Contrast and Shadows in your Photographs

Red Dusk and Night - Photographer's Delight

Location: Grand Bend, Ontario, Canada
Year: 2008
Camera: Canon 40D, 17-85mm f/4-5.6 lens
Settings: ISO 100, f/20, 1/13 second, 85 mm
Support: resting on a post

Details: on my trip to Grand Bend I was enjoying the beautiful red sunset at the beach and taking lots of pictures. I had the opportunity to compose this photograph that I really enjoy (hopefully you do to!). Here are some tips to help you grab ones like this.

1. Support -lighting will be low, so you will need to ensure the camera is steady. If you don't have your tripod with you (much like I did not that day), then resting it on a post, bench, wall, etc will do. Remember that a steady camera = a crisp photograph.
   
2. ISO - as always, you want to strive for the lowest possible ISO for your conditions. In this case, I was able to use ISO 100 for as noise free shot. Recall from previous posts that while a higher ISO is more sensitive to light (and take photos in lower light conditions), it also has more noise in the shot.
3. Aperture - Usually in lower light conditions you want a lower aperture so that the speed can be faster. HOWEVER, in this case I chose a higher aperture (f/20) so that the background and foreground would both be clear. Remember that a low f/stop will result in a faster shutter speed (more light comes in as it is wider) but creates blur on the subjects that are not in focus (known as bokeh).
4. Composition - the part that draws my eyes to this photograph is the group of four unknown people walking together with the sunset in the background. It elicits good feelings and memories in me, as I hope it does for many people.
5. Contrast - the bright background and the shadows of the people make the photograph a little more interesting and mysterious. I think of the subjects were well lit/clear, the picture would lose a lot.

Keep on clicking!

Photography Tip: Creative Use of Reflections

Mirror, Mirror, On the What?

Location: New York City, New York, USA
Year: 2008
Camera: Canon 40D, 17-85mm f/4-5.6 lens
Settings: ISO 100, f/8, 1/20 second, 47 mm
Support: hand held

Details: This photography tip isn't about how to operate your camera or what settings to use. It's an example to help stir the creative juices that flow within us all. While in NYC with my girlfriend, I caught this creative portrait of her by taking a picture of my sunglasses, using her reflection in them as the subject. This is probably one of her favourite photographs of herself.

So the photography tip for you is to get out there and take a day where you focus on taking pictures where your subject is in a reflection. Try this with water, sunglasses, glass, mirrors, polished stone, eyes, anything you can get a reflection with. And that is today's photography tip! Good luck!

Photo: HDR East Coast Style!

Multi-shot HDR of the Halifax Citadel Entrance

Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Year: 2008
Camera: Canon 40D, 17-85mm L f/4-5.6 lens
Settings: ISO 320, f/5.0, 1/25 second, 24 mm
Support: hand held
Other: 3 exposures (0, -2/3, +2/3 EV)

Details: During my Christmas break I spent some time in Halifax visiting my family. When my girlfriend came down for a few days, I took her on a tour of a few spots. This is the entrance to the Halifax Citadel (an old fortress from colonial days). I took three exposures in camera RAW and used Photomatix to make this HDR photograph. However, like a fool I left my tripod at my parents place and did the three shots hand held. This happens to the best of us.

To help keep the three photographs aligned, I did the following:

• set the camera to High Speed Continous shooting - this will allow you to press the button once (rather than 3 times) and get minimal movement
• arms out from my body, almost locked at the elbows, help steady my arms from moving
• ensured the camera strap is taut around my neck, steadying my camera

Hopefully these tips may help you next time you forget your tripod!

Photo: New York HDR

Dusk Upon the Empire

Location: NYC, New York, USA
Year: 2008
Camera: Canon 40D, 17-85mm L f/4-5.6 lens
Settings: ISO 100, f/5.6, 1/8 seconds, 61 mm
Support: resting on a ledge at the Top of the Rock

Details: My summer trip to NYC with my girlfriend proved to have lots of amazing photo opportunities. This photo is an HDR compilation taken from the Top of the Rock as dusk was setting in. Several people have liken it to a Gotham City sort of feel, which was not my original intent but worked great.

Here are some key tips about taking this short of shot:

1. 3 Exposures or More - I knew I wanted to try to create an HDR photograph with the beautiful scenes from the Top of the Rock, so I purposely took three shots with a few scenes. If you have read my post about HDR, you know that you want to do at least 3 with a base, a +ve, and a -ve exposure adjustment. Most good DSLRs have this feature to do all three with the push of the button once. In this case I was at 0, +2/3, and -2/3 exposure value.
   
