Stone Field Reverie

Convenience Benefits

1. Virtually every type of photography from which you can make a living doesn’t require much space. Photographers who shoot all their assignments at specific locations (architecture, nature, sports, photojournalism, etc.) generally only need enough space to store their camera and have a desk with a computer. New wedding photographers can usually work from home too, but eventually they’ll want a separate place to meet with customers. If you plan to make a living as a portrait photographer, then adequate and permanent studio space will be needed. A home doesn’t typically have such dedicated space, so leasing commercial real estate is the best choice.

2. With your photography business office in the spare bedroom, attic or basement, you’ll find it very convenient to commute to work at the start of the day and from work at the end of the day. U.S. Federal Highway Administration research reveals that the average American spends 348 hours each year commuting.

3. You have the flexibility to work whenever it is necessary. If you need a late-night session to finish editing photos for a client that expects them the next day, then you don’t have to travel from home to a commercial space to complete the work.

4. You’re at home if you’re needed. If a package is delivered, then you are able to accept it. If your child is sick, then you’re able to care for him or her. If a repair technician is coming to fix the AC, refrigerator, etc., then you’re available to explain the problem and monitor his or her activities while in your home. You’re also able to attend to family emergencies immediately.

5. As your children grow older, they may acquire an interest in photography and become ready-made assistants. A teenager, with some training, should be able to answer your phone and perform various typical business tasks. He or she will learn some early lessons about responsibility, earning money and saving you time to shoot more money-making assignments.

Time- and Money-Saving Benefits

6. Photography is one kind of business that you can operate as a part-time enterprise. You’re not required to invest a substantial amount of money in commercial space, furniture, employees, etc. simply to open the doors. You can start to generate income quickly.

7. With no commute to a commercial location for your photography business, you save the travel time and fuel or public transportation costs as well as any lunch expenses.

8. The time you save commuting can be applied to more productive activities.

9. Operating your business from home costs much less than leasing commercial space and the added utilities and other expenses.

10. When working from home you have more flexibility, as the size of your business changes. Generally, you may have enough room for an intern or part-time assistant as your business begins to grow. Plus, it’s much easier to move to commercial space if your business becomes too big for your home than it is to cancel a lease for bigger space that you no longer need.

11. The amount of dedicated space for your business becomes a tax-deductible expense as a proportion of the rent or mortgage you pay as well as utilities, insurance, property taxes, maintenance, etc.

Security Benefits

12. You’re home is seldom unoccupied, so burglars are less likely to target it.

13. You’re able to be at home when your children return from school.

The information in this PhotographyTalk.com article is general in nature. PhotographyTalk.com does not provide legal or tax advice or imply legal or tax strategies for photography business owners. They should seek such advice from qualified professionals.

 

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Sun, Sand and Photos…. it doesn’t get any better than that !

So you are planning a vacation getaway this winter, tickets are bought and your bags are packed. Now is the time to brush up on your photography skills. Don’t be just another tourist with a camera. Use these simple photography tips to create stunning photos.

 

Composition

How to spot an interesting scene:

• Look for the un-ordinary. if it’s interesting to you it will be interesting to others
• Lines and shapes create interest
• Foreground items draw attention in
• People help tell stories
• Vivid colors catch your attention

Framing the scene to create appeal and balance: refer to a previous post for more info

• Using the rule of thirds is a proven method
• Stepping outside the composition box can produce unique shots, so keep an open mind

 

Lighting

How to use available light:

• Morning – great for color, fog, silhouettes and reflections
• Noon – keep the sun at your back and use a polarizer
• Evening – sunsets are excellent for color, silhouettes and interesting shadows
• Late night – use long exposures for stars and city-scapes
• Use your meter and camera settings to manipulate light

• Adjusting fstop, shutter speed and ISO can change the amount of light being exposed and can create interesting lighting affects

 

20 More Tips for Better Vacation Photos

• Instead of pointing your camera at the buildings off in the distance capturing their unique architecture try to put interesting elements in the foreground to help create a story

