Night shots of carnival rides like this are very easy to capture. You will need to mount your camera on a tripod. Set your  DSLR to aperture priority mode and set the f-stop to f/22. Find a good vantage point, compose your image and carefully press the shutter button or use a remote. These images took an exposure time of between 6 and 9 seconds. Someone actually asked me if the rides really go that fast. I hope they were trying to be cute…

Technorati Tags: photo, photgraphy, DLSR, digital camera, carnival, lights, night shots, long exposure, aperture priority

The Sunny 16 Rule:

• In bright sunlight, set the lens opening to f/16 and the shutter speed to the reciprocal of the ISO.

With a digital camera, you may never need to use the manual mode; however, if you really want to take control of your DLSR, manual mode is the best way to take that control. To use the “sunny 16 rule”, you’ll need a sunny day. The following is a table that should give you a better idea of how ISO, f-stop, and shutter speed all work in conjunction for a good exposure:

Another way to move toward using your camera in manual mode is to note settings of photos that you are taking and the conditions in which you took them.

Technorati Tags: exposure, DLSR, manual mode, shutter speed, f-stop, sunny 16, light, camera, photo, photography

What is exposure? There are 2 parts involved in exposing your camer’s digital sensor to light.  The first is the intensity of the light and the second is the period of time the light is exposed to the sensor.

The calculation is Exposure= intensity x time.

The f stop or aperture is the iris in the lens that allows a measured amount of light to reach the sensor. This f stop is determined mathematically by the size of the iris opening of the lens, the lenses focal length, and the dimensions of the sensor.  Each of the f-stops either doubles or halves the amount of light allowed through the lens. Camera lenses these days are calibrated into thirds of a stop, such as 4, 4.5, 5, 5.6, 6.3, 7.1, 8. This divides each stop into thirds.  F4 means that basically the hole on the lens is ¼ the length of the lens.  F8 means the hole in the lens is 1/8 the length of the lens.  An f-stop is a factor and the divisor of a fraction.

One of the ambiguous parts of f-stops is the larger the number the smaller the opening. For instance, a hole that is 1/8th the length of the lens is smaller than a hole that is ¼ the length of the lens.

The other part of an exposure is the amount of time that the film is exposed. The longer the shutter is open, the longer the light has to reach the light sensor, the shorter the shutter is open, the less time there is to expose the sensor. The lens measures and focuses the light the camera opens and closes the shutter and stores the image.

Today’s camera shutters are now calibrated in thirds of a stop so you have shutter speeds like 1/30, 1/40, 1/50, 1/60, 1/80, 1/100, and 1/125th of a second.  Now the reason both f stops and shutter speeds are broken down into thirds of a stop is to allow for a more accurate exposure.

There is a relationship between f-stops and shutter speeds. Each full f-stop either halves or doubles the amount of light entering the camera and each full shutter speed stop either halves or doubles the amount of time of the exposure.  Modern cameras automatically do this for you.  It is possible to have the same exposure with a variety of different f stops and shutter speeds depending on what effect you want to achieve. In aperture priority, changing the f stop automatically changes the shutter speed for a proper exposure; conversly, in shutter speed priority, changing the shutter speed will automatically change the f stop for a proper exposure.  You don’t have to manually change both factors of an exposure with today’s cameras. New photographers have a hard time understanding the relationship.

If the camera automatically does automatically, why should you care what your f stop or shutter speed is? Shutter speeds stop action or blur it depending on how fast or slow of a speed you use.  Aperture controls depth of field (how much of an area in your photo is in focus). You use this to isolate subjects with a soft background or create images that are perfectly sharp near and far.  Knowledge of depth of field (f-stops) and shutter speed give you much more control over your camera. Letting the camera decide is like rolling the dice, you may or may not get what you want.

To stop action you have to use a fast shutter speed and lose some depth of field. Each time you use a faster shutter speed, which cuts the length of time the film is exposed to light, you need to open up the aperture to let more light in to get a proper exposure.  If you want everything in your photograph to be sharp you use a small aperture (high number). In these situations, you may nee4d to use a tripod because the slower shutter speed is needed for a proper exposure. This is because little light is being allowed to pass through the lens you need to slow down the shutter speed to allow the sensor in your DLSR to be exposed for a longer time period.

