Chasing Picture Perfection — Real Photo Tips for Snapshooters

Slow Down Your Shutter Speed for Fun Snowy Photos

2012-01-14T18:39:00.003-05:00

Now that winter is here, you'll find yourself outside with the kids on the next snowy day. A good time to practice slowing down your shutter speed to create fun effects! By putting your camera on aperture priority mode (A on the mode dial)and moving your aperture (or f-stop) to a larger number like F/8, you will get a slower shutter speed. Since it is usually overcast when it is snowing, this aperture setting should be about right, but feel free to make the aperture even larger, or open up a little bit (move to a smaller number like F/6.3 or F/5.6). In this photo, the exposure was 1/40th sec. at F/6.3— just enough to make the very light snow turn into short streaks, but still fast enough to keep my subject in focus if she moved slightly. I used the stabilization feature on my lens, so camera shake was not a worry, but you will want to be sure that the shutter speed does not drop to slower than 1/30th sec. or else you do risk camera shake without a stabilization feature. If your subjects are jumping around considerably, this technique may not work. I asked my subject to catch snowflakes with her tongue, which made her stand still and concentrate on the activity. Slower shutter speeds (typically those under 1/125th sec.) can help convey motion, and this same technique should be used to make water streaks under a sprinkler or from a hose or for waterfalls. Read more about freezing and blurring motion here and here.

A Must Have Bag for the Two-Lens Photographer

2011-11-20T19:43:00.001-05:00

LowePro S&F Lens Exchange Case 200 AW ($38.95)

I have an addiction. I'm a bag hound. I especially love totes and camera bags. I have camera bags for every occasion: just my camera and one lens; my camera/lens and flash; all my gear; and several variations of each. I even add padded camera inserts into my favorite tote bags to make fun camera bags (see this post here for details). I love my LowePro Backpack for my camera and laptop when I'm traveling through airports. I was recently given a new S&F Lens Exchange Case, also made by LowePro, and I have to say, this makes working with two lenses so easy. The case opens up quickly with one-hand and actually expands so that you can hold two lenses at once. No need to ask your friend, "can you hold this for a sec?" while you change lenses. The case is very comfortable to walk around with (you can use the padded shoulder strap or attach it to your belt). And while its two mesh side-pockets are meant for lens caps, I found my cell and some money fit perfectly in one pocket and I squeezed a bottle of water in the other! Using this Lens Exchange Case came in really handy as we walked thru the corn maze and around the pumpkin patch last month. If there are times when you don't want to leave the house with one lens, and feel that your larger camera bag will hold you down, I highly recommend a lens bag and this one by LowePro is the best I've used in a long time! I wish it came in a color other than black, but I might just add some fabric patches from Michael's to make it my own! (sponsored post)

Shoot From below for Dynamic Images that Capture the Whole Scene

2011-11-15T13:02:00.001-05:00

I was literally laying on the ground with my head in the lap of another mom when I shot this photo of the girls under the Statue of Liberty on a recent field trip. While it will be a year or so before you can visit the inside of the Statue due to its closing for repairs, you can still visit Liberty Island and get this shot. And this low angle can and should be used for holiday picture-taking, winter vacations, and more. Here are just a few ideas:

-A tall public Christmas tree
-The Eiffel Tower
-A lighthouse
-The Disney castle
-A snowman
-Your house
-Skyscrapers
-An amusement park ride
-Mountains

Get down low, shoot up and use a wide angle setting on your zoom lens. Be sure to meter on the subject, not the sky or the background or else your subject's face will be under-exposed. To do this, 1) set your camera to spot meter mode (see your instruction manual, but it's easy); 2) put the small circle in your frame on your subject so that the camera can read the exposure of your subject and not the background; 3) press your shutter release button down halfway to lock-in that exposure; 4) re-compose your shot as you like; and 5) press the shutter button the rest of the way to take your shot.

Making Your Photos Into Works of Art

2011-10-25T09:55:00.001-04:00

I recently had the opportunity to make my first gallery-wrapped canvas print of one of my images using EasyCanvasPrints.com. And easy it was! Canvas is a material studio portrait photographers have used for years. And many works of art are printed on canvas, which makes a beautiful print and a real statement when hanging on the wall of your home or office. The canvas texture and printing of the image I selected gave the shot a painterly quality that I just love.

Ordering the canvas was quick and easy. I love the Easy Canvas Prints website. They have this neat simulation to help you decide what size canvas print you should order (see detail from screen shot). This was a big help. I ordered a smaller 11x14 canvas to go over my book shelf that holds my scrapbooks in our family room.

After selecting the height and width of the print, you can then choose how thick you want the print to be. I chose .75", but they have a real nice 1.5" thick for larger prints. Then you can preview and select your choice of how the canvas will wrap around the print. Having the ability to preview the end result is great because every picture is different. I chose the standard wrap since I felt it worked best for my shot of the American flag blowing in the wind that I took during the Worldwide Photo Walk this year.

I received my print within a week and was very pleased. I would recommend, however, that you opt for the retouching by EasyCanvasPrints since printing on canvas is slightly different than printing on regular photo paper. I provided a slightly dark file and had I opted for them to retouch, they would have tweaked the image for printing on canvas. They also have an option for converting the shot to black & white and more.

Hanging the print was really easy too. Canvas gallery-wrapped prints are extremely lightweight and don't require a frame. The print comes ready to hang. I hammered a tiny nail in the wall last nite at 10pm after everyone went to bed and it was up! And even better, on the back of the canvas was a little pack of $10 discount cards for you to share with your friends so that they can order a print. I think I will use one to order a print for my mom of the grandchildren for Christmas this year! (sponsored post)

Use Structures In Your Surroundings As a Reflector for Better Outdoor Portraits

2011-10-13T22:53:00.000-04:00

On a beautiful fall day, I posed my subject next to a tree facing the back of the house, which acted as a reflector. The sun bounced off the house and lit the girl's face and gave her a really nice highlight in each eye. Reflectors can be any white or near white surface, such as a painted brick wall, a sign on a door, or more. Position your subject in the path of the light as it bounces naturally off the "reflector." If you are in a place where there is no structure that can act as a reflector, then break out a white piece of foam core or oat tag to bounce light back into your subject's face and eyes. If you love this technique for posed portraits, then you might consider buying a reflector from your local camera store. So look around to see not only where the light is coming from, but what it is bouncing off.


The lit leaves in the background add some drama.

My Favorite Fix When Your Photo Is Too Dark

2011-08-17T18:28:00.000-04:00

Sure, you can always lighten up your photo after you download it into your computer, but getting a better exposure right from the start is much better and faster in the long run. I return to the lesson of exposure compensation often simply because it a tip that bears repeating. When your photo is too dark, like the one below, a rather unflattering shot of me and my subject taken by holding the camera at arm's length, simply add light by dialing +0.3 or +0.67 using your exposure compensation (+/-) button on the top of your camera to brighten up your image.The top image had +0.67 dialed in. It's a quick and easy solution for dark photos. Read more about Exposure Compensation here, and here and here. As you can tell, I use it often. I think I need to do a Photo Tips Card on this (download previous cards at links on right).

Add a Little Light to Combat Harsh Sun for Better Beach Photos

2011-07-12T20:33:00.000-04:00

Taking pictures at the beach is always fun (as long as you take a few precautions to protect your camera — see 7/6/11 post). But often we get harsh shadows that make the photos less desirable. Get rid of the harshness and raccoon eyes just by popping up your flash! Put your camera on the program mode (P) and pop-up your flash. As you can see in the example comparisons below, you can soften all of the harsh shadows. Examine the two photos. Look under the chair's head rest, under the left arm, under the chin and below the rim of the sunglasses. Additionally, look at the sliver of rocky sand in the background on the right side. On the left, it's sort of greyish, but on the right, it is a more pleasing color. Then look at the example further below (please ignore that toothless grinny expression!). In this case, the brightness behind the subject made the camera's meter stop down a little (like putting on sunglasses because it was too bright) resulting in her face being too dark. But by popping up the flash, you see how you can brighten up a dark face. Tip: If you find the flash to be too bright or too artificial looking for your taste, then you can tone down the flash very simply. Look at the same button you use to pop up your flash. It should have a +/- symbol. Hold this button in and dial the wheel at your index finger to the right so that the numbers on your display go to the negative side. You are essentially subtracting power from the flash so that it puts out less light. Try several different settings (-0.7, -1.0, etc) until you achieve a desirable shot. You may need to consult your owner's manual (yes, sorry) and look for "flash exposure compensation" in the index.

Grab Your Camera and a Towel and Head to the Beach for Fun Photos

2011-07-06T22:12:00.000-04:00

It's finally summer! And if your family's like mine, beach figures heavily into the weekend. If you have young children that love to explore the beach, then get down on the sand with them. Make sure to bring a towel so that you can easily sit or even lay down close by in order to capture their explorations (and to keep sand on your hands to a minimum). Getting close and using a wide angle setting on your lens lets you show some more background to give a point of reference (see photos below). On bright sunny days, trying popping up your flash for some fill to eliminate harsh shadows from midday sun, and to add some light to your child's face often hidden by cute sun hats. But don't let cloudy days like we had here stop you form heading to the beach with your camera. The over cast sky is actually perfect for picture-taking. One note of caution: Salt water is an enemy of you camera. If the conditions are very "moist" on a hot hazy beach day, salt residue and water can collect on your camera and lens pretty quickly. Try putting your camera in a zip lock bag with a hole cut out for the front of the lens to stick out and be sure to use a UV filter. Clean the lens as soon as you can with lens cleaning fluid and a micro fiber cloth taking extra care to inspect for and remove any sand that may be on your lens before rubbing the lens. Then wash the cloth before using again after the beach. Store the camera back in your camera bag right after use to keep it out of the sun and elements. There are also special bags made for your camera to prevent any damage. Google rain coats for cameras.

Understanding the Histogram on Your Camera to Make Better Photos

2011-06-05T21:47:00.002-04:00

What is a histogram?

The histogram on your camera lets you view the exposure of your photos so you will know whether your photo is too light or too dark. This is important since there are so many times that we cannot really see the image on the LCD screen because of bright sunlight. Or you may have your LCD set to a lower or higher brightness and therefore the image on the LCD will not look the same as the image downloaded to your computer.

Histograms which represent an image that has all tones from the blackest black to the whitest white will look like an even hill as in the sample above. But if your image is over- or under-exposed, the hill will fall short of one or both ends as in the sample below. So how does this information help you? You can adjust your camera setting using exposure compensation (+/- EV) and take another shot that is properly exposed.

Is my photo under-exposed or dark?

To read your histogram to determine if the photo is under-exposed, press the info button on the back of your camera while playing back an image. You will see a graph like the one above. Look at the right side. Does the information (the black hills) go all the way to the right side? If it does not go all the way to the right, then your image may be too dark. Try “adding light” to brighten up your image by dialing in a plus (+) exposure compensation, such as +0.33, +0.67 or perhaps +1.0. Then take another shot and see if the right side moved further to the right.

Is my photo over-exposed or too light?

To check if you are “blowing out the highlights” look at the left side. If the information does not reach all the way left, you may not see any detail in the brightest parts of your image (think bride’s dress or facial features). Before making any correction, press the info button once again. You will see any that any areas that are over-exposed or blown out will be blinking. If a critical detail (like the face) is blinking, you will want to make a correction by dialing in a minus (-) exposure compensation, such as -.33, -0.67 or perhaps -1.0 to subtract some light from the image.

Consider what type of image you are shooting before making any correction

Keep in mind that the histogram is giving you a representation of the darks and lights in your image. If you take a photo out in bright snow and your subject is wearing light clothing, there may not be any black in the image and your histogram will naturally lean to the right making a an uneven hill. Making an adjustment in this case might lead to grey looking snow.

Conversely, if your image is of a black cat in a low lit room in front of a brown wall, there may not be much white or brightness for the camera to record and the histogram hill will lean to the left naturally. Making a correction here might make the blacks look grey and you will lose the richness of your shot.

So the histogram need not be an even hill from left to right.

By checking your histogram from time to time during your shoot, you can be sure before getting you r photos onto your computer whether or not your exposure is on the money. To learn more about the histogram on your camera, consult the owner’s manual. Add information about the histogram to your camera bag by downloading the new Photo Tips Card: Histogram at right and adding it to the others on a D-ring.

