Monochrome in a Color World

March 13, 2012 by 7 Comments

As humans, most of us see the world in all its color and beauty but we often miss some of the world’s details all because of that pesky thing called color. Don’t get me wrong, I love color like most others do but I love a monochrome world a bit more. With monochrome you don’t have the colors distracting your eyes and mind and you see the details and textures like you never have before.

This is my first time writing an article for someone other than my own blog. I appreciate the chance that Seven by Five is giving me and I hope you enjoy reading the articles I have started to plan out. I am not going into great depth with this first one, starting high level and eventually diving deeper into things. My background is I am a completely self-taught photographer. What I know has come from mainly trial and error but also from a few books, some online articles and advice from friends. I do not look at how I do things as the only way but rather the way that works for me. You might not fully agree with how I do things but keep in mind just like art, there are many ways to do many things.

I have been hobbyist photographer for almost 8 years now but the last 5 I have been very serious about this hobby and have put a lot of effort into bettering myself and my work. One area I have worked very hard at is my monochrome work and I have learned a lot along the way. The biggest of them all is learning to see a scene and picture it in my head as a monochrome scene rather than the color it is in nature. It has taken time to get to this point but anyone with the patience and determination can do it themselves.

Start yourself out by looking at Monochrome photography done by other artists. Look at what they saw, try to see the scene they saw before snapping the shutter and capturing the light. It isn’t always easy to know what the scene looked like before it was Monochrome but you can get the idea of what the photographer saw in the details and composition of the work. If you are a landscape photographer, try working on a cloudy day, the contrasts are perfect for this type of work. On a sunny day, work with the sun to your back and try to use the blue sky along with some clouds. Look at things not in color but rather in lights and darks, learn to see contrasts. Once you have studied some work go out and try some photos yourself. Don’t worry about the post processing until you have learned to see in monochrome, train your eyes before you worry about the final image. Being able to see a monochrome image in your head before even touching the camera is far more important than the processing after the shot has been taken. You have to start with a good image to end up with a great one.

Some I know have started out with setting their camera to process the photos in B&W and that is fine to learn with but eventually you will want to shoot everything in color and post process for B&W. I will be getting into this in a future article but for now feel free to use the camera to process your B&W images. Like I said, it’s not the preferred way but it will at least give you a quick way to see what you are shooting and help you develop an eye for B&W work. It takes time for that eye to develop but once you start, you will be amazed how the world around you changes. If you want an easy one to start with, go out and find some trees to photograph. Bare trees in winter are the easiest but really any trees will do. The dark gray bark and rough texture will really pop and make a B&W photo work.

In the end, study some other people’s work to get some ideas and then get out there and start shooting and training your eyes. It won’t happen overnight and might take some time but don’t give up. The best things in life take time to happen. The beauty of digital photography is you can shoot all you want without costing yourself lots of money – and that is great when you are just starting out.

CJ Schmit is a 38 Year old self-taught photographer specializing in Monochrome Landscape and Architectural photography.

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What is composition?

March 5, 2012 by Leave a Comment

You hear it all the time: It doesn’t matter what the photo is taken on, be it a pro DSLR, disposable, camera phone, Polaroid, what-have-you… a strong, engaging composition creates a memorable photo.

But what is composition?

Think of composition as the arrangement of a picture’s subjects/elements. When it comes to landscapes, however, it can be tricky deciding exactly what in your frame to consider ‘elements.’ We’ll focus on a number that pops up somewhat regularly in photography: 3.

When composing a landscape, try to find at least three different elements in the shot. You’ll have your main subject – the snow-capped peak; a very unique, scraggly tree; the timeless red barn on top of the hill – as your main focus, but then look for two more elements. A fence post or a downed, moss-covered tree could add another point of interest for the viewer’s eye to follow. Once your elements have been picked out, now it’s time to arrange them in an appealing fashion.

An interesting landscape has depth. Distance. A sense of scale. We achieve this through layering the elements in our photo. It can be broken up as easily as foreground, middle ground, and background. Ideally, we would want to incorporate one of our three subjects in each layer of the photograph. The moss-covered log crossing the foreground with the tall mountain peak jutting up from the trees, dominating the middle ground. And the flaring, setting sun on the distant horizon beyond the mountain. Now instead of just a pretty picture of a mountain, you have a visual journey to take your viewer’s eyes on.

But sometimes the eyes need a little nudge in the right direction. We can help out by leading them through our composition with lines. Shoot down the length of the log, with the point where the mountain breaks free of the treetops as the point where the log ends. Catch the sun at a ‘V’ between the sides of our main mountain and another set of peaks in the distance. Our eyes like to follow lines, they like to be lead, and the viewer ultimately feels a sense of impact, of story based on the lines we lead them on.

Rarely, if ever, do all these elements happily arrange themselves on their own for you. Most of the time, it will take a lot of moving around. Take a few steps left. A few steps right. Drop your tripod a foot lower, then a foot higher. This is the essence of composition – it’s in every scene we come across… the joy and the challenge is finding it. It’s quite the rewarding experience to take a normal scene on a hike through a forest trail and present it in a powerful, inspiring image simply through clever composition.

