Thanksgiving Photography

Thanksgiving is a great time for taking photos! One type of photograph you can take is a picture of the feast and your family and friends enjoying it. Thanksgiving is, after all, a harvest celebration of sorts, and food plays an integral part in the holiday. So, one of the first pictures you should consider taking is of the table loaded with all of the goodies that everyone is about to consume. In this case, you should make the turkey the subject of your image and make it large and important in your frame.

Another good type of Thanksgiving photograph to make is a formal group portrait of all the people you have invited to share the celebration with you. You might want to consider getting out the tripod and finding a vantage point high enough up so that you can capture all the family members as well as the table laden with food. Remember to check your viewfinder to make sure that there is nothing distracting, and figure out a good way to make them laugh before you snap the shutter.

Thanksgiving is also a good time to take candid photographs, so don't put away your camera after the meal. This might be a great time to take pictures of the kids running around the living room or the family enjoying the post-dinner football game.

Finally, if you happen to live in a community that offers a good Thanksgiving Day parade, you might want to forego the football game and take your camera out to see it. You'll have a good time, and you might even burn off a few of those turkey calories.


Big D Photo

Ten tips for budding photojournalists

Times news snapper Ben Gurr’s top news photography tips:

1: Photographers have to be totally familiar with their equipment. You should not need to think about the technical side of things. Take lots of photographs and your thinking will soon be devoted to the image.

2: Study your subject with childlike curiosity and do not forget the background.

3: Use the light that exists naturally and record the scene as you see it.

4: Try not to influence or “mock up” your subjects. Let them behave as though you are not there. The photograph will be more truthful.

5: The camera is a simple tool: do not get carried away with gadgets.

6: Advances in camera technology mean that mistakes are rare but if you do make one, learn from it.

7: The use of computer software to enhance images is overrated and overused.

8: Captions need to enhance and explain your picture and must be 100 per cent accurate. Always check the spelling of names.

9: Talk to people: they are full of useful information.

10: Your award-winning pictures are useless if they are not seen by the picture desk before deadline. Understand how to transmit your images in all situations.

And just for good measure: ensure your batteries are charged, keep a few coins at hand for parking meters, always have plenty of fuel in your car and be ready for anything!

Choosing Your Horizon

When out in the field and faced with a fabulous scene in front of you, there are three choices to consider when it comes to where you should place your horizon; Top, middle, bottom. Positioning the horizon in one of these three places will dramatically effect the perspective of the picture and will help to give your photographs a more dynamic edge. Generally speaking, the casual snapper and beginner photographer will tend to put their horizons more or less dead centre, as this is the way we usually see the world from a standing perspective. However, this tends to give pictures an unnatural balance with the photograph feeling as if it should be viewed as two halves. There will be times though, that placing your horizon in the middle will work a treat.

Choose to put your horizon near the top, somewhere around a third of the way down, when there is either something of great interest in the foreground or very little of interest in the sky. Placing the horizon in the center will more often than not result in an average looking picture, mainly because its how we all usually see the world. You’re not giving it a new perspective. However there are times when putting it in the middle works well, an example being reflection shots. Place your horizon near the bottom, again around a third of the way up as a general rule, when there is little of interest in the foreground with main point of interest being in the sky.

Point-And-Shoot Vs Digital SLR (DSLR)

Regardless of the manufacturer you prefer, if you've been in the market for a new camera lately I'm sure you've had to sit down and ponder this question; point-and-shoot or DSLR? If you're living in the United States like I am right now, you've probably got a little tax reimbursement burning a hole in your pocket and would just LOVE to make it turn into a slick, shiny new camera that would make you the envy of all who know you. But the question still remains do you want small and convenient, or high quality with bulk?

The decision doesn't get any easier even if you've finally picked one or the other, cause then you have to pick which model, features, and yada-yada-yada. But today I want to focus on the pros and cons of that first over-arching question.

Is it all about size?

For many people it comes down to convenience. Though they can see that DSLR's just produce better looking photos, they're many times not as inclined to having to carry a large brick over their shoulder when they go out for a night with friends. Some do, but for a vast majority I'd say they want something that they can throw in their pocket and not worry about. With the advent of better and better technology the point-and-shoot cameras have definitely come a long way as far as quality, but their top feature is really the convenient size. And honestly, the cell phone companies wouldn't have all rushed to put cameras in their phones if people weren't enamored with the idea of small cameras that fit in pockets.

But what do you sacrifice for all this convenience? Primarily, you still sacrifice quality, and versatility. A DSLR, though large and somewhat ungainly, will always produce better photos due to the quality of the lens and the speed at which you can shoot. If you've ever tried taking photos of fast-moving objects with a

point-and-shoot you know the frustration. You half-press, hope it focused on something that will be in the same range as the moving object when it comes by, and then SNAP! you hope you got it. Then when you check, nope, missed it again.

Beyond the reaction time of the shutter the variety of lens options is something that makes a world of difference to your photos. A point-and-shoot camera has only one lens, and maybe it has some add-on prime lenses that increase wide-angle or zoom capabilities. But they're nothing to having a 70-200 f/2.8 hanging off your camera body in all it's beastly glory, and low-light versatility. This feature of DSLR's, alone, was enough to make me finally make the jump from the nicely advanced Fuji S7000 to the line of Canon Rebels a good number of years ago. I've never looked back since.

So when you're considering this question, the best things to consider are;

1. Do I want quality or convenience? 
2. Do I want a lot of lens options, or an all-in-one? 
3. Do I primarily shoot fast moving objects or snap shots of friends/family? 
4. Am I just trying to be cool and hoping a big, fat, expensive camera around my neck with help?