• Wait for subjects to come into your composition. It may take a few minutes of waiting to catch your foreground interest but it will pay off adding additional appeal to your photos
• It is common to pull the camera out in midday when the sun and tourist are out in full force, try getting out first thing in the morning or at the end of the day when the light is complimentary for great photography color and depth
• Mid-day bright light mixed with deep shadows can be difficult to expose, use your spot meter to get an average meter reading
• Get out early to beat the tourist crowds and be amongst the locals on their way to work or out doing their morning activities, they can make for excellent added interest
• Look for unique compositions that differ from typical vacation snap shots, change up your perspectives, get down low or get up high for a bird’s eye view, place objects in your composition to the outer edges (not smack in the middle)
• Be aware of tourist who insist on being in your frame no matter how you move about, just wait them out or turn around and see what’s in the other direction
• Be aware of locals who do not want to be photographed, some may get upset without their permission
• Be aware of locals that want to be photographed but want to be paid, they see you with a camera and want to make a quick buck
• Be aware of the direction of the sun in relation to your scene – it seems like all the best stuff wants to point you towards the bright light, if possible keep the sun at your back
• The beach and ocean can be difficult to photograph, use additional foreground or background interests to spice things up
• If you have a tripod and a ND filter long exposures of the ocean waves make for interesting shots
• Be quick, scenes change in an instance
• Snap a series of photos to give you more choices within the same scene
• Bracket your exposures, I like 3 quick shots 1 stop apart, that way if my meter reading is off I will most likely have one properly exposed shot or I will have 3 images for exposure blending or HDR processing
• Try to be inconspicuous when photographing, candid shots are always best
• Pack extra memory cards and batteries, you do not want to run out when it’s all happening
• Keep a lens cleaning cloth handy, the ocean air can leave a salt film on your camera and lens in a matter of minutes
• Never change your lens at the beach, blowing sand and salt air can wreak havoc on your gear
• TAKE GIGS OF PHOTOS, more is better

 

Photographing Havana Cuba is a photographers dream with its architecture, cars and people. But you need to beware of your surroundings at all times and ready at a moment’s notice to frame your foreground interest just right so that your composition falls generally within the rule of thirds grid (vertical and horizontal). Things happen quickly in the big city so have your camera and eye ready at all times and you will have some amazing holiday photos to show friends, family and the world.Article and photos by Mark McCulloch / www.photopaddler.com

 

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1. Any photography contest is subjective. A group of judges, presumably with some credentials, will choose what each of them think is the best photo. Their judgment, however, has as much to do with their life experience as it does with their technical photographic knowledge and compositional abilities. The lesson is to forget about the judges; you can’t control their emotional or subconscious response to the theme or your pictures. You’re more likely to do well in a photo contest, and/or make a living as a photographer, if you have your own set of lofty criteria about what is an excellent photo. In reality, the only person against whom you’re competing is yourself. If you can satisfy or exceed your own criteria, then you are already a winner, and are more likely to score high with the judges.

2. Shooting photos that comply with the theme of the photo contest wouldn’t seem to be much of a secret, but it must be because so many entrants typically submit photos that are off target. Your first task, therefore, is to read the contest rules more than once and make sure you understand them explicitly. If the contest theme is “happy children,” then don’t just assume because you are a parent, you can capture a winning image. Study the work of successful child portrait photographers. Find and study the winning photographs of other contests with a children’s theme. Learn how to use their techniques in your pictures just short of copying their images directly.

3. Regardless of your photography skill levels, you’ve learned that photography, like other art forms, has compositional rules, such as the rule of thirds. Photography also has its own set of technical rules, relating to how you use the camera, lens and their technology. This is similar to how a painter uses a brush or a sculptor a modeling tool. It’s an unwritten law that once you know the “rules,” you’re allowed to break them. The contest judges know this “law” too. As you begin to visualize the kind of photo(s) you would like to create to submit to the contest, think how you would capture them according to the “rules” as well as which specific rule you might break to record a truly unique and winning image. Breaking photographic rules can be a creative tool, if you know how to control it. You just might present the judges with an image they can’t overlook.

