time I took the first picture, the sun was gone. Then I thought, I can fix this! I put a strobe on a light stand outside and put a warming gel on it (instant sunlight). Aimed it right through the window the way the sun had previously come through and vwala! I put another strobe to the right of the camera shooting into a white reflector to light my face. Put my camera on a timer and got the shot. Very cool.
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