2. Manual Focus - once you have the scene composed, always set the focus to manual so that the focus won't change if you need to press the button three times.
3. Stability - I would have used a tripod for this, but they are not allowed at the Top of the Rock. Since you are taking three pictures in succession, you will need absolute stability. In this case I stabilized the shot by resting the camera on a ledge there.

Processing: I used Photomatix for processing the three photographs into one HDR photograph.

Below is the final HDR photograph.


















The next three shots are the input files for the HDR photo.

Base photograph








+2/3 EV photograph








-2/3 EV photograph

Photo: Lightning Shots

Flash! Crackle! Boom!

Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Year: 2008
Camera: Canon 40D, 17-85mm L f/4-5.6 lens
Settings: ISO 100, f/7.1, 1 second, 47mm
Support: Manfrotto tripod
Other: wireless shutter release

Details: As a kid I was always amazed at lightning, whether at home in Halifax or on vacation in some exciting locale. The sound that you could feel was amazing. The bright flash that illuminates the night sky was eerie. The raw, untamed power that surges from mother nature's arsenal leaves one speechless. It was always fantastic!

Before I got into photography I would see the occasional photograph of lightning and would wonder what special camera must have done that. I thought it would cost a fortune to for that photograph. Then I got into photography and learned some tricks...

If you want to (try to) catch some amazing lighting photographs, here are some basic points to consider when you start:

1. DSLR: You will need a DSLR that will allow you to use an external shutter release, have a manual mode, and allow you to set the speed to "bulb".
   
2. Tripod: A must for sure, as you will have slow (1 or more second) exposures.
3. External Shutter Release: I recommend that a shutter release is used so you can start the exposure without touching the camera. Set the camera to "bulb" mode, which means the first time you press the button you will open the aperture and the second time will close it.
4. Aperture: You will want your aperture set to a level when it will take in a lot of light (since it is dark, but give a good enough crispness of foreground and background. Somewhere in the f/5.6 to f/9 will work well.
   
5. Composure: You will want to set up your camera and compose the scene that you want. Try to make the area large enough to increase the chance of lightning in your photograph.
6. Focus: You should manually focus your scene and leave it on manual, and automatic focus is slow/ineffective in the dark.
   
7. Patience: You will need lots of it. This is my best shot (below) of my 50 photographs I've taken (the others had nothing!)
8. Finger on the Button: You have two approaches. You can wait for a bolt and press the shutter release immediately, then close the shutter right after. This will produce a short exposure (1-2 seconds). Or, you can take random, longer exposures (3-7 seconds or even higher) in anticipation of lightning striking during a storm. You will need to adjust your aperture accordingly for longer exposures and based on the ambient light level.
9. Keep Back: Perhaps obvious, but I will remind you that lightning is VERY DANGEROUS! Please observe the usual rules of watching lighting with respect to distance, what you are near, etc.
10. Lucky Penny: A good lightning photography is hard to get, so if you know how to get some extra luck, please proceed.

Processing: added my signature in Photoshop CS3. Otherwise, no other processing.


















Some Lightning Safety Tips:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/features/understanding/lightning_safety.shtml

Photograph: Snowbirds

Photography at the Canadian Air Show

Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Year: 2008
Camera: Canon 40D, 70-200mm L f/4 lens
Settings: ISO 100, f/5, 1/250 second, 200mm
Support: Manfrotto monopod
Filters: circular polarizing

Details: I took many photos this summer when I went to see the Canadian Air Show this summer with my girlfriend. It was a good reason to use my 70-200mm L lens and a great way to enjoy a sunny day (except for the sunburn - ouch!). This is my favourite photo from that day. Some key things to note here are as follows.

• Bring a zoom lens with you to an air show as you know your subject is far away. You will want to get in nice and close for a great photograph.
• Monopod or tripods are a good idea. When zoomed in so much, every bit of movement in your body is magnified. I choose a monopod to help stabilize as my subject was moving. Had it been a stationary subject I would have chosen a tripod for even better stability and thus a clearer photography.
• Circular polarizing filters can help create a lot more contrast in a photograph, especially against nice, blue skies. However, note the rules of the polarizing filter - it only works if the sun is to your left, right, or directly overhead. It won't work when the sun is behind or ahead of you.
  