With the answer to all of these questions in place, you should be able to make your way through the confusing world of camera consumership. But if you've got a burning wallet like I do these days, you may just want to forget the decision and get one of each. I mean, come on, you'll need a back-up just in case, right?

Big D Photo
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Easter Family Portrait Tips

Whether you have a family of five or 15, you want your clan to look its best when shooting Easter portraits. In order to snap frame worthy family shots during the holiday weekend, consider the following tips:

Coordinate: You don't want to set up a shot that features little Johnny in his Easter Sunday best while grandpa is sporting his work overalls and boots. Consistency and coordination is key when taking family portraits. When you are shooting a large group you want to direct the viewer's attention to the subjects' faces, not a slew of distracting garments. While you don't have to force everyone to don the same outfit, it helps if you have a common theme to your clothing.


Consider Color: In addition to flamboyant outfits with loud logos, bright colors are something else you want to banish from your Easter portraits. Encourage your family to wear neutral tones instead of having one member sport fluorescent orange and another don polka dots and leopard print. Mixing a bunch of patterns creates visual confusion and can ruin the entire shot.

Banish Big Bling: Easter is a very special holiday and often women wait for just such an occasion to wear their biggest bling. If you are taking an Easter portrait it is a good idea to avoid wearing chunky or reflective jewelry that will distract from your face. Grandma can keep on her pearl earrings, but mega gold pieces or massive gems that reflect light should be removed before the photo shoot begins.

Go Casual: If you are simply trying to snap a keeper of your kids following an Easter egg hunt, then stick with a casual approach. Denim works well with any size group. Also, if you are shooting outdoors, then you might want the kids to cover up a bit, as excessive bare skin can be a distraction in a group shot.

Happy Easter!

Big D Photo

How To Camera’s Automatic Exposure Bracketing (AEB) Function

How To Camera’s Automatic Exposure Bracketing (AEB) Function

There are many advantages to digital photography compared to traditional film photography, but both require a correct exposure to capture the picture you want to take. Many of these PhotographyTalk.com articles explain the nuances of exposure. Digital Photography—Taming the Three-Headed Exposure Monster, Part 1 is a good place to start. It’s important to understand how modern digital cameras automatically calculate and choose exposure settings (aperture and shutter speed) as well as how to do yourself, manually. 

As you gain more experience as a digital photographer, it’s likely you’ll want to take some pictures with unusual lighting conditions. Often, these are images with greater contrast of the bright and dark areas. This could be a sunrise or sunset or photographing mushrooms on the floor of a dark forest. Even the best automatic exposure functions have limits, so your camera may not be able to determine and select the exposure settings you need. That’s why you want to know how to set your exposure manually. Once you’ve calculated the correct exposure and taken the picture, you can then use the bracketing method to shoot pictures with exposure settings on either side of the correct setting. You’re almost guaranteed to capture the image you want.

The only downside is that those unusual lighting conditions change quickly. You may not have the time to make manual exposure calculations and change the settings to shoot a series of digital photos at different exposure values. That’s why most DSLR cameras and high-end point-and-shoots are manufactured with an Automatic Exposure Bracketing (AEB) function. In simplest terms, this function will direct the camera to take three or more photos at various exposure settings, automatically, and much quicker than you could manually, changing the exposure for each digital photo. 

Keep your camera steady and you’ll have three identical pictures with different exposure settings: the best one the camera can calculate, one slightly underexposed and the third slightly over exposed. You can either keep the shutter button depressed to use burst mode or release the shutter three times for individual shots.

Read your manual to find the AEB setting on your camera, if it has one. Some are buttons on the camera body and others may be a selection from the menu. Your manual will also explain how you choose different AEB ranges. You can tell the camera to set the underexposed and over exposed settings two stops, one stop or a half-stop different than the correct, or primary, exposure.

You can also combine the AEB function with ether the Aperture Priority Mode or Shutter Priority Mode. 

• Select AEB and Aperture Priority Mode (Av). You choose the aperture setting (f-stop) manually, and then the camera will select the three shutter speeds to take three digital photos at different exposure settings.
• Select AEB and Aperture Priority Mode (Tv). Now, you choose the shutter speed manually and the camera sets the three apertures for your three pictures.

Automatic Exposure Bracketing (AEB) can be a very helpful feature on many digital cameras, but only if you take the time to learn how it works, and then practice with it.




Big D Photo

10 Tips to Great Prom Photos

Prom night is the biggest night of the year for a high schooler. Here are some great ideas to make your "informal" prom shots fabulous!

1. Watch the Background

You've probably heard this idea a lot but its always true. Watch your background! No one looks good in a tux with a full garbage can behind them or an advertisement-littered telephone pole growing out of their head. Pick a spot where there is a relatively "clean" background or at least one that fits in with the idea of prom. Some ideas are a few feet in front of a shrub wall (blurs to make a nice green background), in front of the limo, on a staircase, and in front of a blank wall.

2. Light

Light is your next biggest concern for fabulous prom photos. Find a spot where the light is relatively bright but no one is squinting (a shady area outside can work well). Check your camera menu for a feature called something similar to "force flash", "flash always on", or "fill flash" to activate the flash even though the camera thinks there is enough light. Tape a small piece of wax paper over the flash to diffuse it and the fill flash will create a pleasant light to the face even when in shade.