Shoot From a Different Angle for a Meaningful Perspective

2011-06-02T21:40:00.001-04:00

While visiting Boston over the Memorial Day weekend, we experienced a moving memorial to the fallen soldiers of Boston: 20,000 flags in the middle of The Boston Commons. Each flag represented a Massachusetts citizen who died in wars and military conflicts during the last 100 years. By shooting low (with the camera nearly on the ground as I knelt in front of the first line of flags) I was able to eliminate the distracting background of visitors and keep the focus on this sea of flags that really puts into perspective the staggering number of lives lost. The 50mm focal length setting combined with a wider open aperture of f/5.3 helped to compress the flags to give the image a painterly feeling as the seemingly never-ending rows of flags dissolves into the background.

Take in the Scene with a Slower Shutter Speed

2011-04-26T18:56:00.001-04:00

It's very hard to catch him smiling naturally. So, as I did in this restaurant during lunch, I often snap a few photos in a row hoping for that "in-between" moment when he's more relaxed. I think I got it here! This photo has a nice natural background since I used only the light from the window my subject was facing for lighting, rather than using my flash. And since my ISO was set to 400, my shutter speed was a slower 1/50th of a second (I turned on the anti-shake on the lens to eliminate any blur that might have occured from hand-shake). That slower shutter speed allows the shutter to remain open long enough to capture the ambient light in the background, also lit by the large bright windows. The result is a nice shot that shows the whole scene. So when indoors, ask for a seat near a window and capture the ambience of the whole scene.

Shoot Wide and Close to Eliminate Distracting Backgrounds in Your Photos

2011-02-28T21:38:00.000-05:00

During winter break, we spent a few days in sunny and warm California. Our trip to Hollywood was brief and pictures were difficult with so many people on the crowded boulevard that was in full set-up mode for the Academy Awards. And with two kids all too anxious to see the sights, I had just a moment to capture a "we are here" photo in front of a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. By setting my lens to a 23mm wideangle setting, getting close to them and tilting down on the scene, I was able to quickly eliminate the people in the background while still capturing their expressions and John Travalta's star. I used a slightly small F/6.3 aperture, that when combined with the wide focal length, kept both the star and the kids in focus. Be sure to focus on the subjects eyes and then tilt down for your best exposure and to keep the most important focus point sharp. (Note: I did Photoshop out one lingering foot of a Storm Trooper from the upper right side of the frame. Don't be afraid to crop or retouch to make your photo even better before posting, framing, scrapbooking or adding to an album).

Last Minute Tips for Holiday Picture-Taking

2010-12-17T19:38:00.002-05:00

Much of holiday picture-taking involves capturing people and holiday details. Taking a moment to think about the kind of photo you want and setting your camera properly or changing your position can take your pictures from typical snapshots to outstanding holiday photographs. Here are few tips from my LifetimeMoms.com post last month. Happy Holidays!

Photograph traditions and candid moments: Capture the result of an activity, like cooking and baking, with flair. Position yourself at a higher level and shoot down. Position the subject in the top one-third of the frame and the activity in the bottom two-thirds for a pleasing composition. This elevated position also eliminates distracting backgrounds.

Capture family interaction by keeping your distance and zooming in a bit. When shooting into a wall, you chance getting harsh shadows behind your subject. Try using a flash that can bounce off of a white ceiling, which showers the area with light and eliminates the shadows.

A key to getting good expressions during gift-giving is to be on the subject’s level or slightly below. Kneel or sit on the floor with them and you’ll capture more of their face instead of the top of their head. Additionally, the shadows created by your on-camera flash can be reduced.

Capturing group portraits: For fast group pictures, line up your family members with tallest on the outer sides of the group. Avoid the “line-up” look turning their bodies slightly towards the center. Or try arranging chairs so that the tallest, or the patriarch/matriarch, can be seated in the center with children standing to their sides and adults leaning in from behind and the side. Ask men to kneel and women sit on the floor. Avoid having heads all on the same level, or “ear to ear.” Stagger heads for a more pleasing composition. Avoid photos on a couch as people tend to lean back and their position is not flattering. Take several shots to ensure all eyes are open and expressions are good.

Shoot the details: Capturing favorite holiday items is easy when you set your camera to macro mode or use a lens that can zoom in close. When you are so close to your subject, the background automatically becomes blurry making the subject to stand out. Focus carefully when shooting close up.

Better Holiday Snapshots Article Features Photos and Tips From Yours Truly!

2010-11-19T15:19:00.000-05:00

I was honored to be asked by Stephanie from LifetimeMoms.com to write up some tips on how to take better photos over the holiday season. Well, that season officially starts next week and there are a few tips in that article that will come in handy at your Thanksgiving gathering. Or as you think about snapping away over the extended weekend trying to get the perfect photo for your holiday card. Please take a look at the article by clicking here. And thanks Stephanie!

Photographing a Spooky Jack O'Lantern

2010-10-30T18:43:00.000-04:00

Tonight is the perfect night to light up your carved pumpkin and snap a few spooky shots. I found that taking a shot a little bit after the sun sets, while there is still some light left in the sky, can make your pumpkin look more scary. The tree branches will be backlit, which adds to the mood of the shot. Start by setting your camera to aperture priority and selecting the widest aperture your lens allows (F/2.3, F/3.5) and a low ISO (200 or 100). Next, put your camera on a tripod or other stable surface. Using a cable release or electronic remote control like I did will ensure that you do not get an blur when you press the shutter release button during your long exposure. If you have a lens with an anti-shake mechanism (like Tamron's VC, Nikon's VR or Canon's IS systems), be sure to turn it off when using a tripod as it is counter-productive to use the stabilizer system in that situation. Then, shoot your pumpkin at a lower angle using a wide angle setting on your lens to get some of the trees in the background. You can add extra exposure if your background is too dark by using the exposure compensation dial and going to the plus side. This slows down your shutter speed even more. Your exposure will be somewhere around 15 seconds to get the soft glow of the jack o'lantern and the bluish sky in the background. Happy Halloween!

"My Photo Are Too Dark" — Solutions for the Most Common Problems: Part 2

2010-09-07T21:32:00.002-04:00

In my last post (so long ago, I apologize but summer seemed to have gotten in the way), I covered easy solutions for blurry photos. The next most common problem is dark photos (i.e., under-exposed). While the most logical answer is there just is not enough light, there are other reasons for dark photos.

Problem: You are using the flash but the subject is still dark. Reason: The subject is too far away. The built-in flash on your camera can safely cover a distance of about 10 feet or so. If your subject is well beyond that, chances are it cannot be lit by your flash. Solution: The answer in this case would be to move a little closer. (You can also try raising your ISO to give your flash some more distance coverage).

Problem: The background is really bright and the camera's meter is fooled. This is called a "backlit" situation. The meters in today's cameras are excellent, and you have the choice of several metering patterns to help you achieve your desired result. However, there are still situations like backlit where you camera's meter is fooled and gives you the wrong exposure for your subject. When the background is overly bright, the camera "puts on a pair of sunglasses" by closing the aperture down a little to let in less light, resulting in a nicely exposed background and a darker subject.

Examples of backlit situations:

in front of a picture window
at the beach or pool
on snow
when shooting from below up against a bright sky, etc.
under an overhang (like a stadium with field in the background)
The sun is behind your subject

Solution: 1 My favorite option is to use the + exposure compensation (covered here and here). This +/- button usually positioned near your thumb is one of my often used adjustments since you can quickly darken or lighten a subject. By adding (+) .3 to 1 full stop of light by dialing towards the plus side (see your instruction manual to see just how your camera works), you can trick your camera into removing the sunglasses and get a perfect exposure on your subject. By bracketing (taking several shots at several different exposure compensation settings) you are sure to get the proper exposure.

Solution 2: A second solution is to pop up the flash and fill in the subject.

Solution 3: Another way to get a good exposure in a precise area is to switch the camera's metering pattern to spot metering. Most of the time, you are most likely shooting in the camera's matrix mode that reads several areas of the image and gives you an exposure based on a lot of data built into the camera. This pattern works well much of the time. But the camera also has a center metering pattern where a smaller area is read and the exposure is based on that area. And even smaller sliver of the image can be measured by suing the spot metering mode (the rectangle with a small dot in the middle is the symbol for this pattern). Make sure the dot lays over the area of your subject you want properly exposed and then take the shot. If you need to recompose your image after taking the reading (dot on subject), then hold in the AE lock button located near the +/- button until you have finished taking the photo. Breaking out your camera's instruction manual will give you the exact steps to set spot metering and to use AE lock.

In my example above (a perfect shot to end the summer), the child's face my have been under-exposed, or dark, due to the brightness of the sky, surf and sand. But by adding 2/3-stop of light using the +/- feature, I was able to get a great exposure on her cute face.

"My Photos Are Blurry" — Solutions for the Most Common Photo Problems: Part 1

2010-07-26T21:05:00.001-04:00

So while talking with friends who are all new DSLR owners this past weekend, we discussed the solutions for the most common problems people have with their photos. So of course, it sparked an idea for a blog post. Here is part 1: "My Photos Are Blurry."

The reason for a blurry photo is that the shutter speed is too slow to stop either fast moving action or camera shake in low light situations. The faster action moves, the faster the shutter speed required to stop the action; the longer your lens setting (telephoto), the faster the shutter speed required to stop camera shake since the shake is magnified (think about looking through powerful binoculars and how hard it is to hold them without the seeing shake); and finally, in lower the lighting conditions, the shutter speed slows down to let in more light, making it harder to hand hold.

So what to do? First, you need to understand what the ideal shutter speed is for hand-holding to avoid camera shake. The quick answer to to shoot at a shutter sped that is no slower than the reciprocal of the focal length setting of your lens. So if you are zoomed out to 300mm to catch sports, nature, wildlife or candid portraits, the ideal shutter sped will be 1/300th of a second or faster to stop hand shake blur. However, with today's stabilized lenses, you can shoot a 2-3 or even 4 stops slower with no resulting hand-shake. Second, understand that it is almost impossible for anyone to hand hold the camera at any focal length setting if the shutter speed goes below 1/30th of a second. Thirdly, if action is moving fast, like soccer or basketball, you will need a shutter speed of approx. 1/500th of a second. If the action moves even faster than that, such as car racing or horse racing, you will need to shoot even faster (1/1000th, 1/2500th, etc.(.

Solution 1: Open your aperture to let in more light and the camera will pick a faster shutter speed.
If you set your camera to aperture priority, move the aperture towards a wider opening (e.g., F/6.3, F/5.6, F/3.5) and watch your shutter speed get faster. Hopefully, you will be able to get a shutter speed / aperture combination that allows you to have a fast shutter speed for the action or zoom setting. Be mindful that with an open aperture, you have less depth of field, so precisely focusing on the critical part of your image is very important.

Solution 2: If opening the aperture does not give you a shutter speed high enough to action blur or stop hand shake from slow shutter speeds as a result of low light or long telephoto settings, then the next solution is to boost your ISO higher. A higher ISO, will automatically provide you with higher shutter speeds. While your photo might have a little more noise or not as vibrant of color, you will be able to shoot the image. (Some DSLRs have really great high ISO capabilities, so don't be afraid to try higher ISO settings).

Solution 3 (and my least favorite): If neither solution above works, then you can try to increase the lighting in the scene. One way is by adding flash. Flash will certainly freeze action and eliminate hand shake blur (as long as you are not in night time portrait mode). While flash can lead to an artificial feeling in your shot, hence my reason for it not being my favorite, it can do the job effectively and send you home with images of the moment. Remember, however, that flash can only cover a certain distance, and is sometimes not allowed at certain venues, so solutions 1 or 2 or a combination of both may be your only choices to correct the problem.

The image above would have been completely different had I used flash. So I boosted my ISO to 1600 so that the little bit of light coming into the room could be captured naturally. My lens was zoomed to 60mm, making the magic shutter speed 1/60th of a second. However, with my stabilized lens, I was fortunate to be able to catch the image at 1/8th of a second, the fastest shutter speed I could achieve with the given lighting, ISO setting and open aperture (F/4). The VC stabilization allowed me to shoot 3 stops slower than what would be normally required.

And of course, a solution that works the best for low light situations is a tripod. As long as there is no movement in your shot, a tripod will stabilize your camera and let you shoot at rather slow shutter speeds. Tripods are the most essential tool for landscape and nature photographers since a smaller aperture like F/11, F/16 or F/22 are required to achieve deep depth of field, but shutter speeds are naturally slower.

Next time you are shooting in low light, shooting at a longer telephoto zoom setting, or shooting action, consider the solutions above and you should find your images will be sharp as a result.

