Photography

Ski Photography: A Few Tips to Help You

Follow some simple rules to ensure you get the most from your shots on the slopes:
- keep your equipment free from damage
keep equipment in a sturdy bag when not in use and avoid knocks and accidents (including falls!) – remember, the more expensive your bag, the better the quality and protection for you valuable stuff
- keep your equipment dry
snow, ice, water and cameras don’t mix – professional cameras may be watertight, but cheaper ones are no. And, electronics don’t like water
- keep your batteries charged
the cold can shorten battery life – keeps spares in a pocket close to your body. There is nothing worse than running out of power at the wrong time
- use a UV filer
this will protect your lens from knocks and dirt but will also reduce the blue discolouration in mountain scenes – these filters are cheap and great value for money
- use slow shutter speeds for landscape shots and fast shutter speeds for action shots
Slow shutter speeds will enable the best depth of field; a fast shutter speed will freeze action
- take care on the slopes
skiers, snowboarders and others move fast and cause serious damage; always be sure you keep to safe paths and watch out for other users
- watch out for colour
most skiers wear colourful clothes – great for pictures with impact; and vivid colours look great against the white backdrop
- shoot when the winter sun is low
this will give your pictures life intensify shadows and textures
accidents (including falls); a high sun will flatten your pictures
Have fun!

Eric Hartwell runs the photography resource site http://www.theshutter.co.uk and the associated discussion forums as well as the regular weblog at http://thephotographysite.blogspot.com

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Photographing Couples

Your sister’s getting married, your daughter got engaged, or you’ve been picked as best man in your friend’s wedding. What these scenarios have in common is that they all need a good picture of the new couple to hand out to friends and relative. Studio pictures are fine, but a good, flattering candid is better.
First, advise the couple to wear a sweater or blouse with no pattern and with sleeves. Dark colors produce a low key photo that emphasizes the faces with the contrasting tones.
Medium subtle tones are safe, but boring. High key portraits require light pastels or off white. Round necklines are to be avoided. Shiny materials photograph well and textured sweaters not a pattern) add interest to a portrait without taking over.
When planning your shot, think in terms of diagonals. If you draw a line from one nose to the other, it should form a diagonal in the picture. An ideal relationship between two faces is one in which the man’s eyes are even with the woman’s mouth
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Learn Photography: Your Way

A friend of mine admitted to being a novice in photography. He would constantly make errors and would get prints back with “helpful notes” from the lab on them.
He hadn’t a clue about shutter speeds or apertures. He had never used a filter or had the slightest reason to buy a tripod or extra lenses. For me, he was a nightmare.
He infuriated me intensely. I thought I would be able to help him to improve. I thought my experience, which I gained after being in the same position as him, would be valuable and welcomed.
His eyes would glaze over when I tried to tutor him. He had no interest in what I was saying and I became frustrated and, frankly, quite annoyed.
Until, one day, my view changed.
My friend came to see me one day clutching a set of photographs. He was excited and animated. And he showed me the reason.
In his photos were a couple that he was most proud of. “See here” he said “I managed to get the car sharp”. I asked him how he did it “By panning” he said.
The images were not of high quality. They would win no prizes and I didn’t give them a second glance. He showed me the rest which were also of similar dubious quality.
But, as I looked through them and talked to him afterwards, I realised that he had achieved something that none of my “tutoring” could ever achieve. He had made an improvement in his image taking which was slight and hardly imperceptible. But it had been done because HE wanted to do it and at a moment in his live that HE had decided upon.
He had reflected on his previous shots and decided to improve his technique. The lessons he had learned would stay with him forever whereas everything I had told him never registered.
I had tried to be clever and teach him at moments when he was not ready to learn. I had tried to impress him and impose my will onto his way of taking pictures.
Now he has learned his way, his learning is so much more powerful!

