The following is for all.
The other day, someone told me they wanted to take a creative picture and that they could see the idea in their head but when it came time to take the picture, they said they could not do it because they did not have the experience I had. True it does take experience but what the person was lacking was not the entirely the experience but rather the simplicity. They were trying so hard to make it creative that it got complex and unattractive. As I mentioned in prior posts, first we must learn basics before we can create art.
My advice to that person is the same for many of my photos. Try to eliminate any clutter or background that does not add necessity to it. If you plan on using some element in the photo, often it is best to use all of it or none of it at all. Using part of the element only becomes more of a distraction. If you do this (and if by chance you are struggling to make the photo creative), your photos usually will come out more appealing and attractive than before.
I like to compare it to Sherlock Holmes. What ever you eliminate, that which remains, no matter how improbable must be the cause. Of course, here I mean what remains will be a clean, original yet simple photo.
Often, keeping it SIMPLE works best!
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Monday, January 26, 2009
Photo Facts - Cameras in Cold Weather
The following is factual information
I thought I'd start yet another new segment. These postings will help to settle the many myths and confusion that get tossed around about certain photographic topics. Today it will be about if it is safe to bring your shiny new camera into the cold.
NOTE: The following is mainly for digital user. Those using film, please click the title for further details.
Montrealers brave some of the coldest temperatures (-25 C before windchill!) of any of the major metropolitain areas of North America. For the happy shutterbugs who want to capture their own "Koday Moments", a little cold won't stop them! But recently, myself and others were taking pictures and wondering, "Is it safe to take our cameras out in the cold"?
I've done some research and found a great article from the New York Insitute of Photography. In short, the main idea is not whether or not it is safe to take out the camera but rather what sequence is follow. Here's a summary of the article. The sequence that is usually followed:
From Warm To Cold!?
The big problem is loss of battery power! In cold weather, to be more specific, batteries maintain their amount of energy but lose their drive to push this energy into the camera. To help this:
Now that when outside, you should keep the camera as warm as possible. Be prepared to take the camera out only when you are about to take the picture. Leaving the camera out won't damage the camera but rather its performance (the batteries in particular).
To help this, Sandisk has a line of memory cards known as the Extreme® class. It can perform at the same high speed as in normal weather from 85 C to -25 C. I actually had the oppurtunity to try this outside in -20 C (-31 C with windchill) and it worked just as fast!
Also, clip the tripod clip to the camera before heading out. That when you can easily snap it to the tripod with immidiacy.
Of course, don't forget to KEEP WARM! Unless you're a National Geographic photograher, it's not worth freezing to death to get that shot!
Ah! Warm Again!
Now you're ready to get back inside. But don't rush it! This is when condensation on the lens or inside the camera can occur possibly affecting the electronics. A great tip from the NYIP: "Condensation can play havoc with an all-electronic camera. This is where the suggestion of wrapping a cold camera in a plastic bag comes into play. The moisture will settle on the outside of the bag rather than on the camera's outside and inside surfaces. You can protect the delicate electronics this way. In fact, it's best if you place the bag on the camera while still outside, not when you bring the camera in."
Now that you got the facts, get back out there and take those great winter moments!
I thought I'd start yet another new segment. These postings will help to settle the many myths and confusion that get tossed around about certain photographic topics. Today it will be about if it is safe to bring your shiny new camera into the cold.
NOTE: The following is mainly for digital user. Those using film, please click the title for further details.
Montrealers brave some of the coldest temperatures (-25 C before windchill!) of any of the major metropolitain areas of North America. For the happy shutterbugs who want to capture their own "Koday Moments", a little cold won't stop them! But recently, myself and others were taking pictures and wondering, "Is it safe to take our cameras out in the cold"?
I've done some research and found a great article from the New York Insitute of Photography. In short, the main idea is not whether or not it is safe to take out the camera but rather what sequence is follow. Here's a summary of the article. The sequence that is usually followed:
- Going from warm to blistering cold
- What to do in the cold weather
- Returning your freezing camera to the warmth
From Warm To Cold!?
The big problem is loss of battery power! In cold weather, to be more specific, batteries maintain their amount of energy but lose their drive to push this energy into the camera. To help this:
- Keep your batteries, camera and flash near your body when exiting to the cold.
- Bring extra batteries with you when you go outside. Keep them close to your body too.
Now that when outside, you should keep the camera as warm as possible. Be prepared to take the camera out only when you are about to take the picture. Leaving the camera out won't damage the camera but rather its performance (the batteries in particular).
To help this, Sandisk has a line of memory cards known as the Extreme® class. It can perform at the same high speed as in normal weather from 85 C to -25 C. I actually had the oppurtunity to try this outside in -20 C (-31 C with windchill) and it worked just as fast!
Also, clip the tripod clip to the camera before heading out. That when you can easily snap it to the tripod with immidiacy.
Of course, don't forget to KEEP WARM! Unless you're a National Geographic photograher, it's not worth freezing to death to get that shot!
Ah! Warm Again!
Now you're ready to get back inside. But don't rush it! This is when condensation on the lens or inside the camera can occur possibly affecting the electronics. A great tip from the NYIP: "Condensation can play havoc with an all-electronic camera. This is where the suggestion of wrapping a cold camera in a plastic bag comes into play. The moisture will settle on the outside of the bag rather than on the camera's outside and inside surfaces. You can protect the delicate electronics this way. In fact, it's best if you place the bag on the camera while still outside, not when you bring the camera in."