Shooting Against a Bright Background Fools Your Camera's Meter: One Easy Answer Is A Quick Exposure Compensation Adjustment

2010-07-07T21:17:00.001-04:00

On my recent business trip to Switzerland this month, we had the opportunity to sightsee for two days. Our tour took us to an amazing view of the Swiss Alps. A short train trip on the Matterhorn Cog Railway from the mountain town of Zermatt brought us to the Gornergrat where we were met with a panoramic view at 3131 meters above sea level. This astounding view of 29 peaks, each over 4000 meters and including the Matterhorn at 4478 meters, offered up the chance for our small group of 25 to take thousands of photos. We each took turns taking photos of each other and quickly discovered we needed to adjust our camera settings to compensate for the extremely bright background. In this case, the meter saw that much of the frame was filled with white, so the camera "stopped down" the aperture to let in less light (sort of like squinting in bright light). However, this made the subject's face quite dark. To compensate, I moved the exposure compensation setting to +1.0. I then pointed the camera at my colleague, held the shutter release button down halfway to lock in the focus, and shifted the camera so that I could capture Yuki in front of the Klein Matterhorn. This tip is useful when shooting against any bright background such as snow, sand, water and bright windows, all which lead to backlit situations. So keep this in mind as you travel this summer or spend a day at the beach or boating.

A Video to Share on Making Silhouettes (My friend and colleague Ken did a better job than me explaining this). Enjoy!

2010-06-14T12:34:00.003-04:00

Don't Let Bright Sun Ruin a Candid Portrait- Move into the Open Shade

2010-05-23T22:32:00.000-04:00

We are not nocturnal by nature, so our photo-taking time is usually during the day. And now that it is almost summer, there will be plenty of bright sunny days on which you want to take photos of vacationing kids and visiting guests. So what do we need to do to get a decent outdoor portrait? The simplest solution is to look for open shade. Open shade is the step you take back from the sunny to the shady. It can be just under a tree. Or a step inside a door frame or porch. Or a tent or any overhang. The open shade eliminates all of the contrasty shadows that appear on the face and clothing of a subject standing in the sun. Look at the side by side comparison, especially the eyes and the shirt of the girl on the left. (Pls ignore the color as I did not reset my white balance from sunny to shade and consequently have some funky color going on; pls be sure to set the WB to auto or shady). Below is a shot that shows you the line between a good and poor candid portrait. The girls were first on the sunny side of the line, and then took a step back into the shade. I love how the light catches in their eyes when you shoot in open shade. For more on open shade, see this post too.

Set a Slower Shutter Speed for Fun Photos

2010-05-15T17:23:00.009-04:00

My friend and professional photographer Andre Costantini has this great shot in his presentation that really shows the effect of a slow shutter speed. So while at the park last week, I bravely got on a tire swing with my subject and we were promptly spun until I wanted to throw up. In fact, I closed my eyes and just kept shooting and screaming. But it was worth it to show you how a slow shutter speed setting can make a really fun shot. I had my camera set at ISO 200 as it was a really nice bright day and I put the camera on high continuous shooting. I then set the camera to F22 while in the aperture priority mode, which in turn gave me a shutter speed of 1/30th of a second. This slow shutter speed cannot stop the fast action of the tire spinning around, so the sky and trees in the background are wonderful streaky blurs. Yet the subject is in focus (well, relatively speaking and I will explain that in a minute). The reason the subject stays in focus even though the shutter speed is so slow, is that in relation to each other, our position stays the same. It's as if we were just standing still looking at each other. Now, he is admittedly slightly out of focus since he was a little too close to the camera and had I just kept my eyes open while shooting, I would have spotted this and leaned back a touch. So if you can get yourself on a fast carnival or theme park ride, or a tire swing or one of those merry-go-round things on the playground, position yourself so that you and your subject face each other and relative to eachother do not move (i.e., in the same seat), and shoot on a slow shutter speed to really show off the motion of the ride. Tell your subject not to move too much, especially closer or further away from the camera. And have fun. Maybe take some Dramamine® before you head out to take this shot.

Great Idea for a Stylish Camera Bag

2010-05-10T16:00:00.010-04:00

This was not my idea, so I can't take credit, but I need to share it. Tired of carrying a super ugly black bag that screams, "Hey, I'm a tourist carrying really expensive camera gear here!" to every passerby? Have a fabulous tote bag that you got on sale at Marshalls or Overstock.com? Or an old bag that you want to repurpose in the spirit of Reduce, Re-Use, Recycle? Well, you can get an insert for your bag and carry your camera and lenses around in style, and still have plenty of room for your wallet, cell phone, keys, make-up, and more. Check out this padded insert from Tenba, available at B&H or any other local camera store that carries Tenba bags. This one fits beautifully in a messenger style bag, but I am sure my old orange bag that I love so much will work perfectly as well. The dividers move so that you can slide your camera with lens attached snugly into the bag. So get out an old favorite and make it your new favorite camera bag for your summer travels.

(Top photo: ©Tenba; bottom photo ©Overstock.com, Jessica Simpson line)

Silhouette Photos Are Easier Than You Think

2010-05-05T20:58:00.013-04:00

Silhouettes are some of the most dramatic images. Who doesn't love the silo of father and child walking away from the camera holding hands; or dad lifting a toddler high above his head against a blue sky; or an iconic skyline with a beautiful sunset backdrop. I could go on and on with examples we can instantly picture in our minds...palm trees, mountain ranges, large mammals atop a hillside, swimmers getting ready to jump into the lake. You get it. And to get the shot, it is actually very easy. My first example is not the greatest composition due to the distracting fence that surrounds the basketball court, but it clearly shows the subject and all details as black silhouettes. To take a silhouette photo, it helps to remember how the camera makes a proper exposure. When the meter reads very bright light, it stops down the aperture to a very small aperture, thus letting in less light. So if you point the camera at the sky, and lock in the exposure for the bright blue sky or brilliant sunset, the camera will pick a very small aperture like F22, letting in less light and therefore under-exposing your subject, which in turn becomes black. You can vary the effect by using your exposure compensation button (+/-) and taking shots a stop or two under and a stop or two over and pick the effect you like best. In my examples below, I metered off of the bright water and achieved the same effect. So next time it is a sunny day, crouch low so that your subject is against the bright background, meter for the sky and shoot away.

Lighting Diagrams for Window Light Photos

2010-04-19T22:38:00.007-04:00

Click the link below to download Photo Tips Card #4 and add it to your d-ring with the other tips cards. Window light is one of my favorite ways to take portraits and still life shots as you well know since my blog entries frequently feature this type of shot. I felt by sketching out how I position the camera and the subject might be helpful. I am going to ask you to not laugh at my funny sketches, but I am sure you will not be able to help yourself. I laughed too as I was making the card.
http://www.4shared.com/document/Nuyubuu8/TIPS_CARDS_WindowLightDiagrams.html

Take a Candid Holiday Portrait by Window Light, and Add a Prop!

2010-04-03T09:27:00.003-04:00

The window is your best photo accessory for portraits. It's so easy to use, always there, you don't need an assistant to hold anything, and you don't have to pull out your auxiliary flash. I just love the light that streams through my windows in several rooms. Positioning your subject very close to the window, like in the shot at left from early Easter mornning, can give you a nice dramatic light since the light falls off the opposite side of the face quickly and the eyes have a nice sparkle from the window catchlights. To get more of an even light, move your subject just a further away from the window (as in the first photo below- the subject was across the room from the window), or, face your subject perpendicular to the window instead of parallel. In this case, you can actually stand right in front of the window with your subject in turn in front of you and you will not block the light! See this post here for an example of this type of positioning. You can also "fill in" the other side of the face with a pop of the flash as you can see in the second photo below. If you find there is still a slight "artificial" feeling, you can adjust how much light the flash puts out by adjusting the flash +/- button usually found near the flash. Hold the button in and dial it towards the minus side. Perhaps -.7 or -1.0. Review the flash section in your camera manual to see exactly how to set this on your camera. And don't foget to add a prop that gives your portrait a sense of time. In my case, the tulips scream spring and the eggs of course will remind me this was Easter time when we look back at these photos years from now. (Watch for a forthcoming download card with lighting diagrams for window light positioning).

What I Learned Taking Basketball Photos

2010-03-13T16:58:00.000-05:00

It's hard. Really hard. To get a good shot. Today I took photos at the basketball game again. I brought along the "big gun" - a 70-200mm F/2.8 lens. And I really assumed this would take care of all of the issues I had previously trying to get a good shot. And it did help quite a bit. But there are several issues you'll be faced with if you plan to take photos in a gym. The biggest issue is lighting. The lighting in gyms can vary greatly. A gym with windows is much easier to shoot in since the brighter light is not only more natural for color, but it allows you to shoot at higher shutter speeds to stop action. In my case, there were no windows and only dull mercury vapor lights to shoot under. So not only was the lighting so low that I could not stop action effectively with my slower F/6.3 lens, but the color cast I got while using auto WB was unacceptable. So taking the following steps really helped me to finally get a better shot (but I am no Walter Iooss):

Use a fast lens if you can. I used an F/2.8 lens that lets in lots of light
Set your camera to aperture-priority and open the lens to the widest opening your lens allows since this will make the camera default to the highest shutter speed it can to stop action.
Boost your ISO to 1600 or higher. Make sure you are able to get a shutter speed of at least 1/250th of a second to stop the action. If the camera is shooting slower, you will need to boost your ISO some more.
Search thru your menus and see if you can find a setting to turn on "High ISO Noise Reduction" and set it to high. This will help reduce some of the noise you get when using an ISO over 800.
Use manual white balance to get the best color that you can. See this post for information on how to set a manual white balance. And see the download card here for information about white balance in general.
Position yourself near your team's basket if you can so that you can get facial expressions when they have opportunity to shoot. Shooting under the basket does require a wider angle lens. Shooting from across the court calls for a telephoto lens.
Shoot vertically as most action is vertical rather than horizontal. This will allow you to get full length shots, get the ball while in the air, and get players and the net in the shot.
Watch your framing. I found I cut off the feet of my players quite often as I was concentrating on the ball so hard. Footless platers are sort of disturbing.
Look for side line action like coaches giving their players direction, player interaction after a score, and details like the ball, the scoreboard, etc.

I hope these tips will help your sports shooting. And of course, practice and knowing the game go without saying.

Bring a Symbol of the Holiday Into Focus

2010-03-07T20:09:00.001-05:00

I have made this same picture over and over and I still love it. Birthday cupcakes with lit candle, a number of fingers held up to signify a birthday year, a lottery ticket, a dyed Easter egg, and more. This time it's the four leaf clover my subject plucked from a pot in the yard (look closely since at first glance it looks like three, but it is four). I was actually taking pictures of her cute Valentine's outfit when she found the clover and held it out to me to inspect. The resulting image is really cute and the clover pops out not only because my aperture was set wide open at F/2.8 and I focused on the clover (thus blurring the background), but also because of the contrast of the green against the red and white of her clothing. So whether it's your child's favorite stuffed animal, a perfect test score, or a special holiday object, this effect is a great way to bring focus to the event or milestone while still keeping the subject's face present in your photos.

Shallow Depth of Field Assignment #7 Results: ~Jamie

2010-03-01T21:51:00.000-05:00

Congrats ~Jamie on a photo that clearly demonstrates shallow depth of field. Your wide open aperture and precise focusing on the judge on the left allows the background to blur and suggests a venue while keeping the focus on the story you are telling about your son's robotic competition that took place two weeks ago. You get the A+ and a Starbucks gift card! Please send your mailing address to stacie.errera@yahoo.com.

Video Tutorials Worth Watching

2010-02-02T21:40:00.000-05:00

I usually don't post work-related stuff, but I have to say that the new 1-minute videos are worth checking out, so I thought I'd share the link to the latest video about aperture since it could help you with your photo assignment due on 2/21. See Episode Three here.

Your Assignment Is...Take a Portrait With Shallow Depth of Field: Due 2/21

2010-01-30T11:01:00.002-05:00

This is a repeat, but one that needs repeating since I think we all want to achieve great portrait shots— even when it's just a quick candid shot we're grabbing before the cake is served or before the kids are leaving for school. And using shallow depth of field is a key to great portraits (along with expression, lighting, angle). Shallow depth of field, when the parts of the image in front of and behind the subject are out of focus, makes your subject pop off the image. The example here (a repost from the summer, sorry), for instance, shows the eye and smile in sharp focus, yet the tip of the nose, ear and hair are out of focus. Another advantage of shallow depth of field is that you can eliminate distracting backgrounds like indoor clutter, foliage, cars on the street, etc., It makes the background less defined with soft colors.