Eric Hartwell is an enthusiastic photographer. He owns and runs the photography resource site http://www.theshutter.co.uk and the associated discussion forums http://www.theshutter.co.uk/forums as well as the regular weblog at http://thephotographysite.blogspot.com Anyone interested in getting involved contact him at shutter@theshutter.co.uk

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Photographing Santa

Sadly, not many of us will catch a glimpse of Santa Claus at Christmas. Of course, there will be plenty of people disguised to look like him visiting shopping precincts and local schools. But capturing the real Santa is pretty tricky.
It’s not much use waiting at the bottom of the chimney. Most people don’t have an open fire these days. And, if he did come in that way, there would be soot everywhere and, quite frankly, it makes an awful mess.
So, the front entrance is your best bet. And don’t think he will be early – he will have to wait until all the kids are tucked up in bed and fast asleep. This means that you’ll have to set up your gear and be prepared at about 4am.
Flash is best as Santa moves pretty darn quickly – he has to, there are hundreds of visits to make. Red material looks great lit by flash – beware of the highlights from the sweat on Santa’s face.
Santa is fat, let’s not pretend otherwise. You would think differently wouldn’t you, considering all the rushing about he does each year. I guess, he sits around and eats at most other times. And “fat” means wideangle lenses are best – get out your 28mm just to be sure.
Don’t expect any pleasantries. Santa is a busy man and works hard and fast, at least, certainly on Christmas Eve. Requesting actions such as “face slightly to the left” and “could you tidy the beard a bit” will offend. Just snap away.
If you are lucky, you might get a quick picture of a reindeer or two. Although be careful as they sometimes bite and the climb up to the roof can be treacherous for the uninitiated photographer. It’s mighty cold too – especially at 4am.
Have fun and …. be at the ready

Eric Hartwell is an enthusiastic photographer. He owns and runs the photography resource site http://www.theshutter.co.uk and the associated discussion forums http://www.theshutter.co.uk/forums as well as the regular weblog at http://thephotographysite.blogspot.com Anyone interested in getting involved contact him at shutter@theshutter.co.uk

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Photography: Underwater Tips

You can get some great images using your camera underwater. Think about the following to ensure you don’t miss that important shot:
Get an underwater housing – most cameras can be fitted with a specialised, waterproof underwater housing. These are available from specialised retailers or from online auction sites.
Think about an underwater camera – this is specifically designed to be moisture-proof and sustain the rigors of immersion in water
Having the sun overhead (that is around either side of midday) gives the best results underwater
The surface of the water will give more light – if you are underwater, try and angle your camera upwards
Conversely, the depths are darker and may give you exposure problems – deep water makes everything look murkier
Most things look closer in water especially if you are looking through goggles or a mask – get closer to your subject to compensate for this illusion
Experiment! – shoot into the sun for backlit silhouettes, look around for interesting subjects – include the human element in your fun shots
Come up to the surface and see what images would be like with the camera only partly immersed
Ensure your background is free from clutter – a tidy background will give your subject more “punch”
Look for powerful colors and shapes – these add more impact

Eric Hartwell runs the photography resource site http://www.theshutter.co.uk and the associated discussion forums as well as the regular weblog at http://thephotographysite.blogspot.com

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Ensure You Get Those Happy Party Photographs

7 tips to ensure you have a happy picture-taking party season:
1. Always have enough power for your camera

Cameras need batteries to work – make sure you have enough and that they are fully charged

2. Always make sure you have enough storage space

Memory card get full easily; download images to your computer and delete the ones from you card; have spare cards handy

3. Ensure your equipment is in good condition

Make sure everything is clean and in tip-top shape and good working order

4. Keep memory cards safe

Make sure your memory cards are stored in the camera or somewhere where they won’t get lost, stolen or damaged; keep away from strong magnetic fields

5. Make sure you have the correct equipment

Your equipment needs will depend on what you are going to be taking pictures of – plan ahead to ensure you don’t miss any important shots

6. Keep your flashgun at the ready

Don’t miss that important shot due to low light conditions; have your flashgun ready, ensure batteries are charged and that you know how to work it!

