Rapid Fire

One of the biggest things in developing photography skills is not reading about it or learning in a classroom. It is actually going out and taking those photos. Often times, people limit themselves when taking photos cause they try to look for that perfect shot before clicking the shutter. Instead they should be clicking till they get the shot they want and then some.

If you were to wait for the perfect moment, you may miss a good shot that you may not be looking for. It limits how you are thinking and how you see around you because you are too focused in just a small part of the scene. Always look around you for a different angle that you may not have thought of before. The most interesting photos are those that capture the moment in a unique way or angle.

A good exercise in seeing things differently is to take a simple object at random, even a crumpled paper ball, then take photos of it in as many different ways as possible. Try different f-stops or angles or change the lighting. Keep going until you have at least 100 photos then go through them to see what worked and what didn't. See why it did or didn't work.

Alex Chi 2011©

When at an event, don't just focus on the main speaker or the center of attention. Look around and observe your surroundings. Most people would take photos of the main attraction but miss the crowd. Get the crowd's reaction, look for the unique individuals you would have missed if you didn't turn around and looked behind you.

Alex Chi 2011©

On the Road

Traveling is great photo opportunity and to get shots from somewhere you have not been to. But it is not as easy as taking photos in a location that you know well. When traveling, you do not have the luxury of carrying all your equipment with you. You must learn to travel light and bring only the essentials as the more you carry, the heavier your bag is and the quicker fatigue will set in. Two lenses should suffice: a zoom around 24-70mm and a long lens 70-200mm. The shorter zoom will be the main walk around lens for general use and the long lens would be useful for shooting long distance objects that are hard to get close to such as nature. In addition to the camera body and lenses, you will need a battery recharger, an outlet converter if traveling in foreign countries, back up batteries, multiple memory cards, lens cleaning cloth, and card reader. This the most basic list and you will most likely need more in addition to this.

A bag is the best way to carry all this equipment but you must carefully choose which bag. The two popular carry bags are backpacks and messenger bags. This is based on personal choice but backpacks are more comfortable for carrying heavier items. Then there is size and design. It should be large enough to carry your items without forcing them in. Separate compartments help organize the contents for easy and quick access. Bags made for photographers will have padded interiors to better protect equipment during travel. The problem with some of these bags are that they are obviously made for carrying camera equipment. For thieves, this is a huge flag signaling expensive equipment inside.

Camera straps with the brands labeled on them in large writing is also an indicator for tourist and traveler that is new to the area. Thieves see them as easy prey and will generally target them first. The most common method for stealing from bags is to use razors to slash open bags or to slash the straps. Making yourself less of a target is the best prevention from being stolen from.

Aside from what you carry, how you dress is important. Be sure to dress comfortably but also avoiding clothing that would cause you to stand out in a crowd. Try to learn what the locals would wear and try to fit in.

In the case of theft, you should have a list of your items that you brought and a copy of passports and any other form of identification that you have with you. You should have multiple copies in your luggage, bag, and on your body separate from the bag. This will be useful in case you lose the original or would have to talk to the police.

The Raw Deal

When shooting with DSLRs, you will notice an image format mentioned, raw. You may wonder what this is if you are new to this format. Raw refers to a type of image that DSLRs use to record images. When looking at a raw file, you will notice that the file extension is not the same as the name of the format, differing from jpegs and gifs. The actual extension will vary from camera maker to camera maker. Sometimes it will change even between camera models from the same brand. This is because there is no standard file format so each brand has their own proprietary format that there cameras use. The differing formats should not cause problems for you to view your photos as there are many programs that can view most raw formats such as Adobe's Creative Suite. Camera companies also include a cd with the codec to view images or can be downloaded from their website.

The main problem with raw will be when you want others to view them on other computers, such as on the internet. Raw is not an internet friendly format because of the proprietary nature of the files to they must be converted to a format that anyone can view such as jpeg, png or gif. You may wonder why shoot in raw in the first place if it would be easier to shoot in jpeg.

Jpeg is an 8-bit format meaning that each pixel's color is determined by a number made of ones and zeros 8 digits long, giving 256 different color options. Raw uses 16-bits of information resulting in 65,536 points of information for each pixel. This means 256 times the information in raw versus jpeg.