3. Watch for Shadows

Shadows thrown across faces at odd angles can turn a great photo into a ghastly disaster. As mentioned in the light tip please be sure to diffuse your flash in addition to paying attention to shadows that may be on the face and change location if necessary to remove those harsh shadows.

4. Let the Couple Get Close to Each Other

Let the happy couple get close to each other in the photo. Cheeks touching or a hug add a lot to a prom image. Think about the formal prom photos you've seen in the past and let the couple pose similarly.

5. Getting "The Pose"

How you pose in a prom photo can make a lot of difference in the finished product. Never let yourself be photographed straight on in a full body composition. The flattening effect of photography will add the illusion of being larger than you are. Face 90 degrees away from the camera and then turn 45 degrees back towards the camera with your upper body. Finish by turning the rest of the way towards the camera with just your head. Also, never tuck your head back or you will have a double chin in the photos. Move your head forward a bit to elongate your neck. Photography poses rarely look normal except through the lens. Our About.com Beauty Guide has some excellent advice for appearing thinner in images.

6. Use the Program or Action Setting on Your Camera

If you do not use the manual setting on your camera then use the program setting with shutter speed set for at least 1/150 of a second. If your camera does not have a program setting use the action setting. I know this goes against the "use the portrait setting" advice you've heard a dozen times but there is a good reason for this. The portrait setting uses a slower film speed and wider aperture to blur the background and gain a more fine grain texture. This creates a very tiny depth of field on some cameras (sometimes so small the nose is in focus and the eyes are out of focus) and results in a slow shutter speed that can lead to a shaky image. Using action mode is a good compromise of aperture and shutter speed.

7. Get "The Smile"

Nothing ruins a photo faster than a forced fake smile. As the photographer, part of your "job" is to capture a genuine expression. Try saying something completely ridiculous instead of "say cheese". Try something like "say purple people eater" and watch. There will be a moment of complete confusion followed by a laugh. In the middle of all that expression change will be a beautiful smile - be ready to click fast when it appears.

8. Take Your Time

Grabbing a few shots before the prom is a great idea. Don't try to do it just as the limo arrives though. A rushed photo session never returns the results you hope to achieve. Plan ahead to have a few moment for candid shots. If you are mom or dad and your child still balks at your photographing them before prom consider a little bribery. Offering an extra hour before curfew will work wonders for the cooperation level and really isn't that big a concession on your part.

9. Consider a Photojournalist Style

Photojournalist style imagery basically captures a lot of unposed candids. Like wedding photojournalism, the resulting images are more stark but show a lot of personality. Getting ready shots and even shopping for the dress is a great time for photojournalist style.

10. Relax

No matter how important the day is, its not worth an ulcer. Above all else relax! If you are relaxed the photo subjects will be more relaxed and the photos will come out better.

Big D Photo

Artistry – Behind the Lens and After

Billy York - Big D Photo

For the amateur post processing is a way to make a bad photo better. For the photographic artist the magic begins behind the lens and continues through post processing.

The greatest role model for post processing may be Ansel Adams. He was a excellent craftsman at taking compelling images but his art continued on the darkroom. Ansel was a master at developing compelling images through manipulation of chemicals, filters, use of time and light, and a multitude of tools.
Today we work in the digital darkroom of Photoshop and other software tools. We may not deal with chemicals but our output is none the less an artistic expression.

Our gift to others is more than a image captured but an artistic expression that captures the eye, mind and imagination of the viewer.

Our artistic ability does not come overnight but with study of composition, our equipment and the products we use to create a work of art.


Big D Photo

Demystifying Ansel Adam's Zone System

Ansel Adams was a genius. He was methodical in his work and extremely demanding in terms of the quality of his prints. Those who admire his work or attempt to imitate his methods are often perplexed or intimidated by the results. It seems that a vast majority of people believe that Ansel Adams’ techniques, often shrouded in mystery, are impossible to master. This is simply not so. This article is dedicated to demystifying the clever, yet relatively simple Zone System so masterfully devised by Ansel Adams and perfected by other virtuosos of photography.

To fully understand and appreciate the Zone System, one must first have at least a basic understanding of photography nomenclature. Mastery of the Zone System requires significantly more dedication to the fundamentals of photography and lots of practice. I will assume, for the purposes of this article, that my readers have a basic command of the principles of exposure - the interplay of light, shutter speed and aperture.

The f-stops here! The Zone System focuses on two very important aspects of photography – image exposure and development, which naturally centers on the f-stop (the size or opening of the aperture as expressed by a number indicating the amount of light transmitted through the lens). Unlike the vast colors, tones and brightness found in nature, the Zone System recognizes the limitations of film and/or digital image processors and works within these limitations. Sadly, no single camera, lens or film available today can absolutely equal nature’s immensity. However, by utilizing the techniques of the Zone System we can reproduce, as precisely as possible, images of nature that exemplify its tonal ranges and varying degrees of brightness with little discernable difference.

Imagine a ladder. The bottom rung of the ladder represents pure black (Zone 0). The top rung of the ladder represents pure white (Zone 9). The mid-point of the ladder (Zone 5) represents 18% gray or the accepted average reflectance of light from a given subject, which is interpreted by your camera’s integrated light meter as the correct exposure for both B&W and color images. From the mid-point, Zone 5, each sequential step or zone represents a change of one f-stop. Zone 4 requires an exposure of one f-stop less than your meter reading (or Zone 5). Conversely, Zone 6 requires an exposure of one f-stop more than your meter reading. Therefore, the entire Zone System encompasses a nine-stop differential, which is more than adequate to address even the most daunting high contrast scene in nature.