What is exposure? There are 2 parts involved in exposing your camer’s digital sensor to light.  The first is the intensity of the light and the second is the period of time the light is exposed to the sensor.

Exposure= intensity x time

The f stop or aperture is the iris in the lens that allows a measured amount of light to reach the sensor. This f stop is determined mathematically by the size of the iris opening of the lens, the lenses focal length, and the dimensions of the sensor.  Each of the f-stops either doubles or halves the amount of light allowed through the lens. Camera lenses these days are calibrated into thirds of a stop, such as 4, 4.5, 5, 5.6, 6.3, 7.1, 8. This divides each stop into thirds.  F4 means that basically the hole on the lens is ¼ the length of the lens.  F8 means the hole in the lens is 1/8 the length of the lens.  An f-stop is a factor and the divisor of a fraction.

One of the ambiguous parts of f-stops is the larger the number the smaller the opening. For instance, a hole that is 1/8th the length of the lens is smaller than a hole that is ¼ the length of the lens.

The other part of an exposure is the amount of time that the film is exposed. The longer the shutter is open, the longer the light has to reach the light sensor, the shorter the shutter is open, the less time there is to expose the sensor. The lens measures and focuses the light the camera opens and closes the shutter and stores the image.

Today’s camera shutters are now calibrated in thirds of a stop so you have shutter speeds like 1/30, 1/40, 1/50, 1/60, 1/80, 1/100, and 1/125th of a second.  Now the reason both f stops and shutter speeds are broken down into thirds of a stop is to allow for a more accurate exposure.

There is a relationship between f-stops and shutter speeds. Each full f-stop either halves or doubles the amount of light entering the camera and each full shutter speed stop either halves or doubles the amount of time of the exposure.  Modern cameras automatically do this for you.  It is possible to have the same exposure with a variety of different f stops and shutter speeds depending on what effect you want to achieve. In aperture priority, changing the f stop automatically changes the shutter speed for a proper exposure; conversly, in shutter speed priority, changing the shutter speed will automatically change the f stop for a proper exposure.  You don’t have to manually change both factors of an exposure with today’s cameras. New photographers have a hard time understanding the relationship.

If the camera automatically does automatically, why should you care what your f stop or shutter speed is? Shutter speeds stop action or blur it depending on how fast or slow of a speed you use.  Aperture controls depth of field (how much of an area in your photo is in focus). You use this to isolate subjects with a soft background or create images that are perfectly sharp near and far.  Knowledge of depth of field (f-stops) and shutter speed give you much more control over your camera. Letting the camera decide is like rolling the dice, you may or may not get what you want.

To stop action you have to use a fast shutter speed and lose some depth of field. Each time you use a faster shutter speed, which cuts the length of time the film is exposed to light, you need to open up the aperture to let more light in to get a proper exposure.  If you want everything in your photograph to be sharp you use a small aperture (high number). In these situations, you may nee4d to use a tripod because the slower shutter speed is needed for a proper exposure. This is because little light is being allowed to pass through the lens you need to slow down the shutter speed to allow the sensor in your DLSR to be exposed for a longer time period.

Technorati Tags: exposure, f-stop, shutter speed, camera, DLSR, modes

Someone recently asked whether extension tubes are worth the expense. My short answer is YES.

For around $100, you can get “several’ lenses in one set. The Kenko extension tube set comes in 12, 20, and 36mm tubes. All of which can be interlocked and create a full 70mm. You can put any two, all three, or each one between your camera and the lens that you choose.  Although these are sold as autofocus, it is near useless as your camera will probably “hunt” when trying to gain focus.  It has been my experience that using manual focus is the only reliable way to achieve satisfactory results.

Macro photography inherently has a very narrow depth of field.  Extension tubes add to the light “fall off” as well and unless you are using additional lighting, such as a macro flash ring, or other lighting device, the exposures will be rather long.

The photo above illustrates how narrow the depth of field can be.  On the other hand, the photo above almost has that “Lensbaby” look to it.