7. Keep your equipment safe

It is easy to forget about your equipment when you are in party mood; make sure you keep it all in a safe place free from the threat of opportunistic thieves or accidental damage

Eric Hartwell is an enthusiastic photographer. He owns and runs the photography resource site http://www.theshutter.co.uk and the associated discussion forums http://www.theshutter.co.uk/forums as well as the regular weblog at http://thephotographysite.blogspot.com Anyone interested in getting involved contact him at shutter@theshutter.co.uk

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Why You Like Some Pictures More and Pricing-2 of 3

Everyone likes what they like, “I don’t know art, but I like know what I like!” Okay, true that. When shopping at a market full of photo prints, you’re bound to fall in love with some images and then get your heart broken by the prices these starving artists have applied! So what’s artistically likable and what’s a price doing so far up there?
Ages ago, before phones, Internet and coffee shops, all people could do was paint and sculpt and pass on diseases for a good time. Two text book philosophers wondered what made some art so universally appealing and they wandered the known World to discover and formalize most of our Western rules of composition. They noted chiaroscuro, strong diagonals, repetitive shapes, leading lines and a zany but easy to find, ‘Rule of Thirds.’
Chiaroscuro was the 2D portrayal of objects using plenty of shadowed values giving a rich, almost 3D experience; the first buzz-through noted this as ‘full range’ in photography. Strong diagonals is just what it sounds like with dynamic, heart thumping lines racing across canvases and causing excitement in the minds of viewers. Repetitive shapes almost made patterns that mezmorized viewers and contributed to the balance of an image where a rectangular shape would appear over and over in different forms; or a circle or a bird shape, etc. Leading lines depended upon perspective illusion so that viewers felt they could travel into an image; walk down a path, through an orchard of trees or along a brick wall.
Following The Rule of Thirds is the fastest way to stop taking ordinary snapshots. The entire canvas or frame is overlaid with an imaginary tic-tac-toe board. Nine squares are the results of two lines across and two likes up and down. There are four intersections around the center square. It’s at these intersections that the focus or idea of the image is placed. This is the cure for the painfully dull “centeritis” that snapshots suffer from. It’s the most effective form of composition and the biggest secret weapon of artists. You’ll now notice movie characters off-center, magazine ads obeying this rule and some of your favorite photos employing some of these devices!
So why the $350 price tag at the market? In two paragraphs you just learned how to shot with wisdom and forethought… If they sell one image that week, they make rent. Perhaps the chemicals they used added up to gallons just to print three acceptable images. If the photo is from a far away land, you know they didn’t just beam there, they probably suffered expensive plane trips, lodging, walks through wilderness, tundra or alien cities and might have eaten food while they were away despite their scrawny, artistic-like appearance.
There is every reason to think that they should, finally reward themselves, but not by robbing children of college educations. Take a chance and make an offer. Ask for two prints and thirty or forty percent off. A little note saying ‘all prices firm’ indicates a trust fund baby. They already made rent, they would rather have the story of having sold a print for hundreds of dollars. If you give them the story, you’ll not be thanked, you’ll be ridiculed over caviar and Cheerios while some underground 80’s rock band guitars ‘cultured’ madness in the next room when they get home and call their friends.
Less than a hundred bucks is madness. Chemicals, developing, film, travel and talent are just too expensive to sell short. It’s not insane to think that three or four rolls of lovingly shot film produced nothing to sell. If you find a photographer with a few good prints overall and a low, three digit price tag (unframed), you’re probably face to face with a very respectable and honestly hardworking artist. The rule of thumb is that one roll might yield two to four keepers. One in five keepers are worth selling to strangers. So a little understanding of why you like what you like, a warning of when you’re being fleeced and a little sympathy to the deserving artist in the markets we all love wraps up this essay.

Bryan makes a living teaching and writing about computers regularly for Dinarius, Inc. but still applies his years of photography schooling from time to time. Other free stories and witty advice is available at http://www.Dinarius.com