Alex Chi 2011©

The quality difference will be noticed most in value gradients of your photos. In the photo above, you can see in the statue's cheeks and forehead do not have smooth transitions of colors. There are sharp transitions of color usually called color or chroma stepping. Usually this will not show in photos straight from the camera but one you start editing your photos, this will start showing up in your photos as you make your adjustments. Raw is considered a lossless format and will keep the original info and save changes separately. Information is then not compressed or changed as it would have in jpeg.

Using the Flashes

Fixing White Balance in an Image

Hi my name is John Q. and I am writing a guest post for Alex. I have been photographing with a DSLR for about over a year now. Before that I was taking pictures on and off with an SLR. I have over 7 years of experience in using Photoshop for editing, compositing, and drawing.

One of the most common mistakes I see many beginners and also experienced photographers is setting the white balance in the camera settings before taking pictures. I do understand that there are shots that cannot be missed and shooting the picture becomes the priority. Luckily for us white balance can be done in post process as long as the picture is shot in RAW.

The reason why you would like to fix the white balance in your image is to accurately show the colors. If you have noticed some pictures can seem a bit warm because of the yellowish color casted on the image or the image can be a bit cool because of the bluish color being casted.

Depending on the condition that the picture was taken there are multiple settings to choose from in Photoshop’s Camera Raw. (White Balance: As shot, Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Shade, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Flash, and Custom)

As shot: How the image was shot with the last white balance setting in camera.
Auto: The software will automatically pick what it thinks the best setting is.
Daylight: Choose when shot in daylight.
Cloudy: Choose when shot in a cloudy condition.
Shade: Choose when shot in a shady area.
Tungsten: Choose when shot under a tungsten light source (Usually image is yellowish/warm), this setting will cool down the picture.
Fluorescent: Choose when shot under a fluorescent light source (Usually image is bluish/cool), this setting will warm up the picture.
Flash: Choose when shot with a flash.
Custom: Only choose if there was an item that is white which you can use the White Balance tool to click on.

Tutorial

In this tutorial I will be using Photoshop to edit the picture and fix the white balance.

1. Open up the RAW image that you would like to edit.

2. On the left side there will be options on fixing the white balance.

Right now the white balance of the image I am using is set to “As Shot”. The image looks a bit blue.

John Quidilla 2011 ©

3. Pick the appropriate setting. It is best to record what the lighting that was used when the shot was taken.

When I took the photograph I used a flash. Now the image looks better having a warmer tone.

John Quidilla 2011 ©

4. Now that you have the image fixed save your work.

Now there is also an option to manually set the white balance of an image by choosing “Manual” in the white balance setting. This will only work if there is something white in the image that you have taken.

1. Choose “Custom” in the white balance setting.

2. Click on the White Balance Tool in the upper left hand. Hot key for the tool is ( I ).

John Quidilla 2011 ©

3. Click on a white part of the image and this will fix the white balance.

Setting white balance is as easy as that. Remember to set white balance in the camera setting if you can. By doing this, you will save one step in post production.

This concludes the tutorial on fixing white balance. I hope this tutorial has helped.

Another Interview

I interviewed Hieu V, a junior in the ATEC program at UT Dallas.

What do you know about photography?

I know the general terms for photography but I still consider myself a novice when it comes to photography.

Experience with photography?

I spent a semester learning black and white photography. I got the basic skills using manual film camera and developing film. Beside that one semester I only take picture on rare occasions for friends and family but only as a side hobby.

Camera you use?

I current use a Olympus C-8080.

What about photography interests you?

I just enjoying taking pictures of object and places in a light.

What would you like to know more about concerning photography?

I want to be a better photo editor.

What do you look for in a blog about photography?

The skills and knowledge of a skilled photographer. I would expect him to share his experience and tricks that he has learn over the years.

Interview

An interview with Dallas C, a senior in the ATEC program, about photography

What do you know about photography?

That it is an art medium that has been debated over to be both a true and a false form of art. I know that it is a medium that is done by casual vacationers and professional magazine studios. I know it involves a camera and knowledge of that camera.

What experience do you have with photography?Took a class called Black and White Photography at University of Texas at Dallas. Had to take digital pictures for a 2D design class for future class projects. Took pictures with a point-and-shoot camera on several vacation trips.

Which camera do you use?

Canon 35 millimeter film camera.

What aspects about photography interests you?

The creativity involved in taking the right pictures that can tell a story or mean something symbolically. It is also interesting to use various techniques to develop the prints into different forms of art. How a single moment in time can be captured and remembered for all of a lifetime.

What do you look for in a blog about photography?