4. Typically, judges are looking for a message, a story in your photo that connects with them. One of the “rules” of conveying a message or emotion in a photograph is to keep the composition as simple and as uncluttered as possible. Generally, the more elements in a photo, the more likely the message is diluted or lost completely. This is especially true if the message is supposed to come from a subject or single element within that visual cacophony.

5. The story you tell in a photo must be powerful and strong. It should seem to leap from the image. You want your message to slap the judges in the face because they won’t spend much time looking at your photo(s). Photography can be an excellent medium to convey subtleties of emotion and drama, but you’re trying to win a contest. Save your subtle messages for a photo exhibition in a gallery, when viewers have more time to search for and connect with your understated story.

6. As mentioned in #3 above, photography is bound by technical rules. Don’t expect photo contest judges to disregard the technical flaws in your image just because the composition is outstanding. That being said, breaking technical rules can also lead to highly creative and original photos. Make sure you understand the technique you plan to break thoroughly before you use it purposely as a creative tool. When you decide to submit such an image, you are definitely working without a net. One group of judges will understand and appreciate what you are trying to create; another group may throw it on the reject pile immediately.

7. During the visualization, or planning, process of the photo(s) you want to shoot for the contest, take some additional time to find the unique approach that will allow your image to be different from all the rest. Regardless of the compositional and technical perfection of your photo, if it looks like most of the others, then it won’t receive a second look. Think deeper about the contest theme and create an image that represents it with as much originality as possible.

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1.   For many photographers, traveling with camera equipment and personal luggage can be a huge hassle. They often need multiple bags on wheels or must rent a number of airport luggage carriers. Even then, piling equipment cases and luggage on those carriers doesn’t make them very secure when hurrying through the airport. Bringing a separate cart or dolly isn’t much of a solution, since it becomes an extra piece of baggage to check, and the airlines charge for it.

2.   Maybe, the ultimate solution is one of the Porter Case products designed and manufactured specifically for photographers. These travel cases are built with sturdy 4-inch, ball bearing wheels on solid 3/8” steel axle, so they can be rolled through the airport, across a parking lot or on most any surface where your photography assignments take you.

3.   They also conform to TSA luggage regulations, allowing them to be taken onboard. They roll through the aisle and fit under many seats and in overhead compartments. Each Porter Case is fastened with a TSA combination lock for complete safety when it must be checked, which also permits security personnel to open and inspect the case with their passkeys.

4.   Since Porter Cases don’t have to be checked at the airline counter, photographers also save a considerable amount of money with no excess baggage charges.

5.   The biggest advantage of Porter Cases, however, is that many of them also have a CART system. It easily transforms into a rugged baggage carrier on which you can stack as much as 150 pounds of camera cases, tripod and lighting packs and your personal luggage. The tie-down strap then secures all the luggage and bags in place.

6.   A Porter Case is so durable it can also be used as a seat when waiting for a scheduled flight or train.

7.   The PCi Camera Divider Case and PCi Deluxe Camera Divider Case have side and end handles and an equally protective interior. The inside of the lid has a form-fitted piece of foam and an elastic crossover strap. The main compartment is ringed with an outer foam piece and divided into a series of adjustable sections for various photography equipment and accessories. There is another foam piece covering the bottom of the interior that can be customized to the size of your equipment.

The PCi Deluxe Camera Divider Case has an added narrow compartment in the lid that accommodates thin laptop computers, such as the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air.

8.   The PCX Lite Photo Divider Camera Case is another Porter Case solution for budget-conscious photographers, who still need the protection and security of the full-size cases. The PCX Lite features a similar interior design as the PCi Camera Divider Case and PCi Deluxe Camera Divider Case, including foam inserts in the lid and bottom of the case and 8 customizable dividers to create the compartments you need for your specific photography equipment.

The PCX Lite is also small enough to take on board a plane and fit under seats and in overhead compartments. Its CART mechanism will support as much as 100 pounds.