Colin is a 27 year old Central Pennsylvania photographer. He has an unhealthy obsession with trying to photograph the stars at night. See more:

FaceBook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Colin-Gallagher-Photographer/170407189656590
Twitter: http://twitter.com/colintgallagher

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Focusing on You: Lessons from Behind the Lens

February 29, 2012 by 8 Comments

Did any of you as a child ever experience being the “new kid” in the class? Completely new to the scene and trying to figure out how exactly where you are going to fit in. What “group” would you hang out with? Thoughts of, “would anyone like me,” floating around in your head. Wondering if your style would fit in with the rest of the crowd? This is exactly how I felt being a new face within the industry of photography. That is, until I realized it’s not about fitting in. It’s about being YOU!

© Kacie Q

Ever find yourself questioning your work? It’s a huge leap putting yourself and your work out there for others. There can be some major insecurities that can arise, if you don’t take the time to understand yourself and why you do what you do.

My goal in writing this piece is to target anyone, new or seasoned, to find the basis of you. What are the fundamentals that led you to start a journey within the world of photography? Establish, or reconnect with those essentials! As Christa Meola put it “You are your own secret.” So here are a few steps that I take:

1.) The Art of Being You: In a vast sea of photographers, it can be a bit intimidating and overwhelming to find a look and feel to your work, especially if you are just getting started. When I began thinking about applying this to my own photography, three men came to my mind. Brad Paisley, Carlos Santana & Keith Urban. Anytime one of these talented individuals strikes a chord, just one chord, I know which one it is immediately. Their work is distinctive, and a reflection of them.

I immediately thought — how can I apply this to my work? About this time, I happened to watch Christa Meola’s Creative Live session, and she gave, hands down, the best advice I have ever heard on how to create your style. Are you ready for this? I still get excited thinking about this!

Christa said, pick 3-5 brands or companies you like, and focus on their tagline, mission, or overall essence. It is the combination of these brands that helps identify YOU! For example when I did this assignment, my brands were:

  • Oakley Women: Performing Beautifully
  • Tiffany & Co: Creating Timeless Beauty
  • Nike: Just Do It & Every Damn Day

All of these brands reflect a part of me. Oakley is geared toward women who love to be active but stylish at the same time. Tiffany and Co is simply iconic and one of a kind. And Nike’s “Just Do It,” caters to the side of me that may hold back or be somewhat unsure. You have to simply, “Just Do It,” and you have to do it “Every Damn Day.”

2.) The Post-It Method: I use post-its for everything. The night before a shoot, I write down everything I need for the next day: Lenses, SD cards, charged batteries, model releases & contracts, & business cards. I check off each item once they are in my bag and ready to go. I get excited enough as it is the night before a shoot, so I know I can relax a little when my equipment is set.

3.) “The Important Thing Is Not The Camera But The Eye.” – Alfred Eisenstaedt:

How many of you turned your head’s to the side when you read “SD cards,” up above? That’s right; currently I shoot with the Canon T2i. Now don’t think I don’t drool over the 5D Mark II, because believe me, I DO! But I told myself in starting this journey, I needed to master what I had, and prove to myself, and no one else, that I have what it takes to be successful within this industry.

I have a collection of lenses, but you know what, they’re not top of the line either. None of them are L lenses. In my bag, I have:

  • Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8
  • Canon 50mm f/1.4
  • Canon 24mm f/2.8
  •  Sigma 70-200 f/2.8

I make what I have work for me. Will I upgrade my equipment in the future? Of course. However, I’m the perfect example for any new photographer out there; you don’t need top of the line gear to create amazing shots. What you do need is dedication to understanding the ins and outs of your equipment. The camera is an extension of you. Bottom line.

4.) Post Processing: I love editing, I really do, but it’s not my life. And I don’t like spending hours upon hours behind my computer screen. Zach and Jody Gray are an amazing example of getting it right in camera, and making minimal adjustments after. This rock star couple really inspired me to focus on nailing the shots, and then simply using my editing time to tweak the photos to my style, as I mentioned above.

Just like when I hear Carlos Santana, Keith Urban or Brad Paisley strike a chord, I want someone to be able to look at my work, and simply by the style of my photographs, be able to say, “Kacie Q took that.” That’s my goal.

To achieve the style that I’m going for, I do use some actions & presets. That being said, I never “play” and run. I’m constantly adjusting the opacity, turning off layers, turning up and down layers, brushing on, brushing off etc.

I have both Photoshop CS5 & Lightroom 3. I started out with just Lightroom and did all of my editing in there. The horse photo was edited in Lightroom & the other two with Photoshop. I think post processing could be an entire article in itself, but I simply use that time to achieve my look and style.

Over time, and in becoming consistent with your style, it ultimately will turn into your brand. What you are known for and why people come to you. Personally I look at Photoshop & Lightroom as this: editing is not when I create, it’s simply the exclamation point on my work. Again, my personal approach.

