High Five Photo Tips for November

Plan a photo safari to Africa!
1. Do your own trip investigation and analysis: a safari requires extensive planning as much as twelve months ahead for bookings. Do not trust a travel agent who may be, in fact, booking his first African trip. Read about the different countries and decide what might appeal to you. For instance, trips to Namibia and Kenya required long car journeys over poor roads, not an adventure for everyone. Our destinations, however, were well worth the drive.

Elephants in Mist, South Africa

2. The countries of Africa are very different in geography, abundance and variety of animals, and rules for engaging them. For instance, some only allow game viewing from park roads, which is understandable from a conservation viewpoint. The alternative offered by private lodges such as those next to Kruger National Park in South Africa, is off road viewing. The difference is profound. In the former, the action might only be viewed from a great distance with a long telephoto lens, unless you are lucky. The latter, far preferable, gives the true feeling of Africa. The driver and tracker not only take you to the animals, but it is possible to follow them. Since they have never been hunted, they have no fear of the vehicle and its occupants. Amazingly, the animals often proceed with their eating, hunting, or other activities as if unobserved. Following a pride of lions on a hunt and kill is an unforgettable experience.

Lion Cubs, Kenya

Namibian Dunes from the Air

3. Investigate the airline services: an older person with orthopedic problems cannot fly coach class for sixteen hours plus with ease. Explore upgrades with miles or stagger the trip by flying coach to Europe (6 hours), enjoying several days in Amsterdam or another major European city, and then continuing on.




4. Look at the type of tour. For the serious photographer, a tour led by a professional photographer who has done it before is a safe bet for success. Riding in an open vehicle packed like sardines with eight other tourists does not lead to good work. Ideally, three shooters per vehicle is perfect allowing one row per photographer.

Off Road

5. Know your equipment and make sure you have what is needed for this once in a lifetime trip.

I gave a talk on this subject Saturday, November 5, 9:15 to 11 am at HUNTS Photo and Video in Melrose, MA .  781 662-8822   Will be also doing at talk at the Newburyport Art Association at 7:30 pm on Monday, November 14th.  Hope to see you there.

High Five Photo Tips for OCTOBER

High Five Photo Tips for OCTOBER:

1.One of the most popular angles to shoot is from the photographer's standing point of view. While this is fine with landscape and other general purpose photography, it does not create high impact visually arresting images.

Most of the professional photographers produce stunning and engaging photographs that have been taken from a low angle. In landscape photography, the foreground can be captured in detail when the photographer is really low and almost lying on the ground. Try to experiment with this style of photography by going low on the floor and take more engaging photographs.

The bottom angle allows the viewer a fresh and different perspective of the same scene or situation. A useful accessory is a small sturdy tabletop tripod. 

2. Try using a Light Reflectors for your outdoor photography. A 5 in 1 set is very handy to have.  A Translucent Diffuser allows you to diffuse direct sunlight to create softer light without harsh shadows. this is important for flower and people portraits in direct closer to mid day sunlight. The white, gold or silver reflector allows you to redirect light to the desired areas and the option of providing a cool or warmer tone (with gold or silver respectively). Reflectors can also become a quick white or black backdrop.

3. The Rule of Thirds is an essential guide for composition that helps balance your images.  Basically you divide your viewfinder into thirds, vertically and horizontally, which will give you 9 equal boxes.  Compose your image so that the center of interest is at one of the crossing points, rather than dead center. 

4. Another rule is to have your subject position so that it is entering and not leaving the frame, with space to give it breathing room. This varies in Eastern vs Western Cultures depending on the direction of writing!  You should master these rules to learn when they can be broken.

5. Next time you are shooting a portrait, particularly if a man, consider lighting a profile with split lighting.  This will often bring out the subject's true personality and "create" not just take a portrait.  A large soft box or window can be used, bringing the subject nearer to the front edge of the light source (closer to the camera) with the body at a 45 degree angle to the camera (try in both directions - towards or away from the light) while the face is facing the light source.

 

High Five Photo Tips for September

High Five Photo Tips for September: 1.Depth of Field is a great creative tool.  Remember,     The most important item to control is the aperture setting. The larger the aperture used, the smaller the depth of field range. A good review at: How to use Depth of Field  Tony at F 2.8 with 70-200 zoom racked out to 200 for bokeh

Tony at 70 mm_same settings Even though set at same wide aperture of f/2.8, better Bokeh racked out ( ie the outer limits of the Zoom; so 200 mm on a 70-200mm zoom lens). Try it out.     2. Remember to MOVE:  Every time you you go out shooting, try different camera setting on the same subject. Move around!  Low high, close up to zoomed out.Change lenses and perspective. Try a tilt.  Or think of the horizon line.  Centered or at 1/3rd. Vary it and see what works.  Be Creative!! Coneflowers from a low perspective

3. Use your Tripod.  It will help you take clear photos all the time whether it is action or close-ups.   A great advantage of having a tripod is you can shoot images hands free. The reason is that you can use a remote release to start the shutter.  People often using telephoto lenses will also find the tripod useful. As having longer lenses normally create more weight to your digital camera, a tripod will keep your device steady. A tripod also slows you down and helps you think and create better images. 4. Black is needed to make an attractive B&W photograph, it says it right in the name, black and white.  If you've grown into the habit of using the histogram in Photoshop or Lightroom to show you the black and white highlighted areas don't adjust the exposure or increase the fill light to the eliminate all the flashing area.  Solid black in some portion of the image is not only acceptable, it's needed.     Searching, Nude Matured Project 5.  A good landscape usually includes an interesting foreground as the focal point that leads you into the rest of the picture.    Pigeon Cove