To get shallow depth of field, the key is to set your camera to the "A" mode: Aperture-Priority. You can leave your ISO setting at 200 or 400 (or higher if the lighting conditions are low) and leave your camera in autofocus. You will then use your thumb-wheel to dial in the smallest number you can, like F/2.8, F/3.5, F/5.6. Focus on the eyes of your subject, or the eye that is closest to the camera. Depending on how close you are to your subject and what lens you are using (telephoto lenses and closer proximity make the effect even more apparent), you will notice that the background is just soft to almost unrecognizable. If you want the photo to have some context of where you are (like cooking in the kitchen), then maybe F/5.6 is a better choice. But if you want the crowd in the background to go really soft, "open the lens wider" to F/3.5 or F/2.8 if you can.

Please review the aperture download card here and look at the 4 posts about Depth of Field: Blurring the Background under photo tips on the right column for more info. Then, shoot your assignment. Really shoot it and practice, don't just search your photos for one that fits this assignment. I will look at the data tags to see when it was shot (looking for images shot 1/30 through 2/12). Use this opportunity to shoot a great Valentines portrait of your family members and put them into a collage frame!

Upload your assignment that you post on your blog, flickr, photobucket or facebook to Mr. Linky's below, or email me your assignment and I will post it for you. stacie.errera@yahoo.com. Someone will get an A+ and $5 Starbucks Gift Card. Thanks for playing and Good Luck!

Your Photo Assignment Is... Participants

1. Stefanie

2. Jeanne

3. ~Jamie

Making Snow Pictures Look Less Grey

2010-01-23T16:37:00.004-05:00

After the snow falls and school is cancelled for the day, the first thing the kids want is to bundle up and build a snowman. And we can't help but grab our cameras and shoot the whole process. Sometimes, you'll find the snow in your uploaded photos looks slightly grey and/or the overall picture is on the darker side. One way to fix this before you shoot is to adjust your exposure using the exposure compensation dial (see photo below and be sure to look this up in your manual). See, your camera's meter reads the whole scene as very bright since there is so much white all around your subject. In turn, the camera closes the aperture a bit to make what it believes to be the proper exposure (like squinting when it's too bright out, your camera wants to put on sunglasses). So you need to trick your camera and "add" more light by holding down your exposure compensation dial (+/-) and moving the thumb wheel to add exposure by going to the plus side. I usually add +0.7 when shooting in snow. The result is a bright picture and whiter snow. So next time there's snow by you and you go snowshoeing or help the kids with their snowman, add some extra exposure (+0.3~+1.0) before you start shooting.

Fine-Tuning the Color Cast in Your Photos: Custom White Balance

2010-01-10T17:10:00.000-05:00

One of the great advantages of digital photography is the ability to fine-tune the color of your photos pretty easily. There are many ways to do this including after the fact using photo editing software, adjusting custom image settings (like portrait, landscape, etc) though menus on your camera, and even the old fashioned way: using a filter. Filters were commonly used to remove the color cast of certain lighting when using daylight balanced film, or vice versa. Today, however, you can easily fine-tune the color by experimenting with your white balance settings. First, I suggest you review this white balance download card. Second, locate the white balance button on your camera (the button is usually designated by WB and is found on either the back or top right of your camera). If you hold this button down and use your scroll wheel, you will be able to move through the various white balance settings (consult your camera manual if your camera does not operate this way). Most often, AWB (automatic white balance) does a fine job of adjusting the color cast of the lighting to make sure white looks white and black looks black. However, sometimes the photo may look too orange (or blue, magenta or green) for your taste. To fine-tune, you can select one of the pre-set modes. Just decide what type of light is hitting your subject and set the WB to the corresponding icon (see the download card again).

If you still find the color to not be what you are looking for, then it may be time to experiment with CUSTOM WHITE BALANCE. I will admit, I have not done much with custom white balance as I feared it was too difficult and only for real professionals. However, I have discovered it is really easy to set a custom white balance and the difference in color can be night and day. I used a custom white balance this holiday season in a relative's living room that has consistently given me an issue the past few years, even when using a flash. This year's holiday photos were much more pleasing as a result.

To set a custom white balance, follow these easy steps:
1) Hold down your WB button and scroll to PRE or Custom
2) Hold down the WB button until PRE or Custom blinks
3) Point your camera at a white piece of paper that is close to your subject or hold an "expodisc" (my tool) over your lens and point it towards the light source
4) Press the shutter release button as if you were taking a photo and look at the LCD on your camera to confirm the camera states "Good" (If not, try steps 3-5 again). No photo will actually be taken.
5) Take pictures
Note: if you use an expodisc, put your camera in manual focus to take the WB shot and then put it back into autofocus before taking photos.

The samples above of "Marabelle" show a distinct change in color cast. The AWB gave me an orange cast from the tungsten lighting in the room. The preset tungsten white balance setting gave me the same result. But by following the steps above, I was able to get a more accurate color rendition of Marabelle, her clothing and the surroundings. For example, look closely at the white zipper in each photo and the black marble counter top. Places where custom white balance can make a huge difference include stage lighting and gym lighting (look for a future post on this regarding the atrocious mercury vapor lighting in the gym where we play basketball) where the camera's presets may have a hard time perfecting the white balance. So, if you are up to experimenting with this technique, I highly recommend it as yet another way to improve your photos and even save some time editing them later on. If you find yourself using a custom white balance often, then take a look at ExpoDisc or other products like it to make the job easier.

Holiday Portraits Using the Night Portrait Scene Mode

2009-12-19T20:21:00.001-05:00

I rarely use the scene modes on my camera, but the one I find myself using from time to time is the Night Portrait mode. This scene mode is the one with the icon featuring a person and star (see below). I use this mode when I want a person as my main subject, but the special lighting in the background, like Christmas lights, Times Square lighting, or a sunset, is equally important. In this photo, my subject posed in front of the town's decorated gazebo and lit tree. The Night Portrait mode sends out a burst of the flash to capture the subject and than makes the shutter stay open a little longer to capture the lighting in the background. The trick in this mode is to be sure both you and your subject hold still to avoid unwanted blur from camera shake or subject movement. In fact, my subject did move and her hands are slightly blurry due to the very slow 1/10 sec shutter speed required to achieve the effect. But the expression was just what I hoped for, so for me, it's perfect. I boosted the ISO considerably—to 1000— and I opened my aperture to F/5, the widest setting for this situation, in order to make the lights softer in the background. Using the Night Portrait mode helped me take the guess work out of deciding how to set my flash and shutter speed and instead concentrate on snapping away until I got what I was looking for. So pose your kids in front of the tree or outdoor decorations, or position your family along the railing at sunset on your next cruise, set the camera to Night Portrait mode and see what you can get!

Images above from Panasonic website (top) and hubbardcamera.com (bottom).

Stop Action Photo Assignment #6 Results: Laura

2009-12-14T19:46:00.001-05:00

I love this photo of a runner in the rain. Laura successfully caught the action by freezing the muddy water flying up from the stomp of the runner's foot. A fast shutter speed was needed to stop the action. Laura, please email me (stacie.errera@yahoo.com) your mailing address so that I can send out your Starbuck's gift card. Congrats to all who played. And congrats to ~Jamie who has successfully completed the course! She turned in six out of six assignments. Way to go! I will email you your certificate of completion to post on your blog, Jamie. Look for the next assignment to be posted soon (the holidays and work have slowed my posting down a bit, and I apologize).

Using Flash for Indoor Photography

2009-11-29T20:32:00.006-05:00

I have to admit it. Flash is my least favorite type of photography. I suppose since it seems so technical and the results can vary from situation to situation, looking artificial, too dark or too washed out. Luckily, today's flashes can run pretty much on auto pilot and can be used for creative effect with just a little practice. But this time of year, and for the next four or five months, we're all stuck indoors a great deal of the time, especially during the holiday season when we take so many candid photos at get-togethers. So I thought I'd share just a few basic flash tips to improve your indoor photos.

1) Your pop-up flash, the one that is part of the camera and pops up automatically if you are shooting in the "green box" total program mode, can cover just a short distance. Most of the time, any subject further than ten feet cannot get enough of the flash illumination for a properly exposed shot and that is why they look dark. You can boost your ISO to higher than normal to try and get more reach. 2) When you position your subject too close to a wall and use your pop-up flash, you are bound to get harsh shadows behind your subject. Eliminate this by having your subject step a few feet away from the wall and by shooting from a little bit above the subject (which is also a more flattering angle for portraits). 3) Your pop-up flash can cause red-eye quite often. This is because the flash is so close to the lens. It is worse on point-and-shoot cameras than DSLR cameras, but typical in either case. To eliminate red-eye, you can use the red-eye reduction function that throws out a pre-flash to make your subject's eyes close down, but I find often that people think you're done and move before the photo is actually shot. You can also try turning up the lights in the room to help the iris naturally close down a little. 4) If you are in a very dark room, the camera/flash may over-expose your subject (you know, the white face that appears to have nothing but eyes and lips) since the camera reads the room as very dark and wants to make it brighter. This also happens if you are too close to your subject. One solution is to back up to correct the latter, and turn up the room lights if you can for the former. If you cannot control the lighting, try moving your subject closer to a room light like I did above.

On-Camera Auxiliary Flash

An on-camera auxiliary flash, like the one for my camera shown above, elevates the flash away from the lens and helps to reduce red-eye dramatically. This type of flash also helps in other ways: a) it can throw the flash further allowing you to be further away from your subject; and b) you can change the position of the flash to get more even lighting with much less shadows. This is called "bounce flash." The photo above of my very Thanksgiving-weary subject was taken with the auxiliary flash in a bounce position. The flash bounced off of the ceiling and back down onto my subject. You can see the lighting looks much more natural and softer than in either of the two photos below (top: pop-up flash; bottom: straight-on auxiliary flash) where the shot looks more artificial and harsh. In the photos below, you can also see the harsh shadow under the lamp and on the futon frame. And, there are hot spots on her cheeks. You can also see how quickly the flash "drops off," meaning the couch gets darker, whereas in the photo above, the couch and subject are all evenly illuminated since the bounced flash showers the whole area with light. One caution--always bounce off of a white wall or ceiling as the flash will take on the color cast of what it is being bounced off of (e.g., a green ceiling will produce a ghoulish effect).

Like learning how to control your depth of field to blur backgrounds, mastering your flash is a must for anyone who is looking to take better people photos. So this season, try to remember some of the tips above when shooting your flash candids at family gatherings. And if you can get an auxiliary flash made for your camera onto your wish list, it will be a worthwhile investment for many years.

Your Assignment Is...Take a "Stop Action" Photo: Due 12/11/09

2009-11-22T17:46:00.003-05:00

Freezing a droplet of water or a smiling face zipping past you on a bike both require using a fast shutter speed and usually a higher ISO setting. I prefer to set my camera on aperture priority in order to prevent under-exposing my shot. In this shooting mode, using a wide open aperture like F/2.8, F/3.5 or F/5.6 will let a lot of light into the camera, and the camera will then automatically choose the fastest shutter speed it can—given the ISO setting and your lighting conditions. If it is a bright day, the shutter speed will be higher in this mode when using a wide aperture. And the higher you set your ISO, the higher the resulting shutter speed will be. So start with your camera in the "A" or "AV" mode, set the aperture to a wide open setting, and set your ISO at 400. Look thru the camera and see what shutter speed your camera says it will use. If it is slower than 1/500th of a second, then boost your ISO to 800, or 1000. Keep in mind that if your subject is moving very fast, you may need a very high shutter speed, like 1/1000th or 1/1250th in order to freeze the motion. To refresh your memory about aperture priority, take a look at the aperture download card posted here. Take a break from raking leaves, grab the camera and take a few shots of autumn fun. Or, if it is already snowing in your part of the country, take some creative snowball fight shots. Use a fast shutter speed to capture sports action, falling confetti, sprinkler water and more. Use Mr. Linky's below to turn in your assignment after posting on your own blog or flickr or photobucket, etc account, or feel free to email me your shot and I will post it for you (stacie.errera@yahoo.com). Assignment #6 is due 12/11/09. Someone will get the A+ and a $5 Starbucks gift card. Good luck!