I know I have so much more to learn, and a mountain of goals to achieve. But so far in my short time within this industry I have learned far more than I could imagine. I seek out brands and fellow artists I truly admire, such as Sue Bryce, Melissa Bring, Angelica Glass, Summer Lyn, and the list goes on. I reach out to them, I study them, and I learn from them.

I was blessed back in the fall to be contacted by a local wedding photographer, Fran Ze Photography. She was looking for a second shooter for the 2012 wedding season, and said she loved my work. Let me just say, when you find another photographer whose work you admire, you can trust, and have the opportunity to work with, cherish it. Become a sponge and soak up as much information as you can. The shear confidence Fran has in her personal work gave me strength in times when I was a little unsure. In the terms of Grey’s Anatomy, find “Your Person.”

© Kacie Q

If you’re still reading this, I thank you for hanging with me! And if you walk away with anything from this piece, remember this:

*Gear & equipment will only perform to your level of knowledge

*What do you want to be known for in your work?

* Lastly, stop focusing on being wrong, and start focusing on being you.

I love laughter. I love life. I love, love. I love the little things, and I love the luxury things. And I just so happen to create photos that are simply that, stunningly lovely.

Kacie Q is a Portrait and Lifestyle photographer based out of Bozeman, Montana.

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Poll Results: 15 Tips for Beginner Street Photographers – What are your do’s & dont’s?

February 15, 2012 by 6 Comments

Today’s question on Twitter was:”Street Photographers, what tips do you have for a beginner starting out in this area of photography? What are your do’s & don’ts?”

The following replies were received from both professional & amateur street photographers:

“my tip would be dont acknowledge the person you are shooting. You need them to be unaware you are there…” – @StudioSixty8

“ALWAYS carry business cards in case someone asks “what are you doing?!” Also, never shoot anyone directly without permission.” – @daysixphoto

“ALWAYS respect who you shoot with the homeless. Always ask first and also hand them a few bucks. Plus take time to talk with them.” – @jeffgishphoto

© Jeff Gish Photography

 ”Hold your camera to your waist level! It’s the best to start with street!” …

“Don’t use a telephoto lens!” …

“If your pictures aren’t good enough, you’re not close enough. – Robert Capa”…

“If you can smell the street by looking at the photo, it’s a street photograph.” – @AndreasKakaris

“I would say: if you have balls, it’s time to use them.” , “i would say too : good shoes are more important than a good camera.” – @fconstant_

“don’t stop to think about the shot too much. If you see it, snap it.” – @JimHedley

“my best tip for #streetphotography is to “get involved”. Be aware of your surroundings and don’t be scared to shoot” -@LukesThinking

 ”@fconstant_ take the street pace, breath, and merge the human flow.” – @FabriceDrevon

“Street photography? Be open, be sensitive, be caring of what and whom you see…” – @bartimaeus42

“to be patient and discreet. To visit busy places where its harder for people to notice you.” -@alfani81

 ”respect people and private property, if somebody doesn’t want you shooting there, move on, there’s lots of other streets.” -@FabulousTahoe

 ”…on the practical side, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD ditch the factory strap and get a short one, in black or that blends with your coat.” -@lipstadt

“Wide lenses (~21mm in 35mm equiv FOV) + get in close, shoot from waist/shoulder” -@reubenacciano

© Reuben Acciano

© Reuben Acciano

COMMENT

What are your do’s and dont’s? Add your comment below with your tips for beginner street photographers.

 

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The 3 Essential Steps for Photography SEO

February 8, 2012 by 10 Comments

First, a caveat: this post is designed for photographers who are trying to succeed in the business of photography, not for general photography enthusiasts. It’s opportunistic in the sense that it’s designed to get maximum business impact (attention, clients, sales) from the minimum amount of effort. In my work with hundreds of photographers, I’ve found that doing just a few things can dramatically change search rankings (and thus business performance) for most photographers.

Second, before I dive in, I want to underscore what’s NOT included on this list. You won’t see any mention of blogging, participation in online communities, SEO for images, Twitter / Facebook / Google+ / other social media signals, or other popular components of most SEO articles. These are important parts of a comprehensive SEO strategy. They will help your SEO. And if your goals is to maximize TOTAL TRAFFIC, you can’t do it without doing these things.

But for most photographers, the goal is not maximum traffic. It’s getting the small amount of exactly the right traffic that really counts and can transform your business. A website that ranks for the just the right keywords and nothing else may only get 1000 visitors per month, but every one of those visitors is looking for EXACTLY what the photographer has to offer. Another website may have a popular blog that gets 10,000 visitors per month, but none of whom are ideal prospective clients. If you are trying to make a living from your photography, then the first scenario is immensely more valuable to you.

Third, before I dive in, if you are serious about your SEO, I want to encourage you to look at the Photographers SEO Book and Community. I’ve tried to summarize everything I know in the Photographers SEO Book and designed the community to provide maximum SEO benefit for remarkably little cost.

With that, let’s dive in.