9.   Other Porter Cases designed for photographers include the Rolling Softie 160 Photo Camera/Computer Case and the Large Rolling Softie 260 Photo Camera/Computer Case that is 2 inches wider than the 160 model. These smaller cases are built to hold a camera and some accessories or a digital projector and a laptop.

10.        The PCi Camera Divider Case is priced at $242.00 and the PCi Deluxe Camera Divider Case at $259.00 from BH Photo Video on its Web site at http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?Ntt=Porter+CaseN=0InitialSearch=yes.

11.        The PCX Lite Photo Divider Camera Case retails for $224.00, the Rolling Softie 160 Photo Camera/Computer Case for $226.00, and the Large Rolling Softie 260 Photo Camera/Computer Case for $244.00. Visit the Porter Case Web site at http://www.portercase.com/catalog/ for more information.

Feel free to visit our tripods, bags and all “other” accessories forum

Photograph provided by www.adorama.com

 

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1. Poets have often equated night with sinister and evil events, giving it a negative connotation in opposition to the bright, positive sunlit hours. For photographers, the night is the other half of a 24-hour day that is generally neglected as being too dark for creative shooting. Nothing could be further from the truth. Night may be the absence of sunlight, but artificial lighting (and the moon and stars) still illuminates the same scenes and objects that are there during the day, just differently. That’s where creativity resides. You must be willing step into the night and find it.

2. An excellent experiment is to experience the night from a photographic perspective without the use of your camera. Most humans spend the nighttime hours in their residences, and sleeping, so it’s likely you don’t know the night as well as you think you do. Schedule a few nighttime walks through your neighborhood and city. Leave your camera at home. Primarily, you want to notice how the light that is available illuminates the night environment. Make one of your walks (or drives) in the downtown section of a city. Visit a brightly lit retail area of your town. For contrast, drive into the country on the night of a full moon and notice how the moon lights objects differently than artificial lights. If you’re serious about nighttime photography opportunities, then schedule your scouting trips at different times during the night, including the wee hours.

3. Common objects that you see or use during the day often become more interesting at night. They become creative subject matter because photos taken of them after sundown communicate a different mood or feeling than they would at midday.

4. Be particularly observant of how the outlines of shapes can be more distinct, whether they can be recognized or are just in silhouette. A tree branch, the texture of a brick wall and the pattern of bumper-to-bumper cars on a brightly lit city street seem to be more visible or evident.

5. At night, colors seem to come from a different palette. It is as if there is an entirely unique set of colors for the night. They are garish when mixed with plenty of black, while other colors appear muted and subtle. The colors define the scene or object/subject, but become secondary to the shapes and high contrast.

6. Look for silhouettes and shadows. Silhouettes are a rather obvious creative approach for nighttime images, so try to avoid the clichés and think of unique ways to use the silhouette technique. The shadows of night are too often overlooked. Light creates another set of shapes when casting shadows; plus, a shadow is what creates the high contrast that can make night photos so interesting.

7. Overhead lighting is another element of the night that has no effect during the day; so many photographers forget these ready-made lighting sources. It’s another reason to explore the night environment. Although a bit of a cliché too, the regular pattern of a circle of lights on the pavement from a series of overhead fixtures creates a “night studio” where you can capture more artistic images. Colored overhead lights in an entertainment venue, for example, give faces an unusual cast and charge the atmosphere with a far different mood than during the day.

8. One of the reasons to visit a city’s downtown area at night is to see how monolithic structures, such as skyscrapers and government buildings, reveal aspects of their architecture that are rather mundane, boring and unappealing in daylight. Backlights on the courthouse entry pillars suddenly create depth and a dynamic perspective.

9. You can make the night the time when you shine the brightest, creatively; finding and capturing outstanding images while most other photographers are snoring.