Your Photo Assignment Is... Participants

1. laura
2. Stefanie

3. Cris
4. ~Jamie

Photos by Candlelight

2009-11-15T21:46:00.000-05:00

Taking a photo by candlelight can be a little tricky. But boosting your ISO and opening your aperture to its widest opening can really help. In this photo, I asked my subject to move his face close to the cake (but not so close as to get burned). My ISO was set to 1600 and my aperture at F/5.6. I held my camera as steady as possible and used the image stabilizer on my lens. I metered on his face and zoomed out a little to compose and focus. The result is a warm image from the candles, and a nice highlight in his eyes. Use a high ISO and position your subject close to candles for any birthday celebration, or for the lighting of the menorah this holiday season.

Next Photo Tips Download Card Set: What would you like to see?

2009-11-15T09:23:00.000-05:00

Hi Everyone. I am thinking about my next set of download cards and wanted to ask all of you what you need help with. Some ideas I have are panning, ISO, leading lines, time exposure? Let me know what you would like to see. Thanks.

Isolate Details for a Different Look at Landscapes

2009-11-14T16:27:00.002-05:00

When you say "landscape" I'm sure the vision you have in your mind is a panorama of a sprawling field, distant mountains or grand canyons taken with a super wide angle setting on your zoom lens. However, telephoto zoom settings can also be used effectively for landscape photos. When you zoom in on the details of your landscape, you can bring out something special. Here, in Nikko, Japan, I captured the majesty of the not-quite peaked fall season by isolating a few brilliantly colored trees clustered together in the still mostly green landscape. The resulting picture says "fall" unlike the wide angle shot I could have taken. Next time you're shooting landscapes, zoom in and see what interesting detail you can find: a single tree, a mountain peak, a reflection in the lake, and more. When you use the telephoto setting, you compress the distance between objects and achieve a flat, almost painterly 2-D effect.

Worm's Eye View Photo Assignment #5 Results: Scott

2009-11-03T21:58:00.001-05:00

With each assignment, it gets more difficult to choose just one image to get the A+. I loved all of the architecture shots and the couple of cool portraits from a different perspective. I selected Scott for the A+ since, as his caption on Flickr states, you feel like you're there. Please do check out his photo here since this small thumb nail does not do it justice. I really do feel like I'm on the trail when I view his image. Congrats Scott. Please send your mailing address to stacie.errera@yahoo.com and I will send out your gift card for Starbucks. I'll post the next assignment after I return from an overseas trip. So be on the look-out for assignment 6. And if you've played along since the first assignment, you'll get your certificate of completion after turning in #6!

Your Assignment Is...Take a Photo from A Worm's Eye View: Due 10/31/09

2009-10-12T17:41:00.003-04:00

Getting low on the ground and shooting up towards your subject can create a dramatic effect. This is called a "worm's eye view" since you are essentially viewing the subject just as a worm would. As opposed to a bird's eye view, well, you get the picture. Now, I literally laid down on the ground and shot up to make sure I could get the full length of the lighthouse in my shot. However, crouching down can achieve the effect. So can raising your subject. For example, your subject is up on a ladder, or porch, and you are on the ground. Use your imagination to get below your subject. You will see how you can crop out distracting backgrounds, include more sky, or incorporate something special in the photo. You can also give the illusion of height, power, strength and more when you shoot upwards. Assignment #5 is due on 10/31 and you can use Mr. Linky's below to link your assignment from your own blog, your Facebook page or your Flickr page. Or, as always, you can email it to me (stacie.errera@yahoo.com) and I will post it for you! Someone will get the A+ and a $5 gift card to Starbucks. Good luck and don't forget to download the free photo tips card to help you out with this assignment.

Your Photo Assignment Is... Participants

1. laura
2. Laura D
3. Shauna @ They Call Me Lucy

4. Jamie
5. Jeanne
6. Amber D.

7. Denene
8. Stefanie
9. Scott

Free Photo Tips Card Download #3: Positioning

2009-10-10T17:13:00.004-04:00

Getting above or below your subject makes your images interesting. Download this new card set here and add to set 1 and set 2. Printing it on photo paper is best so it is heavier weight (luster or matte) and add it to a D-ring to clip onto your camera bag. Enjoy!

Rule of Thirds Photo Assignment #4 Results: Stefanie

2009-09-30T20:15:00.001-04:00

You guys all really nailed this one. The rule of thirds can make a huge difference in your photos as several of you demonstrated on your blogs for your entries. Congrats to all of you. I selected Stefanie's for the A+. I think the technique is really clear here: The boat is positioned in the lower right third, and the horizon of land is in the upper third making for a very well balanced and interesting shot. (Stefanie, please email me at stacie.errera@yahoo.com so that I can send you your Stabucks gift card and copy the award here for your blog). Check out Stefanie's blog at http://prncsstefy.blogspot.com. Look for the photo assignment #5 to be posted soon. Thanks for playing!

Another Rule of Thirds Example-Your Photo Assignment is Due 9/28

2009-09-26T17:52:00.001-04:00

Here's another quick example of the rule of thirds. I love its simplicity. I called it heading home on my Project 365 blog. The main subjects are located in roughly the lower left third of the grid. Read more about the rule of thirds here, here and here. Don't forget to turn in your assignment (using rule of thirds) by Monday, 9/28. You can read all about the assignment here. And you can always send me your photo and I can upload for you.

Change Your Position for Better Photos

2009-09-21T20:40:00.002-04:00

Just like changing the scenery can give us a whole new outlook and change our mood, so does changing your position when taking a photo. It is very common for all of us to just shoot pictures from a standing position, but this leads to somewhat boring images. We have all gotten a much better shot just by crouching down or standing on a chair or bench. Not only do you get a whole new perspective, but this helps to eliminate distracting backgrounds for a clean, more professional look. For this shot, I was standing on the bulkhead while my subjects were down on the shore, allowing me to give a real sense of where they are since I was able to show both the sand and the beach grass in the shot. Plus, the busy background harbor was now out of the shot. Look for the next photo tips card download about positioning yourself for better photos to come shortly (see #1 here; and #2 here).

Your Assignment Is...Take a Photo that Demonstrates the Rule of Thirds: Due 9/28/09

2009-09-13T21:43:00.005-04:00

The rule of thirds is one of the most powerful creative options you have when composing your photograph. A photo that has the important element of the photo at an intersecting point of a "tic tac toe" board, or in one of the right or left, top or bottom thirds of the photo, is one that is more compelling than a shot with the subject centered. Most often, you don't want to position your subject smack dab in the center of the frame. It's boring. Although, this rule, like all rules, can be broken very effectively. That really depends on the shot. But if you start to think about not putting you subject in the center of the frame, you will train your eye to see better shots. For example, the eye closest to the camera should hit one of the intersecting points. Or the critical part of the landscape should be in the top third or bottom third, left third or right third. My shot here shows the subject off to the right slightly and in the lower portion of the frame. This gives the subject breathing room in the frame, the "white space" (which does not have to be white, but rather unimportant or non-distracting space in the frame) gives your eye a place to rest and then come back to the subject, and by positioning the subject as I did, you get a feeling of where she is and that where she is important to me and therefore should be to the viewer as well. Below is another example. This time a vertical landscape that also adheres to the rule of thirds. I added the tic tac toe board to both images also so that you can get a better idea of where the intersecting points or thirds of a frame are.

Please try this as you are taking photos over the next two weeks and turn in your photo assignment by 9/28/09 for your chance to get the A+ and a $5 Starbucks gift card. You can use Mr. Linky's below to upload your image that you have posted on your blog, Facebook, Flickr, or website for the assignment. Or, you can email your shot to stacie.errera@yahoo.com and I will post it for you. Good Luck!

Your Photo Assignment Is... Participants

1. mlspencerwv
2. Cris
3. Stefanie

4. Steff
5. Jeanne
6. farmnwife

7. ~Jamie
8. Margaret

Boost Your ISO and Take Photos Without Flash

2009-09-11T22:33:00.004-04:00

Sometimes the best indoor photos are taken without flash. Natural lighting is, well, so much more natural. The photo on the left is taken at ISO 200 with my built-in flash. The colors are accurately represented. And the noise (grain) is tight and sharp. But compare it to the photo on the left. Look at how you can see the night light and almost read the numbers on the clock radio? You can even see the wood floor in the room. That's because I did not use a flash and boosted my ISO considerably in order to get enough light to really make this photo work. I boosted the ISO all the way up to 1600. And the image is lit well because I used a very slow shutter speed, which allowed the ambient light in the room (the light in the shot, the light in the room behind me and the lights along the curtains) to record onto the CCD. The shot is certainly grainy, and the color is not as accurate as in the image on the left, but given a choice, I definitely prefer the right side. It has more dimension and life. Boosting your ISO makes the chip more sensitive to light, so you can shoot in lower light and still get the shot. In this case, my light level was so low, that even at ISO 1600 and with my aperture opened all of the way to let in the maximum amount of light through the lens, my shutter speed was very slow-just one quarter of a second (1/4). So I had my VC image stabilization feature on my lens switched on for this shot to be sure I could hand-hold the camera without getting blur.(Left: 18mm; F/9; 1/60th sec; ISO 200; flash fired. Right: 18mm; F/6.3; 1/4th sec; ISO 1600; no flash).

End of Summer Photo Lesson: Shooting in Open Shade

2009-09-06T18:13:00.006-04:00

When the sun is really harsh, you can still get wonderful portraits by placing your subjects just inside a shady area. This might be just under an umbrella (like my example of these gorgeous siblings), inside a garage door, inside your house door, under the slide at the park, under the light of the first tree, etc. The key is to not position your subject too deep into the shade. You want all of the light that is just behind you to spill softly onto your subjects. This will give even lighting across the face(s) as well as great light in the eyes. (65mm -cropped; F/5.6; ISO 400).

BONUS Lesson: This second photo was also taken in the open shade of a small umbrella on a very bright beach. Here you can actually see just how close they are positioned to the edge of the shade. But I am throwing this in to illustrate leading lines. Your eye naturally goes to the boy first and follows down the line to the sitting girl, but notice how the lines of the table push your eye right back up again. This is a great way to keep your viewer engaged within the image.(55mm; F/5.6; ISO 400)

Window Light Portrait Assignment #3 Results: Jeanne

2009-09-06T18:06:00.007-04:00

Three beautiful children and a perfectly posed cat. All lovely portraits by window light. Excellent job all! Jeanne's photo showed great emotion and wonderful catch lights in the eyes of her daughter who joyously posed in the curtained window. Jeanne can copy and paste this A+ mark onto her blog or facebook and she'll receive a $5 Starbucks gift card. Just e-mail me Jeanne. Look for assignment #4 to be posted later in the week. Thanks for playing along!

Window Light: Use it to take close-up photos, too!

2009-08-30T12:34:00.006-04:00

It's important to capture possessions that are important to you and your family as it will be fun to look back on those photos years from now when the item is either gone or no longer shiny and new. But without a true 1:1 macro lens and macro lighting, you may feel you cannot get great shots of smaller objects like we see in home decor magazines. Nothing could be further from the truth. Any zoom that gives you a maximum magnification of 1:4 or better can yield great close-up shots (consult your owner's manual to see this specification for your lens, or check out the specs of any lens you are thinking about purchasing). And small objects can be photographed beautifully in natural light. Window light is my favorite light for people, but also for things. The harshness of mid-day light is diffused and makes for excellent quality light for a variety of subjects. Take this cute little beaded purse- a favorite possession of its young owner. Sitting at corner table in a small cafe at lunchtime, I couldn't help but notice how the light from the large window made the sequins sparkle. So from my booth seat, I zoomed in tight enough to catch the detail (and allowed enough of a glimpse of the non-working cell phone that resides inside this purse these days to complete the story!). The shallow depth of field, created due to my close proximity to the subject, keeps the focus on the purse details. (55mm; F/9; ISO 400)

Free Photo Tips Card Download 2: White Balance

2009-08-21T00:01:00.006-04:00

Download the second set of photo tips cards on White Balance and add them to the first set about Aperture. I hope you find this set useful as you shoot. Experiment with your white balance outdoors to warm up or cool a shot. Click here to download.

Your Assignment Is...Window Light Portrait: Due September 5th

2009-08-18T22:47:00.012-04:00

Assignment #3 is to take a portrait of a person or pet by window light. A few things to keep in mind: Natural window light usually means wide open apertures and slower shutter speeds, so consider boosting your ISO if necessary, be sure your anti-shake mode is on, or use a tripod to prevent camera shake. Two, the closer you are to a window, the more dramatic the shadow on the opposite side of the face will be. Positioning your subject further from a window means softer, more even light. Three, you can actually stand in front of the window and position your subject facing the window and it won't cast a shadow! This results in very flat lighting on the face. Four, shoot by a window even if it is overcast or there are soft sheer curtains. The light will be beautiful. Be sure to review the photo tips under "Lighting: Window Light" in the column to the right to see examples photos. Your assignment is due September 5. Use Mr. Linky's below to turn in your assignment, or send your shot to me to post (stacie.errera@yahoo.com). Someone will get the A+ and a $5 Starbucks gift card. Good Luck!