Processing: HDR processing was used to bring the colours out a bit more. Also, some cropping was need to get the exact composition I wanted in my photography.

Photo: Classic Car

Sunset on the Porsche

Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Year: 2008
Camera: Canon 40D, 17-85mm f/4-5.6 lens
Settings: ISO 100, f/6.3, 1/30 second, 56mm
Support: hand held

Details: this shot was taken while I was in Grand Bend on a golf trip with some coworkers. We were just walking towards a restaurant for dinner and I noticed an awesome, classic Porsche on the street with the setting sun hitting the car. This was an opportunity that I didn't want to pass on, so I took a few quick snaps of the car. In this shot I angled myself so I can get the sun beaming through the windshield, some shadow casting of the car, and some awesome reflection from the clean metal.

My best advice to give is always take the shot when you see it. I will guarantee if you decide to come back later, you car will be gone, the sun will be down, of whatever you wanted to photography is not the same. Great moments happen, and each one is unique and temporary. Take the shot when you can.

Processing: HDR processing with Photomatix to bring out the colours more. The original shot did not have as vibrant a range of the sunset, the car dials, or the reflection from the metal.

Photo: Ka-Boom!

May 24 Fireworks

Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Year: 2008
Camera: Canon 40D, 17-85mm f/4-5.6 lens
Settings: ISO 200, f/8, 3 seconds, 33mm
Other: tripod

Details: I went to the Canada Day Fireworks this year and wanted to test out my camera. I did a bit of research into taking Fireworks and here are the key things to do.

a) Use a tripod. I insist. :) Since you are shooting in low light conditions and will want use a longer exposure, a tripod is absolutely required.
b) Setup early. Lots of people love fireworks and you will often find it hard to get a good place for pictures if you arrive late. I recommend you setup 45-60 minutes early. Find a place that will have a good direct line of the action. Remember that lots of people will be there soon so ensure your location will not have people's heads in the way. A find a small hill, at the top of stairs, etc will be good. Also ensure that you won't block anyone else's view.
c) Compose the scene. If you know where the fireworks will explode, compose your shot before hand. Ideally, I like to have something interesting in the picture as well like water, an interesting building, and sometimes it's cool to get the crowd as they as watching the display (to get the human side in your picture). You may need to readjust a few times during the shoot. Review your photos after the first few shots and after each adjustment to ensure they are in focus and have the right composure.
d) Dial in your aperture. You want a wide enough one to ensure enough light comes through, yet still have some good clarity of foreground and background. I've used f/8, but you could go down or up a stop or two and still be good. Experiment and find what will work for you.
e) Shutter release. This is the tricky part. Catching them. Now there are two ways. Set your shutter speed to 2-3 seconds, and press the button just after your one of them flying up but before they explode. However, this is hit and miss. I recommend that you get a remove shutter release (wired or wireless). Then, with the camera shutter set to "bulb" mode, all I do is press my remote to open the shutter and then press it again to close it after the firework explodes. Typically my exposure will be 2-4 seconds long.
f) ISO. As with any shot, always try to shot as ISO 100 to reduce noise. In this case, I used 200 as it worked out pretty good.


Processing: this shot had some colour cleanup in Adobe Bridge, and was cropped a bit from the original.

Links: This site has some good info on Fireworks shots as well. Check it out.
http://digital-photography-school.com/blog/how-to-photograph-fireworks/

Borrowed Style

Reach for the Sky

Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Year: 2008
Camera: Canon 40D, 17-85mm f/4-5.6 lens
Settings: ISO 100, f/8, 1/400 second, 100mm

Details: This is one of my pictures for an assignment from the course I took (Develop Your Photography, TWI). The assignment was to replicate either the style or theme of another photographer. I chose the style of Simon Chaput (link to Fifty One gallery below where his work can be found). His work with buildings is characterized by B&W shots with start contrasts between light and dark.

In my first session I found I could not get any pictures with the right amount of contrast (note I was shooting in colour and converted to B&W after). The next session I was able to hit paydirt with many shots. Here is what you need to do:

First, you will need to take shots either early in the morning or later in the evening when the sun is lower. This makes darker, longer shadows. Next, you want the right exposure to make the dark areas darker. The key is to not let the camera take a reading from the overall scene as it will try to balance the light and dark. Instead, zoom into the well lit area and take an exposure reading (usually by pressing the shutter release halfway in). Note the speed and f-stop. Then put the camera in manual mode, set the f-stop and speed, recompose for the shot you want, and click away! Essentially, you will be using a faster shutter speed than normal for the scene. This will keep the light areas clear and the shadows very dark.