Now, let’s add values to these Zones. These are values Ansel Adams himself associated with the nine Zones.

Zone 9 – known as key white or pure white – pure white paper or snow in bright sunlight.

Zone 8 – gray/white, near white – distinct highlight detail, like a white wall in sunlight or brilliant surfaces in flat light.

Zone 7 – light gray – pale “white” skin, a concrete walkway in sunlight
.
Zone 6 – mid-tone gray – average “white” skin or shaded areas in snow on a bright, sunlit day.

Zone 5 – medium gray or 18% gray – darker “white” skin or lighter “black skin,” light foliage or the dark blue of a clear blue sky.

Zone 4 – medium dark gray – slightly darker “black” skin, dark foliage or shadows in landscapes.

Zone 3 – very dark gray – distinct shadow texture is visible.

Zone 2 – dark gray/black – only subtle textures are visible.

Zone 1 – near black – shadows in faint light or rooms without light.

Zone 0 – key black or pure black – carbon or photo paper black.

Remember your camera is calibrated to read 18% gray as “correct” and assumes that is the desired amount of light reflectance. Thus, it will average the light readings of extreme shadows or highlights resulting in over-exposed or under-exposed images, respectively. The Zone System eliminates this problem by assigning these familiar “values” to each zone. The key to success with the Zone System is to carefully pre-visualize your subject and apply the correct Zone values to the important exposure areas. Then, you must adjust your exposure settings accordingly to accurately produce the results you want.

Let’s say you are on vacation and want to take a photo of snow-covered Pikes Peak. It’s a typical sunny day in Colorado. You take a meter reading of the snow, which suggests a shutter speed of 1/500 and a corresponding aperture of f/16. If you snap the photo using these settings, the resulting image will be dull 18% gray. According to the Zone System, snow in bright sunlight falls under Zone 9, which is four stops above Zone 5, or 18% gray. Therefore, you must first open up four stops to f/4 and shoot at 1/500. Now, your photo will clearly show the brilliance of the white snow under the Colorado sun.

What should you do if you want to photograph an interesting rock formation with a bright blue sky and fluffy white clouds in the background? The rock formation is moderately shadowed with lots of texture. You want to bring out as much detail in the rock formation as possible. You take a meter reading of the shadowed areas of the rock, which indicates a shutter speed of 1/60 with an aperture of f/2.8. Then, you take a reading of the sky, which indicates the same shutter speed but an aperture of f/16. Keep in mind that in high contrast scenes, you MUST expose for the shadows if you want to reveal the shadow details. Sometimes this means sacrificing some of the highlights in your subject landscape. You decide that the shadowed areas fall within Zone 2. Therefore, you must stop down three stops and shoot at 1/60 at f/8. Of course, this means that you will lose some of the highlight detail from the bright sky. Don’t despair. All is not lost.

Recall that the Zone System integrates nine f-stops. Yet, the latitude or exposure range of most readily available film varies from a low of three f-stops to a high of seven f-stops. Likewise, photo paper, in general, has a range of no more than five f-stops. How, then, can you compensate for the limited latitude of film and photo paper? The Zone System incorporates both exposure AND development techniques. Ansel Adams used large format “sheet” film affording him more control over the development of each individual negative. By varying development time, plus or minus according to a comparative f-stop scale, Ansel Adams was able to effectively defy the limited latitude of his film and photo paper.

Contrary to the photographic rule of exposing for the shadows, you should develop film for the highlights. Concentrating on the range of brightness in a given image negative, Ansel Adams established the following development scale:

Normal development time, plus 100% @ 3 stops

Normal development time, plus 50% @ 4 stops

Normal development time only @ 5 stops

Reduce normal development time by 20% @ 6 stops

Reduce normal development time by 40% @ 7 stops

The Zone System works best with large format “sheet” film since you can isolate each section of the negative and vary its development time. While you can apply these techniques to roll film, it would require identical exposure for each frame, which isn’t very likely or practical. If you are a digital photographer, like me, or a roll-film photographer hoping to take advantage of all the aspects of the Zone System, you can utilize both the burning in and dodging techniques. Burning in refers to darkening specific areas of your image. Dodging refers to lightening specific areas of your image. For digital applications, you can use the tools in Adobe Photoshop. For film, you can appropriately mark your prints for these advanced development processes.
By employing both the exposure and development techniques of the Zone System, you will be able to produce amazing images like those of the masters. Ansel Adams was, indeed, an innovator. He created a unique and valuable tool, in fact, a legacy for all photographers. Fine Art Photography wouldn’t be the same without the Zone System.

I hope this article will help you to realize that the Zone System is not complicated or mysterious at all. It merely requires a reasonable investment in time, effort and careful but straightforward calculations to achieve extraordinary results. If you wonder whether or not the effort is worth it, simply look at a handful of Ansel Adam’s photographs.

Big D Photo


Ansel Adams
Article Source: Ezine articles

The 3 Absolutes of Coaching Youth Baseball

I know this is a little off topic...but please bear with me. If you have a child that is involved in youth sports, then you know there is more than ample opportunity for taking photos of those special times!

 

The 3 Absolutes of Coaching Youth Baseball

 

Baseball is one of the most demanding sports to coach. The purpose and function of youth baseball is to provide a quality sports team experience that builds baseball skills, teaches team-first attitudes, builds a respect for authority and regulations, and develops an appreciation for the value and consequences of hard work.

 

 

To be a successful baseball coach, you must have an understanding how the game is taught, played and practiced. There are three absolutes that every youth baseball coach should remember when they plan, organize, and prepare their "game plan" for the coming season! This article outlines those three absolutes.