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Photo by PhotographyTalk Member Shadowfixer1

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Back in the days of old school photography it took a lot of skill and know how to produce a good panoramic photo. In recent years computers and software have become very powerful and efficient at producing top notch images easily. Panorama photography can have a very dramatic affect on viewers and a major wow factor when printed in a large format. Years ago you had to have a special panorama tripod head that required leveling from front to back and side to side, setup took forever. Software stitching had to be done by hand, manually lining up images and overlapping them. It all had to be so precise or it just didn’t look right. Not to mention how long it took the computer to process it. Now a days with new technology and new software, shooting perfect panos is a snap.

 

10 Steps to Perfect Panos

1. Look for an interesting scene, then plan your start and stop points. Panos do not only go from horizon to horizon but can also be framed vertically, stacking foreground, center frame and sky . I call this technique my poor man’s wide angle lens.

1. Use a tripod for easier alignment.*In good light I prefer to use a stable body stance by holding  my legs shoulder width apart, arms and elbows tucked in tight to my sides and forearms resting on my chest for stability. To pan I  turn from the hips using a fluid motion, making sure to hold my stance firm.
2. Using the view finder frame your first image and then do a practice sweep to see how your last image will be framed. Do this a few times back and forth to help line up a good framing point for all images. It also helps to loosen you up if you are shooting without a tripod.
3. Two keys to successful software stitching are to overlap your images by 25 – 30 % and if possible have objects for reference in those overlap areas.
4. Use manual mode for camera aperture and shutter speed, adjust shutter speed for each frame to ensure equal exposures. Also use manual focus to lock focus for all frames.
5. With the camera setup in manual mode and your camera stabilized pan from the hips pausing at each overlap point for a photo, be sure to use a stable fluid motion to ensure good image alignment. I usually take 3-5 images per pano. Shoot a few different passes to ensure a good set of working images.
6. View your images on your computer and choose the best series of photos to use within your computer stitching software, I prefer The Panorama Factory v5 by Smoke City Design. It is easy to use and excellent at aligning images (that’s why I can get away without always using a tripod). When selecting images keep in mind that they are on the same level and exposure for best results.
7. Import your images into your photo stitching program, follow the steps using the wizard guide to begin the stitching process. Make sure your images are in the correct order with proper rotation. After a minute or so it’s done, save it to your photo folder.
8. Open the pano up in Photoshop or your favorite photo editing software, to do any further processing, eg. cropping, sharpening, saturation adjustments or the use of a 3rd party plugin.
9. Save, Print or Publish to the Web.

Tips

• Avoid photographing moving objects eg, waves, trees blowing, people walking, cars etc. They do not blend well when stitching
• Panos can be shot holding you camera in landscape as well as portrait mode (horizontal / vertical)
• Overlap images by 25-30%
• Use objects to help align images eg. trees buildings, mountains, horizon lines
• Wide angle lens can be difficult to align with its fisheye effect
• Use a hotshoe bulb level, they come in handy

* Tripod Use

There is a time and place for tripod use. Some shots you just can’t get without the use of one. But I believe strongly in learning good camera holding techniques. When not attached to the tripod you are free to move around getting different angles and perspectives quickly. The more photo choices you can give yourself the better the chance of finding that wow shot. You know how it is during a sunrise, sometimes you only have 5 minutes of vivid color to get your shot and I can’t afford 3 of those minutes  resetting up my tripod.  For that reason I have mastered the ability to hand hold my camera rock steady.

*All images in this article were shot without the use of a tripod.

It’s that Easy

Photos and Article by Mark McCulloch / www.photopaddler.com

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Unless you’re a professional photographer, it’s likely the only times during your busy week for photography are evenings and weekends. Both can be filled with errands, family activities and other responsibilities that reduce your photography time even more. You’ll find a number of PhotographyTalk.com articles about how to find and make time for photography; but this article presents 6 specific photography activities that will help you improve your skills and the output from your camera. (This is assuming that at least one weekend a month your spouse doesn’t have another “honey-do” list for you.)

Another beneficial “psychological” byproduct is the cumulative effect of a regular schedule of these activities. You may only spend an hour or two doing each, but you’ll be surprised how much you’ll advance after just the first few weekends. It’s very much like exercise: do it regularly, and you’ll start to feel better rather quickly.