Your Photo Assignment Is... Participants

1. Jeanne
2. Stefanie

3. ~Jamie
4. Margaret

Creative Framing Assignment #2 Results: Cris

2009-08-11T20:16:00.006-04:00

You guys made this one really tough! Great photos everyone! Each one was very creative. Cris' shot of her kids framed by an inner tube float was nicely done and my pick for this assignment for the A+ and a $5 Starbucks Gift Card. The kids are positioned very well, with eyes at different levels and she zoomed in close to crop out part of the tube, which makes the shot interesting. Congrats Cris from Elementally Speaking! Email me your address and I will send out your gift card. Watch for photo assignment #3 to be posted next week. Thanks for playing!

Use Your Flash for Outdoor Photos

2009-08-09T21:53:00.008-04:00

We all have heard the rule that early morning and late afternoon are the magical times for talking photos. But let's face it. At noon, we're at the pool or the beach. Noon is when the action is happening and when we are more likely to be taking photos. So in order to avoid the raccoon eyes that come with overhead noon time light, just turn on your flash! The small burst of light will fill in shadows and make your subject's eyes pop out just like it did for my subject. Look at the shot on the left with no flash. Harsh shadows fill in the eye sockets and the shadow is strong across her shoulder and neck. For the shot on the right, I just popped up my built-in flash and it makes a world of difference. To avoide over-exposing your subject, one trick is to dial in a small aperture like F/16 or F/22. For some people, images that use fill flash may appear to be too artificial. If you find the flash puts out too much light, there is a setting on most DSLR cameras whereby you can "compensate" the flash in a plus (+) or minus (-) direction. Dial in a -1 or -2 flash compensation and the flash will emit less light to fill in shadows more subtly. (For that tip, however, you will have to break out your camera manual to find the setting). So next time you're at the pool or beach this summer, and you cannot get your subject under an umbrella, or tree or some other type of open shade during those harsh hours between 11am and 3pm, then try popping up your flash! (25mm; F/16; ISO200)

Frame Your Subject Creatively In-Camera

2009-07-29T22:11:00.004-04:00

OK, so this shot was not my idea. I saw it in a magazine scrapbook layout and knew I needed the same shot to capture the moment in time when conversations and quips from the back seat were hilarious, poignant and thought-provoking. There's nothing wrong with taking a cue from someone else's photo, as long as it is just for your personal use and you're not selling it. But, back to the topic at hand. Framing your subject. This photo demonstrates creative framing very well. There are so many ways to frame your subject: literally, like I did for the shot to announce Photo Assignment #2 (see Sunday, 7/26 post); or by using your surroundings so that the frame actually enhances the story-telling aspect of your photograph. Like the car's rear view mirror frame does here. Look for lines, holes, shadows, trees, archways, doors, bridges, canyons, structures, an alley--all of these and more can be used to give a "frame" of reference for your shot--where is your subject? what is she doing? what's the emotion? A frame can give a sense of scale. And it guides your eye right to your subject. A frame can take a so so shot and make it brilliant. So frame-up your subject and turn in your assignment by 8/10! You could get the A+ and $5 Starbucks gift card.

Your Photo Assignment Is...Frame Your Subject Creatively in Your Photo: Due August 10th

2009-07-26T23:20:00.007-04:00

This photo assignment calls for you to creatively frame your subject so that you draw attention to your subject and tell your story more effectively. My photo is very literal, but check out the framing tip to the right and watch for this week's post about framing for more creative ideas. Turn in your photo assignment by August 10th and you could receive an A+ and a $5 Starbucks gift card. Use Mr. Linky's here to upload your photo from your Flicker stream, your blog, from your Facebook page or website. Or, feel free to email your photo to me at stacie.errera@yahoo.com and I will post it for you. Good luck!

Your Photo Assignment Is... Participants

1. Carrie
2. Jeff V
3. amber d.

4. Cris
5. Jeanne
6. ~Jamie @ Kids...Me & RAW III

7. Stephanie

Shallow Depth of Field Assignment Results: Amber

2009-07-26T23:09:00.007-04:00

First off, I love the assignments you all turned in. It's not easy to pick just one, but I really feel Amber D's shot of a butterfly on a tree really works. If it did not have the shallow depth of field it has, the butterfly would have been lost in the background and the image would not have the impact it does. Congrats Amber! Email me to pick up your A+ badge and I will send out your Starbucks gift card right away. The next assignment will be posted shortly.

Free Photo Tips Card Download 1: Aperture

2009-07-19T13:49:00.006-04:00

I'm using my time in the airport in Palm Springs (I'm painfully early for my flight and it's 112 degrees outside so I can't even enjoy the outside cafeteria) to finish and upload the first of what I hope will be many free download cards. These will be a series of cards that you can print out and keep with you to refer to when you're out shooting. The first is about aperture priority mode. I've covered this topic a lot since I feel it is the most important technique to master to make better photos. Understanding what is does allows you to be more creative since you can force the outcome of your image to better tell your story. The current Photo Assignment (see http://www.chasingpictureperfection.com/2009/07/blog-post.html) that is due 7/24/09 asks you get out and try this setting. And we all know practice is the best way to master any technique. So print out this first set of cards on one letter-size sheet of photo paper (luster is best since it won't scratch as much). Then cut the paper along the grey lines to give you a set of four cards. If you like, punch a whole in the corners and put them on a D-ring key chain and attach them to your camera bag. You could even have them laminated at your local office supply store. This is the first set of Chasing Picture Perfection Tips Cards, and the plan is to bring you a new set every month. Download the file at this link http://www.4shared.com/file/119167214/5e95ce94/TIPS_CARDS_final.html

Don't Leave Home Without Your Camera

2009-07-12T10:19:00.009-04:00

That's of course one of the tricks to getting a good photo. Just keep taking pictures! But even when your doing some of the most mundane things, you might just find some perfect light and a child with a great attitude for the day! Here are two shots from our recent overnight in NYC. We went window shopping down in SOHO and while in a furniture store, Syd sat down while we browsed. When I checked on her, I noticed that the window light streaming in from the high broad windows was beautiful. Her eyes just sparkled when she looked up at me. Of course, I said, oh, you look so pretty, stay right there! The warm tones in the store made it even more beautiful and she cooperated for two or three shots. (32mm; F/5; ISO 400).

At the next store, there were floor to ceiling windows all around the 2nd floor store. And she picked up a nice prop- a bouquet of artificial sunflowers - and promptly sat on the floor in front of the window. Because I was so close to her, not more than five feet, and used a focal length slightly more than normal (65mm), the flowers are out of focus. (65m; F/5; ISO 400). For both shots, I had my camera in aperture priority mode so that I could always pick the most wide open aperture I could get given the lighting. This way I ensured the background would be a little softer to make her pop out. And I always focus on the eyes (or the eye that is closest to the camera).

Your Photo Assignment Is...Create a Photo Using Shallow Depth of Field: Due 7/24/09

2009-07-09T22:12:00.018-04:00

Welcome to Chasing Picture Perfection's new online photo course. Every two weeks I will post a new assignment based on a topic that I have covered. You "turn-in" your assignments using Mr. Linky's, which allows you to post your completed assignment on your own blog, website or Facebook™ page and you leave the link on my blog so that I can review them (along with any other person who stops by to see what the "class" is up to). If you don't have a place to post your image, please email it to me (stacie.errera@yahoo.com) and I will link it for you. I will choose one image that best demonstrates the technique or rule to receive an A+. The A+ "student" gets a badge to place on his/her site and a $5 Starbucks gift card! If you complete six assignments (need not be consecutive), you will receive a badge for your site stating you completed the photo course. I hope these assignments will give you a chance to practice the many tips I try to bring to you. So on to the first assignment...
Take a photo that demonstrates creative use of shallow depth of field. Shallow depth of field is when the area in front and/or behind your subject is blurred, making your subject pop off the page (or screen). Controlling your depth of field is one of the best techniques you can master to improve your photography. Shallow depth of field is most often created by using a wide open aperture (a number like F/2.8, F/3.5, F/4, F/5.6 or F/6.3). Using a telephoto lens can also help to achieve shallow depth of field, as does moving in closer to your subject. Review past posts under the Photo tips column (Depth of Field: Blurring the Background) to the right if you'd like to brush up. And then shoot, post, and link by 7/24/09. Then pat yourself on the back for completing your first photo assignment!

Your Photo Assignment Is... Participants

1. ~Jamie
2. Kathy
3. Sue
4. Deb

5. Stephanie
6. Andre
7. Vic Scott
8. Cris

9. Amber D.
10. Carrie
11. Mark B

Guest Post at Elementally Speaking

2009-07-07T18:52:00.009-04:00

My friend CrisDee over at Elementally Speaking asked if I would guest post for her site where she shares with you ideas for creating, capturing and keeping family memories. I'd love it if you'd take a look at this post about my daughter's dance recital. Thanks Cris!

http://elementallyspeaking.wordpress.com/2009/07/06/new-feature-photo-tips-from-stacie-errera/

Add Your Point-of-View to Your Photos

2009-07-05T22:15:00.004-04:00

Every picture tells a story, right? I believe so. And a good photo makes the viewer see what you want them to see, experience something the same way you experienced it, or feel what you felt. When shooting, try to find those unique angles that tell your unique story. Here, while on my business trip to Malta in June, surrounded by 40 others carrying DSLRs with fabulous zoom lenses, I had only one photo of myself to prove I went to this place. So on my last day, a long grueling day of on and off the bus sightseeing, one where my shoe selection proved to be all wrong, I sat down on the edge of the harbor area, exhausted, and dipped my feet (covered with band-aids and white from baby powder I hoped would stop the burning) into the oily harbor water. But heck, it was Mediterranean oily harbor water. I took the opportunity to get a real "I was here photo" that tells my story of that day. At the end of a burning hot sunny day. But one I am glad I had the opportunity to experience. (18mm; F/8; 1/1000th sec.; ISO 200)

Fireworks Photos are a Blast!

2009-07-05T19:02:00.007-04:00

Fireworks photos are easy to shoot if you have a great position and a stable tripod or surface for your camera (or a lens with image stabilization like my 18-270mm VC zoom). I set the camera to manual mode (off of the program or aperture priority shooting mode I usually use). I also set the camera to manual focus. Since the sky is dark, the camera cannot focus so you need to manually set the lens' focus ring to infinity. Next, I boosted the ISO to 1000. And finally, I set the lens to my widest aperture (F/6.3) and a slow 1/15th of a second shutter speed. The slow shutter speed captures the streaks of the fireworks' bursts nicely (but the slow shutter speed can lead to some blur if you are hand-holding or shooting without a tripod and cable release--did you know that even when your camera is on a tripod, the act of pressing the shutter release button can cause blur?). If you get too much blur, move your shutter speed to 1/30th of a second, but your streaks may not be as long. I did have a nice position on the patio of a beautiful bed and breakfast where a friend was staying (we were so pleased that she invited us all to watch with her!). There was a nice break in the trees that looked out over the LI Sound. I got many shots (see my Flickr set at http://www.flickr.com/photos/stacie-errera/sets/72157621005966816/ ), but I like this one the best since it is so different from the typical round burst. To me it looks like an eagle. While the fireworks we saw were not Macy's quality, they were fun for the kids, we oohed and aahed, and I felt I got a few good shots to include in my scrapbook page for this year's holiday. Perfect end to a Happy 4th of July Day! (270mm; ISO 1000; F/6.3; 1/15th sec.)

Photoshop 101 Color Correction

2009-06-30T18:29:00.010-04:00

I am no Photoshop guru. Everything I know I learned from Ken Hubbard and Andre Costantini (see their blogs listed in my blogroll), two pros who DO know their Photoshop. But I can fix a shot that's too dark, or the wrong tint. Sometimes sharpen it up a bit. The thing to remember with digital is that almost all images need a little boost. If you send your images out to a lab to make prints (like Shutterfly or any other online processing) or drop them off at a drug store, the images automatically go through processing to increase contrast, correct a little color and sharpen them. But if you print at home like me, it's worth the little bit of time to take a great shot and make it even better. Software like Photoshop Elements, Picassa and more are a great investment of both time and money. I noticed my shot of Sydney in the pool from Sunday's aperture post was looking a little blue. So I took a moment to fix it and thought this would be a good post. Here we go...