The fun part, in my opinion, it that you can use it with any lens in your toolkit.  There are Kenko extension tubes for Nikon and Canon mounts.  This is a great way to get into macro (or actually close up) photography for much less than the cost of a true macro lens.   Along with the extension tubes, you’ll need a tripod and a remote shutter release mechanism (or the internal time) because the exposures can be quite long. With the extreme narrow depth of field, even the slightest movement can render an image highly blurred.  On top of that, you will have to be very patient as it takes a lot of setup to get good images.

Technorati Tags: macro, micro, closeup, lens, extension tubes, photos, photography

Taken with a $129 Canon PowerShot SD1100 IS camera in macro mode w/flash

I should say, the camera doesn’t matter as much as what (or who) is standing behind it.  People take photos, not cameras.  You can create a great image with a disposable camera and many people have.  Lighting, composition, and a creative eye are more important than megapixels. Most of the point and shoot cameras today will allow you to make great photos.  Chase Jarvis has taken some very compelling photos with his iPhone. Pinhole camera photography is probably one of the most fundamental means of taking pictures and there are some astounding examples of work done with them. Purchasing an expensive camera doesn’t mean you can create outstanding photographs. Good musicians can play on anything and a good photographer can make great images with a disposable camera.  There have been 60 years of improvements and advancements in photographic equipment; yet, the photographs that Ansel Adams took back in the 1940s are still thought to be some of the finest images ever captured. Why is that?

“Quick, grab the camera, there’s a frog on the window”

How do you get to Carnegie Hall?  Practice Man, Practice. 

Some people think that you can fix your camera settings, put it in multiple frame mode and press and hold the shutter down hoping to “accidentally” get that perfect shot.  You may actually luck out and get that one great shot; however, chances are you’ll do much better by using your eye to find a good shot and press once. Practice is very important. Some things work and other don’t and you’ll never know which one is which until you start practicing by taking lots of photographs. Learn your camera. Change the settings. Learn about white balance. Learn about exposure compensation. Since digital photography has come into its own, there has never been a better time to do just that. Once you have purchased your digital camera, the rest is cheap (besides your valuable time).  Keep your camera with you at all times and be ready to take a shot, or two, or three, or hundreds.     Look, that taxi is one fire…    *snap*

Technorati Tags: photography, photo, pictures, cameras, megapixels, learning, basics, composition, tutorial, tips

• Get to the location early - If you haven’t already scouted the wedding location, the dressing and the reception areas, this is a must. Coming in cold a short while before the ceremony is a recipe for disaster.
• Get to know the wedding party as much as you can beforehand - The more your know the wedding party, the more at ease they will be with you and the closer and more comfortable you’ll be with them. Great photos will have a lot to do with how at ease they are with you. It’s nice to be called by your name, instead of “the photographer”.
• You are the photographer - Don’t forget this important fact. Your job is paramount. The ceremony and the reception is for the moment, the images you provide may have to last for more than a lifetime. You are not only creating nice “works of art” for the bride, you are also documenting history for the family. Do your dead level best job at carrying out this important project. You don’t have to be pushy or bossy. Everyone already knows that your job is critical and they want you to succeed.  Your aittitude and demeanor has a directr impact on the subjects of your photos. 
• You must have a flash - Churches can be well lighted and churches can be almost dark. Most of them are relatively dark.  You need a flash and it should be off-camera. 
• You need a powerful flash with a great refresh rate - The majority of church sanctuaries are large. This necessitates a powerful flash. Shooting in RAW may allow you to increase the exposure. However, there is a point of diminishing returns where noise creeps into the image and lots of it. Increasing the ISO helps some; however, the noise factor again becomes apparent.  The refresh rate of the flash has a large bearing on whether you get all of the shots you want or one of the shots that you want. It is difficult to get the exact one you want unless you have lightning reflexes and that is not always as easy as it sounds.
• A tripod is nice and even necessary, but don’t depend on it as a way to overcome darkness in a dimly lit church - Several factors work against the use of a tripod to take sharp shots. Young children are constantly on the move. People blink, move their hands, etc.  A flash and a tripod make a good combination.
• Take plenty of the same posed shot of groups - Eyes close, hands raise to swipe hair or scratch an itch. People are distracted. Make sure you get their attention once you have them in position for the shot. Taking these extra shots of the same pose will increase the odds of having one very good shot of the group. The larger the group, the greater the odds that something will be out of kilter.
• Pay attention to details - Half open zippers, flipped collars, hair out of place, and a thousand other little details can detract from the finished photo. Take the time to notice each individual.  Learn about posing and balance the group. Turn some people, have some stand on the next highest step, and so on. As you pose them, look for that special balance that is needed for a pleasing picture.
• Look for the emotional outbreaks (the good kind) - they only last a few seconds - A hug, a smile, a kiss, a pat on the back can all add human interest to an otherwise hum-drum image. Engage your subjects. Use humor to get them going, even being a little silly can get them rolling. After all, most of the time, your subjects are nervous, tense, or stiff.  They are so absorbed in the moment that they are having difficulty relaxing. A relaxed person makes a much better subject than a stiff or nervous one. I use things like “You’re all movie stars…smiles all around” (and I wave my hand like and Italian chef) or “OK…more fake grins everybody, act like you really care about all of this” (and then I look up and cross my eyes at them or make a funny face).  Anything that is somewhat goofy seems to lighten up an otherwise self-conscious group. Tell them how wonderful they look and the smiles will surface.  Don’t forget that these are people too and they like and dislike many of the same things that you do.