1.   Beginner and many amateur photographers don’t spend enough time “book learning.” Your groans and moans are noted, but the photography learning process requires that you spend some time in the “classroom.” Schedule at least one hour every weekend. The first order of business is to read your camera, and other equipment, manuals that you’ve never read, or only skimmed. That didn’t work during your high school history class…and it won’t work here!! Don’t just read the manual; read a section at a time and actually refer to your camera and push the buttons and select the settings that are being explained. Again, breakdown the manual into multiple weekends of study, so you aren’t doing just that during your entire educational session.

Of course, then spend the remainder of the hour or more at PhotographyTalk.com reading articles, watching videos and studying portfolios. This is not a random exercise, however. Make a short list, three or four items, of techniques you would like to learn or improve, and then search for those topics on PhotographyTalk.com. If your goal, for example, is to shoot better landscape photos, then go to that subcategory in the portfolio section and study the pictures of 6 or 8 landscape photographers.

You can then try an exercise that young, unknown painters have done for centuries, and that is to duplicate purposely another photographer’s image as exactly as possible. It can be an incredible learning experience!

2.   A practical photo activity to schedule during the weekend, although not every weekend, is thoroughly cleaning your camera and all other equipment. Inspect all of it carefully too, especially mounts or where two pieces of equipment connect and the hinges and pins of battery and memory card doors. It’s also a good time to clean the inside of your equipment bag and re-organize it, if needed.

3.   Schedule another small block of time to make sure your photography equipment, especially if its value is rapidly increasing, is physically well protected in your house, studio, car, etc. Read the PhotographyTalk.com article, 7 Smart Moves That Will Keep Photography Equipment More Secure, for a number of tips about how to create a safe, locked space or compartment for your equipment.

4.   During an occasional weekend, visit your local camera shop to see and inspect new equipment. This is not meant to be an opportunity to spend money. You should probably forget this idea if you are an impulsive shopper. Leave your credit cards at home! Think of it as a “field trip” like you did as a kid in school. You can touch, ask questions, but not buy. For some photographers, this is an important step if they are actively in the market for a new camera, lens, etc. You don’t want to spend your hard-earned money without holding the equipment in your hands. (There are also PhotographyTalk.com articles about the smart-consumer process to buy equipment.)

5.   By now, you might have thought there would no time left actually to shoot photos, but that activity should receive the bulk of your weekend time. Don’t just head into the unknown with no plan and shoot a bunch of random images, however. Schedule one or two sessions during Saturday and Sunday. Use some or all of those sessions to put into practice what you learned in the “classroom” in #1 above. Make sure to schedule your shooting sessions at different times of the day: dawn, dusk, midday, twilight and cold, black night. Shoot interiors and exteriors and practice with various forms of lighting.

6.   Schedule another hour on most weekends to improve your editing skills. Again, you can tie these exercises into the techniques you learned in #1 above and shot in #5 above. Do a bit of Web research and look for free downloads of editing software. For example, as of January 9^th, 2012, you could download the beta version of the soon-to-be released Lightroom 4, and use it for free until March 31^st.

People who read this PhotographyTalk.com article also liked:
6 Awesome Winter Vacations and the Right Cameras to Preserve Every Exciting Moment
Digital Photography—How To Use Fill-Flash to Improve Your Pictures, Part 1
Digital Photography—How To Use Digital Editing Software to Fix Common Mistakes, Part 1
12 Tips To Create a Photographer’s First Home Studio

Feel free to visit our beginner photography forum

Photo by PhotographyTalk Member Roxanne Baucom

 

 

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1.   What often distinguishes the beginning amateur from the advanced amateur and pro is a greater understanding of how to be creative with a flash and the available ambient light outdoors.

2.   The advanced photographers knows, when he or she is taking a picture of a subject (person) outdoors, that the background and subject are lit by two different kinds of light (ambient and flash, respectively) and that each requires separate methods to expose them correctly.

The aperture and shutter speed settings on the camera determine the exposure of the ambient light in the background of the scene. The subject is lit by the flash, which must illuminate the subject accurately for the correct exposure of him or her.