Now that you got the facts, get back out there and take those great winter moments!
Photo Tip - Flash in Compacts
The following is primarily for compact cameras
Often people complain about the quality of flash photos with their compact cameras. They can see the people but the background is dark. There are two quick solutions to this. You can either turn off the flash and the camera will use natural (ambient) lighting (example 1) or you can use the night mode of your camera to add the background lighting with the flash of the camera (example 2).
Here are two examples to illustrate this idea.
(L) With flash & (R) Without Flash
(L) No flash Night Mode (R) With flash & Night Mode
Often people complain about the quality of flash photos with their compact cameras. They can see the people but the background is dark. There are two quick solutions to this. You can either turn off the flash and the camera will use natural (ambient) lighting (example 1) or you can use the night mode of your camera to add the background lighting with the flash of the camera (example 2).
Here are two examples to illustrate this idea.
(L) With flash & (R) Without Flash
(L) No flash Night Mode (R) With flash & Night Mode
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Featured Model - The SUNshine Girl!
SUNshine Girl Mandi is 24 years old and she loves all sports. In her spare time she likes visiting her family and sleeping. You can see more of Mandi on ManUp! premiering on MenTV this Friday. (Stan Behal photo) CLICK HERE FOR LINK
Last year I really dove into doing fashion shoots. This was thanks in part to a girl, an unknown, who approached me for my projects. We both were rookies at it but together we really helped each other out. After several shoots, we became very good friends and today I can say she is no longer an unknown.
Mandi, now based out of Toronto, is today featured in the Toronto Sun newspaper and website as the Sunshine Girl, which features a new girl everyday. She will also be featured in the new men's gameshow ManUp!
Congrats to you Mandi!
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
News - Canada's Next Top Model
For all you aspiring Canadian models, Canada's Next Top Model tv show will be making a stop here in Montreal on Thursday, January 22. If you think you got what it takes, click the title for the link to the site for more details.
Photo Lesson - Composition Technique
Get It Right the First Time!
One of the skills that digital has taken away from us is the ability to produce on the first shot. Some people ask me what the advantage is to shooting with film. It would seem the most obvious answer, as well as the most overlooked, is the concept of getting the picture right the first time! We often think that photoshop is our ultimate savior when we mess up. But with film, there was no rescue plan after you took the photo. Because of the limited number of exposures and cost of developing, we often had to put much thought into our scene before capturing the photograph.
What You See (may be) What You Get
When looking through your viewfinder or LCD screen, you’ll of course see the objects and subjects. Now the question is what to do with them. You always have these choices. You can wait until these subjects move into the position you want (‘into your frame’). You can also choose where to place these subjects/objects. Lastly you can place yourself in a position that encompasses everything that will describe your picture.
To get a better understanding, imagine a picture frame. Now try to imagine how your picture will look like in that frame. For instance, where would the objects be placed or how would the person be looking at the camera. Try to get a sense of how you or someone would feel looking at that frame and what the picture would be conveying to someone. This concept is probably the best way in which to understand how objects and subjects should be framed in your photo (hence the term ‘framing’).
Vince Versace, a highly well known photographer and a Nikon Legend Behind the Lens has an interesting view in terms of composition. But I’ll be saving that for more advanced lessons!
The easiest and least stressful objective would be to take the photograph correctly the first time. Yes photoshop is great, but there is only so much that it can do. There are limitations to what it cannot fix or bring back. The less work you have to do after you've taken the photo, the more you can concentrate on taking better and more creative photographs.
Next post will focus on lines and patterns.
One of the skills that digital has taken away from us is the ability to produce on the first shot. Some people ask me what the advantage is to shooting with film. It would seem the most obvious answer, as well as the most overlooked, is the concept of getting the picture right the first time! We often think that photoshop is our ultimate savior when we mess up. But with film, there was no rescue plan after you took the photo. Because of the limited number of exposures and cost of developing, we often had to put much thought into our scene before capturing the photograph.
What You See (may be) What You Get
When looking through your viewfinder or LCD screen, you’ll of course see the objects and subjects. Now the question is what to do with them. You always have these choices. You can wait until these subjects move into the position you want (‘into your frame’). You can also choose where to place these subjects/objects. Lastly you can place yourself in a position that encompasses everything that will describe your picture.
To get a better understanding, imagine a picture frame. Now try to imagine how your picture will look like in that frame. For instance, where would the objects be placed or how would the person be looking at the camera. Try to get a sense of how you or someone would feel looking at that frame and what the picture would be conveying to someone. This concept is probably the best way in which to understand how objects and subjects should be framed in your photo (hence the term ‘framing’).
Vince Versace, a highly well known photographer and a Nikon Legend Behind the Lens has an interesting view in terms of composition. But I’ll be saving that for more advanced lessons!
The easiest and least stressful objective would be to take the photograph correctly the first time. Yes photoshop is great, but there is only so much that it can do. There are limitations to what it cannot fix or bring back. The less work you have to do after you've taken the photo, the more you can concentrate on taking better and more creative photographs.
Next post will focus on lines and patterns.
Photograph - Inauguration from Space
I thought this would interest some of you. It's an image that was taken from space of the Inauguration ceremony of now the President Barack Obama. All the dark spots are the large groups of people.
Click the title for interactive photo on CNN.com
I promise I'll be returning back to some photo lessons next!
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