If the photographer discusses his/her personal views and ideologies about pictures that they have taken.

What do you want to learn?

How to use lighting to draw a viewer's attention to main parts of a composition. How to use subtle hints in a composition to give meaning to the overall picture. I would also like to learn how to manipulate a photograph after it is taken with such techniques as the burn or dodge tool.

How Much Depth

Depth of field is another aspect of a photograph you should consider when taking one. Do you want a shallow or deeper depth of field to your photos. Depth of field refers to the range of distance that is in focus. The shallower the depth, the less things are in focus and as you get a deeper depth, more gets into focus.

Shallow depth of field is better for photos where the subject is the main focus and you don't want the background to be distracting. The shallow depth will blur the background, which draws less attention from the viewers eyes.

A deeper depth of field allows the background to be in focus along with the subject. You use this when the background is interesting and you want to incorporate it into the photo. The background should not so interesting that it takes away focus from the subject.

Three main aspects control the depth of field: Focal length, f-stop, and distance from the camera. The more the subject fills the frame, as with larger focal lengths or getting closer to the camera, the more shallow the depth of field with be. Doing the opposite will give you a more deeper depth of field. Finally, the f-stop number will control the depth of field. This is the easiest way of the three to control the depth of field without changing the composition or perspective. The lower the f-stop, the larger the aperture size and the shallower the depth of field.

f/4.5, 1/160 Alex Chi 2011©

Above, the depth of field is shallow with a blurred background. The f-stop could not be opened wide enough to blur the back sufficiently so I backed away from the subject and used a 200mm zoom lens to create an even more shallow depth.

f/22, 1/160 Alex Chi 2011©

In this one, the background is interesting for the photo but I made sure the focus was in the subject by darkening the background. This was done using flashes that made the subject brighter than the scene, then adjusted the exposure for the subject. The depth of field was achieved by an f-stop of 22.

Getting Up Close

Macro lenses lets you get the camera close to the subject while still being able to focus properly, usually within inches. These lenses are useful for photographing small things and filling the frame with it like insects, flowers, toys, etc. But unless you regularly take macro photographs, it can be hard to justify the purchase of a $600 lens that you may use occasionally.

This doesn't mean you can't take a macro shot with what you have. There is a way to trick your lens into focusing closer than its minimum focusing distance. By placing a magnifying glass in front of your lens, it turns the current regular zoom lens you have into a macro lens. Instantly, your focusing distance can go from a few feet to a few inches, allowing you to get much closer.

f/4.5, 1/800 Alex Chi 2011 ©

Above the lens is zoomed to 105 mm and is placed as close as possible to the coffee beans while still be able to focus. You can see that the beans are small enough to have a few hundred populate the image. After placing the magnifying glass in front of the lens, the camera is able to get closer and get a larger image of the beans as you can see below.

f/4.5, 1/2000 Alex Chi 2011 ©

Soften it Up

Bare flash often produces a harsh light with sharp shadows. This type of light would bring out details such as wrinkles and bumps on surfaces such as skin. To fix this, you can employ the use of a flash diffuser. Two popular flash diffusers are softboxes and shoot through umbrellas.

Initially, they may seem to do the same thing but they have their differences.

A shoot through umbrella spreads the light from the flash over a larger, translucent surface. The umbrella essentially turns a small light source into a larger one that scatters the light more efficiently. By scattering the light, it becomes softer so small details are lit evenly and does not show up as well in a photograph. Umbrellas are easier to transport and travel with as they can fold down quickly into a small size. [1-3]

Softboxes work in a similar way in that light has to pass through a translucent front before reaching the subject. The difference though, is that the light does not scatter everywhere and is a bit more directional. Light is trapped within the box with just one way out. This is good when you want to have more control of where the light goes. An example of this is lighting the subject but keeping the background dark. [4]

Sources::

[1] Hobby, D. (2006, March 23). Strobist: Lighting 101: Umbrellas. Strobist. Retrieved March 25, 2011, from http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101-umbrellas.html

[2] How an Umbrella Works. (n.d.). Helix Web Photo School. Retrieved March 25, 2011, from http://helix.webphotoschool.com

[3] Vorpahl, J. (n.d.). Another quick comparison: shoot through umbrella vs. bounced /w cover | Portrait & Family Photography - Jacob Vorpahl.One Bright Spot Photography - Portrait and Family Photography | Jacob Vorpahl. Retrieved March 25, 2011, from http://onebrightspot.com/blog/2009/02/02/another-quick-comparison-shoot-through-umbrella-vs-bounced-w-cover/