3.   Photographers, who understand this concept, use it first to make sure the subject is always exposed correctly with the flash, and second to then manipulate the exposure of the ambient light to photograph the exact same subject/scene, but with different moods or feelings.

Essentially, there is no longer a “correct” exposure for the scene. As the light from the flash continues to expose the subject correctly, then different apertures and shutter speeds can be selected to change the tonal quality of the background ambient light, and, therefore, the mood of the image.

4.   For example, you’re shooting a subject outdoors without a flash. If you select the correct exposure for the subject, then you would be capturing too much ambient light, leaving the background too bright and blooming. Conversely, if you select an exposure based on the ambient light, then there wouldn’t be enough light reflected from the subject, making him or her too dark, with a loss of details. Add a flash to the equation and now you can select an accurate exposure level for the background and subject.

5.   Try this experiment. A subject is framed against a western sky during dusk and twilight. You want to start this experiment when the meter reading of the sky matches your sync speed, which will probably be in the range of 1/250^th, f/5.6 and ISO 200 to 400.

6.   Before using your flash, however, shoot a few frames, exposing for the ambient light. As mentioned above, there won’t be enough light on the subject to expose him or her correctly, so they will appear dark in your test images.

7.   The next step of your experiment is to use your flash, so you can put enough light on the subject for an exposure at f/5.6. Of course, the ambient light will begin to dim rather quickly. Soon you’ll have to change the shutter speed setting for the background to 1/125^th and then 1/60^th. Shoot a few test images at all these shutter speeds (with the flash) to improve your understanding of balancing the flash with the ambient light.

8.   Your next learning experience is to underexpose and overexpose your scene deliberately. When the “correct” shutter speed for the ambient light is 1/60^th, shoot a few images at 1/125^th (background underexposed by one stop) and 1/250^th (background underexposed by two stops). The subject is still accurately lit and exposed, but you’ve manipulated the exposure of the ambient light to create images with different moods: high contrast, dramatic, magical, etc.

9.   As the background ambient light continues to diminish, requiring a 1/30^th shutter speed, don’t manipulate the exposure with the shutter speed; use your flash instead. Decrease the power on your flash by one stop. This allows you to shoot at a faster shutter speed, although the ambient light is dimmer. You won’t have to switch from 1/60^th at f/5.6 to 1/30 at f/5.6, but keep the shutter at 1/60^th and switch to f/4. You achieve the same balance because your flash has been added to the formula as an additional exposure tool. You can easily duplicate this concept, as the ambient light continues to decrease. The “correct” shutter speed becomes 1/15^th, but you still use 1/60^th, but at f/2.8 and another stop of less power on your flash.

10.        Now, you have a wide range of exposure settings you can use during dusk/twilight that will always expose your subject correctly, but allow you to be artistic with the ambient light.

Feel free to visit our lighting and flash forum

Photo by PhotographyTalk Member John Landolfi

 

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1.   Many beginner photographers find it easy to rely on the “default” flash method during a bright, midday outdoor scene. They leave the flash attached to the camera and let the TTL technology project enough light to illuminate the subject correctly, especially so his or her eyes are not dark ovals, like a raccoon’s.

2.   This does result in a “correct” exposure and typically pleasing images, but much more creative photos are possible when using the flash off-camera. A simple three-step process will help you control both the ambient light and the flash’s output, which leads to various lighting choices, including the crosslighting effect.

3.   These steps are choosing (1) the direction from which the flash light and sunlight will illuminate your subject, (2) the brightness of the ambient light and (3) the brightness of the flash unit.

4.   The first off-camera flash/ambient light setup you can try is positioning your subject with the midday sun behind him or her. You want the sun itself beyond the frame and directed from either the right or left back angle. Make tiny adjustments of the subject, in relation to the sun behind him or her, until you find a position where the light hits the side of the subject’s body and/or head at a very slight angle. This will create more separation or depth between the subject and background, and provide you with some very pleasing and flattering lighting effects.