 

The three absolutes of baseball are:

• Youth baseball is a game for youngsters, not adults.
• Baseball must be taught and practiced for success to be achieved.
• Discipline must be a part of every team's preparation and execution.

Now I will briefly explain what I mean by each of these absolutes.

 

Youth baseball is a game for youngsters, not adults.

 

When I say "Youth Baseball is for Youths" what I mean is that we have youth baseball for the youngsters that are playing it, not for the coaches that are coaching.You will find that kids can accept responsibility, become accountable, work hard, and learn from their team successes and failures, but at the same time they have to see purpose, see progress, and enjoy their participation. They must have fun.

 

For kids to love and appreciate the game they must be motivated, challenged, and enjoy the majority of their team time whether it be a practice, a workout, or a game. There is no law that says coaches should not laugh, smile, joke and have "Light" moments with the team. I consider myself a pretty good baseball coach.

 

My team discipline is strict. But, my players know exactly when they can goof off, joke around, crack on each other, or generally be "loose" as a team. They also know exactly when they have to be focused, attentive, and acting "by the book". The point I am trying to make here is that coaches have to understand that players need to learn to relax and as much as they need to learn to work and focus. It is a coach's job to teach them to enjoy themselves without guilt so long as their enjoyment comes from wholesome and proper behavior that is acceptable.

 

Baseball must be taught and practiced for success to be achieved.

 

Baseball is a sport that required a high level of commitment and dedication. It is important that players develop good work habits as early in their careers as possible.It is impossible to fake work or fake good practice when it comes to baseball. Those coaches, teams and programs that work extremely smart, work exceptionally hard, and that always work with a higher level of purpose and commitment are the baseball programs at the top of the "food chain". So, if you plan to coach, get prepared to practice. In fact, if you need to make sure that you have

 

Discipline must be a part of every team's preparation and execution.

 

I am a firm believer that teaching team and self-discipline are two of the most important roles of every coach in all sports. To be successful a player must learn to discipline himself to stay out of trouble. To be build a championship atmosphere and environment, a coach must establish control of his players and staff. With discipline also comes respect. Without discipline, there can never be respect. Without respect your team will never achieve to its highest attention.

 

Players not only expect and appreciate a coach's discipline, but they also have a strong desire for it. Kids want to be controlled, instructed, and taught. It makes them feel like they are respected, appreciated, and a part of something worth spending their effort and time in. When a coach displays no backbone, no will to control, and no will to handle adversity with a firm and strong demeanor, the players will not put their full and complete trust in him. Coaches should set team rules. The coach should display a willingness to plan, prepare, organize and execute both practice and game plans. This shows a high level of self-discipline on the coach's part. Teams emulate a coach's attitude, actions, and habits.

 

 

Instilling and maintaining a firm discipline builds a strong foundation upon which to build a championship season. Good Luck to you and your team in the coming season!

 

 

DON'T FORGET TO TAKE PLENTY OF PHOTOS!!!!!

 

 

Big D Photo

 

How To Take Great Springtime Photos

With the cold weather slowly fading away and winter melts into spring, nature begins to bloom once again and photographers rush out to capture it. Find out how to take advantage of the natural light and colors that appear in spring, and how to take unique and interesting photos during this season.

Flowers are one of the most popular photography subjects in the spring. They provide photographers with beautiful colors and shapes to capture and the photos can make wonderful artwork in your home. Make sure you keep your flower photography interesting with these simple tips and tricks:

Big D Photo

  

Utilize natural light and don't use a flash. Typically, flowers are photographed in full sunlight. Try taking pictures at dawn or at dusk to get a new perspective on your flowers.

Master your depth of field. To create a shallow depth of field, use a large aperture on your camera.

Shoot your subjects close-up. Combined with a large aperture, this will blur out your background, leaving only your flowers in focus.

Look for flowers that haven't bloomed yet. Make your photos stand out by capturing the steps leading up to a fully-bloomed flower. Find seedlings just popping out of the ground or closed buds. These objects can be just as beautiful as a colorful bloom. Plus, these photos are more representative of what spring is all about: new life and growth.

Rain and Reflections

 

With the wet weather that accompanies the spring, photographers have plenty of opportunities to capture photos of falling rain and dewy flowers. If you do plan to shoot in the rain, make sure you have a hood for your camera to protect it from getting wet. Keep plastic bags and towels handy for keeping things dry, including your hands for when you are touching the camera. When you go to shoot, leave your shutter open for a little longer to capture the rain falling; this will result in long streak so of rain fall that look like strands of silver falling from the sky. Take pictures of the rain hitting a river, stream or lake for a uniquely textured effect.

Another opportunity for photographers takes place right after a rainfall. Take pictures of the rain-soaked environment afterwards for a springtime look. Make sure you capture the unique, pale light that follows the rain in a landscape photo. You can also go for close-ups after the rain. Puddles and other bodies of water provide excellent opportunities to capture reflections. Challenge yourself to create a ripple-effect photo by blowing on or touching the water in the puddle right before you take the picture.

 

 

Springtime Portraits

When it comes to photographing people in the spring, get outside in the cool weather for a few portrait shots. This weather often makes for nice portraits because the light is a crisp, blueish hue during the spring. Because the light is a cooler color, considering having your portrait subjects dress in similar colors to match - pastels are good for children, while whites, blues, greens and purples are better for adults.