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STEP ONE: CHOOSE THE RIGHT KEYWORDS

It may sound boring, but choosing the right keywords is critical. In fact, if you already have an established site, just choosing the right keywords and optimizing around them may be enough to get your site on page one for the right phrases.

Most photographers don’t ever really think about keywords at all. Usually by default, these websites are optimized for the name of the business. The title of their website homepage is their business name (like “John Smith Photography”). There’s no text on their home page. If you search for their business name, they’ll show up on page one. But not for anything else.

Those who do think about keywords make a range of mistakes: they choose too many keywords and try to rank for a dozen phrases at once; they choose just one keyword that’s not likely to bring enough traffic to justify their SEO investments; they choose keywords that are too general (like “wedding photography” or “UK photographer”) that are very difficult to rank for and don’t bring the right traffic anyways.

So how do you choose the best keywords?

First, the main strategy is to get inside the head of your prospective clients – those most likely to buy your services or images – and ask “what exact keyword phrases are they likely to search for when they’re looking to buy?” You might even pretend to be a prospective client who doesn’t know anything about your industry. Go to Google.com and pretend you’re looking for a photographer or images. What’s the first thing you searched for?

Second, choose phrases that are narrowed by both geography and the specific kind of photography you do. Ranking for “atlanta engagement photography” is infinitely easier and more valuable than ranking for “photographer.”

Third, choose 3-6 precise keyword phrases that are the most valuable to you. If you are a nature photographer who lives in Colorado and specializes in landscapes, you might want to rank for Colorado nature photographer, Colorado landscape photography, Colorado landscape photos, or Rocky Mountain photos. If you are an Atlanta wedding and engagement photographer, your phrases might include Altanta wedding photographer, Altanta engagement photography, Atlanta bridal photography, and similar terms.

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STEP TWO: CREATE AND OPTIMIZE LANDING PAGES FOR EACH OF YOUR MOST IMPORTANT KEYWORDS

Once you have a shortlist of keywords, you want to makes sure that there is one page on your website that is dedicated to EACH of your keywords.

Your homepage is probably the most important page on your website. Optimize your home page around your single most important phrase. Don’t try to optimize it for all your phases. Just focus on one phrase, and then optimize everything on your homepage around that one phrase. Then create priority “landing pages” for your other important keyword phrases. Optimize each of those priority pages around just one of your key phrases.

7 Steps to “Optimizing” a Page. If you’re new to SEO, you may be wondering, “How do I “optimize” a page?” Here are seven quick steps to follow for optimizing each of your pages:

  1. Choose just one keyword phrase
  2. Use that phrase as the Title of the page, and make sure it shows up as the Title tag
  3. Make sure the phrase shows up in the URL for the page (ie, example.com/colorado-landscape-photography)
  4. Use the keyword phrase in at least one subtitle on the page.
  5. Use the phrase several times in the regular page text, and use similar variations of the phrase a few time as well. Make one instance of the keyword bold. No need to overuse the phrase – just use it a few times.
  6. Link to the page from elsewhere on your website using the same keyword phrase as the link anchor text.

That’s it. If you do that, you’ll end with your having your home page and 2-5 other pages on your website optimized around your most important keyword phrases.

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STEP THREE: BUILD LINKS!

No matter how well you optimize your website, you’ll never rank without links. Links are the votes of the internet – the more you have, and the higher the quality of those links, the better you’ll rank. You probably know this. You probably also know that getting other website owners to link to you is hard.

I tend to divide links into two categories: easy links and hard links. Easy links are easy to get, but they’re worth less. Hard links are harder to get, but they’re very valuable. If you are new to link building, you can start by building easy links. Here are some ideas for easy links. If your site is already more established, or you’ve already gotten some easy links, it’s time to raise your sites to harder, more valuable links. By far the easiest way I know to get high quality links from other site is by submitting guests posts. You can link back to your site within the content of the post, or within a one sentence byline at the bottom. When you publish a guest post on another blog, it just like having that blog owner write a blog post about you and link back to your website – and that’s valuable! By the way, when submitting guest posts, take advantage of the fact that you’re a photographer. All blog owners want to have great images on their site. Submit a blog post based around your images.

EASY LINK IDEAS:

  • Link to your main website from your other sites
  • Ask close friends or family to link to your site
  • Comment on blogs that link back to you (don’t worry of they’re nofollow)
  • Add a link to your site in the signature of any forums in which you participate
  • Submit your site to 5-10 directories – choose directories that are high quality and relevant to your site (ie, photography directories)

HARD (BUT VALUABLE) LINK IDEAS:

  • Submit a guest post to another related blog and link back to yourself within the byline
  • Submit a “featured image” type post to another blog that may be interested in your imagery
  • Allow another website to use one your image if they’ll link back to you
  • If you know complementary partners in your industry, consider asking if they’d like to exchange links and refer business
  • Donate to charities in exchange for a link
  • Write a public review of a product you like and email the company

ADDITIONAL IMPORTANT TIPS ON LINKING:

  • Wherever possible, try to use your keyword phrases when you link back to your site. For example, in any “easy” links where you can control the link, use your main keyword phrase to link back to your homepage rather than your business name. You should also be able to use your keyword in your byline in any guest posts – another reason these are valuable.
  • Wherever possible, try to get links directly to your other important priority pages, not just your home page. Again, when linking to those pages, use keywords in the anchor text where possible.
  • I mentioned the Photographers SEO Community above. I’ve designed this to make certain easy links and even numerous hard links much more accessible to our photographer members. So if you want a direct pathway to links, that’s a great option.