High Five Photo Tips for AUGUST:

1. Photograph the small things. Instead of trying to fit in as much as possible in one shot, try breaking it up into 2 or 3 closer ones. Small details can often tell a story about the region your visiting. For example, the texture in a building or the details in a shop can often be lost if the photograph is taken from a distance too far away. Wooden Shoes, the Netherlands 2. Vary your Depth of Field to add Bokeh - blur to the background.  Try shooting with a wide open aperture, such as f/2.8.  If using a long telephoto lens, keep it long but get close to achieve this effect.   Bearded Iris, Giverny, France 3. In the  middle of the day with lots of contrast, keep shooting and then convert to Black & White.  Look for patterns, textures, simple compositions. Some say, the most pure form of the art of photography. Marine Railways, Rocky Neck, MA  4. Don't put your camera away at Dusk or at Night.  Use a tripod and play with slower shutter speeds.  Or if you can't use a tripod, raise your ISO with a wide open f stop, such as f/2/8 to 5.6 to obtain a sufficient shutter speed to hand hold your camera.  At least the reciprocal of the lens length, such as need 1/200 sec or faster to hand hold a 70 to 200 racked out to 200 mm.  Turning on Vibration Reduction will also help.   Following Mom, Elephants, South Africa 5. Consider using Fill Flash! Off camera or with the pop up flash using the Gary Fong Puffer to diffuse the light.  Can work pretty well with the camera on Program Mode and the Flash to TTL. For total control, however, meter in aperture priority with the f stop you want and then use those settings (or slower shutter speeds to drag the shutter) with your Camera in Manual mode.  Flash in TTL with flash exposure compensation down to minus 1 1/3 to - 2. Adjust as needed to get the fill you want.    Alum floret with fill flash

High Five Photo Tips for JULY:

1. Fireworks Season is approaching and there are many techniques you can try!  One is using the double exposure setting available in Nikon cameras - set for 3 to 5 exposures, ISO 200, auto gain on and single exposure mode.  Shoot when bursts are at their peak. This is an alternate to the old bulb technique with the black card over the lens between bursts.

2. Another is Shooting Separate Fireworks Bursts then blending in Photoshop - Use a tripod, a cable release, zoom tele lens, camera on manual with shutter speed around 4 sec, aperture at F11.  Manual focus to infinity.  ISO 200. Do a test shot and evaluate it and adjust as needed.  Take a background image first before the show at a wide angle to use as your background image. Then lasso the individual bursts in Photoshop onto a new layer above your background and blend with lighten.  Move individual bursts as needed to line up as you like.    Fireworks over the Boulevard in Gloucester

3. Use Black & White to add Drama - especially for dull scenes. Then adjust the shutter speed to slow the movement of water in seascapes to really add drama.  4. Try Intimate Compositions for Seascapes -     The vastness of the ocean invites the photographer to shoot the grand seascape using a wide or ultra-wide lens. But a telephoto can be used to create intimate compositions from coastal scenes, specially if you have rocks. Try different focal lengths to search for a composition you haven't considered, use a long exposure if needed to create an abstraction and you'll have a new photo. Thatcher's Twin Lighthouses  5. Get Close -   Because wide-angle lenses take in a bigger angle-of-view than other lenses, using a wide-angle lens at the same distance from your subject will render that subject smaller than it would otherwise. To compensate for this, you'll have to move closer to your subject. Don't be bashful about getting close, particularly with super-wides. Sepia Archway

High Five Photo Tips for JUNE

High Five Photo Tips for JUNE: 1. Try Different Perspectives. A Simple photo taken at eye level can be turned into something truly unique by lowering your perspective. Tulips from Above  Tulips from Ground level with wide open aperture

2, Use a Wide Angle Lens - Especially in an environment where it is difficult to capture all the elements in your field of view, such as an entire beach.Some think this is the top secret of the Landscape Professional Photographer-Artist! Windmills of the Netherlands

3. Scout your locations and Follow the Light. Look all around you. The sunset may not make the best picture. It may be the glow on the trees behind you that excites the eye. When photographing into the sun, a wide aperture (less than F11) will soften while a small aperture (above F11 - often best at F22) will allow star-shaped rays to appear. 4. Try Long Exposures. Water is a great subject. Start with one to 3 second exposures, best as the tide goes in, With ND, polarizing or Variable Neutral Density filters you can try even longer exposures - up to 400 seconds and beyond! 5. Shoot the Waves, especially during or after a Storm. Start shooting before the wave crashes and shoot continuously throughout.

High Five Photo Tips for April:

High Five Photo Tips for April:

1. Play with Motion.  By varying the shutter speed, you can create more creative imagery.  Slow shutter speeds can add interesting effects but may require polarizing or neutral density filters to enable slow enough shutter speeds.  I prefer the Singh-Ray variable Neutral Density Filter.  More about using motion creatively on my Rick Sammon Guest Blog Post.
2. Try Split Tones and Duotones to create more interesting B&W's. Images with pattern and texture create wonderful toned images.

Sugar Cane Factory Road

3. Embrace Change.  Look for new projects to excite you and entice you to go beyond your comfort zone.
4. Shooting wildlife - flora or fauna - get low for a unique look - get on the ground!  Use a frisbee for support and protection - to keep the dirt out of your equipment. If on a beach or dune using a tripod or monopod, always extend the lowest tripod leg to its maximum to prevent sand and water getting into the joints.
5. When shooting people, keep the eyes in the top third. Look for catch-lights and sharp focus.  Eyes are the key and the window to the soul.

Dog and Child Portrait