• Keep a mental list of locations that you can use for candid shots  - This comes in  handy once the groom and the bride are available for those special shots of just the two of them.  Find out all you can about how the ceremony is going to process and proceed. This is vital as you have to be where the action is. If you are using limited flash power, find out ahead of time where the subject need to be in the center aisle before you shoot. Also, if your flash has to take a second or two to refresh, make sure you get an idea on timing your shots. You may only get one or two shots of each group that processes down the aisle. You might even start a “clip” book or folder that contains photos that you particularly like. You can attempt to use the same style or even embellish it with your own version to create interesting images. Remember, there is nothing new under the sun. Most of the fantastic photo that you see today were inspired by other great photos.

• Ignore anyone taking snapshots and/or video - Again, you are the photographer.  If someone is holding a video camera and you attempt to avoud their line of sight, your will lose some of your flexibility when it comes to moving around the altar area. - I strongly suggest that you stay on the groom’s side of the  sanctuary so the lion’s share of shots are of the bride. If you are on the groom’s side you will have the bride’s face in view. After all, she is the one that wants the pictures. You can always move over and get shots of the groom. The bride comes first.

• Don’t be afraid to move into the middle of the aisle at important portions of the ceremony to get a shot of both the bride and groom in a more centered, symetrical shot. Even though many of your shots will be from one side of the altar or the other, you still need some of those head on altar shots.

• You’ll need to move in as close as you can when the ring exchange occurs - The suggested minimum distance from the couple is ten feet. Even that may seem a bit close. However, if you want to actually get the rings in a photo, you’ll need to move in fairly close.

• Keep a loose eye on the family members during the ceremony - At important points along the ceremony many of the family members will beam and maybe even tear up during these times. When the minister pronounces the bride and groom as man and wife, when they are called Mr. and Mrs., and so on, these are the times when the family lights up with emotion. It may be big smiles, it may be tears. Regardless of what the emotion brings, it is usually a great shot for you to capture. Don’t forget kids the whole time, they seem to be doing all kinds of funny things that you can get shots of.

AF-S DX VR Zoom-NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED

When I first began purchasing lenses for my Nikon DSLR cameras, I wanted a lens that “did it all”.  Of course, there really is no such thing as you begin to learn about lens speeds and focal lengths.  However, for someone who is looking to purchase the one lens to start, I recommend this one over the others at this time. The price is not astronomical, the 18-200mm zoom is a wonderful range. The VR (vibration reduction) feature that is engineered into the lens offers the equivalent of using a shutter speed 4 stops faster. This allows you to get shots in lower light conditions. Ideally, this lens would be faster than the f/3.5-5.6 and it would be unbelievable. On the other hand, the lens would be priced so high it would be somewhat prohibitive. The cheaper 55-200mm lens does not have the wide angle that the 18-200mm does and that cripples its ability to cover such a wide (no pun intended) range of shots.  Obviously, this lens is slow as opposed to the f/2 collection that Nikon has to offer.  All in all, if you are looking for that one lens that will allow you to do it all and not break the bank, the Nikkor 18-200mm VR lens it the one to get.