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That’s it: choose the right keywords, optimize you home page and priority landing pages around each important keyword, and build links to those pages. It sounds simple, but if you do that well, you’ll be ahead of 90% of other photographers.

Erick Danzer is Founder & CEO of Photocrati Media, which makes WordPress themes for Photographers. He also provides SEO for photographers though the Photographers SEO Community. 

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10 Things Beginners Need to Know About Macro Photography

January 21, 2012 by 8 Comments

This article is written with beginners in mind. Everything written here is written from experience and may not be standard practice for some photographers. I hope you will find this informative and useful. If you have any questions you can find me on Twitter or Facebook, and the links to these will be at the end of the article. Alternatively you may leave a comment below.

1. You don’t need fancy macro equipment.

A lot of people believe that in order to begin with macro photography, you need expensive macro lenses and big cameras – this is wrong. These days there are all sorts of equipment available that can help you zoom right into your subject without the need to splash out.

Without a doubt, the cheapest method of beginning macro photography is the ‘reverse lens technique’. This technique is exactly what it says in the title – you take your lens away from the camera, reverse it, and then use the camera mounted end to shoot. It is a tricky technique that takes practice but the results can be wonderful. The drawbacks to this can be that your camera elements will be exposed to dust or water, and this can be expensive to repair.

A second technique would be to purchase extension tubes which fit onto your camera and then your lens would sit on the tubes. These are very cheap and reduce the need to leave your camera exposed to the elements. Thirdly, compact cameras or camera phones now have the ability to take macro shots. All you have to do is select the correct setting and shoot away.

A purple daisy – taken using the 'reverse lens technique'. © Sarah Lewis

2. Plenty of light is a must.

This is a given for any sort of photography, but especially for macro. As you are working at very close quarters with your subject, you might want to be able to keep your shutter speeds above 1/500th of a second to avoid camera shake. Ideally you need plenty of sunshine, but if the weather fails, you can use a simple household torch (just tinker with your camera’s settings for correct white balance settings or you can wait until post-processing) or if you’re really serious about macro photography you can invest in a macro ring flash. This device fits around your lens and can be tinkered with to create lighting to aid with your photography.

3. A tripod is not essential.

This is probably controversial thing to say but I do believe that an amateur macro photographer can go without a tripod a few times in the beginning stages. It all depends on the conditions that you are in but most of the time you can improvise. I have been known to use my shoe as a prop for low down photography (see photo below). At this early stage you are concentrating on composition and exposure – the rest will come to you naturally.

Raindrops upon grass – an example of a macro photograph taken without a tripod. © Sarah Lewis

4. A unique perspective helps.

Clichés are inevitable. You’ll see something that someone else has done, (see: the love heart shadow made from positioning a ring in a book) and you’ll want to try it yourself. Before you resort to the cliché, remember that you want to become is a fantastic photographer. You’re going to need to bring to the table a unique way of looking at things and a good way to do that is to photograph things on your own terms right from the beginning. Don’t copy someone else’s idea however easy it may be. Be yourself.

5. You won’t get a perfect shot on your first go.

Macro photography is a carefully honed skill that takes months – even years – to fully perfect. You’re going to find that as you go along, you’re going to take photos that are blurred, underexposed and badly composed. But before you go and delete these ‘mistakes’, learn from them. What did you do wrong? Can you think of anything you can do to better these shots? If you can, upload the shots to your laptop, look through them, take notes and then go back to the object and re-photograph it until you get something you are happy with. Only you know what you like and only you know how to achieve this.

6. Your house and/or garden are places for practice.

You can take close-up shots anywhere you like but a good idea would be to start where you know best, your house or garden. You know everything here and you can pick objects out that you think would look great close-up. Windowsills (for those unfamiliar with the term, these are the ledges beneath your windows in your house) offer great places to set up your items and will also provide natural light (during the day time of course) that will aid your practice. That money in your pocket? Photograph it. Your toothbrush? Photograph it. Curiosity is a wonderful thing and you should use it to your advantage.

7. Post processing will correct some mistakes.

All you really need is a program capable of doing basic adjustments, cropping and sharpening and you’re away. You can find some programs online free of charge if you search enough. You may need to sharpen your images a little to help the details of the object shine through. Cropping may also be handy if you haven’t managed to get close enough to fill the whole frame. Adjustments will probably need to be made such as brightening but this is up to you and how you want your image to look.