[4] Arias, z. (2008, March 30). zarias.com :: The blog of editorial photographer Zack Arias » Shoot Through Umbrella vs. Softbox.zarias.com :: The blog of editorial photographer Zack Arias. Retrieved March 25, 2011, from http://www.zarias.com/shoot-through-umbrella-vs-softbox/

Trigger the Lights

If you have been looking into flash photography, you will notice a term often used, off-camera flash. You may wonder how a flash not sitting in the hotshoe of your camera is to be triggered in sync with the shutter press. This is where triggers come into use. There are two main types of wireless triggers are optical and radio.

Optical triggers operate as their name suggests, optically. When the sensor inside the trigger senses an impulse of light, usually caused by another flash, a circuit is closed and the flash is triggered. Optical triggers are the most basic in wireless triggering and can be the cheapest. The triggers are limited in range, requiring the sensor to be able to see the flash from other flashes. Also, bright lights or other flashing lights could interfere with the reception.[1-3]

Radio triggers are the other usual option. They can get more range than optical triggers and you aren't limited by corners or out of sight flashes. Radio triggers can get a range of 1600 feet, giving you plenty of leeway. Because a radio signal is being sent between two units, they do require batteries to use. With many brands and options available, prices can vary widely. The lower end units are usually Chinese made triggers that work at about 30 feet. One of the more popular brands among the professionals are Pocket Wizards ®. They are one of the pricier options available but have great range and reliability.[4]

Sources::

[1] Fulton, W. (n.d.). How to trigger speedlights Off camera.Scanning Basics 101 - All about digital images. Retrieved March 25, 2011, from http://www.scantips.com/lights/trigger.html

[2] Smart Optical Slave Flash Trigger - Digital Photography Tips and Techniques. (n.d.).Digital Photography Tips and Techniques. Retrieved March 25, 2011, from http://dptnt.com/2010/03/smart-optical-slave-flash-trigger/

[3] Hobby, D. (2010, July 28). Strobist: Understanding Optical Slaves, Pt. 2. Strobist. Retrieved March 25, 2011, from http://strobist.blogspot.com/2010/07/understanding-optical-slaves-pt-2.html

[4] Hobby, D. (2006, March 21). Strobist: Lighting 101: PC Cords and Pocket Wizards.Strobist. Retrieved March 25, 2011, from http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101-pc-cords-and-pocket.html

Flash Bus

Two of the biggest names in off camera lighting (aka strobist) have started their tour across the United States right now [1]. The two photographers are David Hobby and Joe McNally. David Hobby is a former Baltimore Sun photographer and long time blogger. His blog, Strobist, focuses on teaching readers on his techniques of lighting with off camera flashes [2]. Joe McNally has made a name for himself photographing some of the most memorable photos out there. He is a staff photographer for Life and contributor to National Geographic [3].

These two are traveling across the U.S. and teaching seminars on off camera lighting using camera flashes. David Hobby is leading off with classes on manual in the morning followed by Joe McNally in the afternoon on TTL. Attendees will also receive a bag of various merchandise provided by sponsors [4].

Links::

http://www.theflashbus.com/

Sources::

[1] http://strobist.blogspot.com/2011/03/bolo-alert-flash-bus-has-escaped.html

[2] http://www.santafeworkshops.com/instructors/bio/david_hobby

[3] http://portfolio.joemcnally.com/#mi=1&pt=0&pi=4&p=-1&a=0&at=0

[4] http://strobist.blogspot.com/2011/01/road-trip.html

Dial it in

No matter which digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) camera you get, you will find a mode selection dial on the top of your camera. Since there are many camera brands out on the market, I will stick to the 3 most popular brands of DSLRs: Canon ®, Nikon ®, and Sony ®. On the dial, there will be four modes that will be on all most of the cameras available which are aperture priority, shutter priority, program, and manual.

Canon

• AV-aperture priority
• TV-shutter priority
• P-program
• M-manual [1-3]

Nikon and Sony

• A-aperture priority
• S-shutter priority
• P-program
• M-manual [3-5]

Aperture priority allows you to control the aperture of the lens while letting the camera adjust the shutter speed to correctly expose the photo. This mode is used to control the depth of field within the photo. Depth of field is the size of the range of depth that is in focus. Once you are in aperture priority, your adjustment wheel will allow you to change your f-stop. The f-stop indicates the ratio of the focal length of the lens over the size of the opening. A small f-stop will give you a larger aperture while a larger number will give you a small aperture. With a small f-stop, you can use faster shutter speeds and your photos will have a shallow depth of field, which will blur the background. Large f-stops will do the opposite [3].