Step 1: Go to Edit > Adjustments > Levels (Ctr+L) and move your slider on the right until you meet the black hill. If need be, move the slider on the left to meet the black hill, too.

Step 2: Next, I zoomed in on the photo and went to Image > Adjustments > Curves (Ctr + M) and clicked the eyedropper on the right (white) and selected a white point in the photo (the rail of the pool in the background). The image now shifted color and became brighter.

Step 3: However, I thought it was too bright. So I went to Edit > Fade > Fade Curves (fade will adjust the opacity of whatever your last action was) and selected 50%. I like the difference. I think the retouched version pops a little more and it not so blue. See, after on left/before on right (yes, backwards I realized after I was all done).

Unclutter Your Photo's Background

2009-06-27T22:27:00.022-04:00

Understanding the function of F-stops, or the aperture of your lens, is undeniably the most confusing of your DSLR's features. However, once you master it, you will make a huge leap forward in the quality of your photos. As a photo student in high school and college, I stuck a slip of paper onto the back of my camera (yes, in film days SLRs had a bookplate slot on the back of the camera where you slipped in a flap from your film box so that you could remember what film you had loaded. Can you imagine?!). On this slip I wrote, "open aperture=blurry" and "small aperture=sharp." An open aperture lets in a lot of light. On your lens it is a setting like F/2.8, 3.5, 5.6, or 6.3. Think of the aperture as your eye's pupil. If there is not much light, your pupil gets bigger, or "opens" to let in more light. But a big result of using an open aperture is the effect of a blurry background that really makes your subject pop off the page (or screen). You can easily control the aperture setting on your camera by putting the camera on "A" and dialing in one of the aforementioned numbers. Your camera will automatically pick a shutterspeed to make a proper exposure. In this first photo of Sydney, her eye is in focus, but her earring is not, and neither is the tip of her nose. I was just a few feet away and had the camera set to "A" (Aperture Priority) and dialed in F/6.3.

Now conversely, if you choose a small aperture, like F/22 or F/32, your background will appear more sharp. Again, imagine a bright sunny day and how your pupils react: they get smaller and let in less light. But also, think about when you squint and how things get clearer. This is sort of how a smaller aperture works. If you have a distracting background, dialing in a wider (or open aperture) will make the background blurry and eliminate the distractions. However, maybe you want the background really clear. Like if you're standing in front of a sign that you want to be able to read in the photo. Then you would dial in a small aperture like F/22. In this second photo of Sydney and her earring, I dialed in F/32 and her earring is now in more focus.

Note: just to make the whole topic of aperture a little more confusing, the effect of your aperture selection will become more or less apparent depending on how close you are to your subject-the closer your are, the more blurry the background becomes- and your zoom setting-the more telephoto, the more apparent the blurry effect.

Below are two more examples:.

Kelsey the dog, my uncooperative model but cute nonetheless: Aperture F/6.3 (top) and F/22 (bottom); Focal Length 130mm; ISO 400. And Sydney, my other uncooperative model but very cute: Aperture F/6.3 (top) and F/22 (bottom); Focal length 170mm; ISO 400.

Frame Your Photos with Stone Arch

2009-06-22T17:30:00.008-04:00

Just edited my 500 photos down to a few (only 72) and picked this shot of my colleagues to demonstrate "framing." There are natural and manmade frames everywhere you look. Framing your subject focuses the attention on your subject and gives nice balance to a photo. The frame gently guides your eye to what is important. I loved the arch in Valletta, Malta, and asked Bert and Ruth to stand under it. It was late in the day, so the light bounced off one side of the arch and filled their faces with light. Look for frames in the form of tree branches, porches, swing sets, tunnels, tubes and more. The whole set of Malta images are at http://tiny.cc/QWL0H (Tamron 18-270mm; 20mm, F/5.6, 1/800 sec., ISO 200)

Photo Composition from Malta

2009-06-17T17:12:00.007-04:00

I have three minutes left on my internet token. So a quick "rule of thirds" example from Malta. The colorful Maltese boat is positioned in the upper third, a very straight forward example. With business meetings completed, tomorrow we tour this tiny, over populated island and I hope to have some more composition tips for you (the assignment I gave myself upon departure).

Lawn Angels

2009-06-08T21:01:00.010-04:00

I set out to take two contrasting photos in order to visually demonstrate the effect different shutterspeed settings will have on your photos. Check it out! I got a shot that reminds me of snow angels! The shot above was taken at very slow shutterspeed (1/6 second), so the action is blurred. Most of the time when we take a shot that's blurry, we delete it. Right? But take a second look. Sometimes there's a story or an emotion that's told because of the blur! My lawn angel spun until she was dizzy while I snapped away on the deck that gave me more of a "bird's eye" view. The elevated position also allowed me to keep the lush green grass as a backdrop and eliminate from the shot the distracting cars and more in front of the house. I set my camera to aperture priority and selected a small aperture (f/18) and lowered the ISO to 200. These settings ensured that I would get a slow shutterspeed and blur the action.

The contrasting shot above turns my angel into a statue, yet there is still a joy about the image since you can clearly see her face. But I may have to tell you that she was spinning or you might think she's just breaking out into song or feeling the breeze. But whatever story you put to the image, it's still joyous. To freeze the action, I moved the settings to the opposite end: the aperture was changed to the widest opening I could select (F/6.3) and I raised the ISO to 800. This ensured that I would get a faster shutterspeed of 1/200 sec.

So slow down a bit, literally, by capturing the movement in your active kids! Summer is the perfect time to try-jumping into and out of the pool, racing in the yard, playing jump rope, simply jumping, sliding into home plate, and so much more. And don't delete the shots off your camera. Download them and take a closer look. You might be surprised at what you get. (PS-I am working on freebie cards for basic photo tips, so keep a look out for those).

Windmills in LaMancha

2009-06-07T10:27:00.013-04:00

I travel a lot for work and get to sightsee for one day on many of these trips. While I am sometimes sad I am seeing the world without my family (I've created a scrapbook page called My Travels Without You), I am grateful for the chance to experience other cultures, food, history and more. Last year I went to Madrid. It's a year already! I leave for this year's trip to Malta next week. We visited the sight were Don Quixote "battled" windmills. This shot was one of many from different angles as we walked around the property. It's one of the few that did not have other tourists in the background, a frequent issue when shooting on vacation. The best tip for that problem is patience! But I post this one for three reasons: 1) I am sure you are sick of seeing so many photos of Sydney; 2) it's a good example of the rule of thirds; and 3) it's also an example of leading lines. When taking photos, imagine that there is a tic tac toe board on your screen. Put the main interest of your subject (like eyes, or head, or Disney Castle) at one of the intersecting points, or in the upper or lower third, or the right or left third. This makes a more exciting photo than when the subject is smack in the middle. So always try to offset in some way. But remember, rules are made to be broken and sometimes the middle is the best way for a particular shot, especially if you are trying to create exact symmetry in your image. In this shot, the horizon and the windmills are positioned from middle to the upper third of the image. And the road is a good example of a leading line that guides your eye right to the first windmill and then the windmills themselves guide you right through the rest of the shot. Look for shots from Malta next week.

Those Eyes!

2009-06-06T20:39:00.004-04:00

You know that sparkle we strive to get in every subject's eyes? The sparkle that brings a portrait to life? Well, that same feature needs to be in your pet photos, too. I remember a photo contest judging once where the guest judge, a wildlife photographer, eliminated a contestant's bird entry since the bird looked dead! It had no pin-point highlight in its eyes and she felt it looked like a taxidermy prop. So when shooting your pets, avoid that same horrible criticism. Walk around them to find the right light, or if you have a well-trained pet, make it sit near a window just like I ask Sydney to do when I want a casual portrait. Now with Cinder here (a new addition to the home of close friends), how can you miss? Those eyes! But I still looked to see how the light hit his baby blues. The sun was behind me and we were under the shade of a tree. This is called open shade and gives the image a nice even tone, not contrasty on the bright sunny day. And it also leads to great highlights in the eyes. Open shade can be found in many places: just inside a doorway, just inside the garage overhang, under the light of the first tree in a forest or tree-lined road, under a beach umbrella, just inside a beach cabana, and many more places just like that. Just be sure to not move your subject too far inside, but keep them just inside where the light is no longer harsh. Use a wide open aperture to blur distracting backgrounds. (ISO 400; 200mm; 1/1250 sec; F/6.3)

Sideline Shooting

2009-06-06T19:59:00.008-04:00

Today was Sydney's last game of the season (they tied 1-1). She's the short-haired brunette in white. And today was the first time I shot a game this season. Shooting any sport from the sidelines can be challenging. But I've found a few of the following tips to be useful. First, make sure your camera is set to aperture priority and select the widest aperture you can with your lens. This way, your camera will always choose the fastest shutter speed for you. Plus, you'll bring the focus on your subject since the background will then blur out a little. Set your ISO a little higher (400 or 800 if sunny; 1000 if overcast) to ensure faster shutter speeds to stop the action. (If you have a point and shoot camera, try setting the camera on the sports mode). Next, put your camera on both the continuous auto focus and continuous shooting mode. If you have to lift your finger after each shot to take the next, you're guaranteed to miss something. If you've ever had the opportunity to watch a pro shoot, you'll remember that their finger stays on the shutter release until the ball is out of play! You almost feel as if you're watching a video when you review their thousands of shots. For sure, knowing the game is a big help since you can anticipate where the action will be. But, if you're sports-challenged like me, then following the ball through your viewfinder will naturally keep you where the action is and then start pressing the shutter as soon as your child enters the frame. You may also choose to follow your child, but then you sort of miss the game :) . Another good tip is to not stay in one place. If your child plays on the same side as where you are seated (left wing, e.g.), you may wind up shooting a lot of his or her back. If you venture to the opposing side, on your team's goal end, you may have a better chance at getting a shot of them facing you rather than the back of their jersey. And of course, your positioning may need to change throughout the game, so be prepared to walk/run the field on a day you plan to take lots of photos. Crouch down once in a while to get a different perspective, and zoom in on details like cleats and balls to make a full story for your album, photo book, scrapbook or digital frame. And last but truly not least, make sure you have a lens that can zoom over a wide range so you can get in close when the action is far down the field (a lens that goes up to around 300mm on a digital SLR is ideal) and you can capture it all as the action gets close to the sidelines by zooming out to a wide angle setting. Additionally, while you still may want to crop in a little closer later on, the closer you are to start, the better quality your cropped photo will be in the end. (ISO 400; 232mm; 1/1250 sec; F/6.3)

I Love a Parade, But They're Hard to Shoot

2009-05-29T14:07:00.008-04:00

Shooting a parade is really not that easy. There is so much going on. And it goes by pretty quickly. And someone always moves into your frame before you get the shot. Well, at least that's what always happens to me. So shooting the Memorial Day parade was a practice session for me with the hope that I have honed my rusty parade-shooting skills a little bit before our "big" July 4th parade (I say big, but it's less than 1/2 mile and lasts all of 30 minutes). Anyway, since there was no one in the parade itself that I was trying to capture, and I was not shooting for any newspaper, I wanted to be sure the reasons for me even being at the parade, Sydney and her friends, were in my shots. So I crouched a little and captured Syd and Grace in the corner of the frame as they watched our terrific high school marching band pass by. I used a wideangle setting and shot it horizontally to capture as many band members as possible. But of course, there were fire trucks and flags galore. To capture the reaction of a whistle-blowing fire truck that just went by (yeah, if I wasn't shooting, I'd be holding my ears , too!), I turned the camera vertically, took a few steps back and zoomed in to frame the image nicely without any wideangle distortion. Here, a vertical orientation works to capture the kids in the lower foreground with the parade blurred out in the background. The background drops out since I had the aperture set wide (F/3.5) which gives a shallow depth of field. But I was also using a medium tele setting (100mm). When you use a tele setting and are close to your subject, you get shallow depth of field (blurry backgrounds) like this. I really like the result. There's no doubt where we are and I feel like I am there just looking at the photo. I hear it too! So as you get ready to shoot your next parade, try to a) get there early to stake out an up-front spot; b) stand on the side of the street with light so your camera has an easier time getting a proper exposure; c) use the rule of thirds to place your own little parade watchers in the frame (position them in the bottom, left or right third of the frame rather than the middle); d) use different zoom settings; and e) take lots of shots!