Shield Bug – macro helps you to find beauty in things you wouldn't normally associate it with. © Sarah Lewis

8. You don’t need to stick with shallow depth of field.

You may find that when you are photographing at such close-up quarters that the depth of field will become more shallow as you go along. For more advanced photographers, there is a way to ‘stack’ your images so that you can have the entire object in focus. There are various programs and tutorials scattered all over the internet which can guide you through this process. This technique involves taking multiple exposures with different parts of the item in focus and then when in post-processing, you can use said programs to help you ‘stack’ them together to create an image. It sounds complicated but the results are very rewarding.

9. Macro photography alone might not get you a career.

Unless you’re thinking of becoming a scientific or forensic photographer, macro will more than likely become a something you will use amongst other skills. For example at a wedding, you will be primarily shooting portraits, but you may possibly want to shoot the finer details like a pattern on the brides dress, or the flowers in her bouquet – this is where your macro skills will come into play. If you are a wildlife photographer, you may find that you can use macro to capture a close-up of a bird or an insect, but overall I find that macro is something that can’t be relied on as a single practice. Most macro photographers dabble in other forms of photography too.

10. Macro photography changes your view of the world.

As you go along, you will start to look at things differently. You’ll find that you will be thinking about a certain object and what it might be like up-close. You’ll definitely find that you will become more interested in the finer details in life. Macro photography is a beautiful area of photography that becomes a sort of adventure to those who pursue it. Your attitude to the things around you will change and this is not necessarily a bad thing.

Enjoy your journey!

Links:

Website: http://www.purplefacephotography.co.uk
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sarahpurpleface
Twitter: http://twitter.com/_purpleface
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/purplefacephotography

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Don’t let your camera get in the way of your photography

August 5, 2011 by 16 Comments

My name is Nathan Presley and I’m a professional photographer. I started playing with film and photography when I was twelve years old and eventually, dropped out of high school(with good grades) at age fifteen. I’m not here to endorse quitting school by any means, but I can thankfully say it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

I’m not writing this post to every photographer, but primarily to those who plan to to still be shooting in twenty, thirty, or fifty years from now, and are looking to make an intentional step toward developing their skill.

I receive email and Twitter messages everyday inquiring about gear I use, and although I have no problem answering those questions, I believe asking a photographer what type of camera he uses is equally as informative as asking a painter what type of brush he uses.

So, let me be the first to say: what you’re looking for is not a better camera.

Recently, I gave a photography workshop at a university and during the workshop had students put their cameras away and pull out their camera phones. Once one realizes they can’t rely on a camerato create something that looks “neat”, one is then forced to become a photographer.

In a world of great cameras, the idea is king. Begin by focusing on imperative creative elements that truly define you as a unique photographer.

For Example:
Concept /Story/Theme
Location
Model
Wardrobe
Props
Pose
Facial Expression
Color Palette(choose a few dominate colors for your work)
Feeling

If you can frame it with your hands and it looks good, then it can look good on camera.

One might think “I don’t have that type of time and I would go broke trying to get everything done perfectly”; however, minute details such as these elements are very carefully planned out on almost every large-scale shoot. Photographers are very busy and still find time to do pre-production work, as well as work with a team to solidify details; they’re also paid well.

It’s much better to have three amazing images that really catch the eye than to have a whole portfolio of simply “good” images. If time constraint is your only excuse, shoot less of whatever you’re shooting and shoot more of what pushes and excites you, while keeping essential elements in mind.

I’d also like to point out that bringing in assistance as far as production goes does not make the project less-yours. All of mankind’s greatest achievements, in one way or another, have had some form of help. A photographer who can direct and put together a creative team that is in sync, is more impressive to me than one, lone-wolf photographer.

Photographs are potentially the strongest form of advertising you will ever have. Consistently put out images you love, and your audience will begin to grow.

The customer doesn’t want to be right, they want to be happy.

I used to tell myself, “Well my client told me what they want me to do, so I guess I should do exactly that, because it’s what they’re paying me for”. If you do this, you are withholding your creativity from the people paying you. Sometimes, the best thing you can tell a client to win them over is “no”. The world is filled with “yes” men who do exactly what they are told.

If a client is worried you don’t fully know what you’re doing, they might try to take the lead. I’m not endorsing rudeness, on the contrary, make sure you listen to everything a client says, thoughtfully consider it, and then try to see if you can add your style to what they want; oftentimes when a relaxed, open, and honest dialogue flows between client and photographer, you will find a way to create something both parties will like.

The best way to say “no”, is to say “yes” to something more exciting. Get the client excited about your idea. Present some visual inspiration in a direction that you would like to take a project, and explain why it would work for them. The greatest thing you can give clients is your best work. So don’t get stuck in a cliché concept or idea that you know won’t end well.

Most of the time people will hire you because of an image they saw and liked. So, only exhibit work you personally like, and you will be able to take projects that are enjoyable while pleasing your clients. Not only is life too short to take photos you don’t like, but it’s bad for business too.

Whether you’re shooting portraits, engagement photos, editorials, music, nature, or really anything, the more effort that is put into your images, the more you’ll get back. I have a lot to learn myself, but these are some practical things that have really helped me avoid some of the most common pitfalls.