Shutter priority reverses the controls of aperture priority. You control the shutter speed and let the camera choose the aperture. Shutter speed control allows you to control how motion is depicted in the photo. The slower the shutter speed is, the longer the sensor of the camera is exposed to the light. Slow shutter speeds will give you motion blur, meaning anything that is moving within the photo will become blurry. Fast shutter speeds are used to freeze motion [3].

In program mode, the camera will choose both the aperture and shutter speed settings for you. But it differs from auto mode because you are still able to adjust the settings that auto mode would lock you out from [3].

Finally, manual mode is for complete control of the settings. This is used when you might want control of the shutter speed and aperture without letting the camera adjust it for you [3]. Manual mode is best used when quick or constant setting adjustments are used.

Sources::

[1]Canon DSLR camera icons explained - DSLR Handbook - Digital SLR Photography. (n.d.). Digital SLR Photography - DSLR reviews, news and user guides for Sony, Nikon, Olympus and Canon digital cameras - Digital SLR Photography. Retrieved March 5, 2011, from http://www.digitalslrphoto.com/dslrbasics/dslrhandbook/13019/canon_dslr_camera_icons_explained.html

[2]Gibby, D. B. (2010, November 24). Digital SLR instructions for Canon, Nikon, 203040506090300 d digital camera. San Diego Wedding Photographer, Beach Photography Deals, 1000, CA. Retrieved March 5, 2011, from http://www.idmphotos.com/digital

[3]Brown, M. (n.d.). Shooting Modes, digital cameras, digital photography, photography, digital slr, camera recommendation, price comparison, photographic companies, camera companies, digital camera best prices,. Photo Review, digital cameras, digital photography, photography, digital slr, camera recommendation, price comparison, photographic companies, camera companies, digital camera best prices,. Retrieved March 5, 2011, from http://www.photoreview.com.au/guides/digitalslr/shooting-modes.aspx

[4]Rockwell, K. (2008, March 27). Nikon D80 Controls.KenRockwell.com: Photography, Cameras and Taking Better Pictures. Retrieved March 5, 2011, from http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d80/users-guide/controls.htm

[5]Sony Dslr-A200 Review: Camera Features & Controls (Cont.). (2008, March 26).Steves Digicams - Digital Camera Reviews, Camera News, and Photography Information. Retrieved March 5, 2011, from http://www.steves-digicams.com/camera-reviews/sony/dslr-a200/sony-dslr-a200-review-3.html

History

The principles of photography have been around for centuries. The hardware started with the camera obscura, a simple box with a pin hole that would project an image of what was in front of the camera. The camera obscura were used as an aid for artist to use during drawing or painting. It was not till 1827 when photography began with chemical plates that could record images. Plates comtinued to get better but had to be prepared just prior to taking the photograph. This was solved by Dr. Richard Maddox in 1871 with the development of the dry plate process. 1884 saw photography really take off when George Eastman created flexible film and later the Brownie camera. The Brownie let an average person to take their own photos with a simple camera. George Eastman became the founder of Kodak.

Since 1950s, digital camera development have been steadily advancing for various uses such as television and by NASA for space research. Apple created the first consumer level digital camera in 1994 that could be attached to the computer via serial cable.

Sources::

http://www.rleggat.com/photohistory/

http://www.infoborder.com/Digital_Camera_History/

Today, the digital format has taken over the photography market, replacing film as the standard. Digital now comes in two main groups: basic and advanced, each with their own sub-groups.

Welcome

Photography has for decades been a hobby for the dedicated since it has been invented, but recently with the advancement of technology, photography has become more accessible to the public. Digital photography has allowed photographers to take photos easier than before. Electronic lenses, better built-in light meters, and instant preview lets the camera do more of the work for you.

This is a photography blog aimed at taking you beyond just snapping the shutter at a moment in front of you to planning your shots and getting the most out of each photo. Instructions will range from choosing your camera settings to composition.

I have been photographing seriously for the past 3 years now. During that time I have been picking up skills and have reached the position of Director of Photography for The Overture.