 

The best time to take photos of people in the spring is once some of your natural surroundings have started to bloom again. You don't need to wait until the leaves are fully-grown on the trees - in fact, trees look beautiful in their temporary state when they are dotted in tiny green buds. If you wait until things begin to bloom, it will add a pop of color to your photo and it will demonstrate to other people who may see the photo that it was taken in the spring.

 

Now get out there and take some photos!

 

Big D Photo

Wildlife Photography Tips

With Springtime approaching soon, I thought I would pass on a few photography tips for anyone interested in wildlife images.


1) Be Patient
Sometimes nature is on its own time table and you can not speed it up or or slow it down.

2) Nature Rules
Nature always wins. There will always be photo opportunities for you each day. You will never get them all because you weren't ready or you came by 2 minutes too late. In fact, you may still be talking about an opportunity that you didn't capture that occurred 5 years ago. Look forward to the next opportunity.

3) Be There At The Right Moment And Be Prepared
If you have a camera in hand, always be prepared and ready. Plenty of opportunities are missed because of not being prepared.

4) Be Patient

Dragon Fly - Big D Photo

Need I say more? No patience... no good photographs.    

5) Understand The Language Of Wild
Study the language of the birds and animals to help you identify photo opportunities.

6) Learn To See Small Movements
Learn to see small movements to help you identify photo opportunities.

7) You Don't Have To Be Close To Large Wildlife
It's very simple. Large animals are big and they can be photographed from a farther distance away.

8) Photograph Wildlife In Normal Behavior
A photograph of an animal in normal behavior is more interesting since many people have never seen wildlife in normal behavior.

 9) Try To Photograph An Unobstructed Eye
When we view a photograph of wildlife, our eyes always look straight to the eye of the animal similar to the same way we establish eye contact with another person.

10) Learn The Safety Distance From Small Wildlife
By learning the safety distance to a small animal, you will frighten less animals away.


Fallow Deer - Big D Photo


11) Small Wildlife Appear Even Smaller
Try to photograph small animals from a low camera position to accentuate their size.

12) Learn To Photograph Wildlife On The Move
Practice photographing wildlife that is moving in your backyard or at the park.

13) Wildlife Will Continue To Remain In Baseline If Not Perceived Threatened  
All wildlife that doesn't feel threatened will continue to go about their normal wildlife ways. Learn how to stop and remain still until the wildlife considers you safe.

Big D Photo

Top 5 Black & White Photography Tips

Black & white photography, for me, is one of the most interesting and inspiring aspects of this art form we call our hobby and passion. It’s raw & refined, natural & unusual, bold & subtle, mysterious & open, emotional & impassive, simple & complex, black & white & everything in between. The monochromatic image has been with photography since the beginning, but what began as the only way to capture images has turned into something much deeper.




Photo by Billy York - BigDPhoto.com



PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE

An experienced black & white photographer can see the world without color. They’ve trained their mind to pick up contrast and tone while blocking the distraction of colors. This isn’t a skill that you can pick up in a short amount of time; it’s something that comes naturally in time. I can’t say that I’m gifted enough to have monochrome vision, but I have been able to notice certain scenes and subjects that would lend themselves to black & white.
One way to help train your brain is to make a conscious effort — in other words, practice. Trevor carpenter gave us the perfect example when he started his October Challenge. Basically, he decided to limit his photography to black & white for an entire month. This gave him a chance to experiment with the medium and learn from his own work, and in his project recap he states “I have found, especially in recent days, that as I’m shooting and conceiving a shot, I see the potential impact of the composition in black & white.”

FOCUS ON CONTRAST

Black & white photography is about the black, the white, and all the tones in between. The human eye is built to pick up two things: light intensity and color. When you remove the color, your eyes become more sensitive to the light intensity. We naturally pick out areas of contrast — it’s how we distinguish one thing from another. As a black & white photographer, your main objective is to make your point with shades of gray. Use contrast to show your onlookers what’s important and what’s not. Seek out scenes that naturally show signs of high contrast, and your black & white photos will be more compelling right from the start.
When post-processing a black & white image, the use of Photoshop techniques like levels, curves, and layer blends give you a wide variety of output options. In addition to these things, burning and dodging are highly effective methods of improving contrast. They work so well because they allow you to focus the edit on a localized portion of the image without affecting the surrounding areas.

FOCUS ON TEXTURE

Texture is really just a form of contrast, but it is perceived quite differently. If you think about it, texture is the regular or irregular pattern of shadows and highlights at various intensities. Black & white photos really lend themselves to texture because color generally add another layer of complexity, thus masking most subtle textures. Look for areas of interesting texture that can be photographed by zeroing in on specific surfaces and examining them for signs of patterned contrast.
The choices you make in post-processing can really make a difference in the texture too. During the black & white conversion, you can usually pull texture out of otherwise smooth surfaces based on your choice of conversion methods. In digital photos, blues and reds generally contain more noise than greens, so tools like the channel mixer and the black & white adjustment layer in Photoshop can really accentuate those embedded textures.

CAPTURE IN COLOR

This is mainly aimed at digital photographers… If your camera gives you the option of shooting in color or black & white, NEVER shoot in black & white. The camera is really capturing color, then converting to black & white. Photo editing software can do a much better job at the conversion, and you’ll have more flexibility on the output of the final image. It’s really amazing how different a photo can look solely based on the post-processing, so it’s best not to limit yourself before the photo even makes it out of the camera.
The one exception to this rule is if you wanted to use the black & white capture to give you a preview of what the scene might look like as a monochrome image. It may help you identify good black & white scenes more immediately, but once you find your shot switch back over to color capture and shoot it again.