If you have any thoughts or questions, feel free to message me on Twitter anytime: http://twitter.com/NathanPresley (I try to respond every day)

-Nathan Presley

http://twitter.com/NathanPresley
http://NathanPresley.com/blog

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10 Tips for Shooting your first Wedding

July 23, 2011 by 3 Comments

Anyone who wants to venture into the realm of professional photography has to master their first wedding. Wedding photography can be a challenging and rewarding experience but get it wrong and you are in trouble. Daphne Chan takes us through her ten tips for your first wedding shoot.

1. Preparation is key

Know your equipment well and practice using it before the big day. Make sure all your gear is in working order and check it again the night before. Ensure you have back-up equipment of everything including another camera body and extra lenses, memory cards, batteries and flashes. If you don’t own all this equipment yet, borrow (or beg) from another photographer or rent. Many rental places will only charge you for one day if you rent from Friday evening to Monday morning.

2. Scouting location

If you have never photographed, or even been to, the ceremony or reception location, consider scouting the location. Try to view the venue at the same time the wedding is scheduled for and observe the lighting conditions available.

3. Rehearsal

If you have the opportunity, ask to attend the rehearsal. It will give you the opportunity to meet the officiant, learn how long the ceremony is and watch how it will proceed. If the ceremony is culturally different from what you’re familiar with, this is especially important. Attending the rehearsal will also give you a chance to introduce yourself to the bridal party and family members and establish a comfortable relationship.

4. Punctuality

There’s nothing more nerve-wracking for a bride (and groom) than a photographer who is late. On the wedding day, whether you’re starting at the bride’s home or the ceremony location, arrive early. It will give you time to set-up your equipment and examine the rooms or venue for flattering window light and other good portrait locations.

5. The ceremony

Speak to the couple or the officiant and ask about any photography restrictions during the ceremony. For example, if you’re not permitted to use flash you may need to use a tripod or a higher ISO setting or a lens with a wide aperture. If you’re only allowed to stand in one spot during the ceremony, you may need a longer lens to make sure you capture close-ups of the couple. The two key moments of the ceremony that often happen very quickly is the kiss and the recessional so be prepared to be in the right spot to capture those moments.

6. Formal portraits

Schedule adequate time for the formal portrait session. If the formals are outside, have a “in case of rain” alternate location picked out. Find out if the location requires a permit for photography and, if so, ask the couple if they have one.

7. Shot list

Try to pre-visualize the day and map out the required photos for each section of the wedding day. You can also request from the bride or groom a list of the bridal party members. The maid of honour is a key member of the bridal party and can often help you organize and identify the family members during the formal portraits.

8. Schedule

About 4-6 weeks from the wedding date, request a copy of the wedding day schedule from the couple. Review the schedule and check that there’s enough of a time buffer built in to account for typical delays on the wedding day.

9. Lighting

With the exception of outdoor weddings, where the ceremony and reception are in the same location, and you benefit from using natural light, at some point you will be photographing indoors. When indoors, be prepared to deal with low and mixed lighting situations. For light sources, you can use flash, strobe and even video lights.

10. Assist or second shoot at another wedding

My biggest and final tip is to get as much experience as you can before you first shoot your own wedding assignment. Try to assist or second shoot for at least one wedding and at least one photographer. Better yet, assist different wedding photographers and you can learn from their style and approach to a wedding day. In addition, strongly consider hiring an assistant or a second shooter on the day of your first wedding.

Good luck!

http://www.daphnechan.com/
http://daphnechanblog.com/
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Tutorial : Lighting and Posing

June 3, 2011 by 3 Comments

In my upcoming workshop on lighting and posing I’ll be covering this topic. I’m just very excited about it and how it’s helped improve some of my images.

It’s one thing to use studio lighting in a studio or some other indoor location, but it’s even greater to use it outdoors during a session. I’ve talked a bit about this before, but it’s pretty easy to mount one of your speedlights or external camera flashes on a stand that holds an umbrella or other light modifier and take it anywhere. Here are a couple of examples.

The next thing you’ll need for this sweet little rig is something to trigger it with. You can always go with the old stand by of a flash cord attached from the camera to the flash – provided your camera has a place to plug in a sync cord. If not, you’ll have to revert to what almost all photographers use and that’s a radio controlled slave.

These come in pairs one for the camera and one hooks up to your flash. They use a radio signal to fire the flash in sync with the camera’s shutter. There are infrared triggers available. Those are great in most indoor locations, but not when you’re outdoors. Infrared also requires line of site in order to trigger the flash. In other words: if the receiver on the flash doesn’t see the signal from the unit on the camera – the flash won’t fire. That’s why radio slaves are recommended.

The standard in the industry is the Pocket Wizard. There are other less expensive brands available that will do the job well enough but they have their draw backs. Might be a place to start until you can afford to step up to the Pocket Wizard.

Here are few of shots I did with my large studio strobe that I brought outdoors. I powered the studio strobe with something called a Vagabond battery pack. This allows me to have the full power range of my studio strobe available on an outdoor shoot.

I have a Nikon SB-800 speedlight inside the car with a Pocket Wizard attached to it illuminating the dashboard and the interior of the car.