Too Much Tilt? Yeah, You're Right.

2009-05-13T15:41:00.006-04:00

Yes, too much leaning to the right. Or is that the left? But I love the expression. It is so hard to get natural expressions from Sydney these days. I am sure this is true of all kids her age. They become more self-conscious. More goofy. They think they're Miley Cyrus posing for CD cover (check out the tween star earrings I let her wear on weekends now). So this was a shot in-between the aforementioned less than desirable looks/poses. I just love her face. And the color! Posed in the shade of the garage in front of the sunny and colorful azalea bushes, Syd pops off the background. To get this effect, I set the camera to aperture priority and opened up to F/5.6 (my widest opening on this lens, at this focal lenth, in this light, at this ISO). Setting your camera to the portrait scene mode would give you a similar result. The wide open aperture makes the background blurry and soft. But I've got to admit it, my attraction to tilting (seeMarch 13 post) did not work out in this photo so much. I'll try tilting it back a little in photoshop. But love the smile and that's what really counts. (F/5.6; 1/125 sec; 400 ISO; 60mm with VC on)

Grandma Plus Four. Um, Five!

2009-05-11T16:17:00.007-04:00

The light filled the screened porch room late afternoon on Mother's Day. So I put down my Bellini (a cocktail I'd never had before but thoroughly enjoyed) and picked up my camera before the sun went down. Luckily, the grand kids were quite cooperative. I asked the smallest, Natali, to sit on Grandma's lap. Syd sat on the opposite side on the arm of the chair. And I asked Nolan and Nathan to stand behind Grandma. And just as I asked them to all lean in toward Grandma, and the boys to bring their heads and shoulders in a little closer (to prevent them from dropping out of focus), Kelsey decided she wanted in! Kelsey is a Soft-coat Wheaton Terrier newly adopted by my mother. She had already taken a liking to the kids who were here from Maryland for the weekend, and she's good friends now with Sydney, so she wasn't afraid and just wanted to get in on the action. So she was a fifth "person" in the photo, and mom lifted Kelsey up just a little higher to get her head in good position. Then the kids all squeezed in and we got this lovely picture for mother's day. I did not use a flash. No? No. The highlights in everyone's eyes are from the beautiful window right behind me. I cropped out the TV in the background to make this a nice 5x7 for Mom's house, but you can see me in it taking the picture and the window too. So, be sure to always look for a window. Even on an overcast day you'll get brilliant looking portraits when you use the window as your light source. Two, get the kids (and pet) on several different levels to make a nice composition. Notice how those beautiful smiles make a ring around their beaming grandma! And three, use the stabilizer feature on your lens as I did to get a blur free shot. And four, go with the flow. You never know who might pop into your viewfinder! (ISO 200; 32mm; F/4; 1/25 sec, Auto WB; Aperture Priority)

Father Daughter Portraits

2009-05-03T11:08:00.007-04:00

I volunteered to take portraits for the Brownies Father Daughter Dance. Turned out to be 53 girls and their dads! Whew. So Angela volunteered as a second camera. We set-up a make-shift studio in the school hallway by tacking up a sheet and using just one on-camera flash. Not like a pro studio, for sure, but hey, this is the equipment most of us own. So with the father sitting in a chair, and his daughter sitting on one of his legs with her legs in the middle, we asked the dad to put his hands in his daughter's lap and the girl to put her hands on dad's. We asked them to put their heads together so there was no space in between. Lastly, we tried to make sure that his cheek was somewhere near her temple. This way, their heads were staggered, a key to good group portraits. You never want to have everyone lined up evenly as it makes for a boring picture. There were several cases where dad came with two daughters, so when adding in the third, fourth or fifth person, ask some stand behind or on the side of dad, as this will ensure all of their eyes are on different level s. And be sure to have all of them close the gaps and move in closer to dad to keep the subject area in the middle. Another trick: since we opened up the aperture all of the way to be sure to blur the background, make sure that no one leans too far forward or too far back as then one of them will not be in sharp focus. Then we stood far enough back (approx 8 feet) to make sure we did not get the floor in the photo and we zoomed in to fill the frame. The flash was bounced off the ceiling. I positioned the flash almost straight up and this eliminated shadows on the backdrop. However, the loss of light from traveling up to the ceiling back down to the subject made the photo appear under exposed, so we just moved the exposure compensation to +2 and the image looked great. Last tip? Iron the sheet! Overall, the portraits came out very nice and everyone seemed pleased. (Tamron 18-270mm VC with VC on, Nikon SB800 bounced flash, ISO 400, F5.6, 1/60th sec, +2 exposure compensation, Auto White Balance).

Communion Portrait

2009-04-25T18:34:00.005-04:00

I love window light. In the Italian restaurant where we celebrated John's first holy communion, a bank of windows with translucent shades was near the kids table. I asked John to take a minute and stand near the windows, using the wall treatments as a colorful and classic background that leads your eyes right to the subject's face. I set the camera to aperture priority and dialed in the widest aperture opening I could (F/4.2). The ISO was set at 400. And since the light was low, I turned on the anti-stabilizer on the lens and was able to get a sharp image at 1/30th of a second (gotta love that VC!). The natural light really lets you see the details in his dapper suit and his beautiful rose corsage. And his dark eyes sparkle from the window light. It took more than a few shots to get a natural smile, and I did it by asking John to close his eyes real tight and then open them. He giggled after making a goofy face and I was able to catch a pretty natural smile.

Play with Panning

2009-04-19T18:20:00.019-04:00

I took about 100 photos of Sydney riding her new bike to show what panning is. Panning is when you follow the action at the same rate of speed as the subject, resulting in a blurry background and a sharp subject. I discovered it is not so easy as it sounds. There are several steps to follow in order to get the result: 1) set your camera to Aperture Priority and select a very small aperture like F/22. This slows down your shutter speed to about 1/25th sec depending on how bright it is out; 2) in order to ensure your camera can select a slow shutter speed, set your ISO to 200; 3) set your camera to continuous shooting and continuous AF; and 4) take lots and lots of shots as the action speeds by you parallel to your camera. Pivot your whole body while keeping the camera level, following the action as it passes in front of your camera. Keep your finger on the shutter release button until after the action has passed you. The background will be streaks of color (the slower the shutter speed, the more streaky). If your subject appears blurry, you are moving slower than your subject. This technique requires lots of practice. So don't be discouraged your first time out. The images here were shot at varying shutter speeds and the result in each differs slightly. Notice a nice clean background makes the best image, but this technique also helps to make a cluttered background look better.

Eggs-tra Fun Weekend

2009-04-17T15:59:00.006-04:00

Like millions across the country, we dyed eggs this past weekend. And took pictures of the whole process. I have about 5 years worth of egg-dying photos now. (I see a big scrapbook collage with lots of 2x2 photos in my future). And each year I try to capture the one with the egg in focus and Syd's face in the background smiling as she shows off her masterpieces one by one. Well, I got the egg in focus, and she's nicely out of focus in the background. But no smile this year! I set my camera to "A" (aperture priority) and dialed in the widest aperture opening I could (f/5.7 at 97mm) so that the in front of and behind my subject (the egg) would be out of focus. I had my ISO turned all the way up to 3200 so that I would not have to use a flash. I like the result. And the egg went on to be further decorated and then promptly turned into a deviled egg!

It's an Honor Just to be Nominated...Yeah, Right!

2009-04-05T14:25:00.004-04:00

No really, I mean it. I do feel honored. My photo of Sydney in the post "Overcast Days" was selected as a semi-finalist in Scrapbooks, Etc. "Kid on the Cover Contest." They received over 2,000 entries and narrowed the selection down to just 5 semi-finalists. Wow. The public is voting until 4/28/09 to pick the finalist. But sad to say, the photo is in 3rd place, so I do not think we will see it on the cover of SBE. But what an honor to get into the semi-final round! Really!

Scene Modes? They Really Do Work!

2009-04-05T14:11:00.009-04:00

I really feel like I cheated to make this picture on our trip to Mexico last week! I used the "night portrait scene mode" instead of bracketing exposures and playing with the flash to get just the right balance of exposure on Sydney while still having a nice sunset in the background. I had literally a few fleeting seconds of Syd's attention before the sun set below the horizon. So I put the camera on a scene mode, which I never do! And guess what? I got one of the best sunset pictures of the trip!

To Tilt or Not To Tilt

2009-03-13T14:51:00.007-04:00

I admit it. I am a tilter. I just love the little feeling you get that this is a moment captured rather than a posed shot (even when it is, like this one of Sydney after she got her 6th sequential soccer award--well, every player gets one every season, but special to her nonetheless). To me, slightly or moderately tilting the camera gives the picture energy. The other benefit of tilting is that if you, like me, hardly ever hold the camera really straight (making my images sometimes look a bit "off") no one notices that the image wasn't straight to begin with. Just look at the photo my mom took of me above. Is that camera straight? So I just go with my natural tendency to tilt and use it for effect. Now many people feel tilting is over-done. And it can be. And there is certainly a time when it is not appropriate and can ruin an image. But I like it. And I'm sticking with it. For now. (ISO 800; 55mm; F/4.8; no flash; program mode; auto white balance). PS-can you see the catch light in her eyes? It's coming from an overhead skylight!

Black & White Beauty

2009-03-08T14:50:00.003-04:00

I was waiting to catch my limo to take me away from my daughter for 5 days. And I needed an updated photo of her to show off to my colleagues and to look at while the plane took off (since having her I fear take-off and landing terribly). So I took five minutes to sit her on the ledge of our bay window and snapped for as long as she would let me. I made a quick bw print to take with me. But while surfing ThePioneerWoman.com website, I found her photoshop actions and decided to try to make a new black and white today that would really bring out her eyes. I used Black and White Beauty and Boost. I really loved how the light from the window sculpted her face: since she was so close to the window, the side farther away from the window is a little in shadow, which gives the portrait dimension. If she was further away from the window, her face would have a more even tone from left to right. I used a medium telephoto setting combined with an F5.6 in aperture priority mode. That was enough to blur out the patio furniture that was visible outside the window.

Overcast Days

2009-02-25T23:22:00.014-05:00

The lighting on an overcast day, even at midday, is ideal for natural and easy candid portraits. My daughter played in the snow, got her cheeks all rosy, and then stopped for a minute for me to grab a couple of shots. I stood back and zoomed in to 120mm to blur out the background and I had no worries about the "raccoon eyes" you might get midday on sunny days since the snow acted as a natural reflector and bounced light back into her beautiful face.

Gotta Love A Big Window

2009-02-24T22:17:00.011-05:00

Love this photo of my niece. She's so sweet and I just want to kiss that face. Seated in a restaurant on an overcast day, soft light poured in the large window to the right. As she conversed with her mom and dad, I shot at a wide F/3.5 aperture setting with the vibration compensation turned on to accommodate the slow 1/25th sec shutter speed. Only when her face was turned slightly towards the window did I get that twinkle in her eyes. Tip: Look for north facing window and position your subject's cheek toward the window. You'll get nice side lighting that gives dimension to the face and highlights in the eyes.

Here We Go Again

2009-02-24T20:47:00.004-05:00

This is my second stab at blogging. This time I feel like I have a vision. Rather than post diary entries of my life, which really may not be that exciting to anyone but me, I want to help you take better photos. I'm in the industry. It's part of my job, or should I say it's about job security, to help people that like to take pictures...take better pictures...so that they buy more equipment...to take more pictures. But really, I love photography. I have great equipment, including my new beautiful DSLR my husband gave me for Christmas (xo). And I love school. I still get nostalgic every fall. I played school a lot as a child and maybe should have gone into teaching instead of marketing. Although let's face it, these days neither career path offers job security. I'm a huge scrapbooker. And a novice photographer that has attended and produced hundreds of workshops and has experienced the industry's transition from film to digital first-hand. My photography centers on memory-making and my eye is drawn to images that make a statement, tell a story. I chase scrapbook-worthy images at every turn. I drive my family crazy while on vacation. I am thankful for an 8GB card to hold all my shots from the first-day of school. Yes, I can shoot non-stop, fast, and from the hundreds to choose from, I might be happy with three or four. But when I slow down and think about the images shot by some of my favorite photographers, try to emulate their style and technique, think about the basics, I can make a pretty good image. I know lots of rules, tips, and more. I want to share them with you. Because I know you are looking for ways to take better photos. So I hope you will find my postings useful. Come chase picture perfection with me.