USE COLOR FILTERS

Black & white film photographers make use of color filters to change the captured tones in their photographs. Ever see those monochrome images with dark skies and puffy white clouds? That’s not natural; it requires the use of color filtering to produce the desired effect.
Using an actual color filter with a digital camera is perfectly acceptable and it has its merits, but it’s not completely necessary. Software like Photoshop has the ability to apply non-destructive color filters. It also has the ability to produce the same results as a color filter during the black & white conversion. For those of you using Photoshop CS3 or CS5, you’ll see that the black & white adjustment dialog has several preset filters that can be applied and modified to suit the photo.

So if you’re interested in pursuing a little black & white photography, really think about these things — before, during, and after you shoot. Anybody can produce black & white photos, but it takes a little more thought and skill to produce good black & whites.

Big D Photo

source: EpicEdits

Photography 101: Lens Characteristics

For those of you considering a lens purchase in the near future, the following lens characteristics are important to understand and consider when researching the best buy for you. The terminology and concepts are used to sell better-quality lenses, so study the list below, and be on the lookout for what counts!

Internal Focusing (IF)
Characteristics: The movement of the lens for focusing purposes is internal to the lens body, so no lens ring will cause the lens to twist out and interfere with the orientation of any filters. (Some filters, such as linear polarizers or graduated neutral-density filters require stationary positioning in order to deliver predictable results.) This internal movement also allows the lens weight to stay balanced, which helps the balancing of heavier lenses on a tripod. Image quality of newer IF lenses is slightly better than non-IF lenses due to technological advances made that correct some aberrations.

Image Stabilization (IS) or Vibration Reduction (VR)
Characteristics: Most types of lenses above come in two flavours: either with image stabilization, or without. Built-in stabilization allows you to get sharp hand-held images when lighting conditions are poor, or you're shooting from a moving vehicle. On the lenses that offer this capability, there is usually a switch that lets you turn the feature off, thus saving batteries when using a tripod. Beware the cost of these lenses, though: you can expect to pay 2-4 times as much for a lens with image stabilization than the same lens without.
=> Uses: hand-held photography (i.e. no tripod)

Constant vs Variable Aperture
Characteristics: Variable aperture accounts for the majority of zoom lenses, and causes the maximum aperture to decrease as you zoom from wider focal lengths to telephoto focal lengths. The advantage of variable aperture zoom lenses is that they're cheaper to maufacture and are typically lighter and more compact than contact aperture lenses.

Constant aperture lenses provide a static maximum aperture regardless of the focal length you're zoomed to. This better enables you to achieve narrow depth of field so as to isolate your subject from your background. These lenses typically let more light in, which lets you shoot sharp photos in dimmer lighting conditions.

Macro Focusing
Characteristics: Macro lenses allow the camera to be very close to its subject and still focus sharply. Macro lenses are ideal for close-up shots of flowers, leaves or insects, and sometimes double as portrait lenses. They typically have a reproduction ratio of 1:4 or better, which means the image sensor will capture the subject at 1/4 its original size or larger. => Uses: macro photography

Low-Dispersion Glass
Characteristics: Some lenses are made with high-quality glass specially manufactured to more accurately transmit the full visible colour spectrum, called low-dispersion glass. You may also hear of ED (extra-low dispersion), SLD (super-low dispersion) or UD (ultra-low dispersion), which really just means truer colours.

Apochromatic Lenses (APO)
Characteristics: Apochromatic lenses have high colour fidelity and sharpness and should be used by anyone obsessed with getting to the most accurate colours possible.

Aspherical Elements (ASP)
Characteristics: Aspherical lenses are made with a different curvature than traditional spherical lenses to correct for distortions at the edge of the image. They are particularly useful in wide-angle lenses where vignetting or distortion can be seen in the corners of the image.

Tripod Mounts for Long Lenses
Characteristics: Lenses that are bigger and heavier than your camera body should have a tripod mount built-in. By attaching the lens to the tripod instead of the camera, you will remove tension on the camera-to-lens mount joint, and you will improve tripod balancing in the field. In fact, without a tripod mount, some larger lenses will cause the tripod to topple, thus making tripod use impossible without a lens mount. It is possible to purchase a separate adapter bracket from some manufacturers if the lens itself does not have one.

Plastic Material vs Alloys
Characteristics: Plastic lenses built recently typically use high-tech materials that are very durable and much lighter than metal alloy lenses. So although it used to be said that plastic lenses are cheap and unreliable, that is no longer true today.

Size
Characteristics: Zoom and telephoto lenses are getting smaller and lighter each year. In general, the larger the focal length of the lens, the larger the lens will be physically.

Weight
Characteristics: The heaviness of a lens may be prohibitive to you, depending on your physical fitness level and how long you'll be away from home. Plastic lenses are quite durable and are definitely lighter than equivalent metal lenses, although ultra-lightweight metal alloys are reasonable as well.

Price
Characteristics: In general, no matter which lens you're looking at, prices vary dramatically based on lens quality. Professional lenses will cost you thousands of dollars, while a compact modest starter zoom lens will be only a hundred dollars. You'll pay extra for some of the characteristics discussed in this article, such as fast constant apertures, high quality glass, image stabilization, and quick auto-focus. Remember, though, that lens price is a large investment: lenses will long outlast your camera body, and is largely responsible for the quality of your images (much more so than the camera body itself)!

Teleconverters
Characteristics: Teleconverters are a cheaper alternative to zoom lenses. They're also a lot lighter and smaller to carry around, but then you get what you pay for. Teleconverters force you to have more available light for any particular aperture setting, and image quality will decrease (edge softening and lens fault magnification).