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Keeping it Low Key

You have all heard of white on white and it certainly has its place.
But black on black has its moods, too. A low key photograph evokes
mystery, night and secrets. Silhouette and shape prevail over color
and light.
In order to separate the subject from the background, an edge light
is in order. Objects lit from behind, hiding the source from the lens
approach the eye in a direct manner, flaunting their power while
reveling in the dark.
Look for subjects dark in color, but having texture and reflective
properties. A wine red satin, a bolt of navy and dark gold tapestry,
crushed velvet in chocolate tones or a black ceramic cup edged in
filigree lace are all candidates for a low key picture.
Face lighting can be from the side – a broad source well masked
against spill light. Small but powerful spots can provide a key light
for emphasis of important detail. An interesting fact is that extra
light thrown on a black background will produce blacker blacks
in the important areas. The reason is that the extra light raises
the exposure curve to include the expanded range of tones near
the top of the curve. Therefore, the blacks are expanded darker
as well as placing more detail in the highlights. In order to ascertain
the correct exposure, read the light from a 10 per cent gray card
rather than from the subject. Bracket for safety.
Careful printing will place the darker skin tones (shadows) just
above black in density, while assigning the true skin tone to a
small key area near the eyes: a triangular area on the cheek or
s diffused highlight on the forehead. All else in the photograph
will be lit well enough to be seen and appreciated but relegated
to the shadow areas. A favorite trick of the masters was to softly
key light an object or secondary interest within the gaze of the
main subject. For instance, a girl holding an apple ready for
paring would be back lit from a narrow window but some of
the light would fall on the apple and knife. Everything else
would be placed in shadow.
A large black umbrella is a handy tool for producing a low key
portrait in medium toned environments. Placed to the right of
the camera just out of range of the lens, the umbrella will deepen
the tones facing and close to the camera. Generally, a soft light
from a broad source like a large window covered with Venetian
blinds for control is ideal for a low key picture. You can make
a safe back light with a large, slim cardboard box , with the top
and bottom knocked out and painted black on the inside. Place
the box over the light, creating a long narrow snoot. Position
the snoot behind and slightly above the subject pointing at the
lens. The same effect can be had with a window masked off
except for a narrow slit near the middle.
Experiment with the composition, turning the subject and changing
the subject’s activity for variety. If you succeed, the viewer’s eye will
be riveted on the subject and there will be no mistaking the mood.

Many of my wedding portraits were taken with a short light
and a dark background. Comments welcome.

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DOF – Photographic Jargon Explained

So much of the writing and discussion about photography is concerned with this acronym. To the technician it stands for “depth of field” for the artist it is “depth of feeling”.
“A great photograph is a full expression of what one feels about what is being photographed in the deepest sense, and is, thereby, a true expression of what one feels about life in its entirety. “ ~Ansel Adams
Depth of field basically means that part of the picture that is in sharp focus. When a photograph is approached with this criterion in mind, the totality of image is ignored. The photograph is rendered mute either by the photographer when this is their primary concern or the viewer who can only see the obvious. It is akin to trying to look at an impressionist painting through the eyes of a super realist.
To make a great photograph, the photographer must be part of the photograph. They must have an opinion about, an attitude towards what they are trying to capture and they must allow this to shine through their work. If the photographer isn’t part of the action, the photograph will be sterile, it will be reportage not art. This is fine for the nightly news or to illustrate the stories with your ham and eggs. But when hung upon your wall will it engage when the event is forgotten?
When depth of feeling is an integral part of the image, it becomes a chatter box. With each viewing it opens up a little more. It ceases to be wall paper and becomes an important member of the family, the wise relative, the raconteur who knows the best values come through entertainment. Almost through osmosis it will impart its secrets to those with an open mind.
“Every time someone tells me how sharp my photos are, I assume that it isn’t a very interesting photograph. If it were, they would have more to say.” ~Author Unknown

Henry Bateman is an artist/photographer. His work can be seen at http://www.pissedpoet.com and this article with pictures at http://www.pissedpoet.com/dof.html

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Your Photographs Can Make a Calendar

If you are thinking of making a calendar of your images then there are two main ways: do it yourself or use and online service.
If you are doing it yourself, don’t forget the hidden costs of paper, printer ink, the software (might be supplied with our operating system) and of course your time and frustration! It doesn’t always go as smoothly as you might think and there can be a good deal of wastage.
Software can be cheap but the options and quality might not be what you want, especially if you are giving the calendar as a gift. The more expensive versions are worth it if you want a good dependable, flexible product. You might be able to get a free trial although this might have limitations attached.
If you use an online source then you can expect a quick turnaround, a good quality product, less hassle and frustrations and some sort of guarantee.
Consider what sort of calendar you want – do you want an image on each page, good resolution, additional text or messages? Most online companies will help you through this process and have support teams to guide you. This is what you pay for and is worth it if you wish your recipients to have top quality gifts.
If you try a do-it yourself approach then those that receive your gift will, I am sure, welcome the effort and time you have put in to making the gift.

Eric Hartwell is an experienced photographer and owner of the photography resource website ephotocentral.

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