Processing: The shot was then processed in Camera RAW (part of Photoshop CS3), where I easily removed all the colour from the photo. I did no other processing to this photo (aside the copyright watermark).

Link: http://www.gallery51.com/index.php?

HDR and a Polorizing Filter

The Steeple

Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Year: 2008
Camera: Canon 40D, 70-200mm L f/4 lens
Settings: ISO 100, f/4, 1/640 second, 70mm
Other: circular polarizing filter
Details: This was one of my first shots with the 70-200mm L lens I bought this summer. I was walking around my place taking various pictures to test the lens, including a few of this Portuguese church. I needed to have a high shutter speed as I was at 70mm, the lighting was starting to get darker, and I had a filter on. The circular polarizing filter provided an important level of contrast of the clouds to the blue sky, as well enhanced the details in the structure. The key to note with these filters: they only work properly when the sun is to the left, right, or directly overhead of the camera. If the sun is behind or ahead of the camera, they will not work well. I will post more info on these filters at a later time.
Processing: HDR processing in Photomatix. This processing was a single file HDR processing, which is only possible if you shoot in camera RAW mode (available on many DSLRs, but needs software/plug-ins that can read the file type). If shooting in JPG, I would have needed a tripod and taken at least three pictures of the scene with different exposure settings (i.e. 0, +1, -1). Many DSLRs have Exposure bracketing that will help speed this process.

Passing Lights

Passing Lights

Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Year: 2008
Camera: Canon 40D, 17-85mm f/4-5.6 lens
Settings: ISO 200, f/22, 30 seconds, 21mm
Other: mounted on a tripod (required)
Details: After seeing so many night pictures with the cool car-light streaking effect, I had to try this myself. I used a larger F number (22 in this case) to get better front to back clarity, and a very long exposure (due to the low light and large F-stop). Ensure your camera is on a tripod as hand holding will not work, and even renting it on a flat surface may not work well. You may need to experiment with various speeds to get the right exposure.
Processing: Signature added in Photoshop CS3.

The Empire of New York

The Empire of New York

Location: New York City, New York, USA
Year: 2008
Camera: Canon 40D, 17-85mm f/4-5.6 lens
Settings: ISO 400, f/9.0, 1/320 speed, 20mm
Other: I believe I had my circular-polarizing filter on.
Details: On my trip to New York I was walking around snapping some pictures and had the fortune to see some awesome sunlight beans streaking around the Empire State building. Given the somewhat lower lighting conditions but the need to hand hold the camera, I had the ISO set to 400. My aperture was set to 9.0 for some good clarity throughout the picture. This is also a good example of experimenting with different angles when shooting various subjects.
Processing: HDR processing to get a more pronounced effect of the sunlight.

Photo: Statue of Liberty

Sweet Lady Liberty

Location: New York City, New York, USA
Year: 2008
Camera: Canon 40D, 70-200mm f/4-5.6 lens
Settings: ISO 100, f/5.6, 1/250 speed, 200mm
Details: This shot was taken in the morning while on the ferry to Liberty Island during my trip to NYC (awesome city!). I was playing with my new 70-200mm lens with this shot. With the boat moving about, I use my monopod to help steady my camera. Monopods are great as they are light weight, fold up nicely, and sometimes allowed where tripods are not. In this case, if I didn't have a monopod I would have had a blurry shot, even with the Image Stabilizer on the lens.
Processing: some minor HDR processing was done to make the colours pop out a bit more.

Photo: Grand Bend Sunset

Grand Bend Sunset

Location: Grand Bend, Ontario, Canada
Year: 2008
Camera: Canon 40D, 17-85mm f/4-5.6 lens
Settings: ISO 100, f/14, 1/15 speed, 85mm focal length
Details: This shot was taken at sun set at the beach in Grand Bend, Ontario. Since I took this shot with a small aperture and slow shutter speed, I needed to stabilize the camera. Not having any of my tripods with me, I was able to rest the camera on a flat wooden hand rail that was along the beach. I set the camera's self-timer to 2 seconds, composed the frame, pressed the button, and kept my hands of the camera. Using the self-timer is a great way to reduce camera shake that occurs when your pressing the camera button.
Processing: This photo had some minimal single file HDR processing to bring the colours out a bit more. I also added my signature on the bottom of the picture with Photoshop CS3.