Big D Photo
source: About.com

Valentine's Day Photo Tips: Take a Heart Felt Portrait for the One You Love!

For Valentine's Day, what better way to show your affection than to take a heart felt portrait for the one you love? Here are five tips to help you do it right.

1. You want the focus of attention in your photo to be your subject's face and expression. Suggest clothing that will not take attention away from the subject- avoid checked patterns, stripes and big patterns, unless such outfits are your subject's trademark. The subject's face should stand out, not the clothing!

2. Come in close and fill the frame with your subject. Generally, you'll be better off with a "head-and-shoulders" shot in which the hands don't show.

3. If the hands do show, give them something to hold - gloves, a small bouquet, a hat - anything that's appropriate.

4. Use a relatively fast shutter speed - outdoors ISO 100-200, indoors ISO 400, depending on lighting. Shoot some pictures with flash, some without. Even outdoors you can use your flash to help with shadows, etc.

5. When using flash, keep your subject a few feet from the background to minimize dark wall shadows.

Of course, when you get the photos loaded onto the computer, examine them carefully. Then take the best photo and have it printed to a size you are happy with, and put in a tasteful frame for a great Valentine's Day present!

Big D Photo

Cold Weather Photography

Cold weather photography presents numerous challenges to photographers and their equipment. From drained batteries to frostbit fingers, cold weather photography is a completely different prospect than hot weather shooting. While there are some simple solutions to most cold weather photography problems, these solutions may not be the ones you would first think about.


Equipment Problems
Condensation

What is Condensation?
Condensation is a photographer's nightmare. Just like a pair of eyeglasses fogging up when changing temperatures rapidly, a camera lens (and the inside of the camera) can fog up with condensation. Condensation is water forming on surfaces that are significantly colder or warmer than the air surrounding it. Technically, this means that if your camera goes into an area where the air is warm condensation will form if the camera is colder than the dew point. The opposite is also true. If your camera goes into a cold air area and the camera is warmer than the dew point then condensation can form.


How to Avoid Condensation?
The basic way to avoid condensation is to gradually bring your camera through these extreme temperature changes by sealing it inside a bag containing air the same temperature as the camera is acclimatized to. This way, any condensation forms on the bag instead of the camera as the air and camera gradually equalize to the new environment. In practice, this usually results in the photographer freezing in his/her car because he/she doesn't want to wait for the camera to cool off when he/she gets to the photo location.


Hidden Condensation Cause
Another source of condensation is the photographer. If you breathe on your camera you risk fogging it. The heat from your eye could also cause problems on the viewfinder. If your viewfinder fogs due to photographer body heat it is almost always only an inconvenience that does not affect the rest of the camera. You should, however, refrain from putting your camera in your coat as this could raise the temperature of the camera and lens itself enough to create problematic condensation.
Remember that condensation can form inside the camera as well. Beyond the moisture not agreeing with any electronic parts, the moisture could freeze in very cold conditions and completely ruin the camera.

Drained Batteries
Batteries lose their charge more quickly in cold weather. When shooting in cold weather it is essential to carry spare batteries for all of your equipment. Lithium batteries are a good choice as they are better at holding a charge than the older chemical compositions to begin with. You can also keep the spare batteries in your coat pocket or other relatively warm spot. However, be extremely careful not to let the batteries be too warm as this could cause condensation when they are placed back into the cold equipment.


Photographer Problems
Exposed Skin

What is in Danger?
We all know to wear a coat when we go outside in the cold, but we often forget about our hands and faces. For your face, consider a ski mask to reduce the amount of skin exposed to the wind and cold. This can also help reduce the amount of water vapor you breathe onto your camera. A photographer's fingers and face are the most endangered in cold weather shooting. Often a photographer will take off his/her gloves while shooting in order to better handle the camera. This exposes your fingers not only to the cold but also the wind. Even if the ambient air temperature is not below freezing, the wind chill may be cold enough to cause frostbite.


Protecting Your Fingers
Fingers cause a bit more problems for photographers. Fear of dropping the camera and difficulty in managing the controls with heavy gloves often leads photographers to forgo gloves altogether. This leads to quickly numb fingers and is a fast track to frostbite. Depending on how cold the conditions are, you may even be at risk for your fingers freezing to the metal on the camera. Layering your gloves is an excellent solution to frozen fingers. Wear silk or other fine mesh gloves first (even women's nylons with a few extra seams make great first layer gloves). Over these gloves add a pair of fingerless crafter's gloves. These not only add warmth, but can also help cut down on hand fatigue. The final layer are your normal cold-weather heavy gloves. These will be removed whenever you are shooting so a cord to hang them around your neck is needed to prevent losing them. Your fingers will still get cold with the crafter's gloves and under gloves (but more slowly). Try keeping a hunter's chemical heat pack in your coat pocket for quick reheating of your hands in between frames.


Wet Feet
Even when wearing very well insulated boots, your feet can become damp from perspiration or a poorly placed step that puts you in snow higher than your boot tops. Wet skin is in major danger of damage from cold. Keep extra socks with you at all times for emergency changes. Keeping a couple of kitchen dish towels with you will also allow you to dry off your feet before changing socks.


Slipping
In cold conditions, almost any surface can be covered in ice. Photographers are notorious for not paying attention to their surroundings while they are focusing on a subject. Be sure to pay attention to where you are stepping and wear footgear with good traction in order to avoid a nasty fall.




Big D Photo
Source: About.com