In the above photo, my Calumet Travelite 750 (attached to the Vagabond) is fired into a 60″ umbrella to illuminate the subject and separate them from the background.

Give this a try next time you’re shooting on location. Oh, and don’t forget to bring someone along to hold the light stand just in case it’s windy – you wouldn’t want your light to blow down!

 

Links:

workshops: http://www.aperturenorthphotoworkshops.com
Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/tremblayphoto
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Website – http://www.tremblayphoto.com

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The Three Most Common Ways to Over-Process Your Images

April 26, 2011 by 9 Comments

If I may briefly introduce myself, my name is William Petruzzo. I own and operate Petruzzo Photography, a Maryland wedding and portrait photography outfit. Though the business began in 2004, I have been pursuing photography for the better part of fifteen years. My own entrance into photography began with some primitive digital cameras and that is what I know best. And as such, I’m also intimately acquainted with the mistakes I bring before you today.

Almost all new photographers suffer from the same practice. Over-processing. It’s the mistake of taking a good photograph and making adjustments until it’s a mediocre photograph at best. In pre-digital times this wasn’t much of an issue because editing a photograph would require advanced techniques in the darkroom. And besides, most people were having their photos developed at the local photo lab anyway.

Today, editing your photos is seen as a must by some. For amateurs and professionals there is a bit of truth to this, but that doesn’t mean edits always have to be obvious. In fact, most of the time they should probably be invisible to the untrained eye.

So, in the interest of saving some new photographers a few painful months of heartache as they make the same mistakes many of us have already made, here are what I consider the three most common ways to over-process your photos and how you can avoid them.

The Night and Day Difference of Too Much Contrast

Perhaps pitfall number 1. It’s true that digital cameras, especially if you’re shooing your images in RAW, tend to have somewhat lackluster contrast. They can lack the drama that many of us began our adventure in photography to create. Increasing contrast is a subtle way to help bring out that drama. But the operative word there is ‘subtle’. When you increase your contrast, light areas in your image appear become brighter while dark areas appear to become darker. This can make shadows harsher and you can inadvertently throw away lots of detail that may have improved the image.

Contrast

If you increase the contrast on an image (no, not all images need it), make your adjustments very slowly. Look closely at the dark parts of your image. Are they becoming completely black, or just a tad darker? What about the light areas, are they becoming pure white, or just a bit brighter? Watch the places where light meets dark, are the edges becoming unnaturally sharp?

The Overly Colorful World of Too Much Saturation

Think of Saturation kind of like contrast, but for colors. And it’s just as easy to think pushing your saturation too far will do your image good, even when it probably never will. When you increase your saturation, you’re actually reducing the number of colors in your image. This means that color gradients (for example, a tree where the leaves are varying shades of green), and similar colors across your image, will start to become more like the same color. Greens with a hint of blue will become more like green, reds with a hint of yellow will become more like red, yellow with a hint of blue will become more like yellow. And on top of that, the more saturation you add, the more your colors will go to their absolute extreme (trees becomes neon green, skin tones become bright pink, etc.)

Saturation

The hard cold truth is that most images need very little saturation increase, if any. When you adjust your saturation, do it little by little. Look at the image, do the colors look like they did in real life? If so, you’re probably on the right track. Once you have it right, you can decide if you want to increase it further for stylistic reasons. But from this point, you’ll know that you’re stepping out from what is probably “correct”, in a textbook sense.

Correct

What’s Behind That Vignette

Vignetting is a natural occurrence in photography that comes from a variety of sources, such as the glass elements inside the camera’s lens and natural phenomenon. In practice, it’s when the edges of an image, corners especially, are darker than the center. Vignetting adds a subtle sense of organics into the image. A ‘film’ look, as some might say (though vignetting has almost nothing to do with whether a camera is film or digital—this perception likely comes from today’s higher quality optics at a consumer level).

All

However, many new photographers never worked with equipment that naturally created the effect and therefore they often have no idea when to say enough is enough. There are at least two ways you can combat your risk of over-doing your vignetting. First, start by looking through old photo albums and modern photography magazines and look closely for the vignette. Is your vignetting a lot more dramatic than what you see there? If so, and that surprises you, you probably need to back it off some. And second, if you look at your image from a distance, can you clearly and obviously see the shape of the vignette? If so, again, consider backing it off a tad.

An Important Point of Clarity

This article is written for those who are stepping out bravely into the photographic hobby. Many of you are still looking for your voice as a photographer and in the process you will likely make many of these mistakes. While I’ve written this as though failing to follow these guidlines will result in a bad image, that is not necessarily the case.

Photography is not a science. And certainly not an exact science. Sometimes an image should have unnaturally high contrast, or intense vibrant colors. Maybe artistically, that’s just the way you want it. But if that’s the case, it shouldn’t be an accident. So learn to do it “right” first, then do it however you want.

Links:
http://www.petruzzo.com/
https://www.facebook.com/petruzzophotography

Filed Under: Photos, Tutorials Tagged With: , , ,