5.   Select the maximum sync speed, so the aperture will be at the widest setting. Then, determine the correct exposure for the background light, which means you’ll be adjusting the aperture manually.

6.   Remove your flash from the camera, set the flash at half-power and hold it at a 45-degree angle above and six feet from your subject, so the light illuminates the subject opposite the direction of the sun. Shoot a test frame or two to determine if you should move the flash closer to your subject if not enough light is hitting him or her. If the light from the flash appears to be too bright, then decrease flash power to 25%.

7.   Another way to light the subject and the midday-lit scene is to use the flash as a bit of a backlight. You are creating a crosslighting effect with the flash and the angle of the sunlight from the opposite side behind the subject. Once you’ve found the accurate exposure, you can then create different looks with the flash at different angles and heights in relation to the subject.

8.   Next, try to create an almost 3D effect with the crosslighting of the sunlight and light from the flash. This begins with using the technique explained in the PhotographyTalk.com article, 10 Ideas about Creating Completely Different Images with a Flash During Twilight.

9.   You purposely underexpose the background by maintaining the sync speed for your flash/camera and selecting a narrower aperture. You then increase the flash power or move it closer to the subject to be in balance with the smaller aperture. This straight crosslighting, 3D effect occurs when your camera’s angle is a fourth or three-fourths to the lights.

Feel free to visit our lighting and flash forum

Photo by PhotographyTalk Member Nazar Dhiab

 

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7 Ways to Make Money with Your Camera in Your Neighborhood Immediately

1.   Offer to photograph (stills and/or video) people’s possessions for insurance purposes. Every professional insurance agent will tell you that one of the best ways for homeowner’s insurance to be more effective is to make a visual recording of all your possessions. These agents will also tell you too many people and families don’t have such a record.

You can use your camera to record your possessions first, as a practice run. Then, you can offer this service to your neighbors for a nominal fee. You may even be able to provide this service through an insurance agent; such as the one you are paying a premium every year.

This project doesn’t typically require much time, as a short video segment of each room of the house is often sufficient. It’s a good idea to shoot individual photos of the most valuable possessions, and even more than one from different angles. These could include jewelry, electronics, camera equipment, heirlooms, antiques, expensive sports equipment, etc. Photos and/or video of cars, boats, motorcycles, RVs and similar vehicles should also be recorded.

You could expand this service to include local small businesses, especially those with expensive equipment, such as machine shops, contractors, etc.

2.   According to the American Humane Association, one-third of all pets will be lost at some point during his or her lifetime. Of those that roam from home, less than 17% of the dogs and only 2% of the cats ever return to their owners. This is an opportunity to offer your photography services to photograph people’s pets, so they can be easily identified and the photos can be used on flyers, Web sites and other posting methods for lost pets.

People may have pictures of their pets, but they also need specific photos that show a unique coloring or pattern on the pet, which could make it easier to find. Pet owners also need a series of pictures of their pets from different angles, not just the face shots they may have taken.

3.   Look for neighbors or homeowners in your community with significant renovation projects. Explain that it is important to have a series of photos showing the various steps in the project, so they can be used when the house is sold to show prospective buyers the quality of the renovation.

4.   Not only do small businesses need your insurance photography services, but also your general photography services to shoot images for their Web sites, company events, to accompany press releases, etc.

5.   Contact local garden clubs that might want individual photos of entries in their contests, or pictures of members’ gardens at their homes.

6.   You can also approach landscape contractors to take a series of photos of a project, which can then be used on their Web sites or shown to prospective clients in presentation form. Suggest that you help the contractor create a few quick “how-to” tips on camera that can be viewed on their Web sites.

7.   Contact the owners of the local martial arts, gymnastics and cheerleading schools and offer to photograph each student with their parents and instructor when the student graduates from the program. Most of these academies host formal graduation ceremonies, making it a special occasion. Students and parents will be happy you were there to photograph them.

 

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PhotographytalkcomPhotographyArticles/~3/82PnDRXOZJ4/2048-7-ways-to-make-money-with-your-camera-in-your-neighborhood-immediately