Where to Buy?

I purchased mine through eBay. I lurked for weeks and watched how they sold. Once I found out what one in good condition was selling for, I began my bidding. I lost several bids until I finally found one that did not have someone yearning for it so badly. You can get one for about $100 less than a new one. Of course, you probably won’t get a warranty, but it is probably worth the gamble for the savings. Otherwise, I would suggest adorama.com or bhphotovideo.com which give decent prices and service.

Technorati Tags: nikon, nikkor, lens, 18-200mm, VR, ED, camera, digital, DSLR

Light Angle
The angle of light should be taken into consideration when you need to create a specific effect. Shadows can be very powerful when cast over half of a person’s face. When you decide the angle you want to have the light coming from you are also deciding where the shadows will be cast. The angle of light can show texture when coming from the side because the shadows create the effect of more depth. It can add detail and mystery to a person’s face if you choose to keep half of their face in the shadows.
 

Effect of Light Rays
The effect of rays of light indoors and outdoors can be very spectacular. A brilliant part of some great photographs is the ability to actually see rays of light in a photo. Whether it is in the setting of a brilliant sunset, light pouring through a window or light from artificial lights almost all kinds have the potential to look amazing. Usually the only way to obtain something like this is a narrow aperture (high f/stop) and a very slow shutter speed. I have found rays of light to be very nice in architectural photography in the form of light streaming through windows or spaces.
 

Silhouette Lighting
The way to create a silhouette is to have significantly brighter light coming from behind the subject. Take your camera light reading off of the background instead of the subject so that the camera will adjust for an exposure based on the backlight. If you do this the subject will be successfully underexposed and the background should have a well-balanced exposure.
 

Scarce Light in the Darkness
Photography at night is completely different than photography in the day. At night there is most likely not enough light to handhold the camera if you are going to take a well-exposed photo (without flash). A tripod is very necessary and I always use a tripod when I am shooting at night to take away the risk of blur from hand shakiness. If you keep experimenting with different ways of using light you will find that you can get very interesting results. One favorite location of night photographers is on the roadside of a busy street. With a long shutter speed the photographer can use the car lights to make streams of light across the frame. The longer the exposure, the more fascinating the results with light most of the time.

Try This Technique to Make a Copy of Someone
Set the shutter speed for somewhere around 30 seconds, set the camera on a tripod and set the self-timer so you do not have to press the shutter button. Someone needs to stand next to the camera with a flashlight and someone else needs to be the subject of the photo in front of the camera. The subject then stands in one place while the flashlight is pointed at him and moved in an up and down motion. After around 15 seconds the flashlight is turned off and the subject is told to move to his left. Then the flashlight is pointed at him again and moved up and down until the camera finishes the exposure. If you do this successfully you can create the same person twice in one frame.

Technorati Tags: photographic lighting techniques tips light photo

1/200 sec f/8 56mm

This shot of Pete was taken using two lights and a plain white muslin background supported by a Dynatran support system. The key light (800 watt alien bees strobe w/medium softbox) was to the left of camera and set high (7 feet) at approx. 1/3 power. The background light (400 watt alien bees strobe w/7 in reflector) was on the floor facing the background at full power.  The camera was approximately 4 feet from the subject and the subject was about 2 feet from the background and seated. The highest flash sync speed with the Nikon D80 is 1/200 second. The keylight and camera were wirelessly synchronized using 2 Pocket Wizards. The Nikon D80 was tethered to the PC via USB using Nikon Camera Control Pro software.

“Photoshopped ” version of the photo

Technorati Tags: nikon, d80, camera control pro, alien bees, photo lighting, strobe, monobloc, pocket wizard plus, studio, lights, flash, portraiture, portrait, background, support